Mental block or senior moment.. remembering if insulin has been administered

ickihun

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I have just read your post, your carb intake is low compared to your insulin. Do you weigh your food to work out how many carbs you are eating and then taking your insulin in proportion? Ie 1 unit of insulin to 10 grams of carbs?
I'm also on high doses of insulin. I'm on on average 20g carb per day and take 30units for b/fast, 20units at lunch and 44units with evening meal. Only on taking canagliflozin 100g too did I manage to get to these nearly halved units. Originally it was nearly doubled.
Is Humulin3 just as strong as novarapid and insulitard say?
 

Claire007

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Is that a typo? ^^^ 94 units in total for 20g of carb :eek:
Forgive me, I am fairly new to this diabetes malarkey and I would only have one unit for 20g of carb.
 

jane12

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I'm also on high doses of insulin. I'm on on average 20g carb per day and take 30units for b/fast, 20units at lunch and 44units with evening meal. Only on taking canagliflozin 100g too did I manage to get to these nearly halved units. Originally it was nearly doubled.
Is Humulin3 just as strong as novarapid and insulitard say?
Are you type1 or 2? I don't know these? I'm a type one and use around 25 units of insulin a day in the week and around 5 at the weekends plus 22 units of lantus, I have up to 150g of carbs a day, depending on what I eat.
 

ickihun

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Are you type1 or 2? I don't know these? I'm a type one and use around 25 units of insulin a day in the week and around 5 at the weekends plus 22 units of lantus, I have up to 150g of carbs a day, depending on what I eat.
Hi Jane12. I'm type2 and 8 stones overweight. Only time I've been able to lose weight is if I had meal replacements. Still looking to lose weight by any means to help with diabetes.
Up until recently I was very demoralized about losing weight but the lack of energy and strength made motivation very very difficult. I'm pleased to say that has improved on insulin.
 

jane12

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Hi Jane12. I'm type2 and 8 stones overweight. Only time I've been able to lose weight is if I had meal replacements. Still looking to lose weight by any means to help with diabetes.
Up until recently I was very demoralized about losing weight but the lack of energy and strength made motivation very very difficult. I'm pleased to say that has improved on insulin.
I understand now. My partner is type 2, but his diabetes was bought on as a result of his mother dying and being a little overweight. He has a monitor to check his blood sugar as it is impossible to guess, it has taken him about 2 years to lose the weight, but this has almost reversed his diabetes; he now takes 1 metformin tablet a day. The motivation to lose weight has to be that you will improve your health and be able to reduce your drug intake. The more weight you lose the better you will feel about yourself, which I know is a glib thing to write , but losing weight is key. Are you following a diet and have you seen a dietitian?
 

GemB

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I have just read your post, your carb intake is low compared to your insulin. Do you weigh your food to work out how many carbs you are eating and then taking your insulin in proportion? Ie 1 unit of insulin to 10 grams of carbs?
Dont do any of that, my Doc tells me what to take and like a good girl I take it !
 

ickihun

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I understand now. My partner is type 2, but his diabetes was bought on as a result of his mother dying and being a little overweight. He has a monitor to check his blood sugar as it is impossible to guess, it has taken him about 2 years to lose the weight, but this has almost reversed his diabetes; he now takes 1 metformin tablet a day. The motivation to lose weight has to be that you will improve your health and be able to reduce your drug intake. The more weight you lose the better you will feel about yourself, which I know is a glib thing to write , but losing weight is key. Are you following a diet and have you seen a dietitian?
I'm following lchf diet with a forum on here for support as I have none around me. All non-diabetics eating late at night and too many calories.
I now have the motivation but I've had burn out numerous times in the 13yrs I've been diagnosed with diabetes. I believe I've had symptoms for 38yrs. I do find it all very hard work.
 

Bumley

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Ok it's not the first time I admit, but remembering some mornings to take basal and quick acting as soon as I awake is sometimes so difficult.. I thought my routine was ok but it just takes a brief moment of distraction to completely forget one or other or even both..

This morning I woke at 6.40am, daughter wakes at the same time, as she's still in bed I say hang on mum will be there in a mo I just need to 'do my sugars', I go downstairs, test my BG, input results in my smart phone, take basal, put kettle on, feed dog, run upstairs to check on daughter, then just completely draw a blank, did I or didn't i take my QA ??? so go and take 5 units, cook breakfast, eat, do some work on the computer, dress, walk to school, drive to work and BANG hypo !

Unless I write it down that i've taken it, I just can't remember if I did or not.. anyone else have this issue and any tips on how to remember !!
I have senior moments when I completely forget and have now developed a strategy for my basal insulin which I take bed time and When I wake. After I inject put the needle with its cap on on my bedside table and repeat again in the morning. If there's two there when I go to put them in the sharps bin I'm ok. For my Novorapid I have just bought a Novopen echo and that tells me the last dose and how long since I took it, absolutely brilliant!
 
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Johnski

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I used to always forget but got a Novopen Echo as it has memory function on it so you can check if you have taken insulin or not. The pen is an absolute godsend for me. (My brain does NOT function before lunch time lol)

Being on a Insulin pump is the best way to not forget, your Basal Insulin goes in regardless as programmed, and you don't put in Bolus unless you eat, if you forget, the Pump gives out a warning buzzer/vibrates and the display asks have you "forgotten your Bolus", this can be set up for different time spans etc. I often use to forget, as you always think you've taken your insulin, especially after 50 years of doing it, you can visually picture doing it.
 

