I’m going on holiday to Australia in the next 2 weeks and I’m currently trying to figure out how to adjust the time I inject insulin. It’s currently 7pm that I take my dose. How do I adjust the time to take it?
What type of insulin it is?
If I were you (and when I have travelled to Australia) I move it by taking a part dose and erring on the side of too little - I tend to run low when travelling and going hypo on a flight (without easy access to food) or while traipsing around airports isn't fun.
What time are you flying and what route? I'd be tempted to take the evening dose as usual, then take a 1/3 dose as a filler at the time of the next dose (in UK time), then take the full dose (or knock a unit or two off to taper in depending how your BG has been during the flight) in Australian time. Something along those lines anyway. Probably easiest to write it all out on paper with both timezones noted down as well as times of flights and the like (so you're not trying to do it while rushing through an airport.)
My dose moves by up to 4h a day anyway depending what time I'm out in the morning/back in the evening (I do split bolus, but even when I did evening doses it would similarly move if I was back late, etc.) so there's quite a lot of flexibility (though it probably depends on insulin - mine is Lantus-similar Abasaglar)
If I were you (and when I have travelled to Australia) I move it by taking a part dose and erring on the side of too little - I tend to run low when travelling and going hypo on a flight (without easy access to food) or while traipsing around airports isn't fun.
What time are you flying and what route? I'd be tempted to take the evening dose as usual, then take a 1/3 dose as a filler at the time of the next dose (in UK time), then take the full dose (or knock a unit or two off to taper in depending how your BG has been during the flight) in Australian time. Something along those lines anyway. Probably easiest to write it all out on paper with both timezones noted down as well as times of flights and the like (so you're not trying to do it while rushing through an airport.)
My dose moves by up to 4h a day anyway depending what time I'm out in the morning/back in the evening (I do split bolus, but even when I did evening doses it would similarly move if I was back late, etc.) so there's quite a lot of flexibility (though it probably depends on insulin - mine is Lantus-similar Abasaglar)
Hey! Thanks for responding. I’m currently taking only 6 units of Levemir (slow acting I think), having only started using insulin in December.
I’m flying out on the 11th of March at 13:35 from Gatwick, 7 hour flight to Dubai. 2 hour wait in Dubai before doing the 13 hour hike to Melbourne.
Appreciate any advise!
From a quick Google search I think Levemir is peakier than Abasaglar, though I'm sure other forumites will chip in.
I think given the timings I'd be tempted to take normal insulin in UK, take next dose (normal quantity) on the flight leaving Dubai (so likely a 3-4h later than you would usually, then wait until close to the normal time once in Australia (e.g. you could do it mid afternoon, then move it back 3 or 4h at a time), which would give you a gap but not a massive one (from my very rough mental maths!)
Fill in the gaps as needed with bolus corrections (if needed). But this is only what I would do, and as I said above I run low when travelling so it causes me no major hardship to have a larger gap.
I'd also not worry too much about running a bit high if that's what ends up happening, it's only a day or two, and much easier to run a bit high than to need to source something to eat as you've gone hypo during travel, especially a PITA when everyone is asleep and they standard offering is small bags of nuts (though actually those are probably no longer allowed, so pretzels or similar.)
With this in mind, it's worth having your own snacks to hand (in hand luggage, ideally in the seatback pocket as trying to extract an overhead bag while hypo is also not great - I'd have both short acting hypo treatments (skittles or other sweets) and e,g, biscuits/granola bars to get you though longer periods - just be careful though the Australians don't want any imports of live grains and may confiscate granola bar even though they are cooked and therefore cannot germinate - I gave up declaring stuff like that as it was annoying that it always got thrown away "just in case". I was happy to argue that they were not a restricted item if searched.
Heat may well also make a difference once you arrive, as well as the stress of both the flying and being in a new place (which may drive you up or down.)
But don't worry too much about all of that, you'll work it out, I hope you have fun.
I think given the timings I'd be tempted to take normal insulin in UK, take next dose (normal quantity) on the flight leaving Dubai (so likely a 3-4h later than you would usually, then wait until close to the normal time once in Australia (e.g. you could do it mid afternoon, then move it back 3 or 4h at a time), which would give you a gap but not a massive one (from my very rough mental maths!)
Fill in the gaps as needed with bolus corrections (if needed). But this is only what I would do, and as I said above I run low when travelling so it causes me no major hardship to have a larger gap.
I'd also not worry too much about running a bit high if that's what ends up happening, it's only a day or two, and much easier to run a bit high than to need to source something to eat as you've gone hypo during travel, especially a PITA when everyone is asleep and they standard offering is small bags of nuts (though actually those are probably no longer allowed, so pretzels or similar.)
With this in mind, it's worth having your own snacks to hand (in hand luggage, ideally in the seatback pocket as trying to extract an overhead bag while hypo is also not great - I'd have both short acting hypo treatments (skittles or other sweets) and e,g, biscuits/granola bars to get you though longer periods - just be careful though the Australians don't want any imports of live grains and may confiscate granola bar even though they are cooked and therefore cannot germinate - I gave up declaring stuff like that as it was annoying that it always got thrown away "just in case". I was happy to argue that they were not a restricted item if searched.
Heat may well also make a difference once you arrive, as well as the stress of both the flying and being in a new place (which may drive you up or down.)
But don't worry too much about all of that, you'll work it out, I hope you have fun.
