insulin query

these ratios only apply to an MDI or basal/bolus insulin regime.........so if your on a mix you can't follow the insulin/carb ratio.........

if you are on MDI and just starting off then a good place to start is 10:1, which is 10 grams of carbs for every unit of insulin, you may also see this written down as 1:10 or 1:1...........this is just a standard place to start.......children commonly start on 15:1.............but this can all be different depending on your team.....

what insulin are you on....?

Hi. When on Levemir and Novorapid, which are not mixed insulins, you should discuss with the GP about adjusting your Novorapid (Bolus) dose to match the carbs in a meal; not the other way round. I think some GPs are living in the past a bit on this or don't trust you to vary the dose at each meal. You have much better overall control if you do this 'carb-counting' for each meal. My DN told me to adjust the Levemir (Basal) for a morning fasting blood sugar between 5 - 7mmol. BTW, that Bolus number of units is very high? Are you both a bit overweight? This can happen if you don't control your carb intake and just eat to match an insulin dose which is set too high. If you are overweight then you need to discuss all this with the GP and reduce carbs and move to carb-counting.

Thank heavens for the fixed dose therapy. Not sure I'm up to working out ratios and getting them right. May come perhaps but hopefully not too soon for me. I'm only 4months into this.



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Hi Alanp. I know it sounds very complicated but I found out very early on i.e. within a few days that my ratio was 10:1 i.e. 10 gm carb to 1 unit of Bolus insulin. So now if I have a 60gm meal I inject 6 units. Yes, days vary a bit and you can never get the carbs in a meal just right but neither can you get the carbs right for a fixed dose? I personally find it dead easy and the control is much better, but it's your choice to discuss the pros and cons with the GP and of course with mixed insulins the approach is different.

10g to 1unit is certainly the most popular ratio although this often depends on appropriate basal insulin. Detailed BG diaries, carbs and insulin injected can help with this.

Many thanks Daibell for clarifying. Looks like something for a DAFNE course.




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