What an Idiot!!!

Hi Jess,

I don't have much time to respond at the mo as I'm at work and run off my feet! However, just wanted to tell you that you need to eat enough carb to accommodate the amount of rapid-acting you have taken. If you normally cover 10 units carb with 1 unit Novorapid, you'll need to eat around 200g carb to counteract the Novo you've taken. Also, if you didn't take your basal this morning, your BGs might start going high later. Test every hour or so throughout the day (not just for 2 hours) and react accordingly. Don't eat a fried egg (unless you actually want one) - it will have no impact on your BG!

Smidge

Yes, but thankfully only once a few years back. I took 16u of Humalog instead of Lantus one morning, but had not noticed what I'd done. Walked a mile up to the GP's to collect a repeat script then started to get a massive hypo in the chemists on the way back. Thankfully I had 2 packs of Dextrose on me which I downed in one go. The pharmacist gave me some ribena, but otherwise they left me to sit and sort it out myself. I still had no idea about what I'd done, but I knew it was a serious hypo due to the sudden onset and 'twitching' vision. Anyway... managed to stay conscious (just) and it resolved over about 20 minutes and I walked home. BG was 3.5 when I got home. It was only then that I checked and saw I'd put a Humalog cart into my Lantus pen. :shock:

You might want to be taking on some carbs quite soon.

Hi Jess,

I recommend that you have some glucose on standby. Considering your normal doses of Novorapid, 20 units is likely to cause quite a drop in blood sugar.

Also, do you have a Glucagon kit at home?

Just eat carbs, its that simple. A big breakfast with a few slices of toast, hash brown, beans and the rest will do the trick.

I agree with the above, eat now and test often.

I did a similar thing yesterday but took my slow acting one instead of the rapid, then took the rapid and then was unable to eat the food I'd cooked as I felt ill. Jelly babies every 15 minutes and I was right as rain.

Hi jess.
I would try eating some carbs and CERTAINLY have the dextrose
beside you ready 'just in case!'
As when the nova rapid kicks in your BG levels will start to take a drop.
The pre eaten carbs will have already put some glucose into you so should help a bit?
How worried and scared you must feel now...
Please 'do' let us all know how you go on .
Anna.

JConnor said:

Was super stressed this morning, overslept, had baby screaming and trying to get 5 year old ready for school as well, was on auto pilot, checked my sugars and took my insulin, was only after i had injected i realised i had took 20 units of novarapid which i use when have highs rather than Humilin I, Spoke to doctor who advised to eat fried egg??? hmmm thought that was carb free?? and if went hypo to go A&E.
So now is waiting game
Roll on 2pm when will have worn off.
Any one else had a similar experience?
Jess

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Did you have your humalin as well?
If not then hopefully you will get away with it just have a few glucose tabs every time you drop to 4.
Hope you are ok now.

Hi Jess,

I hope you mean the doctor's an idiot - which he/she most certainly is if that's the advice they gave you!

As to accidentally taking the wrong amount of insulin I think I could safely say every one who takes insulin will at some point do the same.

So, now you have to cover that dose - as has been suggested you should be thinking about eating around 200 grams as a guess; the starting point for insulin to carb ratios is 1 unit of short acting insulin to 10 grams of carbs so that's probably the assumption you should make.

If a slice of bread is about 15 carbs have toast and jam or toast and marmalade and eat a good few pieces.

Keep checking your blood sugar every 15 minutes; novorapid has a quick onset and can last for anything up to 5 hours, with a peak at about 45 mins to an hour.

Keep other glucose options/sugars ready - if your blood sugar starts really dropping drink sugar dissolved in water if you don't have glucose tablets and the like to hand.

Once your blood sugar stabilises try not to eat more carbs - you want to try and avoid going really high.

Eat a fried egg? That is absolute **** - I would go so far as to say that is grossly negligent advice to a hypoing diabetic suffering an insulin overdose. Once you feel better issue a formal complaint; that advice could kill someone.

Best

Dillinger

Hi Jess,

Your not the first and you won't be the last to make this mistake, as others have said keep checking your bg and take action where needed.

Fried egg......... :lol: ............. :shock:

Dillinger said:

Hi Jess,


So, now you have to cover that dose - as has been suggested you should be thinking about eating around 200 grams as a guess; the starting point for insulin to carb ratios is 1 unit of short acting insulin to 10 grams of carbs so that's probably the assumption you should make.

Best

Dillinger

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Jess hasn't said she injected her humalin as well.
If she didn't then some of that nova will cover the basal. So no need to eat as many carbs.

CarbsRok said:

Jess hasn't said she injected her humalin as well.
If she didn't then some of that nova will cover the basal. So no need to eat as many carbs.

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Yes, but Jess is an LADA/1.5 at the moment. She uses HumalinI to supplement the basal she still produces. As she cannot switch off her own basal and doesn't know how much she produces and when, she needs to assume that she has an unknown amount of basal swimming around as well. It's not quite so clear-cut with those of us who still produce some of our own, but better to feed the insulin than not under the circumstances. From the fact she uses only small amounts of insulin and, usually, no rapid-acting, she could be very insulin-sensitive.

Smidge

I would guess that a fried egg is potentially the WORST thing that you could eat if you were in danger of going hypo? Eggs require NO insulin, and the fat you fry it in would not require any insulin either??? :crazy:

My t1 husband keeps his 2 insulin pens in very different cases.
He's done what you did too. Just had a jam sandwich and monitored for a few hours. There were no obvious consequences.
The key thing is,keep monitoring and in the imortal words of Corporal Jones;"Don't panic!"
Hana

Hi jess.
I know that you are a busy mum with the kiddies to care for.
I keep my insulin/victoza therapy in 2 very different coloured cases,
then I 'know' which is which ...
If you havent had chance to do this with your therapy pens?
You could consider this idea :idea:
I also do this with my 2 pairs of glasses too, have them in 2 differing coloured cases.
Or else will be walking around with the wrong ones on :crazy:
Its a pain but always a solution can be created or found :thumbup:
Hope you are okay?
After your hectic morning and all is fine now.
Anna.

I keep my insulin pens in different places. The fast acting insulin pen is with my testing kit and the long acting pen is left in the fridge because I only need it once a day.

Ambersilva said:

I keep my insulin pens in different places. The fast acting insulin pen is with my testing kit and the long acting pen is left in the fridge because I only need it once a day.

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Just check to make sure this is correct for storring in use pens in the fridge.

CarbsRok said:

Ambersilva said:

I keep my insulin pens in different places. The fast acting insulin pen is with my testing kit and the long acting pen is left in the fridge because I only need it once a day.

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Just check to make sure this is correct for storring in use pens in the fridge.

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Whether it is correct or not I do not know. But I do know that the Basal dose does it's job.