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bolus advice please

karen8967

Master
Messages
10,364
Location
liverpool
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
i woke up this morning my bg was 7.6 i had 2 weetabix for breakfast with skimmed milk 2 hrs after my bg was 11.2 then 2 hrs after that my bg was 6.1 i never took any insulin in this time normally i only take 2 units of apidra . i am normaly in work between breakfast an lunch time and my bg usually drops to between 3.8/4.2 which is too low for me as i feel dreadful my consultant told me to try an keep my bg at around 6 so do you think i should not take my bolus for breakfast i am on 4 units for lunch and 7 units for dinner then 10 units of lantus for bed any advice will be appreciated x
 
@karen8967 No one here can advise on doses, so that's something you'd need to,check with your DSN.

I had a similar experience early after diagnosis. I skipped my breakfast bolus a few times and found I was 3.8 before lunch. However, further testing showed I was spiking to 11 or 12 at two,hours.

What I did was take a small bolus for breakfast, test lots and eat a mid-morning snack of I needed to keep my blood sugar up. I did this after discussion with my consultant because I didn't want to be that high even for a short time. She told me that the drop to 3.8 was due to me still making some of my own insulin, but it coming in too late.

The good thing about that is that I think it prolonged my honeymoon as I was using injections rather than let my remaining islet cells strain themselves by fighting down a high blood sugar.

I'd speak to your DSN and discuss your options.
 
Hi. It sounds like you are not yet carb-counting which is important if you want the best BS control. My DN explained it to me in 10 minutes when she started my insulin so not complicated. Do ask your consultant to guide you in carb-counting (i.e. adjusting the bolus to the amount of carbs in a meal). BTW 2 Weetabix is a bit on the high-carb side so many of us would need to Bolus for that. From your readings and insulin shot numbers you appear to be in the honeymoon period which is good but be prepared for your insulin needs to gradually increase as the months go by unless you are lucky of course.
 
thanks azure i only take 2 units any way so maybe il try 1 unit pen does not do halves il also have a mid morning snack x
 
Get consultants to prescribe / give you 1/2 unit pens.

Did you get up later today or are you on day off from work?

Weekends / holudays can throw things a little bit for some people... even reactions to getting up and eating...
 
karen8967 said:
thanks azure i only take 2 units any way so maybe il try 1 unit pen does not do halves il also have a mid morning snack x
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Definitely get a half unit pen, if you can. They're so helpful.

If you change anything, be cautious and test frequently. If in any doubt at all, always check with a medical professional.
 
donnellysdogs said:
Get consultants to prescribe / give you 1/2 unit pens.

Did you get up later today or are you on day off from work?

Weekends / holudays can throw things a little bit for some people... even reactions to getting up and eating...
Click to expand...
yes im off work today so not as active but got up same time x
 
hi diabell no not really carb counting at the moment waiting to get a place on course in my area i do try though i do a ratio of 1-10 which from what i gather is bog standard so not ideal for everyone it does actually work for me during lunch and dinner i just seem to have the problem between breakfast and lunch i have either weetabix or porridge for my b/fast everyday and tend to stick to same times x
 
I think you need to go without breakfast for a weekend and a couple weekdays. Find out what happens if its just your basal running...

Checking your basal is the first step, then checking your bolys reactions.

It may well be that weekends you need less insulin or more than weekdays...

Checking yogr basal rare without eating from getting up for 5 hours is the most important 1st step.
 
i was first diagnosed in april of this year at first i was on quite high doses of insulin but gradually was told to take less due to frequent hypos then all my fast acting was stopped and i was put on metformin along with my basal insulin after 3 weeks was told to stop metformin and start insulin again after results of gad tests came back and yes i think i am still in honey moon period it is alot to take in but will get there eventually haha x
 
I need to split my morning bolus to avoid the natural morning rise. I take some 20 min before I eat then another small amount an hour or hour and a half later. Stops the morning rise between bf and lunch.

