insulin

It won't be a straight 1 unit = 1 point drop. But please don't take 20 to drop 2 points!!!! I don't take 20 a day. So you will need to experiment.

Also because Novomix contains both long and short acting there will be delayed consequences of injecting for an instant drop - thats not to say don't do it (I sometimes do) but be aware of the long acting effect also.

I'm still awaiting an out come of my request to go on basal / bolus instead of mixed because of this.

i am on novomix 30 and im type 2 i am trying to find out how many units to how many carbs i think thats what it is

Click to expand...

8 and i want to take enought to get me down to 6 then do i click the pen to number 2 for 2 single units or is it 20 units that makes it go down by 2.

Click to expand...

It doesn't really work that way with the insulin you are using.
A CAVEAT: MY ANSWER IS NOT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BUT FROM THE NOVO WEBSITE AND WHAT I KNOW FROM READING OTHERS EXPERIENCES.
Novomix insulin contains a mixture of 30% rapid-acting soluble insulin aspart and 70% intermediate-acting protaminated insulin aspart.
( It is not a flexible insulin. Many of us use another regime where you have 2 different insulins and can therefore adjust on a meal by meal basis)

The rapid part is designed to cope with the food. This element starts working soon after dosing , is at its peak between 1 and 4 hours after injecting.
The intermediate part is designed to keep your levels stable between meals.
Because the insulins are mixed, if you raise one you automatically raise the other. This is why it is very important that changes are made carefully. It is not designed to alter from meal to meal. As some people gain confidence they learn to use it a bit more flexibly but as I said it isn't designed to vary even daily.

You really should go back to the nurse to discuss but this is the advice from the Novo treatment sheet http://www.novonordisk.com/images/diabetes/pdf/novomix_dosing_guidelines_v18.pdf
Adjust dose of NovoMix® 30 on the basis of lowest blood glucose value from preceding 3 days Dose adjustments should be made once a weekuntil target HbA1c is achieved.

Adjustment is made on the basis of premeal values .
The leaflet has amounts to adjust by... if you use it please take care to use the mmol figures.


The number you dial on your pen is the number of units....... for the most part the leaflet suggests adjustment by 2 u and a maximum of 4u. Please DON'T adjust by 20!

NOTE :

Titration algorithm is only appropriate for patients who have a stable diet and
exercise pattern

Click to expand...

Because your insulin is not adjusted to suit your meals on a daily basis, it helps if you eat to a fairly regular pattern (carb amounts in particular). This gives you a chance of being able to adjust the dose correctly If you eat 20 carbs for lunch 1 day, and 60 for lunch another, you could be taking too much insulin one day and not enough on another.
The amount you should eat will depend upon your weight (and if you need to lose, gain or remain stable) and your activity level. I personally think that a GI diet is a good plan, and know of several type 2s who have used the books by R. Gallop with sucess.

Finally exercise, you are not very old at 51, you certainly don't have to start jogging or join a gym but exercise is a very important part of diabetes treatment., it helps to reduce insulin resistance. Walking is a great form of exercise. (as are activities like mowing and digging the garden)

Woa..............please don't increase by 20!!! you will hit the floor!!! With respect to your nurse, she sounds like a bad diabetic to me! (just take a little more so that you can have a biscuit indeed!)

I have been recommended an increase of 1 unit if my preceding BS has been between 8 and 10 on the previous 3 days and an increase of 2 units if over 10

Maggie
go back and ask FIRMLY to be sent on a course. I think NICE says you aree entitled to education.
This "just take a bit more insulin" Attitude is potentially dangerous It was the guiding principle of my T1 husband's care for many years, now he has EVERY complication known to medicine and weighs nearly 18 stone.

maggieminxuk said:

hi im new here and would like to ask a question. i am on novomix 30 and im type 2 i am trying to find out how many units to how many carbs i think thats what it is . what i am try ing to work out is that if my reading is eg: 8 and i want to take enought to get me down to 6 then do i click the pen to number 2 for 2 single units or is it 20 units that makes it go down by 2. im afraid my nurse is not much use and she has not told me how many carbs to have per day i do not exercise and i dont intend too being 51 ive done all that in the past and i aint starting now so sorry.see if my reading is 8 when i get up and it is 14 when i go to bed then im not sure exactly the precise amount to take as i have been hypoing and i know what to do but working out the correct dosage is hard caus if i take 25 does my reading go down by 2.5 or more i know i sound thick but its confusing as one minute my readings good then next its up olr down please someone please explain in layman terms. no websites as ive been looking and found nothing. need help much appreciated....

maggie

Click to expand...

Hello Maggie

I hope I might be able to help you a bit here. Biphasic insulin such as Novomix works best really by injecting 75% of your total daily dose in the morning and the remaining 25% before your evening meal. That way, the 75% will release its action over a 12hr period starting from the morning, and will handle a small breakfast, small snack mid morning, lunch, small snack in the afternoon maybe. The other 25% will deal with yr evening meal and bedtime snack. As you will see, the correct way for eating is to eat small amounts of carb every 2-2.5hrs so that yr blood sugar levels remain all ok. God knows why so many people are being told to inject the same amount of this type of insulin twice a day as if that is magically going to make bg levels be ok. Even worse, is that they are told just to eat 3 times a day. The correct way to eat is to eat little and often and do bg tests 6 times a day to begin with and then when you have got yr carb sorted out with the insulin you can then maybe drop back bg testing to 4 or 5 times a day.

In answer to yr question about how many units you should use in order to make yr bg levels drop by 2, only ever increase or decrease biphasic insulin by 1 unit at a time. Your best adjustment though is to alter yr carb intake so if you eat a smaller breakfast your bg levels will be lower mid morning and then you can eat a biscuit if you want to increase yr bg. Novomix will have a peaking action to it approx 3hrs after you have done an injection so if eating little and often, no one should really mis eating a mid morning snack otherwise they will have a hypo before lunchtime comes.