Must I take insulin with every meal?

Patch13

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When I ate carbs then I would have had to take insulin for cereal as it had a big effect on my blood sugars. In fact I pretty much had to take insulin for anything I ate. It is a pain because it means more injections / taking more insulin but I don't like to see high sugars.

If they are going really high then you could ask your DN if you can try taking a small amount of insulin with your cereal to stop then getting as high.

It really will be trial and error and you will have to test the effects of different foods on your blood sugar. We are all different so what works for one person may not work for you

Good luck!


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tomvonc

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One of those times a 'friend' had played a trick on me swapping my insulin tubes so I thought I was giving myself 20 units of levimer and it was actually novo rapid

20 units of rapid would give me enough time to call an ambulance and unlock the front door before I collapse into a sweating gibberring heap. (Yes I have got my Lantus and Humalog mixed up before)
 

mo1905

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[quote="amberzak, post: 411059, member:



A bit of advice. Keep lucosade and your tester by your bed. You will wake up with a low. I've been diabetic for nearly 10 years and I've only ever not woken up with a hypo three times. One of those times a 'friend' had played a trick on me swapping my insulin tubes so I thought I was giving myself 20 units of levimer and it was actually novo rapid.


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If you are waking up hypo every morning I would perhaps try to figure out why as this shouldn't happen on such a regular basis. Maybe your basal is too high or something ? Worth keeping a diary for a while and discussing with your DSN or doc :)


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tomvonc

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By BM becomes very unpredictable with cereal. It is almost impossible for me to eat it without either hypoing or running high all day. I do occaisionally treat mysself to a bowl of crunchy nut from time to time though ;-)
 

chazdee1

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Hallo!
I was diagnosed as diabetic last week and have been prescribed insulin. The insulin routine I am currently on is 3 shots of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my 3 main meals and 1 shot of levemir long-acting insulin at night. My problem though is that I eat 4 meals a day; I usually have a small bowl of cereal at night. This extra meal sends my blood sugar readings really high each night.

My diabetic nurse and dietician have both told me that I do not need to take a 4th shot of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my supper, but these high readings are worrying me. I don't want to have to cut out supper because everyone tells me that the insulin and diabetes has to adjust itself to my routine and way of life, not the other way around and also I get pretty hungry at night.

What would you recommend?
How many insulin shots are you taking every day?
Also, what doses of insulin do you take for every meal?

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
I was told by my diabetic nurse that you can only take 3 shots of nova rapid a day
I have my 3 shots breakfast dinner and tea and a long acting glargine at bed time.
Plus I take metformin (500) with each meal
Diabetics must have a supper to prevent night time hypos
I usually have 4 or 5 Ryvita crisp breads with either cheese or tomarto on them
or sometimes both (naughty naughty)
Depending on what my last reading of the day is
and I have found that weetabix is possably one of the best B/fast cerials to have
Since I have stuck to this my sugars are now running on average between 4.5 and 5.5
with an odd hypo now and then
So I carry a pkt of glucose sweets in my pocket just in case
(also told jelly babbies are a good way to get your sugars up)
but my granddaughter usually pinches these
hope you get your self sorted
chaz
xxxx
 

Mimastones

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Hallo!
I was diagnosed as diabetic last week and have been prescribed insulin. The insulin routine I am currently on is 3 shots of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my 3 main meals and 1 shot of levemir long-acting insulin at night. My problem though is that I eat 4 meals a day; I usually have a small bowl of cereal at night. This extra meal sends my blood sugar readings really high each night.

My diabetic nurse and dietician have both told me that I do not need to take a 4th shot of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my supper, but these high readings are worrying me. I don't want to have to cut out supper because everyone tells me that the insulin and diabetes has to adjust itself to my routine and way of life, not the other way around and also I get pretty hungry at night.

What would you recommend?
How many insulin shots are you taking every day?
Also, what doses of insulin do you take for every meal?

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! i haven't read through all the comments so dont know if im just reiterating what others are saying.

I assume you are diagnosed type 1? I'm on the same insulin regime and i do always take between 4 and 15 depending on what i've eaten and what my blood sugar reading was before I ate. I always have a slice of toast or small bowl of cereal if my reading is under 6 before bed.

But since you are so recently diagnosed i would agree with the advice from your medical team. You are probably still in the honeymoon period, so might still be producing small amounts of insulin. they are probably waiting till you have a longer term, consistent pattern of readings and then they will advise any adjustments then.

it takes a little while till you know what your body needs and when so be patient, and good luck!
 

novorapidboi26

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I was told by my diabetic nurse that you can only take 3 shots of nova rapid a day

Novorapid is marketed to last between 4-5 hours, so that actually works out between 4- 6 times a day...:)


Diabetics must have a supper to prevent night time hypos

Is this sarcasm? Apologies if it is as this statement is untrue....;)



chaz
xxxx
 

RosieDred

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My dsn also said that I can have supper without taking insulin and in fact that I shouldn't take insulin with supper. I couldn't grasp the logic behind this so I stopped having supper. Unless my sugars are low anyway.

Or I have a carb free snack before bed if I'm hungry.


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noblehead

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On basal/bolus there's no need to have supper unless your bg levels are low or you have brittle diabetes and your diabetes team have advised you to go to bed with higher levels. The eat supper advice was/ is given when people are on twice daily fixed doses of insulin and there's a need to eat 4 meals and snack in-between in some circumstances.

I have my evening meal between 6-7pm and don't eat again till breakfast, only time I will have a small snack before bed is when my bg levels are below 5.5mmol.
 

spaceman

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Hallo!
I was diagnosed as diabetic last week and have been prescribed insulin. The insulin routine I am currently on is 3 shots of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my 3 main meals and 1 shot of levemir long-acting insulin at night. My problem though is that I eat 4 meals a day; I usually have a small bowl of cereal at night. This extra meal sends my blood sugar readings really high each night.

My diabetic nurse and dietician have both told me that I do not need to take a 4th shot of novorapid fast-acting insulin before my supper, but these high readings are worrying me. I don't want to have to cut out supper because everyone tells me that the insulin and diabetes has to adjust itself to my routine and way of life, not the other way around and also I get pretty hungry at night.

What would you recommend?
How many insulin shots are you taking every day?
Also, what doses of insulin do you take for every meal?

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
i take 3 shots of novorapid before meals b/fast / lunch / & 5pm then 1 shot of lantus at night, i always eat snacks or a curry ( chinease ) before bed. in my case after been a type 1 for 18 months my final reading naturally is high say 11.2 but every morning my readings are 8.3 area then i go for a walk and its usually down to 5.6 area
 

novorapidboi26

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I usually have a wee bite before bed, only because I am hungry, not because I need too..........

if your doses are right all will be well in the morning.......
 

iHs

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If my bg is below 6mmol, I usually eat a small snack - 5grams carb before bed as I dont like to rely too much on my basal rates being completely accurate unless Ive basal tested

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dtennant9

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I quite often have a snack before bed if levels are a bit low, below 7mmol, but then my blood goes up by what I would expect the snack to put my blood up by. Need to start having more faith that I don't need to unless really low.

I guess it depends on if your low and your blood is going downwards or stable which is sometimes difficult to know.


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tomvonc

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I test before I go to bed, and depending on whether I still I have Humalog active in me or not, If I'm below 6, I'll eat 15-20g of slow carbs.

Tom