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Carb counting and insulin dose

J

jord_91

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hello

When counting carbs for each meal, should you only count the carbs that's marked; of which are sugars? Or should you count the overall carb amount?

Thanks in advance
 
Yes count total carbs, 'carbs and cals' is a great book/app you can use if you don't have access to this information.
 
Total carbs.

Just something to add a little more complexity is that with higher protein meals some people count a fraction of the protein into their carb calculation. I know if I have a large steak I certainly see a slight rise so have learned to adjust, though I know some people don't see that so it really comes down to testing and working out how your body reacts.

But when reading off the labels always go total carb, if it is lots of sugar you may want to consider using that information to inform you about injection site choice or maybe injecting a bit before you eat to remove the spike.

/A
 
Just to add a bit more explanation:

Carbs are either sugars (which taste sweet) or chains of sugars (usually in the form of starch). These chains are broken down into sugars by our digestive system. Then, all this sugar passes into the bloodstream, which raises your blood sugar. In terms of the amount of sugar that reaches your blood stream, it doesn't matter whether you eat 10g of sugar or 10g of starch.

Digested sugar is not the only thing that raises blood sugar, but it is the most significant. So as a starting point, base your insulin on the total carbs. As you learn what other factors affect your body you can account for them too.
 
I use the rule 10grm of any carbs = 1ml Apidra. My background insulin is Lantus 16ml before bed



edited to add to remove confusion

APIDRA 100 units/mL (U-100) is available as

  • 10 mL vials
  • 3 mL SoloStar® prefilled pen
@petepontiac -pretty sure you meant 10 grams carb = 1u apidra ( .01ml )
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My carb/ratio changes through out the day, in the morning I take 1.5 units per 10g of carb, drops to 1 unit after 12pm, we are all different, if you are unsure if you are taking the right ratio then it's ideal to record your results and look out for patterns which will help you adjust ;)
 
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