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Help with insulin requirements and low carb

E

eabhamurphy

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Hello,

Ive read the newbies guide etc and I have completely changed my diet over the last 3 weeks, Im now eating low carb, pretty much carb free breakfast and lunch and then 70g at dinner. My question is regarding peoples experience with their insulin requirements and low carbing, my background insulin requirements seem to be dropping and Im a bit confused about why.
For example pre-lower carb diet I used 3-3-5novorapid and then 14 lantus. Now Im using 0-0-2 and 10 lantus and getting more lows than I ever had before. Im literally low all day (3.7, 4.5) with hypos here and there. When I do eat carbs, my ratio is lower than it was pre-low carb diet.
So in my limited experience I see I dont need insulin with protein, but I understand that protein in theory needs to be covered with a fast acting insulin.
Im totally sold on the low carb diet for type Is. 100% its amazing but....
Whats going on? Will I soon need insulin for protein? Can my insulin requirements stay like they are now?
Anyones experience appreciated!
Eva :-)
 
Eva,
I'm T2 and it seems like you're T1 but it looks like you may be going through a a bit of a honeymoon period when your pancreas may be producing enough insulin to cope with the carbs that you are eating :D
I'm sure another T1 will be along soon to explain things to you. Keep an eye on your BG so that any rise does not catch you unawares :shock:
Good luck and long may your good health continue.
 
If you are a type 1, low carbig can affect both basal and bolus of insulins....this can be much more noticeable if you were on a pump.

I am relating this to a pump, they same sort of principles are for MDI too, and even if you are on a type of insulin which is mixtard...in basic terms...

Your body is set up indivdually by itsel, your DSN and your consultant to run reasonable at set levels really of carbohydrates. FOr pumpers they take in to account what our previous total daily doses were and set us up so that we run at 50% basal to 50% bolus for the carbs that we were eating at the time of set up. If you eat more or eat less, then to keep within that 50/50 ratio we pumpers will more than likely have to alter our bolus and basal ratio's to work good with more or less carbs. A good example of this is for me, when I pig out for birthdays and christmas and any occsion I can make an excuse for, then I do not only alter my bolus upward, both I alter my basals too, in fact even upping them 250% and hour may not be enough when I have pig outs....

Type 2's I believe if they are low carbing can also find that their tablet regime can change.

Also you may be a person that is affected by temperatures and currently needing less during the hotter (April-!!!-LOL!!!) weather....

I think you will find that your ratios of basals and bolus may well alter in line with each. Low carbers for pumps can be set up on a 60/40 ratio rather than 50/50 ratio.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much insulin you have or you are taking. You need to be taking the right insulin for you to keep your levels good.
 
I'm impressed you can cover 70g of carbs with 2 units of insulin.

If your body is still making a fair amount of your insulin then it makes sense that you may not need to cover the protein with short term insulin. It sounds like doing well by regularly monitoring your levels.

When I went on the low carb diet, I think my background insulin requirements dropped a bit.

As donnellysdogs points out, carbohydrate counting courses state that the basal insulin dose is worked out by a percentage of one's 'total daily dose'. I've also seen it set as 40% of one's total daily dose (in one course) but I find these set rules tend not to hold so well with low carbing and I would expect that, if you're making some of your own insulin, this will also affect the reliability of some of these ratios. -I take 24 units of background insulin and about 15-18 units in total of short acting so the 'basal insulin at 40 or 50% TDD' rule doesn't seem to apply for me...

However, what does appear to hold is that the basal requirements are at least related to the total daily dose. As your own total daily dosage has reduced on the low carb diet, therefore it makes sense that your basal insulin requirements will also be reduced, to some extent, as a result.
 
You've got it, now you just have to fine tune your insulins to what suits you and your foods.....

All insulin can be affected by heat and the way our individual bodies responds to nice warm temperature versus the colder temperatures.....as well as foods....

You will have to find out what basals and boluses affect you individually, but the ratio's wthat work for you will work if you increase your carbs for a fortnight over Christmas for example or for a binge day for birthdays and binges (not that I have theat many)-and those I do have my DSN knows about because my pump tells her....but throughout raising all my boluses for extra periods for extra eating, I have personally altered all my basals too....and magicvally when I went to DSN this week, my levels were good, AND my ratio's still stayed at 49% to 51%, without me actually thinking about it......

You will find a level of bolus, and basals that suit you, but on binge days (if you have any) just be aware that you MAY have to alter your basals, and the same if you lower them.

Hoep you have success. Please let us know how you get on...Best wishes..Sha x
 
Thanks guys!

I think that makes perfect sense now. I just have to keep tweeking my insulin til I get it right and measuring my BG. From what people have said about basal and bolus, I think my lantus is still to high. I was just thinking that although i complained of lows, I havent had a reading above 7.5 in three weeks and that itself it such a change from before! Its a relief. That terrible sinking feeling you get when you get a reading of over 16 and you dont know why! Hope to avoid that now entirely! Good stuff :)

So thanks to this forum Ive learnt about low carbs and its brill :D


xx
 
Well done, it is fantastic that you are getting your head wrapped around it all-it is hard to do, but you look to be well on your way.

Just remember it doesn't really matter at the end of the day what amount of insulin you take, or what ratio it turns out to be for you...the most important thing is that what you do works for you....sounds terrific that you aren't getting readings above 7.5!!!!! Bril and well done.....
 
OP, have you lost weight since you started low carbing? I have been low carbing a month now and my basal is dropping all the time, I keep reducing by 2u and if still in target range a few days later reduce again etc. Also i have lost a few pounds due to the low carbing, this could also be affecting it as the amount of belly fat you have also affects your body's ability to use the insulin. So there are a number of factors but it definitely affects the basal dose, when I low carbed a couple of years ago I went from a basal dose of 28u down to around 10u. You may find you end up not needing much insulin at all, although don't go too low as I once did, reduced my insulin down to practically zero and then my blood sugars were high, so it still needs the fine tuning that diabetes always needs.
 
The ratio of carbs, basals and bolus do seem to go hand in hand with some people. I am the same as previous poster, less carbs, less bolus, less basal. More carbs, more bolus, more basal. As far as I am concerned I eat to live, NOT live to eat, as per signature. Yes, I do have days (special occasions) when I OTT, but I try to keep my carbs and insulins to healthy low-medium levels so that the fluctuations in my levels cannot be so extreme than when I was higher carber......
 
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