I couldn't live without a half unit pen. Well worth it
 
omg donnellysdogs ive just nearly fell off me chair haha i dont think i could go 5 hrs without eating i wake up ravenous i think through week i need less bolus at breakfast as im in work and im very active so will be asking for a half unit pen as well x jokes apart i am off for a week so will try what youve suggested and thanks for the advice x
 
if i split mine i would only be taking two 1 units as im only on 2 units of a morning but that sounds like very good advice thankyou kristin251 x would 1 unit actually do anything ?
 
I think you may find a difference betweeen weekends and weekdays.

You made me chuckle ref not eating for 5 hours as I never have hunger!! It made me chuckle...lol.

So doing a basal test in afternoon or evenings would be dire for you-10 hours after eating before next eats!!

I think eapecially if you could check before you get out of bed, before your normal breakfast time and every hour for 5 hours would help but it would be best if one work day could also be compared to a weekend day.

Then think about your bolus ratio's on those days..
 
Quit taking it 2 hours after you eat for awhile unless you use a pump. Take it fasting and before meals and bedtime like I do. I virtually never take it at 2 hours. IMO it just gives you something more to worry about. If it's 11.2 at 2 hours and 4.6 before dinner are you gonna take more at lunch? Good luck with that!
 
karen8967 said:
if i split mine i would only be taking two 1 units as im only on 2 units of a morning but that sounds like very good advice thankyou kristin251 x would 1 unit actually do anything ?
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I take one unit 20 min before bf if I'm over 85. Half unit if under 85. If half unit I take another half at 45 min. If over 85 and take one unit I take one half at one and a half hours. For me , a half unit drops me 20-25 BUT when it's the morning it stops the 20 (US) point morning rise while I shower and get going so essentially it keeps me steady for two more hours. I tested and tested and tested to figure it out. Fluctuations make me feel awful. As do corrections so this just keeps me smooth sailing.
11.2? Not in my world. A small half unit jab is much more comforting. We all have our goals. 11.2 never fits into mine
 
Ha, if 11.2 2 hours and 4.6 before dinner thats likely not enough bolus and too much basal....

I, too like @Kristin251 would not accept the 11 or the 4!!!

Each to their own.
 
donnellysdogs said:
Ha, if 11.2 2 hours and 4.6 before dinner thats likely not enough bolus and too much basal....

I, too like @Kristin251 would not accept the 11 or the
Click to expand...
donnellysdogs said:
Ha, if 11.2 2 hours and 4.6 before dinner thats likely not enough bolus and too much basal....

I, too like @Kristin251 would not accept the 11 or the 4!!!

Each to their own.
Click to expand...
so do you think i should drop my basal by 1 or 2 units then up my bolus by about 1 unit x
 
We cannot advise how to alter your insulin.... sory, my response was really addressed to @TheBigNewt....

However...
Depends upon what your carb ratio is and whether you have 1/2 unit pens etc and whether you have done any basal testing...
 
karen8967 said:
if i split mine i would only be taking two 1 units as im only on 2 units of a morning but that sounds like very good advice thankyou kristin251 x would 1 unit actually do anything ?
Click to expand...
One unit AWAY from food will drop me 30-40. ( US). So if I'm 85 and take 1.5 -2 units all at once I would surely hypo. The 1/2-1 covers my food and starting the morning rise. The next bolus stops the continuos morning rise I get and it's not such a big hit to hypo. That being said I tested for along time to figure it out. If I take 1/2 unit I'll start rising in 45 min. If I take one I won't start for an hour or an hour and a half. Just something to think about. I'm NOT advising anything though like @donnellysdogs i have a morning rise ( loads of us do but not all) so I need the extra boluses to get me through the mornings steady.

By doing this I keep my numbers mostly between 85 -100 all day. A few extra jabs but works for me.

I too was responding to @TheBigNewt. Not numbers or fluctuations I would be ok with
 
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