Uh-oh just injected my nighttime lantus dose as novorapid by mistake, what to do?

the_anticarb

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Hoping some other insulin users are up this late and can help! I just injected 16u NR instead of Lantus. Obviously I'll need to eat something to stave off night time hypos now, but should I take my lantus dose as normal or reduce it?
I was about to go to bed, but expect that my blood sugars will crash within an hour or 2 (they are currently around 9) so anyone have any idea how much/what to eat to stave this off? Should I go for sugary carbs or long acting?
thanks
 

Danny Prince

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Take it as normal if your background is set correctly it shouldn't make your levels go up or down..
 

ConradJ

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You need to eat some carbohydrates to equate with the 16 units of NovoRapid. Do you carb count? Do you know your Insulin to Carb (I:C) ratio?

Once you've sort that, then take your lantus as normal but don't go to bed for at least an hour.
 

the_anticarb

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I've not really been carb counting properly as following a lowish carb diet, so just guesstimating my doses for my meals, which are not high in carbs, so don't need huge amounts of insulin and that's been working ok for me. I'm probably around 1u per 5g carbs though.
I will have a few digestive bisuits before I turn in.
After a pretty rocky diabetic pregnancy last year I'm pretty familiar with night time hypos so will line up the haribos by the bed.
Usually I'd be saying the silver lining is that I get to eat a few goodies, but I'm trying to lose weight and this isn't going to help.
Hey ho, happens once in a while

Thanks
 

noblehead

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I would think if you eat enough carbs to cover the NR you injected there's no reason for not taking your basal insulin, just the same I would still set your alarm and test just in case.

Good luck!
 

iHs

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I would eat some carb to equal out the bolus and then wait until about 3am to do the basal. That way you should be able to avoid a bad hypo in yr sleep

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robert72

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I did this once but had not realised my mistake. I had a very rapid onset hypo as a result - almost fitting, so please make sure you have a good supply of fast acting carbs and stay up for 2 hours if you can. Hope it pans out OK for you.
 

ConradJ

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If you're dosing 1u:5g then you need 80g of carbs or you'll go dangerously low; have some (wholemeal) toast - digestives.are quite fatty.

Also, cut out the Haribos and use Dextrose/GlucoTabs for treatings hypos - they're much faster and reduce the likelihood of rebounds, which can contribute towards complications.
 

JustDomUK

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Given the amount you've taken I suspect a hospital trip to A and E is necessary. I've done this once before. Similar amount. My bloods shot down so quickly that it was dropping faster than the lucozade to counteract it was going in. I needed help and a glucose drip. Do not go to bed as it will drop fast


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carl0s

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I keep wondering if I'm going to do this one day.. wake up and take 10 units of novorapid.

I heard a normal starting ratio is 1:10, which would mean 160 gram of carbs are needed. Given that you're not sure, it's gotta be safer to go for closer to that hasn't it?

Good luck.
 

Omnipod

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Wow..16 units NR would send me into a coma. I cannot even take more than 6 units - even if I eat 100 grams CHO. I find the insulin works faster then the food absorption.
Id drink a full bottle of lucozade right now and have a few more on stand by with your glucogon hypo kit. Eat some long acting CHO too like wholemeal bread and dont be alone. Have somebody be with you and test every hour for the next 5 or 6 hours. i would not take the lantus today. the lantus will cause your hypo to be more intense if you do hypo and you will take longer to recover...
1 day without lantus is not the end of the world. Rather be safer.

Please post how you got on
 

the_anticarb

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Morning all! Well I must be quite insulin resistant as a result of weight gain during my pregnancy/pregnancy seemed to further mess up my already quite messed up metabolism.

I had some digestives (only low carb bread in house) and about half a packet of sweets and my blood sugar never went below 7!

So, it's good that I didn't go hypo but it has spelled out to me just how messed up and insulin resistant my body has become.

I am around 3 stone overweight though so hopefully if I can get some weight off the insulin resistance will come down too

Thanks for the tips guys
 
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Lisbet

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Wow - fascinating to read this and see how differently each person wd handle this situation!! Glad all was well and you didn't over react or go to a&e. So easy to make this mistake when you're on auto pilot.


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Omnipod

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easy mistake to make. Its happened to me before. my experience wasnt as good. I ended up in A&E!
 

davestretty

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The bolus/carb ratios are interesting.
I was diagnosed about 7 years ago but I don't know whether I'm T1 late onset, T1.5, T2 or whatever! My diabetes doctors/nurses/hospital consultant have never tested (apart from hba1c which last time was in the 80's whatever that means now - no-one explained) never had a OGTT either. BMI about 36 and tried Metformin (3x500 stopped due to kidney problems), Glyclaside (same), Byetta (didn't work and made me v sick but lost 10kg in a month), Victoza (same as Byetta), Levemir (basal 180 units per day), Victoza with Levemir (sick again), Humulin 3 (put on 15 kg in 3 months then lost again when I went back to Levemir) . Reduced carbs intake along time ago none of which really worked properly. Next was Humulog 50 (nightmare of Hypers and Hypos and gained 10kg in two months), now on levemir (120 per day) and Novorapid . Still struggle to get fasting glucose to single figures, use 10-15 morning with a slice of toast/butter/marmalade and still see BG rise to mid teens during morning, and have to use 25 -30 after each meal just to get back into single figures.
It seems my bolus/carb ratio is about 1:2 on Novorapid, and BMI now about 40.
Incidenteley my BMI prior to Diabetes was about 34 and I developed Diabetes soon after trying Atkins diet for 6 months (during which I lost about 5kg but had to stop due to stomach and bowel problems).

What next I wonder
 

Reggie64

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I am so pleased things worked out for you.


It is all part of learning and living with diabetes - albeit - a very difficult one.

Take care