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INSULIN DOSES

M

malvern

Member
Messages
12
Location
WALES
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello. I have been taking insulin for 49 years. I am currently taking LANTUS as A basal insulin and take NOVO RAPID before meal times, and also as a correction dose for high readings. I take 16 units Lantus and usually 10 units before meals Novo rapid. About 3 weeks ago my readings began to go high (13 upwards) and I now have had to increase both Lantus and Novo Rapid. I have no illness or infection to report, and wonder if my current dose of 18 Lantus and 14 Novo Rapid before meals excessive. I would be pleased to hear from anyone. Thank you.
 
Hi malvern, welcome to the forum.
It's an interesting question, what is an excessive amount of insulin?

The first scientists to accurately measure serum insulin levels in non-diabetics were Yalow and Berson around 40 years ago. If I remember correctly, they concluded that a healthy individual made insulin at a rate between 0.4 and 0.5 units per Kg body weight per day. I don't know what the subjects diets were like, or how much excercise they took, both of which could strongly influence the results.

So your doses may be approprate depending upon how big you are, what your diet consists of, whether you have insulin resistance, and your level of physical activity.

Hope that helps,

fergus
 
I agree with Fergus, it is very individual. I 'know' of one person who is so insulin resistant that he takes more insulin in a day than I take in a month. My average total daily dose for the last month was about .37u per kilo so just under the figure mentioned by Fergus.
You seem to say that you take the same amount of rapid before every meal. I vary mine according to my activity level, the amount of carbohydrates in the meal and the time of day. (I have a pump but used to do that on MDI also).
 
I have a child and the recommended insulin/kg for him is between 0.8 and 1.2 units per kg.

He sometimes has days that he seems well but needs more insulin and other times I'm testing more often and feeding him to keep him in the zone. If only we could unlock the secret to what is going on inside.

Jen.
 
Hello again. Many thanks for your much appreciated replies. In all the years that I have been taking insulin I can never remember having a spell of satisfactory bs results. By spell I mean 3-4 days. Personally, I think I may have a permanent hidden minor infection or I may be resistant to insulin and absorption is irregular. David
 
Although insulin resistance is much more typical in type 2 diabetes, it can affect type 1's also. It's more likely if you are overweight and don't exercise, but it can also develop to some extent over time if insulin doses are consistently a bit too high.
Your recent spike might suggest an underlying infection or illness is it has happened suddenly.
You say you've never had consistently good blood sugars. Can I ask what your HbA1c is like, your typical range of daily numbers, and your typical diet?

All the best,

fergus
 
Hello Fergus. Many thanks for your interest. I attend the Diabetic Hospital clinic every 6 months, and for years my consultant has remarked how consistently good my HbA1c readings are. They vary between 4.9 and 6.1. My last reading was 6.0 in November. In order to get such good average I have to test maybe 7 or 8 times daily plus during the night. I become very aware when my bs level approaches 10, I feel very uncomfortable and feel a very stickyish type of feeling(very difficult to explain). I then inject a small dose of novo rapid to bring down the bs level and I can actually feel my sugar level dropping after a short while. I am small/ medium build and weigh 71 kgs. My wife ia an excellent cook and I eat a very balanced diet. No fast foods. I eat a fairly restricted carb. diet. My daily levels vary between 2.0 and 13.0. I have no awareness of low bs other than a feeling of hunger. Thanks again David
 
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