Johnski

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I'm also on high doses of insulin. I'm on on average 20g carb per day and take 30units for b/fast, 20units at lunch and 44units with evening meal. Only on taking canagliflozin 100g too did I manage to get to these nearly halved units. Originally it was nearly doubled.
Is Humulin3 just as strong as novarapid and insulitard say?

A pump sounds a better bet for you, but the ratio you need of Carbohydrate to Insulin is very high and very unusual, Insultard is a long acting slow release insulin, you would be better to talk to your consultant about quick acting insulin. What are your Blood sugars before/after meals? 20g Carbs per day is so low it surely can't be right, one slice of bread is 15g and you would have little energy, something doesn't sound quiet right, and I would look into getting that checked and sorted. Something is pushing up your insulin requirements. Don't know what I'd forgotten if I had to go back to injections again, the Insulin Pump lets you live as near normal life as possible, after 50 years taking insulin, it was the bet thing to come out.
 
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ButtterflyLady

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A pump sounds a better bet for you, but the ratio you need of Carbohydrate to Insulin is very high and very unusual, Insultard is a long acting slow release insulin, you would be better to talk to your consultant about quick acting insulin. What are your Blood sugars before/after meals? 20g Carbs per day is so low it surely can't be right, one slice of bread is 15g and you would have little energy, something doesn't sound quiet right, and I would look into getting that checked and sorted. Something is pushing up your insulin requirements. Don't know what I'd forgotten if I had to go back to injections again, the Insulin Pump lets you live as near normal life as possible, after 50 years taking insulin, it was the bet thing to come out.
Ickihun is a T2 so I don't think a pump is an option for her. People can have plenty of energy on 20g carbs a day, by eating more fat.
 
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Martin S

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What I do is try to notice something WHILST I'm injecting I will remember - particularily the lantus in the morning when I'm still feeling seepy. A bird in the garden fighting with another bird, a song on the radio, I'll kick the cupboard or say something stupid, rock my head side to side - anything so whilst I drive to work and I doubt myself I'll have that 'aide-memoire' which settles me.
 
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Juicyj

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@Bumley my echo pen arrived last week and it got tested out last night as I met some friends in the pub, had eaten some food taken my insulin and before bed I tested again and was high so checked my pen and could see how much I took and when and calculated my dose based on that, what a clever device ! Mornings have been a lot easier since as I always take my basal first then do my QA and so far so good no more senior moments lol !!
 
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Juicyj

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Being on a Insulin pump is the best way to not forget, your Basal Insulin goes in regardless as programmed, and you don't put in Bolus unless you eat, if you forget, the Pump gives out a warning buzzer/vibrates and the display asks have you "forgotten your Bolus", this can be set up for different time spans etc. I often use to forget, as you always think you've taken your insulin, especially after 50 years of doing it, you can visually picture doing it.

Yes a pump would be ideal but it's down to the NHS to decide if I will get one..
 
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Hi JuicyJ I have now been given 2 echo pens as back up prescribed by my DSN, because my 1/2 dose NovoRapid pen isn't available any more. I will start using the echo pen today.
 
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ickihun

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Ickihun is a T2 so I don't think a pump is an option for her. People can have plenty of energy on 20g carbs a day, by eating more fat.
Thanks CatLadyNZ.
I thought as much.
T2 makes me ill but no comas thank god. I know it must be more dangerous for T1.
I think my insulin resistance very high. Liver taking the brunt of the problem?
Fatty liver gone in low carb high fat diet. :)
 
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Thanks CatLadyNZ.
I thought as much.
T2 makes me ill but no comas thank god. I know it must be more dangerous for T1.
I think my insulin resistance very high. Liver taking the brunt of the problem?
Fatty liver gone in low carb high fat diet. :)

I was recently in one and it was so frightening and scary for me and for my teenager too, it shook me up.
 

GemB

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I also take 2 x 1000g Metformin daily + 1x5mg Trajenta tablet per day
 

Senga

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Ok it's not the first time I admit, but remembering some mornings to take basal and quick acting as soon as I awake is sometimes so difficult.. I thought my routine was ok but it just takes a brief moment of distraction to completely forget one or other or even both..

This morning I woke at 6.40am, daughter wakes at the same time, as she's still in bed I say hang on mum will be there in a mo I just need to 'do my sugars', I go downstairs, test my BG, input results in my smart phone, take basal, put kettle on, feed dog, run upstairs to check on daughter, then just completely draw a blank, did I or didn't i take my QA ??? so go and take 5 units, cook breakfast, eat, do some work on the computer, dress, walk to school, drive to work and BANG hypo !

Unless I write it down that i've taken it, I just can't remember if I did or not.. anyone else have this issue and any tips on how to remember !!
Hi, glad u posted this I have had same problem with forgetting if I had taken insulin, can be minutes later but used to inject without thinking or get distracted. Doubt if you will have time to take up all my precautions I have basal and bolus in a drawer in clear food bags with an elastic band wrapped round them, which means I have to take time to open. I take the basal on rising put it back in bag and put to back of drawer in a folder. Then when ready to have breakfast use the bolus I keep at front of drawer for lunch and dinner then I move it into folder and take out the basal which I take at 8pm. If I am having a supper the bolus comes out again. I always leave both in sight for the morning. Even though my pens are orange and green I would lift the wrong one and inject. Thus all the precaution. I also put needle in sin bin and keep caps so I can check at any time if I have taken insulin.
 

norwaycook

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Was beginning to have the same problem but a year back managed to get a pump which manages to store your history Still have to check to see if I've administered it occasionally.
Old age I suppose