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Insulin

James1968

Well-Known Member
Messages
441
Type of diabetes
Type 2
So I started to take insulin on Thursday afternoon, not as bad as I thought,the diabetic nurse that I saw on Thursday said that I had to stop taking metformin due to other things going on.
I have to call her tomorrow to see if I need to keep taking the same units or if they are going to put it up,
Don’t feel any better taking insulin
What’s people’s thoughts?

Thanks Jim
 
Still anything from 12 to 18.5
In that case your insulin will probably be upped.
What insulin or insulins are you on?
With those numbers it's normal to feel rubbish. The only way to find the right dose of insulin is trying and seeing what it does. To keep you from going hypo they start on a relatively low dose and work up from that.
Do you in any way keep an eye on the carbs you're eating?
Good luck!
 
In that case your insulin will probably be upped.
What insulin or insulins are you on?
With those numbers it's normal to feel rubbish. The only way to find the right dose of insulin is trying and seeing what it does. To keep you from going hypo they start on a relatively low dose and work up from that.
Do you in any way keep an eye on the carbs you're eating?
Good luck!

Ok that’s what I thought
I have tried to LCHF but i can’t do it

Thanks
 
You don't need to do LCHF if it does not agree with you, but if you are on a basal and bolus insulin or a mixed one then carb counting really will help.
 
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Hi James1968

It does take time to find the right dose of insulin. They always err on the side of caution and take it slowly to prevent a rapid drop in blood sugar. Keep checking your blood sugars regularly and keep a note of them.

Also keep in regular contact with your DSN
 
Hi James1968

It does take time to find the right dose of insulin. They always err on the side of caution and take it slowly to prevent a rapid drop in blood sugar. Keep checking your blood sugars regularly and keep a note of them.

Also keep in regular contact with your DSN

Thanks

I have to call her tomorrow
 
As @Antje77 says, you’ll still feel rough at those levels, and they’ll almost certainly increase your doses. Counting carbs will need to be a part of your life, even if you don’t plan to restrict them - otherwise you won’t be able to dose properly.

What insulin’s are you taking?
 
Hi, I have luckily had huge success with the insulin, I am on slow acting at night and novorapid fast acting with meals, I have been on it since october so still very new, my advice is not to expect the insulin to do all the work, you will still have to watch what you eat, if anything I have been more careful with my food as I am alot more focussed on what I eat because I have to be, my numbers were similar to yours with 3 oral meds, I only take metformin now so I am very happy my libre is prediciting a hba1c 44, not sure how acurate that is but its sure going to be a big improvement on my latest of 81, thats in 2 months on the jabs.

I still get spikes of 15 even with the insulin if I eat the wrong thing, ie. A chicken salad sandwich at lunch for example, but if I give myself more insulin I go too low after the spike, so I accept the spike, knowing ill go back to nice numbers soon after, I also have to be very careful when exercising (dog walking mainly) as I get crazy drops, its all just a big experiment hehe.

I hope it works as well for you too
 
Hi, I have luckily had huge success with the insulin, I am on slow acting at night and novorapid fast acting with meals, I have been on it since october so still very new, my advice is not to expect the insulin to do all the work, you will still have to watch what you eat, if anything I have been more careful with my food as I am alot more focussed on what I eat because I have to be, my numbers were similar to yours with 3 oral meds, I only take metformin now so I am very happy my libre is prediciting a hba1c 44, not sure how acurate that is but its sure going to be a big improvement on my latest of 81, thats in 2 months on the jabs.

I still get spikes of 15 even with the insulin if I eat the wrong thing, ie. A chicken salad sandwich at lunch for example, but if I give myself more insulin I go too low after the spike, so I accept the spike, knowing ill go back to nice numbers soon after, I also have to be very careful when exercising (dog walking mainly) as I get crazy drops, its all just a big experiment hehe.

I hope it works as well for you too

Thanks
I have to give my nurse a call this morning to see how I have got on with the insulin
Think she will tell me to increase it today
 
mmm, @James1968, So a mix of animal insulins ? once or twice daily?
e.g. before breakfast or before breakfast and dinner ???

