Levemir Insulin and low carb

[candi-girl]

I'm having a pump break. I often do this as my skin gets sore from the infusion sets. They itch, go red, get swollen and even 2 week old old sites are still sore. It happens sometimes. :crazy:

Anyway, still on the low carb diet and wondered if anyone on injections can live on just two doses of levemir if you have low carb, obviously needing fast acting should you have a carb meal.

Just wondering. Thanks

 

[ClaireG 06]

I'm a type 2 but on Levi and Nova. I only inject once a day with Levi at the moment and then as you say use Nova for carb meals.

 

[noblehead]

Highly unlikely Candi-girl as protein in the absence of carbs converts to glucose by around 60%, you would still need some QA insulin to cover your meals.

 

[Fallenstar]

Hi CG
No, I think you will still have to Bolus, I do for a no carb meal..only a little less than I would for a meal that would contain a good percentage of carbs. I find I need to split doses to account for the fat. We are all different and you will need to test and experiment with your new regime...as I'm sure you have done in the past.
Good luck on the pump break, hope you heal well, and let us know how you go on

 

[noblehead]

Hi CG
No, I think you will still have to Bolus, I do for a no carb meal..only a little less than I would for a meal that would contain a good percentage of carbs. I find I need to split doses to account for the fat. We are all different and you will need to test and experiment with your new regime...as I'm sure you have done in the past.
Good luck on the pump break, hope you heal well, and let us know how you go on

So do you inject 6 times a day to cover your meals Fallingstar?

 

[candi-girl]

Thanks, I thought this may be the case. I usually end up injecting around 6 times a day on MDI. So far I'm holding steady at 7 but am checking and will just see how it all goes.

 

[iHs]

Hi
I tried back in 2007 to control my bg levels just using Lantus 3 times a day and eating very little carb. Reason for doing so was because my GP and all the other GPs within my PCT had made a decision to restrict all diabetics to just 50 bg test strips per month. I didn’t know how I was going to manage just using that amount as I used to using 6 strips per day,so out of extreme worry I switched to just using Lantus.

The first day, bg levels were a bit high so I ate virtually nothing in carb. 2nd day was better and I was able to eat some carb but started to go hypo by late afternoon. 3rd day was terrible and had hypos in the evening and bad ones during the night so I gave up on the Lantus as I didn’t really know if I was coming or going. Plus with only having 50 strips I couldn’t really test myself all that often.

I then took my GP to task with the help of a copy of a letter from my PCT asking GPs to use their discretion over who they prescribe test strips for and not to just restrict. I also put it to GP that she could not achieve the required hba1c targets that wanted everyone to get of 6.4 to 7.0% by restricting test strips to insulin users. With this confrontation, she backed down and agreed to prescribe 150 strips per month (as she went on about the NHS cost). I just bought the other 50 strips I needed using eBay.

Getting back to basal insulin though……………… Last year when I went to see my consultant at hospital I got chatting to a lady who just used Lantus to control her bg levels. She didn’t use a bolus insulin at all. She just injected Lantus 4 times a day. I’m not sure what diet she used but I think she ate carbohydrate. Out of the two basal insulins Lantus v Levemir, Lantus’s action on bg levels is more pronounced than Levemir so maybe that is why the lady was able to use just Lantus on its own.

So you see……….. Not everything is set in stone as some might think. It does take all sorts. BG testing is the only way to sort out any insulin regime though. It’s a crime that the strips are costing the NHS so much money and something does need to be done about it but no through re striction.

 

[candi-girl]

hello !
its disgusting they restrict strips!!! mine give me 300 but dont always use that many so one month i dont order any. guess all is trial and error. today is a first try.had 15u levemir at 8am and eaten very low carb. sugars were between 6 and 8 however at work now so jumped to 10 but just going to see what happens and obviously correct if i keep going higher.

 

[Fallenstar]

Nigel
Yes usually, sometimes more ,sometime less depending on my training routine that day..and also my work varies a lot physically so this can vary my injections. A pump would be easier for me probably but I don't fancy having it attached 24/7.
My control is brilliant now though.

 

[Fallenstar]

That is interesting iHs, as when I was on Lantus I found at times I could forgo the Bolus if I was in heavy training and pretty low carb, I struggled so much on Lantus fullstop because I found it poked it's nose in all the time IYKWIM..and would interfere with the Bolus insulin.
So yes iHS, I agree with you on the Lantus, could work on lower carb with no Bolus :think: ...but having been on the two I could not imagine Levemir doing the same...as you say though not set in stone and CG you will just have to experiment and see...but you may need a very large dose of the Levemir to get control. I need double the amount of Levemir than I did Lantus...but hey ho, no horrible crashing Hypo's ,so it's worth it

Let us know how you get on CG ,I will be very interested.

