Correction dose for T2 question

[Fenn]

I have just read on a different thread about a correction dose for a T2 on insulin, I am asking here as I don't want to muddy that thread, I have recently added Novorapid to my mealtimes, I have been taking Humalin for a while now at bedtime.

It had not crossed my mind to try to correct higher than happy BGs, I have been jabbing 20 minutes before eating and living with that dose regardless of bg, now I know spikes are normal for everyone but if I took 3 units of novo at 4:40am and ate yogurt and strawberries at 5am causing a 9.6 at 6am down to 9.0 at 8am, its currently 7.8 at 8:30am, do I just let it slowly fall (hopefully) up until lunch or should I be aiming for better and jab a correction dose please?

I hope that made sense?

Thankyou.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It may have been my post about correction doses? A bit of judgement is involved about when to correct. Personally I don't correct if less than 2 units is needed based on the Rule of 100 and I just let the BS recover. It's important not to stack rapid insulin so that means leaving a gap of at least 3 hours between shots to allow for meal digestion unless more food is eaten during that time. It's not always easy to decide whether to correct or not and experience helps.

 

[Fenn]

Hi. It may have been my post about correction doses? A bit of judgement is involved about when to correct. Personally I don't correct if less than 2 units is needed based on the Rule of 100 and I just let the BS recover. It's important not to stack rapid insulin so that means leaving a gap of at least 3 hours between shots to allow for meal digestion unless more food is eaten during that time. It's not always easy to decide whether to correct or not and experience helps.

Hi, Yes it was your post that lead to my question.

Thankyou very much thats perfect info. I guess this is personal to each person but if you were 7.8 3.5 hours after eating would you correct that?

 

[KK123]

Hi, Yes it was your post that lead to my question.

Thankyou very much thats perfect info. I guess this is personal to each person but if you were 7.8 3.5 hours after eating would you correct that?

Hi Fenn, I think I know what you are saying and it's a difficult question to answer because as you say, we are ALL different. Personally, if I am 7.8 some 3 hours after eating, I do take 1 unit of novarapid because I know that will drop me by around 2 points. If I do this and then say have my next meal 2 hours later (ie 5 hours after my previous meal) I have to take account of the fact I already have that 1 unit circulating in my system from 2 hours ago, when the time comes to take my meal time dose. It really is trial and error when you do any corrections though as it is easy to get it wrong and end up chasing a high or low for the rest of the day. Hope this helps. Also, sometimes I will just go for a run instead of taking that 1 unit, or even a walk. x

 

[Fenn]

Hi Fenn, I think I know what you are saying and it's a difficult question to answer because as you say, we are ALL different. Personally, if I am 7.8 some 3 hours after eating, I do take 1 unit of novarapid because I know that will drop me by around 2 points. If I do this and then say have my next meal 2 hours later (ie 5 hours after my previous meal) I have to take account of the fact I already have that 1 unit circulating in my system from 2 hours ago, when the time comes to take my meal time dose. It really is trial and error when you do any corrections though as it is easy to get it wrong and end up chasing a high or low for the rest of the day. Hope this helps. Also, sometimes I will just go for a run instead of taking that 1 unit, or even a walk. x

Thankyou, that makes perfect sense

What doesn't make perfect sense was I was going to stop and get some food, I was 7.1 steady, 7.5 hours after my yogurt so I took 4 units of novo, I then decided to just get a coffee to see what will happen, its been 45 minutes now and I'm 7.8, this is making me doubt the whole insulin thing I have to say. insulin isn't working, low carbing isn't working, insulin and low carbing isn't working lol this is great fun

I should say that a short while ago I was 18 regularly so shouldn't complain, I have had great success with lchf in the past so I'm not being down on that, just frustrated

 

[KK123]

Thankyou, that makes perfect sense

What doesn't make perfect sense was I was going to stop and get some food, I was 7.1 steady, 7.5 hours after my yogurt so I took 4 units of novo, I then decided to just get a coffee to see what will happen, its been 45 minutes now and I'm 7.8, this is making me doubt the whole insulin thing I have to say. insulin isn't working, low carbing isn't working, insulin and low carbing isn't working lol this is great fun

I should say that a short while ago I was 18 regularly so shouldn't complain, I have had great success with lchf in the past so I'm not being down on that, just frustrated

Fenn, I think it is very dangerous to take novarapid before a meal and then not to have the meal, especially when you are 'only' 7.8. You could drop rapidly. It sounds as if you do not know enough about the workings of insulin (I am no expert myself other than on what I know works for me at the moment). It may be your basal insulin that needs adjusting (the longer acting stuff) if you are 'high' between or just before meals. Either way, please discuss it with your DN because it is so easy to get anxious when you are not happy with your levels and to then inadvertently misuse insulin. Hope you are ok. x

 

[Rokaab]

Fenn, I think it is very dangerous to take novarapid before a meal and then not to have the meal, especially when you are 'only' 7.8. You could drop rapidly. It sounds as if you do not know enough about the workings of insulin (I am no expert myself other than on what I know works for me at the moment).

