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Carb to insulin ratio

jordanhood

jordanhood

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi guys, just out of interest what are your carb to insulin ratios? Mine is 1 unit for every 4g of carbs, is that really low or quite normal?


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1 unit per 10 used to do 1 unit per 5, and everyones ratios are different, wouldn't be concerned :)
 
This makes me feel a little better! But my insulin doses are still quite high, 28u levimir in the morning and 32u levimir before bed. Been a constant battle my levimir right but this seems a lot :/


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I'm a 1:6 to 1:8 - varied throughout the day, but only a little bit!
 
Between 1:12 at breakfast and 1:9 in the evening .. I will shade the dose up a bit if I haven't done much exercise in the last couple of days.
As you can see it can vary, I think someone posted of a 1:30 ratio recently.
 
jordanhood said:
Hi guys, just out of interest what are your carb to insulin ratios? Mine is 1 unit for every 4g of carbs, is that really low or quite normal?


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Apart from mornings, difficult to say, could be one unit for 15 or 20, or one unit for 35 or so if a short walk, with a 0.15 - 0.35 pump base, total insulin all day including base, 16 -22 units, depending on cals and carbs, and exercise. I have no residual insulin, just very insulin sensitive - some are - without the pump this was a problem for years
 
I average 1:10. I think this is what DAFNE try and set as a base, as long as background is correct. People do tweek it a bit though.


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It does feel like I'm taking a lot of insulin, however no drastic changes in weight and have actually managed to lose some since I started a proper gym routine in early December. I think I've just become very insensitive to insulin? If that's possible? But that's certainly what it feels like. I'm on 60 units a day of levemir and around 45 units of novo rapid ( averaging out at 15 units each time)


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jordanhood said:
It does feel like I'm taking a lot of insulin, however no drastic changes in weight and have actually managed to lose some since I started a proper gym routine in early December. I think I've just become very insensitive to insulin? If that's possible? But that's certainly what it feels like. I'm on 60 units a day of levemir and around 45 units of novo rapid ( averaging out at 15 units each time)


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Whilst on my DAFNE course, there was a guy taking quite large doses of insulin. The nurses there suggested he try Metformin as this helps with insulin sensitivity and could reduce his insulin needs. Perhaps discuss with your team ?
 
1:10 for breakfast, 1:8 for lunch and 1:12 for evening meal.
 
jordanhood said:
It does feel like I'm taking a lot of insulin, however no drastic changes in weight and have actually managed to lose some since I started a proper gym routine in early December. I think I've just become very insensitive to insulin? If that's possible? But that's certainly what it feels like. I'm on 60 units a day of levemir and around 45 units of novo rapid ( averaging out at 15 units each time)


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It is all very individual - and also depends on your build, regular exercise, sometimes the use of the insulin pump, and lots of other things - some things that may lead to more insulin sensitivity are not good.
Doctors always used to express a patient's insulin use as units of insulin used per day, per kg body weight, eg. 30 units insulin average use per day, wt 60 kg = 0.5 i.u/kg, this may give a better idea about insulin sensitivity.
 
1:10, average about 15 units of novorapid a day and 9 lantus. If your sugars are good then you're on the right amount of insulin I guess. Exercising and dropping the carb intake would drop the insulin. If I stop my runs/cycles for a couple of days my bolus goes up about 50%.
 
Hi I've been a diabetic for nearly ten years now after a recent hospital admission they have changed my insulin and changed my dosages and times they have also mentioned about a DAPHNE course which they say will help me I have wanted the pump therapy but need to have a few months to try this then they will reassess does anybody know much about these or how the carb count diet works?


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