High blood glucose - new ratio needed?

[paulpapa]

Hi all

Long story short, my diabetes has been terrible for the past 15 years since diagnosis. High HBA1c at 10.3.

I went to hospital to meet with the DNS last month and we devised a new regime, but it's not really working too well yet.

I've been having really out of control blood sugar readings over the last three weeks. I've increased my Levermir to 25 units per injection twice a day (10am and 10pm) in the hope that it would regulate my sugars better. I've done it because the 14 units was't really making much of a difference. I think I used a calculation but I can't remember it. 500 rule maybe? Cann't be sure...

I also have tried increasing my insulin to carb ratio so now it's 1u:6g carbohydrate (it was, until this point, 1u:8g). Last month I was told 1 unit will lower my blood sugar by 3 mmol/l but I've never tested this out. Not sure if that changes if I'm high or anything.

My weight is 78kg should you be able to do any magic maths with it! I use the Insulinx and it does the maths for me but I think the numbers in it aren't right.

Can anyone else offer any advice? I'm trying low carb tonight, so I can try to get my levels under better control. Also reading that Think Like a Pancreas book.

Attached metre readings and the metre settings are on the last page if anyone understands it.

Thank you.

Papa

 

[noblehead]

There's the 100 Rule, that is where you add up your Total Daily Dose (TDD) over a 7 day period and divide by 7 to get your average TDD, then you divide 100 by that figure and this gives you your Correction Factor (CF), the CF is an estimate by how much 1 unit of quick-acting insulin will bring your bg levels down.

TBH I would start with some basal testing, you need to get the basal dose right above all else, if you don't do this then everything else fails and you just end up chasing your tail.

Take a look at the following which explains how to do basal check in different time-frames, it's for pump users but the advice is the same for those on MDI:

http://www.salforddiabetescare.co.uk/index2.php?nav_id=1007

Post edited to include link.

 

[paulpapa]

Thanks for your advice noblehead. You're right, the basal is too low; I am working on increasing the basal and I'll start tonight going up to 30u AM and 30u PM and see where that brings me. I went and saw my old DSN from home (back for Christmas) and she said not to be afraid to ramp up the basal over time and see where that lands me in the mornings. Ideally under 10 if possible. Here's hoping it starts to work.

I think I'll do the basal checks when things are a little better controlled generally. At the moment, it's all high all the time so I'm not sure what benefit I would have doing it until I'm in a more sensible range.

Thanks for your advice about the CF and testing basal doses!

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Do you consider yourself overweight? Those insulin levels suggest you may be? Do keep the carbs down as too many and you gain weight with insulin and can get into a vicious circle.

 

[paulpapa]

Nope, I don't think I am; although I am trying to lose a bit more weight gradually. I'm 84kg and a "healthy" BMI according to the NHS.