Ive been a diabetic for many years type 2 Im now in my 50's. I had good control until I had to have three operations last year and had to leave my active job as a nurse behind and I now work from home . Im careful with carb intake but know I need to be more active and loose some weight. I take metformin. My problem is I have been started on insulin Humulin quick pen long acting/short acting . I was told to start on 6 units and build up each day till my readings were between 5 and 12 . I have increased my insulin now to 26 units (more than one unit a day) in the morning and it doesn't seem to change much. My BS in the morning before insulin is around 11-13 and it stays around 11 before lunch and 9 ish before tea. The nurse isn't speaking to me until end of August but she said to split the dose half before breakfast and then again half at tea but Im not sure if I should do it now or carry on until my BS are a little lower . It has come down as my first readings were around 13-15 so it has made a small difference. Any advice gratefully received .
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New to Insulin and feeling a little lost
- Thread starter mumblemac
- Start Date
lucylocket61
Expert
can you tell us a bit more about what you are eating, your meals and drinks, please? It may be that your body cant cope with the carb intake.
Fenn
Well-Known Member
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- 1,405
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1.5
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hi, unfortunately the amount you need and when is a bit of trial and error, I was given insulin and told to take 2 units before meals and increase in little steps until my bg stays between 5 and 7.8. Two years later during a routine appointment, the doctor asked who is dealing with my diabetes, no one I replied, I’ve later found the DSN lost her job and I slipped through the cracks, so I pretty much tried to understand it from reading posts here and dr google, I think you have to take what works, regardless of how much that may be, I didn’t think it was working at all so one day decided to inject without food to see what happens... don’t do that! It is working, you just need to adjust it until it’s correct.
Personally I would ask (insist) on slow acting and rapid acting for meals. I can’t understand how control is possible otherwise, but I am still making it up as I go along, best of luck with it
Personally I would ask (insist) on slow acting and rapid acting for meals. I can’t understand how control is possible otherwise, but I am still making it up as I go along, best of luck with it
ert
Well-Known Member
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- 2,607
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- Type 1
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- Insulin
- Dislikes
- diabetes
fasting
You need to phone your DN and ask to speak to her sooner. Is that a mixed insulin pen you are using twice a day? It can take a number of weeks until you see the full effect of the insulin on your blood sugars if they have been high for some time. If you are insulin resistant then you may need a higher dose which is why the increases may not have changed your blood sugars much yet.
Follow lower carb so example 2 eggs for breakfast with small low carb slice of bread (about 7g) decaf coffee with little bit cream , lunch tin tuna and salad, tea soft cheese celery and small piece of melon with salted almonds .Drink water and decaf . Im don't eat junk foods or eat between meals. Today much the same except it was oven sea bass , cauliflower peppers and onions. I do love bread but have stopped almost all of it as I know that's what made things worse , Not keen on potatoes so don't have them often . I know its a lack of exercise after surgery which has made things much worse for me I gained 3kg last year after loosing it the year before as I stopped my 12 hr shifts .
- Messages
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- Location
- Worthing, UK.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
@mumblemac
Can you be precise about the insulin you are using? If it's pre-mixed, is it Humilin M3?
The reason for splitting the dose is because it actually doesn't last for 24 hrs in the body. If you're lucky you might get 18hrs out of the long acting phase.
If your pen is intermediate insulin and long acting you will get maybe up to 12 hrs out of the intermediate phase.
If the pen is rapid and long acting, you'll get about 5hrs out of the rapid phase.
As @lucylocket61 has commented above, it is difficult to cope with pre-mixed insulin because your dose really defines how much carbohydrate you can eat and if you only inject in the morning there's not really much left to deal with food intake by the evening. (Although it seems as though you are not eating much, the body also turns protein in glucose, although at a slower rate than carbs.)
Can you be precise about the insulin you are using? If it's pre-mixed, is it Humilin M3?
The reason for splitting the dose is because it actually doesn't last for 24 hrs in the body. If you're lucky you might get 18hrs out of the long acting phase.
If your pen is intermediate insulin and long acting you will get maybe up to 12 hrs out of the intermediate phase.
If the pen is rapid and long acting, you'll get about 5hrs out of the rapid phase.
As @lucylocket61 has commented above, it is difficult to cope with pre-mixed insulin because your dose really defines how much carbohydrate you can eat and if you only inject in the morning there's not really much left to deal with food intake by the evening. (Although it seems as though you are not eating much, the body also turns protein in glucose, although at a slower rate than carbs.)
Last edited:
Hi yes it's a pre mixed M3
ickihun
Master
Hi @mumblemac. I have been on M3 and was changed onto seperate fast acting and basal. I've been able to reduce my units and lost weight so much easier that way.
I was needing huge amounts of insulin even on low carb for my protein intake.
I was desperate to lose weight.
Splitting your dose will help but I'm wondering if your nurse is preparing you for seperate insulin by changing you to 2 doses? Then more for seperate insulin.
It's a huge help to understanding insulin therapy.
There are a few ways to trick your insulin which you are producing. I found Injecting insulin it regulated my own insulin release. For me.
We are all different so you will find what best works for you via your diabetes team.
You are doing brilliantly.
Testing is the biggest help. Testing and Injecting is no use without the other.
Do you understand what the insulin you're Injecting is doing for you?
I was needing huge amounts of insulin even on low carb for my protein intake.
I was desperate to lose weight.
Splitting your dose will help but I'm wondering if your nurse is preparing you for seperate insulin by changing you to 2 doses? Then more for seperate insulin.
It's a huge help to understanding insulin therapy.
There are a few ways to trick your insulin which you are producing. I found Injecting insulin it regulated my own insulin release. For me.
We are all different so you will find what best works for you via your diabetes team.
You are doing brilliantly.
Testing is the biggest help. Testing and Injecting is no use without the other.
Do you understand what the insulin you're Injecting is doing for you?
Hi I do understand how insulin works but didn't realise how difficult it is getting the dose right and how individual it all is. I took 5 units at tea time yesterday as well as my morning dose and my levels were getting better . 7 in the night 10 before breakfast and 7 at lunch . So here's hoping I'm getting the hang of it . But I think I would like separate insulins I will ask the diabetic nurse when I speak with her.
ickihun
Master
You definitely do. Great work. I bet you feel relieved?
I used to get very impatient with my weight loss and for settled bgs. I tried everything. The despair I felt. Luckily only a faded memory now.
I still wouldn't mind another 6lb off. Just to give me a bit room to have holiday treats but I'd never get it back off... it seems.
