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Forgetful people taking insulin

K

KittyKatty

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Location
Down South
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm pretty scatterbrained at times and whilst on Metformin there were quite a few times I couldn't recall if I'd taken my medication so I'd miss out on a dose rather than risk overdosing.

Now, hopefully my need for insulin is decades away. But if/when I do have to go on insulin, how on earth does one keep tabs on the amount and timeline of what you inject?
 
Hi. It depends on which of the two popular regimes you are on. If on the twice-a-day mixed insulin regime, the amount injected will usually be fixed and the timing is morning and evening i.e. twice a day evenly spaced. If on the Basal/Bolus two insulin regime, the Basal injection(s) will be fixed and the Bolus (meal-time) will usually be adjusted for the carbs in front of you at each meal. To remember my once-a-day Basal I put it on my pillow. For meals I just try to remember to inject before the meal and occasionally forget. The quantity to be injected will be set at injection time by the meal carb amount. I take my Bolus insulin with me when going out for a meal but sometimes forget. Hopefully you can see that some things can be forgotten but if you setup a routine you are likely to do the right things.
 
I'm on twice a day mixed and it's very easy. Before breakfast I always check my bg reading and at the same time get my insulin pen ready. Just before my toast, yes toast, as I'm a T1 I don't have to do LCHF, my pen is there on the counter top, I can't miss it. Same procedure before dinner, bg test, pen ready where my plate will go. Very occasionally I realise I've been too eager to eat dinner and the insulin has to be injected immediately after, but so far I've come to no harm. As @Daibell says, It's really about getting into a set routine and it soon becomes a habit.
 
June_C said:
I'm on twice a day mixed and it's very easy. Before breakfast I always check my bg reading and at the same time get my insulin pen ready. Just before my toast, yes toast, as I'm a T1 I don't have to do LCHF, my pen is there on the counter top, I can't miss it. Same procedure before dinner, bg test, pen ready where my plate will go. Very occasionally I realise I've been too eager to eat dinner and the insulin has to be injected immediately after, but so far I've come to no harm. As @Daibell says, It's really about getting into a set routine and it soon becomes a habit.
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What is LCHF? I am type 1 but only diagnosed a couple of months ago so still very new, I am obsessed with checking my BG take my metformin and inject at the same time every day, I am sure as time goes on I will forget to take them xx
 
LCHF is Low Carb High Fat. A lot of diabetics follow this diet, especially Type 2s, but Type 1s don't have to if they don't want to. I'm on lowish carb, about 100g per day (that's always been my diet), but definitely not high fat as my cholesterol is high enough as it is.

I have only been diabetic for 7 months, but the routine is part of my life now. It's vital to get into a habit, otherwise the consequences can be too horrible to contemplate. If you take Metformin say, twice a day, what else do you always do twice a day? Brush your teeth, so leave the tablets by your toothbrush :) Just a thought anyway.
 
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