Insulin correction factors

[Ruder1]

Hi all,

Could someone please provide me a simple explanation as to the calculations involved in determining how much insulin to dose when carbon counting ala DAFNE. I inject basal and rapid insulin.
I have a total insulin load of 115 units per day. After this I've seen divide by 100, 500 1800 getting a tad confused......

There are four stages right?

1 calculate total dose
2 carbs consumed
3 correction factor
4 exercise correction

 

[noblehead]

It's the 100 Rule, you divide 100 by your Total Daily Dose (TDD) to get your correction factor, so in your case 1 unit would lower your bg by 0.8mmol.

btw, it's only a rough guide at best and the higher your bg the more insulin it takes to bring bg down.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I think you may be mixing up Carb counting and Correction doses? You adjust your rapid to match the carb for a meal but you don't factor it into any correction doses. As Noblehead says, Correction doses just depend on your total daily insulin load.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi, I was told at a carb counting hospital course ( BIANCA) that my correction dose is that 1 unit will bring me down by 3, but under normal circumstances I take a little less, because it often lowers my BS too much. I did have to tweak it.

Best wishes

 

[MrsB]

Hi, I was told at a carb counting hospital course ( BIANCA) that my correction dose is that 1 unit will bring me down by 3, but under normal circumstances I take a little less, because it often lowers my BS too much. I did have to tweak it.

Best wishes

I was never really taught about correction dosing just figured out what works got me. It depends how high I am. At 9, 1 brings me to about 6. At 12, 2 brings me to about 5. At 18, 3 brings me down to about 5. Not really very exact but it works (although I do try not to end up that high very often )

 

[Robinredbreast]

I was never really taught about correction dosing just figured out what works got me. It depends how high I am. At 9, 1 brings me to about 6. At 12, 2 brings me to about 5. At 18, 3 brings me down to about 5. Not really very exact but it works (although I do try not to end up that high very often )

Hi MrsB, how's the leg ?Hope it is healing well.
I find the correction can be hit or miss sometimes, and when I had the fall my BS went berserk, I had one reading of 16 and took 2 1/2 correction, just to be on the safe side, and then it went up to 19 horrible. I agree with you not wanting too many highs.

Take care

 

[Spirit of Eden]

Ruder 1 - On average I take about 25units total insulin (Fast & slow) per day to cover what I normally eat. Dividing this into 100 estimates that each unit reduces 4mmol which normally it does. My fast acting Humulin takes about 1.5-2 hours to do its job. So after 2 hours if I have a reading of 10 mmol , I inject 1 unit to reduce by 4 to 6 mmol. My main problem is getting an accurate 1unit dose from the pen.

All of this is under "normal conditions". If you are stressed, hot, ill etc. your insulin requirement will probably change and so will your total daily insulin requirement and therefore your correction factor.

Take care
P

 

[MrsB]

Hi MrsB, how's the leg ?Hope it is healing well.
I find the correction can be hit or miss sometimes, and when I had the fall my BS went berserk, I had one reading of 16 and took 2 1/2 correction, just to be on the safe side, and then it went up to 19 horrible. I agree with you not wanting too many highs.

Take care

Leg is slowly getting better. I can move the foot a little bit more each day (as per drs instructions).

My BG levels also went mad after the op but for about 2 weeks. I was having to double my basal and nearly triple the bolus. Resulting in many highs when I didn't bolus enough. Would hate to have my hba1c done today. Eek

Hope your arm is feeling better x

 

[Robinredbreast]

Leg is slowly getting better. I can move the foot a little bit more each day (as per drs instructions).

My BG levels also went mad after the op but for about 2 weeks. I was having to double my basal and nearly triple the bolus. Resulting in many highs when I didn't bolus enough. Would hate to have my hba1c done today. Eek

Hope your arm is feeling better x

That's great news, I'm so pleased you are getting a little better each day have you a date for the removal of your cast yet or another xray? Take care x