Agree with this, I know sometimes Novorapid used to be very sluggish for myself and after 4ish hours I'd suddenly get that sudden drop, so if I'd corrected in the meantime I'd have been in a whole heap of eating so many sweets you wouldn't believe.

 

[Fenn]

Thankyou, well, the novo works lol have just had a hobnob which I have to say is bloody delicious! I'm at 4.0 I'm hoping the hob nob does something otherwise I'm breaking open the jelly babies, thanks for your advice < did the 4 units out of frustration really, I know its a bad idea, Thankyou

 

[Fenn]

Well 4 hob nobs and a glucotab later, i may have overshot with a 13.5 but was a useful experience for many reasons if a tad stupid, I wont be doing that again

Interestingly my super accurate libre bottomed out at 5.7 when last finger prick was 4.0 when i ran out of strips

 

[Boo1979]

Im no longer on on insulin and last took it over 20 years ago so I may be talking rubbish, but I am aware that the OP is fairly new to insulin and my understanding was that getting basic dose levels correct and BG relatively stable was an important safety step before moving on to more complicated things like correction doses

 

[Fenn]

Im no longer on on insulin and last took it over 20 years ago so I may be talking rubbish, but I am aware that the OP is fairly new to insulin and my understanding was that getting basic dose levels correct and BG relatively stable was an important safety step before moving on to more complicated things like correction doses

Thankyou but im fully responsible for my stupidity, I received very good advice, all on me

 

[LooperCat]

@Fenn - can I suggest downloading an app called MySugr? If you log all your doses in that, it has a very handy bolus calculator that takes into account how much insulin you have already in your body and suggests a correction. If you know how much a unit of insulin drops you by, it could be a useful tool in the box. I use it a lot, and have no issues with stacking tiny doses, as I always know just how much I have sloshing around at any time, and never have enough in there to cause problems.

 

[Fenn]

@Fenn - can I suggest downloading an app called MySugr? If you log all your doses in that, it has a very handy bolus calculator that takes into account how much insulin you have already in your body and suggests a correction. If you know how much a unit of insulin drops you by, it could be a useful tool in the box. I use it a lot, and have no issues with stacking tiny doses, as I always know just how much I have sloshing around at any time, and never have enough in there to cause problems.

Thankyou very much I will

May I ask if say 1 unit drops you lets say, 2.0, if you start at 10 and drop to 8.0, would that same unit drop you to 6 if you started at 8? Or is it more a percentage thing.

 

[SueJB]

@Fenn - can I suggest downloading an app called MySugr? If you log all your doses in that, it has a very handy bolus calculator that takes into account how much insulin you have already in your body and suggests a correction. If you know how much a unit of insulin drops you by, it could be a useful tool in the box. I use it a lot, and have no issues with stacking tiny doses, as I always know just how much I have sloshing around at any time, and never have enough in there to cause problems.

Excuse this old fart for appearing to be thick.... but can you down load Mysugr to a lap top?

 

[LooperCat]

Excuse this old fart for appearing to be thick.... but can you down load Mysugr to a lap top?

I think you can use it on their website, MySugr.com

Thankyou very much I will

May I ask if say 1 unit drops you lets say, 2.0, if you start at 10 and drop to 8.0, would that same unit drop you to 6 if you started at 8? Or is it more a percentage thing.

Most people find the higher they are, the more insulin resistant they become. However, I’ve managed to keep mine in single figures for many months now by stacking tiny doses (as in tenths of a unit) so I don’t need to wait until it’s terribly high before I make corrections. I’ll correct if I hit the mid sixes. I did have a pump failure the other week however, and hit 15.7 and it took way more insulin than I’d have thought to get me back to range. Usually 1u drops me by three, on that occasion I had to take 7u to drop me by the 11mmol I needed. Not all in one go, I did it 2u at a time over a few hours, so I could see how it was coming down. About six hours after the failure I reached 6.2, but didn’t hypo as I hadn’t over corrected, because I was always aware of how much insulin I had in me. I rarely if ever take more than 2u Novorapid at a time.

 

[Antje77]

Well 4 hob nobs and a glucotab later, i may have overshot with a 13.5 but was a useful experience for many reasons if a tad stupid, I wont be doing that again

Interestingly my super accurate libre bottomed out at 5.7 when last finger prick was 4.0 when i ran out of strips

Sounds like a perfect learning experience, you'll get there, take your time