By the contents. Looks like possible Humulin brand to me..!
Tricky though with the flash glare on the subject. :)

@James1968 , would that be correct? "Humulin M3?"
 
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Yes it is

OK, from what I see on the thread. You are on two fixed doses a day with this regime?

Keep in contact with your HCP or DSN. Once you get the dosage right with them. The amount of carbs in your meals will need to be kept in accordance with the insulin dosage. Too many & you could drift too high? To few & you may drop..?
It's not the most flexible regime with the timing of meals.. (Unlike a a basal bolus regime or as commonly named "MDI" Multiple Daily Injections.)
But it can work.
It's still early days getting used to a new insulin. Be wary with the "temptation" this Yuletide season brings ;) check your bloods regular & log them with the meals consumed, follow the advice of your D nurse.

Out and about. Keep some fast acting carbs handy in the form of sweets. (jelly babies.) I'm not going to say you'll drop low. But it's always handy to know. (Especially if your DSN is planning increasing the dosage?)

Lol, more a mindful "health & safety" good will message. Than a "thou shalt not." :)
 
OK, from what I see on the thread. You are on two fixed doses a day with this regime?

Keep in contact with your HCP or DSN. Once you get the dosage right with them. The amount of carbs in your meals will need to be kept in accordance with the insulin dosage. Too many & you could drift too high? To few & you may drop..?
It's not the most flexible regime with the timing of meals.. (Unlike a a basal bolus regime or as commonly named "MDI" Multiple Daily Injections.)
But it can work.
It's still early days getting used to a new insulin. Be wary with the "temptation" this Yuletide season brings ;) check your bloods regular & log them with the meals consumed, follow the advice of your D nurse.

Out and about. Keep some fast acting carbs handy in the form of sweets. (jelly babies.) I'm not going to say you'll drop low. But it's always handy to know. (Especially if your DSN is planning increasing the dosage?)

Lol, more a mindful "health & safety" good will message. Than a "thou shalt not." :)

Ok thanks
 
Hi again @James1968, again not a professional advice or opinion: look up https:/www.drugs.com/humulin_70-30.html
There is a graph of the amount of insulin in the blood stream after a single injection of humulin70-30 ( the interrupted dash line). You will see there are one rounded peak at around 3 hours which sort of corresponds to when the insulin is working at its best to bring BSLs down. Then the insulin drifts down over the next 20 hours or so.
The problem is that the carbohydrates (sugars in cereal, toast etc) you eat at your breakfast meal will usually cause a peak in Blood sugar level (BSL) at about the 2 hours mark, depending a little on what and how much you eat and what other foods accompany this (e.g. bacon or eggs etc).
Then at lunch time a similar thing will happen to your BSL but the insulin is already falling, there is no peak of insulin to help. But with a second dose of humulin 70-30 before your evening meal there will be another peak of insulin to sort of cover that.
Of course, you may still be producing some insulin from your own pancreas which might be able to ease the BSLs a little also.
The problem you face with these insulins in my view is that they miss the BSL rise, with each meal whilst providing a lot of background insulin between meals and overnight.
But when the dose is upped say, everything goes up, the 3 hours peak, the amount of insulin there over the next 20 hours or so and then if the second dose is increased there is the second peak heightened and the amount of insulin overnight is increased also.
This insulin mix insulin appears to to be insufficient at the after meal BSL peaks and then too much in between meals. Again this is just my view.
You may wish to see how you go with whatever your DSN advises about your current insulin doses. If they are upped I hope the DSN advises you to to be watching out and reporting any BSL less than 4 mmol/l as well as those above whatever your DSN has quoted to you as the acceptable upper range.
Please read up on the Home page here about hypoglycaemia which is the fancy term for low blood sugars or hypos as we call them. And as it advises, keep some form of sugar handy in case you start to experience any hypos.
I never drive when my BSL is less than 5 mmol/l as it is dangerous to drive in such a condition. Glucose meters might be up to 15 % out so that could mean that 5 mmol/l is actually 4.25 to 5.75 mmol/l where hypo levels are (as the Home page will also quote) less than 4 mmol/l or 3.6 mmol/l.
Best wishes.
 
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