Highest amount of insulin?

Standard4

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
In answer to the OP question, there is no maximum dosage of insulin, it depends on how much everyone needs to keep within the 5.3 - 6.8 mmol target range if a driver, so many things can cause higher dosages, from just having a Cold/Flu, infection, Insulin resistance (my problem) at breakfast everyday, I have to take 18.6 units bolus just for 2x Weetabix and 125ml of semi skimmed milk. You can have different ratios/requirements throughout the day, I have five different rates for time of day/meal. My average daylight total Basal and Bolus is between 85 and 150 units a day. You can easily go up into three figures, just go out to a restaurant and have a meal and a sweet desert, the Carbohydrates could well be into 140-200g Carbs then your ratio to work out dosage. Doesn't mean it's wrong, just needed to keep your blood sugar at correct level, the more insulin you take will have less effect, so another catch 22 meaning you need yet more, which makes you put weight on and makes you more hungry. Eating sensibly, even when out, is the best way to keep under control. If you don't know the carbohydrate content of what you are going to eat, don't eat it! otherwise incorrect insulin can cause you serious problems long and short term?
But no matter what you think, Hypos are not completely preventable, and can always happen for any number of reasons. Frequent blood tests, 5+ a day if on a pump, will help keep you under excellent control.
 

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Other
@GrantGam From what I recall, the main reason the manufacturers moved to 3ml carts was the increase in T2 users with greater insulin needs. Many T2s were going through 1.5ml carts in a day or less, os it made sense to give them more.

@noblehead I remember the Refloflux S and desperately wanting one to use with my "Blood on, wait 60 seconds, wipe, wait another 60 seconds" visual BM strips, but they were ridiculously expensive and our local health board wouldn't supply them to patients.
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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I had a Reflolux S as my first blood meter :) I liked being able to use the meter and 'eye check' the result too.

When I got my next meter and that didn't use BM sticks, it freaked me out that I couldnt check the meter results on a colour chart! I can still visualise the colours now : D
 

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
@GrantGam From what I recall, the main reason the manufacturers moved to 3ml carts was the increase in T2 users with greater insulin needs. Many T2s were going through 1.5ml carts in a day or less, os it made sense to give them more.

That I can appreciate; T2's do typically use significantly more insulin than T1's. Now, my gripe... The T2's have their larger 3ml cartridges, and the T1's don't get their smaller ones. I can put this down to nothing more than the insulin dependant T2 financial market being tenfold larger compared to that of the T1 market. Money, money, money I'm afraid.
 

db89

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,134
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
That I can appreciate; T2's do typically use significantly more insulin than T1's. Now, my gripe... The T2's have their larger 3ml cartridges, and the T1's don't get their smaller ones. I can put this down to nothing more than the insulin dependant T2 financial market being tenfold larger compared to that of the T1 market. Money, money, money I'm afraid.

Plus anyone out there who is rather insulin sensitive, for example, wouldn't use up all of the pen in the 28 days before it starts potentially losing it's efficacy which would result in more waste.
 

GrantGam

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Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Plus anyone out there who is rather insulin sensitive, for example, wouldn't use up all of the pen in the 28 days before it starts potentially losing it's efficacy which would result in more waste.
Exactly! And the sad truth is that the insulin manufacturers do not care about waste because they have already sold their products to organisations such as the NHS...
 

noblehead

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@noblehead I remember the Refloflux S and desperately wanting one to use with my "Blood on, wait 60 seconds, wipe, wait another 60 seconds" visual BM strips, but they were ridiculously expensive and our local health board wouldn't supply them to patients.

They were expensive and like your trust mine wouldn't provide the meter for free.

It was the only bg meter that I ever bought and I'm sure I paid around £120 for it (it was certainly around the £100 mark anyway). I was single then and had a decent income so money wasn't too much of an issue, but that said at the time £120 was a lot of money.
 

NaziaB

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
If it is a wristband why not make it run off of solar power.

How would that work? Wouldn't that require the user to take the wristband off. How often does a diabetic have to check their glucose levels? According to my research it's usually every hour but no more than 2 hours, is that correct?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It depends what you define as diabetic as to how often they need to check.
As a type 2 with diet control I spend between 1 and 2 UK pounds on testing, each week. I would like to have a quick and constant readout of BG levels as it would help me make good choices at the fridge rather than having to consider what I'd eaten what I'd done and how I felt and then guess what my level might be.
Such a device would not need to have interconnectivity or memory - just knowing my level at the moment of opening the fridge would be the important function. - above 9 and its the celery and cream cheese, below 7 a slice of melon.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It depends what you define as diabetic as to how often they need to check.
As a type 2 with diet control I spend between 1 and 2 UK pounds on testing, each week. I would like to have a quick and constant readout of BG levels as it would help me make good choices at the fridge rather than having to consider what I'd eaten what I'd done and how I felt and then guess what my level might be.
Such a device would not need to have interconnectivity or memory - just knowing my level at the moment of opening the fridge would be the important function. - above 9 and its the celery and cream cheese, below 7 a slice of melon.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It depends what you define as diabetic as to how often they need to check.
As a type 2 with diet control I spend between 1 and 2 UK pounds on testing, each week. I would like to have a quick and constant readout of BG levels as it would help me make good choices at the fridge rather than having to consider what I'd eaten what I'd done and how I felt and then guess what my level might be.
Such a device would not need to have interconnectivity or memory - just knowing my level at the moment of opening the fridge would be the important function. - above 9 and its the celery and cream cheese, below 7 a slice of melon.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It depends what you define as diabetic as to how often they need to check.
As a type 2 with diet control I spend between 1 and 2 UK pounds on testing, each week. I would like to have a quick and constant readout of BG levels as it would help me make good choices at the fridge rather than having to consider what I'd eaten what I'd done and how I felt and then guess what my level might be.
Such a device would not need to have interconnectivity or memory - just knowing my level at the moment of opening the fridge would be the important function. - above 9 and its the celery and cream cheese, below 7 a slice of melon.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
How would that work? Wouldn't that require the user to take the wristband off. How often does a diabetic have to check their glucose levels? According to my research it's usually every hour but no more than 2 hours, is that correct?

No two diabetics are alike. Type 1s have to test several times a day to control their insulin injections when eating, plus for driving, and once or twice for other things. Type 2s not on insulin don't have to test at all, but many choose to do so to help with their diet choices and to keep an eye on things. Some T2s may test 10 times a day, others just once.
 
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NaziaB

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
It depends what you define as diabetic as to how often they need to check.
As a type 2 with diet control I spend between 1 and 2 UK pounds on testing, each week. I would like to have a quick and constant readout of BG levels as it would help me make good choices at the fridge rather than having to consider what I'd eaten what I'd done and how I felt and then guess what my level might be.
Such a device would not need to have interconnectivity or memory - just knowing my level at the moment of opening the fridge would be the important function. - above 9 and its the celery and cream cheese, below 7 a slice of melon.

That's one of the advantages of the diabetic wristband - to press a button and see glucose levels instantly on the screen :)
 
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NaziaB

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
They were expensive and like your trust mine wouldn't provide the meter for free.

It was the only bg meter that I ever bought and I'm sure I paid around £120 for it (it was certainly around the £100 mark anyway). I was single then and had a decent income so money wasn't too much of an issue, but that said at the time £120 was a lot of money.

What year was this if you don't mind me asking? :)