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Guys - need help about my dad's insulin

lovinglife

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Staff Member
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6,091
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
hoping someone can help me here - for various reasons I don't want to go into I don't think my dad is taking his insulin correctly. I have no knowledge on insulin so can anyone answer this :
If you take 18 units of novamix twice a day how long should one phial last?
Thanks in advance
 
3ml cartridges, 100 u/ml should be a little over 7 days at 36u/day
 
Depends on the cartridge/vile size, but each 1ml contains 100 units of insulin, so a 3ml cartridge will hold 300u and a 10ml vial 1000u.

You also have to take into consideration airshots when working out how long the insulin should last.
 
Thanks both - with that answer I may be wrong hopefully - thanks -
 
Thanks Nigel - it's a 3ml cartridge - I picked up his script yesterday - everything is on monthly but they seem d to have given 3 months supply of insulin - that's not the only problem but the answer to my question helps me in trying to solve them
 
Robinredbreast said:
I know lady who has 4 children and 3 of them are type 1
Click to expand...
That's a lot of fridge space.
Many a true word spoken in jest.
Definitely something to be considered in certain cases.
But I won't be holding my breath.
 
Hi.
I take 18 units of lantus daily and I find my phial lasts 13 days.
This allows for priming the insulin pen by expelling two blank units before injecting.
There seems to be considerable variance in time being given so you need to allow some latitude.
I would suggest 7 days is too short and 14 days would be the maximum.
I hope this helps.
 
Bear in mind my daily dose is half the twice daily dose of your Dad. His phial should therefore last around 7 days.
 
lovinglife said:
Thanks Nigel - it's a 3ml cartridge - I picked up his script yesterday - everything is on monthly but they seem d to have given 3 months supply of insulin - that's not the only problem but the answer to my question helps me in trying to solve them
Click to expand...
i get mine monthly, basically because I cant store mine in the fridge, because my partner overdosed on my insulin, my insulin is now in a metal cash box inside a metal safe that's backing onto an outside wall. the insulin is always nice and cool regarding your dads make arrangements to see a diabetic nurse as your dad seems to be on a hell of a lot of insulin.
 
Thanks for your reply - I appreciate all input and do realise my dad's amount of insulin is high but-like I said in my opening post there is far more to what is happening with my dad than just the amount of insulin he is on. To be honest that's the least of my worries at the moment it's more important that he is taking it properly than the amount. It seems not at the moment - he is blind deaf very frail lives on his own without any daily help and seems to be on a very rapid decline regards his memory and behaviour- I am at present trying to persuade him to let the GP visit to assess him but my once lovely mild mannered patient dad who has never raised his voice to me in all 54 of my years is changing fast
 
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