It might be bigger meals like you mentioned, this was a pretty carb heavy meal and it's rare I ever take as many units as I did. I'm using single use pens at the moment but I have a clinic meeting tomorrow and I'll bring it up. I'm also unwell and while it might be a bit TMI due that time of the month (I'm a woman). I'll keep watch of them and take these points into consideration. thank you <3Do you have single use or reusable pens?
As you mentioned “penS” I assume you are using single use pens. If this is the case, I recommend requesting reusable pens. Not only do they produce less waste and the cartridges take up less space in your fridge, the reusable pens are more robust.
If you are suspicious about a pen, you can do a quick check by squirting 20 units into the outer cover of a needle. 20 units should fill the narrow part of the lid.
However, I would also recommend looking for trends when you think your insulin is not working as there is far more than insulin and food which affects your BG. For example, is this more likely to happen in the morning? We are often more insulin resistant in the morning so need a different insulin to carb ratio. Or does it happen when you are stressed or unwell? Or does it happen when you eat meals higher in carbs? Or when your starting BG is higher?
And does you BG finally return without a correction after four or five hours? NovoRapid lasts for this long. If your BG stays high fir longer than you want but return in range, you will probably need to prebolus earlier so the peak of your carb digestion matches the peak of your insulin profile.
In other words, your insulin may well be working (faulty pens are rare) but there is more going on to cause the longer hyper.
It might be bigger meals like you mentioned, this was a pretty carb heavy meal and it's rare I ever take as many units as I did. I'm using single use pens at the moment but I have a clinic meeting tomorrow and I'll bring it up. I'm also unwell and while it might be a bit TMI due that time of the month (I'm a woman). I'll keep watch of them and take these points into consideration. thank you <3
Certainly the same for me. Once my bg is high my insulin seems to act much slowly and less effectively than if it's in normal range.Or when your starting BG is higher?
I couldn't agree more in relation to walking to get the insulin working more effectively.As others have said lots of potential reasons for being high longer than expected. When I’m in that situation I’ve found the most efficient thing to do is a brisk walk rather than more insulin. Doesn’t have to be long either, just get moving for a bit. You might, with hindsight come up with a reason for it which can help you plan better next time, you might not, just the way it seems to go with diabetes.
Sorry for the bold type, not shouting, it means only that I don’t know how I did it nor how to undo it!
Has he changed the way he uses the pen? If he changed the needle every injection and did an airshot that could be an extra 10 units a day???? (OK, clutching at straws here.)Has anyone ever had pens run out quicker than they should? My son takes approx 26 units a day of nova rapid. So a (300) pen should last around 10 days but recently they have only been lasting 5 days! I have been keeping a record of how much he is using and it doesn't correspond, what is happening? He definitely isn't overdosing that much as he would be constantly low and he is not. His dr just says its not possible but something is happening and I can not work it out and its driving me mad!!! Pen is kept in the fridge between uses or in a cold pack. Help!!!
He uses a new needle every time but only does an air shot when he starts a new pen so not wasting it like that either. I have asked him if he's doing extra shots at school etc but even if he was it wouldn't equate to what we are losing. He's been using the pens the same way for the last three years but it's only in the last month or so that we seemed to be running out before his next prescription was due. At first I thought we must have lost a pen somewhere, had the fridge stripped out incase it had fallen down the back etc. But since I've been meticulously noting down how many units he's using its just crazy that one minute it looks like there is 200 units the next time you use it looks like it's gone to 175 after having only used 6 or 7 units. It just doesn't make sense. And I'm driving my son mad as he thinks I'm micromanaging him (teenager) !!Has he changed the way he uses the pen? If he changed the needle every injection and did an airshot that could be an extra 10 units a day???? (OK, clutching at straws here.)
Hi, I'm pretty sure he isn't doing extra to cover extra food he's a sensible kid and he was at home over Easter so kept a close eye and still going through the insulin too fast. Also his numbers are normal. The only thing I've noticed is if you dial up the units and then press the end without a needle on, it depresses and goes back to zero and when you put the needle in insulin comes out (a drop) without pressing anything. I'm wondering if some how it's getting turned and pressed in his bag?? It's the only thing I can think of but why only happening recently. He's stored it in the same way for the last 3 years, not doing anything different, unless it's a change in the pen design??Just a few random thoughts to try to help.
Could your son be eating lots of very high carb snacks during the day, which need a lot of insulin to cover? I know you've already asked him, but teenagers often want to eat the same as their peers.
Are your sons blood sugar readings around where they normally are, with the usual rise after meals etc?
Possibly faulty pens, as in not dispensing the correct amount of insulin.
Any possibility your son isn't actually giving some doses of insulin, and just randomly firing some into the air, thereby going through lots more.
Ok I didn't know that we were just told to do it when starting a new pen. ThanksCould be that the pen saysml on but is a mistake. All sounds very strange.
What I will say is an air shot should be done each new needle to ensure the needles are working. I have on occasion had ones that are not. It isn’t wasteful it’s essential.
Hi @Emma t ,He uses disposable preloaded pens the dial won't click round when it empty. This is a new pen
Hi, I'm pretty sure he isn't doing extra to cover extra food he's a sensible kid and he was at home over Easter so kept a close eye and still going through the insulin too fast. Also his numbers are normal. The only thing I've noticed is if you dial up the units and then press the end without a needle on, it depresses and goes back to zero and when you put the needle in insulin comes out (a drop) without pressing anything. I'm wondering if some how it's getting turned and pressed in his bag?? It's the only thing I can think of but why only happening recently. He's stored it in the same way for the last 3 years, not doing anything different, unless it's a change in the pen design??
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