Injecting Insulin Just After Eating?

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
My son usually injects his insulin 10 mins (or so) before meals but for his 11th birthday he wants to go to his favourite food place which is a Chinese (all you can eat) so I was wondering if it’s possible to carb count once he’s finished eating then inject? Obviously testing his BG before hand to see where his levels are at first.

Is that possible?
 

db89

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,134
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Yes it's possible and sometimes practicably unavoidable in, for instance, restaurants when you don't know the carb count of what's coming beforehand. Sometimes it can be used to advantage if there is more fat than carbs in a meal in an effort to match the delayed blood glucose rise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407
D

Deleted Account

Guest
Absolutely.
The reason we inject before we eat is to avoid a spike where the carbs in the food are converted to sugar in our blood before the insulin starts working.
But different food convert at different rates so unless we test for everything with every possible combination (adding fat to a meal can slow down the absorption of the carbs, for example), it will be a conservative timing approximation.
By delaying the injection until after the meal, your son may experience a longer spike than usual but in the grand scheme of things, doing this once is not going to have a long term affect.

If you want to minimise this you could split his insulin dose: have a small amount before the meal and then top up afterwards when you know how much he has eaten.
This is what I usually do but it is a bit of a faff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Yes it's possible and sometimes practicably unavoidable in, for instance, restaurants when you don't know the carb count of what's coming beforehand. Sometimes it can be used to advantage if there is more fat than carbs in a meal in an effort to match the delayed blood glucose rise.

Thank you
 

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Absolutely.
The reason we inject before we eat is to avoid a spike where the carbs in the food are converted to sugar in our blood before the insulin starts working.
But different food convert at different rates so unless we test for everything with every possible combination (adding fat to a meal can slow down the absorption of the carbs, for example), it will be a conservative timing approximation.
By delaying the injection until after the meal, your son may experience a longer spike than usual but in the grand scheme of things, doing this once is not going to have a long term affect.

If you want to minimise this you could split his insulin dose: have a small amount before the meal and then top up afterwards when you know how much he has eaten.
This is what I usually do but it is a bit of a faff.

That’s great - thanks very much
 

porl69

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Stupid people
WOW Pizza and rice. Going for the difficult foods first :)
Of course you can inject after you eat. as @helensaramay has said we inject beforehand to try and stop the BG spikes after we eat. I would also suggest a small bolus before eating then carb count and inject the balance. Again keep a close eye on Jaydens BG's :). You got this under wraps ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407

slip

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,523
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Boy! the boy picks some difficult treats!

I agree with @porl69, a small dose to start with will help keep the spike.......well less spikey. But not too much as he'll drop before the food has had time to convert - Chinese a big fat 'slow burner' so to speak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407

LooperCat

Expert
Messages
5,223
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
What they said :) I’d split it too. A little up front to get going on it, and then the rest once you know what he’s had.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407
K

Knikki

Guest
Yep as the others have said.

In fact I am going to do it soon because at the moment I am running low, however Spag bol and garlic bread will be served up soon so will wait a bit then inject.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407

therower

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,922
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hey @Jayden2407 . Some great advice to be had here.:):):).
Another thing to possibly consider is injection site.
Usually a stomach injection will work quicker than a thigh injection.
If you was to split doses then maybe do the first shot in the thigh and the second post meal shot in the stomach..
Hope he has a great night. :)
 

therower

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,922
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Yep as the others have said.

In fact I am going to do it soon because at the moment I am running low, however Spag bol and garlic bread will be served up soon so will wait a bit then inject.
Yep as the others have said.

In fact I am going to do it soon because at the moment I am running low, however Spag bol and garlic bread will be served up soon so will wait a bit then inject.
Cheers mate.:banghead::banghead::banghead:.
So now I've got a Spag Bol craving. How long it'll last, who knows.:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayden2407

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
WOW Pizza and rice. Going for the difficult foods first :)
Of course you can inject after you eat. as @helensaramay has said we inject beforehand to try and stop the BG spikes after we eat. I would also suggest a small bolus before eating then carb count and inject the balance. Again keep a close eye on Jaydens BG's :). You got this under wraps ;)

I know, I know we don’t usually eat out a lot it’s just the special ones coming up with leaving school plus his birthday!
He loves my cooking and I love to cook so I’m seeing it as occasional treat for him.

I’m going to do that, split it. So he usually pricks his finger & puts the amount of carbs in to give him the correct units of insulin. Shall I just give him a couple of units THEN do everything else after (Minus the already given insulin)?