Insulin sensitivity factor

Gabrielle_Tai

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185
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
I been adjusting my correction bolus a bit this few day because i notice my insulin sensitivity factor changed a lot compare to when i was diagnosis, is this normal. Last time i was 2.1 mmol/L per unit now is 2.3 mmol/L per unit.
 
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I find my insulin sensitivity depends on my current BG. If I have a high BG (above 14), I need about 50% more insulin.
I understand this is normal and should be taken into consideration for fear of over correcting when at a lower BG.
However, if you have been recently diagnosed, this may Be due to a slow end to your honeymoon period and you may see this value increase over time.
 

phdiabetic

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880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
This is totally normal, you are most likely still in your honeymoon, when your insulin needs change dramatically. Expect this to continue for at least another few months. I'm 2.5 years in and still honeymooning! Your pancreas is still trying to produce a bit of insulin on its own, so sometimes you will go low for no reason, and other times your usual doses won't be enough. Over time your insulin needs will slowly increase as your pancreas loses its ability to make insulin. However, the honeymoon isn't all bad - having your own insulin production means that your body can help out if your blood sugar gets very high, that it will take more to put you in DKA, and that you are more likely to be able to recover from a bad hypo on your own (if your body can make a bit of insulin, it is more likely to be able to get your blood sugar back up on its own by producing glucagon. However, you should still treat hypos with sugary food and drink - this is just a backup and doctors don't know how long your body will be able to do this.)
 
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himtoo

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4,805
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why can't everyone get on........
totally normal --- this is 1 adjustment that needs looking at constantly by all of us
my factors are different at different times of the day ( helped by a pump )
 

tim2000s

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@Gabrielle_Tai I've done a bit of n=1 research into ISF using the OpenAPS tools at my disposal. What we are taught when diagnosed isn't strictly accurate as in reality, our ISF changes constantly, based on a whole bunch of factors, so the best we can do is to estimate a number that covers us as an average.

If you're interested, have a read of these two posts:

http://www.diabettech.com/openaps/w...autosens-function-within-openaps-an-n1-study/

http://www.diabettech.com/diabetes/carb-ratio-variation-a-side-effect-of-fiasp-or-something-else/
 

NoKindOfSusie

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Messages
427
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
I have been reading about OpenAPS. Obviously it isn't something that anyone is going to want to go anywhere near unless they're very sure about everything and it seems horribly risky, I would not want to be the person writing that code. That said it looks to me (and seems to be borne out in reality) that a computer can probably make better decisions than our ****** unreliable easily-fooled brains.
 

Kathypumpkin

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
This is totally normal, you are most likely still in your honeymoon, when your insulin needs change dramatically. Expect this to continue for at least another few months. I'm 2.5 years in and still honeymooning! Your pancreas is still trying to produce a bit of insulin on its own, so sometimes you will go low for no reason, and other times your usual doses won't be enough. Over time your insulin needs will slowly increase as your pancreas loses its ability to make insulin. However, the honeymoon isn't all bad - having your own insulin production means that your body can help out if your blood sugar gets very high, that it will take more to put you in DKA, and that you are more likely to be able to recover from a bad hypo on your own (if your body can make a bit of insulin, it is more likely to be able to get your blood sugar back up on its own by producing glucagon. However, you should still treat hypos with sugary food and drink - this is just a backup and doctors don't know how long your body will be able to do this.)
 

Kathypumpkin

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2

Hi there, I have been searching for anything like my experience as my doctor just shrugged. Age 60. Diagnosed T1, six months ago. Hb1ac at time was over 100. Four months later it was 58. Inject insulin 2x a day. Over last month had to reduce day dose by 40% and evening dose by 50% due to hypos. Don’t know what to expect next. Any advice would be much appreciated.
 

phdiabetic

Well-Known Member
Messages
880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi there, I have been searching for anything like my experience as my doctor just shrugged. Age 60. Diagnosed T1, six months ago. Hb1ac at time was over 100. Four months later it was 58. Inject insulin 2x a day. Over last month had to reduce day dose by 40% and evening dose by 50% due to hypos. Don’t know what to expect next. Any advice would be much appreciated.

If you are just diagnosed 6 months ago it is very likely you are still in your honeymoon. The reason for the dramatic changes in your doses is that your body is still making some insulin. It's impossible to predict how long the honeymoon will last, but generally the better your control is, the longer your body is still able to make insulin on its own. For the moment, just wait and see. Adjust as necessary to make sure you are not getting low. Over time, your body will lose its ability to make insulin, and you will see your doses gradually increasing. Eventually, you will stabilise and your insulin needs will rarely change significantly.
 
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