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Newbie injecting.

cockercas

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm on 10 units of the background insulin and that alone keeps me at 16mmol.
I had to speak to a different diabetes nurse who told me to start injecting 4 units of the quick acting stuff at meals.
I had the first quick acting just before lunch. Tuna sandwich and at 14:50 I felt different no symptoms of a hypo but I knew it felt wrong. All I had done I walk around asda looking for steak.
Checked my blood and I was a 4.1. Drank a can of coke and now before tea I'm 14.4.
The drs is shut so I can't ask them but do I reduce the amount of quick acting? Or cut out the quick acting and up the background?
 
Have you done a DAFNE course?

If not, I'd continue with the 4u for your meal as advised by your nurse and test at 30mins post meal and one hour.

Another bit of advice is that when you are hypo you don't need a whole can of coke. Try to keep your carb intake to 10 to 15g to get rid of the hypo. This is about 100-150 ml of coke.

I would suggest that you arrange to see a nurse or doctor as soon as possible next week to get some help with sorting out your levels and requirements.

In the meantime, it would be worth working through the BDEC course to help you understand how this works.

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com
 
No, she said I can't do the course for a year.
Got told I was type 1 on Wednesday.
Il buy some of them snack size mini cans.
Thanks.
 
I think you should push back on her as soon as you see her. If you are insulin dependent, understanding carb counting and dose management is really important so being told you have to wait a year is self defeating. Work your way through the BDEC online stuff. It will help you to understand better.
 
I was told I don't need the course until about a year after diagnosis....ummmm how do I carb count in meantime? Don't worry I've Sussed it myself through trial and error but why tell me it will be more beneficial after 12 months?
 
as well as the online course these workbooks may help with a bit of background info and are worth reading and practising working examples of carbs and doses and corrections.
Don't change dose without nurse approval and the nurse will work with you to work are the right doses for you

 
Hi. Carb counting is ridiculously easy and to be honest you don't really need a course just for that. The DAFNE course may have wider benefits though. My DN explained it to me in 10 minutes. Most HCPs start you off at 1 unit of rapid for each 10gm of carbs. Use the meter 2-3 hours after a meal to check and avoid a hypo and tweak slightly next time. Most of us find the ratio needs to change a bit during the day but you will find that from experience. It will always be a degree of guesswork anyway as you can't always know how many carbs are in a meal and the absortion rate will vary. The Basal should be adjusted gradually. Do discuss with the DN if you can. If you can't get an appointment do what my DN said and try to maintain a fasting BS level of between 5-7 mmol. Any Basal changes should be done very gradually e.g. 1 unit per day and no more and using the meter each day to check how you are doing. If you have any doubts do push to see the DN soon especially if you find your small changes don't do what you expect.
 
cockercas said:
No, she said I can't do the course for a year.
Got told I was type 1 on Wednesday.
Il buy some of them snack size mini cans.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Do the on-line (Bdec) carb counting course as this is very similar to the DAFNE course, if anything it will give you the basics before enrolling on the course.

As for hypo treatments, Jelly Babies also work fine or you can get things like Glucotabs from your local pharmacy, but if you levels are really low then it's always best to use liquid glucose as it works much faster at restoring bg levels.
 
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