Levemir split injections - best times?

Flaca

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello All,

Do any of you who inject Levemir twice a day take it at any other times than breakfast and dinner? I have breakfast at around 6.30am and dinner at 9.00pm, taking 5 and 6 units of Levemir respectively, plus Humalog. I suspect I need to take more than 5 units in the evening dose because while I'm not high on waking, after breakfast I am, and cannot seem to control it with extra Humalog to cover the meal. However, when I put the dose up to 6, I wake with a hypo. I've tried taking the Levemir just before bed, but then I go high in the evening, as the morning Levemir has run out.

So my question is: might it be better to inject Levemir at lunch and then before bed?
 

Indiana91

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm on a split dose too, 36u in the morning and 38u in the evening. Usually between 9 &11 am and pm.
You will find what works for you, you can take it whatever times you feel is better for you but if you take it at lunch time then you must take the other one about 12 hours after so it's worth thinking about what time you go to bed and things.

All the best.

Indiana x


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ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Morning 3U about 6:30, gives me time to wake up, evening 5U about 9:30, seems to work

They say to get the doses about 12 hours apart. I used to do my evening dose just before bed, but that could be midnight, and kept leaving me with daytime hypos.
 

Miss90

Well-Known Member
Messages
223
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
I split mine, take my morning usually between 7-9am (16 units)'and before bed (18 units). It's helped my control a lot as I used to just do one injection before bed previously.


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Angeldust

Well-Known Member
Messages
103
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
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WINTER. COLD. RAIN. WIND.
12 hours exactly apart gives me the best and most steady control. I do 12u respectively at10am/10pm and this works better for me than anything I've tried previously.
 

Flaca

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks everyone for your replies. I've been trying to avoid doing the Levemir injections on their own (I mean, not at the same time as the Humalog), but it looks like I may have to to get better control. I'm going to try a couple of changes and see how it goes.
 
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monkeymutha

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The Levimir works over 12 hours so should be taken 12 hours apart regardless of times. Remember it has nothing to do with eating it is in fact the insulin that should keep your glucose levels constant if you didn't eat. The fast acting insulin is to counter any eating or spikes due to eating. Hence I take mine 7am and 7pm and I don't do breakfast.

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ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The Levimir works over 12 hours so should be taken 12 hours apart regardless of times. Remember it has nothing to do with eating it is in fact the insulin that should keep your glucose levels constant if you didn't eat. The fast acting insulin is to counter any eating or spikes due to eating. Hence I take mine 7am and 7pm and I don't do breakfast.

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It may only be 12 hours in you, but in a lot of people it's longer acting.

12 hours would make it very simply equal doses 12 hours apart, but I don't know many people that do so. I take 5 units in the evening around 9:30pm, and then 3 units in the morning at 6:30am. Taking the evening dose later resulted in hypos early in the day.

I definitely have overlap of doses with the evening dose active well into the next day. You also need to think about activity levels as well, with higher activity in the daytime generally affecting both insulin sensitivity and liver glucose release.
 

Flaca

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
It may only be 12 hours in you, but in a lot of people it's longer acting.

12 hours would make it very simply equal doses 12 hours apart, but I don't know many people that do so. I take 5 units in the evening around 9:30pm, and then 3 units in the morning at 6:30am. Taking the evening dose later resulted in hypos early in the day.

I definitely have overlap of doses with the evening dose active well into the next day. You also need to think about activity levels as well, with higher activity in the daytime generally affecting both insulin sensitivity and liver glucose release.

I agree with you Dave, it's not always as simple as equal doses 12 hrs apart. I wish! I've now put my evening dose an hour back (5 units at 10pm) and that seems to help me manage the morning highs, but I still need to fine-tune it.