 

[iHs]

Thanks, I thought this may be the case. I usually end up injecting around 6 times a day on MDI. So far I'm holding steady at 7 but am checking and will just see how it all goes.

Hi

Another option for you to think and ask about is using biphasic insulin (twice daily). Humalog insulin is also available as a mix - Humalog Mix 25/75 and 50/50. It's only drawback is that you do have to remember to eat specific amounts of carb within certain time frames but it's not as restricting as people might think. I used biphasic insulin for a good 20 years and was fairly happy. You also have the ability of being able to use ordinary Humalog bolus as a backup to the mix if you want to eat large amounts of carb than you normally would do on the mix alone.

Less injections usually equal happier people. No more insulin to carb ratios to calculate

 

[noblehead]

Nigel
Yes usually, sometimes more ,sometime less depending on my training routine that day..and also my work varies a lot physically so this can vary my injections. A pump would be easier for me probably but I don't fancy having it attached 24/7.
My control is brilliant now though.

Yes I was going to suggest a pump rather than endure all those injections!

 

[candi-girl]

no i wouldnt like that sort of insulin.

fallenstar what doses of levemir do you take and what times?

i took 15u at 8am and held steady til 4pm. now its 11.7 slowley going up as was 10 around 5pm. i have given correction humalog.

prob either the protein catching up as ate at 3pm or levemir running out?

even if i need to have humalog around 4pm and two levemir would be nice just need a small break from needles and infusion sets. the injections seem to make my skin sore red and itchy too....

it is nice to get away from the pump from time to time

 

[Fallenstar]

Hi Candi Girl
No I never got on with the mixes when I tied to go back to them

I take 12 units in a morning 8 am...and between 12 units and 14 units on an evening depending what time of the month it is...It holds me at 5 mmols as steady as anything on fasting tests. Try splitting your dose CG if you do not already...use little correction doses of Humalog and see how you go...it may just work for you...As IHs says nothing is set in stone
Keep in touch
Did you get and like the berries

Nigel, I'm cool with the injections, I don't mark or lump up. I use the 4mm kids needle and it does not hurt at all,so no great stress really for me After looking into the pump I just feel it would be too much hassle for me...but horses for courses and all that And I'm very vain

 

[noblehead]

I'm cool with the injections, I don't mark or lump up. I use the 4mm kids needle and it does not hurt at all,so no great stress really for me After looking into the pump I just feel it would be too much hassle for me...but horses for courses and all that And I'm very vain

Yes I'm much the same and never really fancied the idea of being attached to a pump but wouldn't rule it out at a later date if my circumstances changed, just thought it might be a easier route for you instead of having to inject so much......but reading the above I see it doesn't seem a problem which is good news!

 

[candi-girl]

Hi Candi Girl
No I never got on with the mixes when I tied to go back to them

I take 12 units in a morning 8 am...and between 12 units and 14 units on an evening depending what time of the month it is...It holds me at 5 mmols as steady as anything on fasting tests. Try splitting your dose CG if you do not already...use little correction doses of Humalog and see how you go...it may just work for you...As IHs says nothing is set in stone
Keep in touch
Did you get and like the berries

Nigel, I'm cool with the injections, I don't mark or lump up. I use the 4mm kids needle and it does not hurt at all,so no great stress really for me After looking into the pump I just feel it would be too much hassle for me...but horses for courses and all that And I'm very vain

Hi, yes, I liked the berries very much, I forgot to come back on and say.

Last night when I got home from work at 10.20pm my sugar was 8.0 and so the correction had worked. I do split the doses and have them 12 hours apart, is that about right? I had my evening dose at work at 8pm and I had 11 units as I know this is what I've had in the evenings before.

I woke at 3am and felt hungry so I tested and I was 3.7. I remembered I used to have a small snack before bed on Levemir but I didn't like doing that. I had 2 sips of lucozade and woke up at 8am at 7.1.

I am considering 10units in the evening now as I don't want that snack.

I took 20units this morning, just to see if the increase may stop that rise from 4pm. However, I must have hit a blood vessel because blood and insulin came shooting back out so no idea how many units I had! It's really sore too...

4hours later and before lunch I am 6.4. I will just test again today and see what happens.

Doing good on the low carb diet though, not feeling as hungry and feel so much better still. Must admit to having more carbs at the weekend but if I didn't have a treat I would go mad. :crazy:

 

[candi-girl]

2.15pm was 9.9 now 4pm it is 10.0 not going to correct yet just testing it to see if shoots up like yesterday