Basal / Bolus Ratios

[PG1759]

Hi,

My Basal is currently set at 16 units (lantus) and I consume about 160-190 carbs a day ( more like the lower level most days)
I want to know what the general amount of basal insulin people are taking every day ? I appreciate everyone is different but I'd been keen to know if mine is low in comparison.
I've only been diagnosed a year ago so new to this in the grand scheme of things. I'm not honeymooning and haven't been for a long time now. I do carb count but have only ever really injected a 1:10 or higher (1:15 etc) and never gone below 1:10. Recently I've actually found that a 1:6 ratio with my dinner has stopped all my spikes and seems to be working. Do ratios below 1:10 exist or am I just over compensating for a low basal ?

 

[BigRoddy]

Hi, am not sure which one of mine is Basal, either my levimer or my novorapid, as I am only 2 weeks in, I have probably the same, if not a little more carbs thank you each day, and use 10 levimer at night and 10 to 12 novorapid with meals. I am getting close to the right levels as I have had 4 days of good readings (apart from one, but that was my fault)

Not sure if any of this helps.

 

[PG1759]

Thanks for the response. Your basal is your background insulin (I always remember it because basal starts with a BA ...strange I know !)

 

[BigRoddy]

Thanks, thats a good way to remember it

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I think you will find body weight is a factor in insulin shots. I do 12 Levemir once a day and 1.1:10 ratio

 

[amar1921]

I take 16 units of Lantus daily (in the morning) and my ratio is about 1:15 but recently i don't bolus for half of my meals because i do many sports and if i take any insulin i go low really fast, so my ratio is maybe even higher

 

[PG1759]

Yeah I'm in a similar boat at the weekends. In the week however I'm sat at a desk all day so I seem to need almost double the insulin to carbs ...

 

[HaroldC]

I take 35u basal every day. That rises by 50% if I'm sickening with something.

 

[RuthW]

Ratios as low as 1:1 exist, but they are not really desirable because they indicate insulin resistance. If your current regime is keeping your blood sugars in range then you really don't have any insulin resistance to speak of because you Total Daily Dose is rather low, especially considering you sit at a desk all day.

Someone asked the same question a couple of weeks ago, and a lot of women have a basal of around 16 units a day, it seemed (our surveys have no scientific validity, though, I'm sure!). But men can have lower rates and ratios if they are very fit, active and muscular.

The only way you can find out if you are compensating for a low basal is to test your basal rate properly.

It is also possible that you have a different insulin to carb ratio at different times of day - that's very normal.

 

[PG1759]

Thanks Ruth that's very helpful. I think I need to do the basal test really; I've been avoiding it as I don't fancy skipping meals (for hunger reasons only !)

 

[zjed]

I'm now on 16u a day (split dose). When I did DAFNE they started everyone at 24u(split) which was a reduction for everyone in the class. So I think 24u is their standard basal dose.

 

[reamarie]

I take 35 levimir and on a 1:10 ratio with novorapid. Reading through the forums it sounds like I'm on a very high dose of my basal.

 

[Zebediah]

I am type 1 and was diagnosed 2.5 years ago.
The best advice i have come across is Dr Bernsteins rule of small doses. He advises that doses should be kept to a max of 7 units if possible. This needs to be combined with a low carb intake. I moved to this low carb high fat (and highish protein) diet 6 months ago. my basal dose is now 2 or 3 at night (seems to change depending on excercise) and 2 or 3 fast with each lunch and dinner. I don't eat carbs at breakfast because my BG goes high at 10:30 am.
I am basically lazy, and i like the low carb diet because it means if i get my dose slightly wrong (say 3 units instead of 2) then i dont get hypos (or spikes if its vice versa). my carb counting and dose counting is much easier than before. Life as a type 1 feels much better and my last HBA1c was 5.4%. no hypo in the last month.
Incidently when i told my diabetic nurse that i was low carbing, she went quiet and then confessed she low carbs too!! even though she isnt diabetic.
good luck and do lots of research. Try www.dietdoctor.com i found it interesting and very useful. Also Dr Bernsteins understanding of diabetes is second to none - his book "The diabetes Solution" is brilliant.

 

[candi-girl]

i'm currently on 14u of levemir in a split dose
less is more with basal i've found..

 

[tim2000s]

My fasted levels on levemir are 14u and 8u with a 12 hr gap between shots. This gives me a flat fasted bg level.

 

[pinewood]

I've been diagnosed six months and I take 6 units of Lantus.

 

[Nicola M]

Currently taking 18 units of Levemir. Although I still think it's too high for me as I keep having a lot of lows. When I was younger I used to have 34 units!!!

 

[JRW]

I take 26 units of Levemir a day, and about half as many units of Novorapid. I don't eat breakfast though, as simply never hungry at that time of day.

 

[Eldorado]

Hello
Maybe this will give you a rough idea:
If you multiply your weight (in kgs) by 0.2 that gives you your daily basal amount.
I weigh 144 lbs so 140/2.2 x 0.2 gives 13. I inject 6 units of Lantus twice a day.
I think your Lantus is supposed to be 40% - 50% of your total daily insulin. I usually eat around 120g of carbohydrate a day so that's roughly right. I work on a 1:10 ratio.
You can always check that your Lantus is right by doing a fasting test. During the day can be tricky but your overnight and morning BG tests will give you a good idea.
I hope that helps a bit. I've recently started using the Accuchek Aviva Expert BG meter, so I needed to find out all this stuff to set it up. Brilliant meter by the way. I think of it as 'my little friend'. Sad, but true.