Injecting what Dr says?????

[twokatss]

My Dr has me on a regime of set numbers before I eat and at bedtime. I usually stick to them...However, I was wondering if I should inject a bit more if I know I am going to eat more carbs than I normally do.
Is that OK to do????

[SamQKitty]

Twokatss...
That really depends on what type of insulin you're using. If using a mix (70/30), it could be problematic, because you might go low later on, same thing if you're just using a long-acting insulin. Are you on a sliding scale? X number of units depending on what your blood sugar reading is? Not counting carbs?

IMHO, the best insulin regimen (other than a pump!) is a long-acting insulin, such as Lantus, combined with a rapid-acting insulin (such as humalog or novolog) taken to cover the number of carb grams you're planning to eat. In order to do this, though, you must first learn to count carbs. But it does give you better control and a bit more flexibility in terms of meal times and what you eat.

Ruth

[twokatss]

Hi: I take 55 units Levemir at 10 pm.

Before meals according to my readings. Novo-rapid.

8 units morning
10 if under12 at noon---plus 2 if over 12
18 at supper if under 12 plus 2 units if over....

I am from canada...Have morn highs...DP

[marvinvwinkle]

I take 56 units of Levemir and a sliding scale of fast acting novo pen starting at a BS of 150. I would only take what the Dr told me unless I cleared it with him or her first. I have experimented, but have stopped. I am going to talk to my Doctor to see if I can start injecting based on what I eat(within reason). If he says no, it will be no.

Good Luck,
Pat

[SamQKitty]

Okay, Twokatss...you're on a sliding scale with your rapid insulin. It makes things a bit easier in terms of figuring out your dosage, but makes things more difficult in terms of matching your insulin to your carbohydrate intake.

My suggestion would be to ask your doctor about learning how to count carbs. He could refer you to a registered dietician for a few visits and your insurance should pay for that. It took me about 3-4 months to learn how to count carbs before I went on a pump, but it was well worth it. Well, actually it only takes an hour or so to learn how, but it takes quite a while to kind of memorize the carb content of alll your regular foods so you don't have to keep looking things up every single time you eat! Matching your insulin to your carb count not only gives you more flexibility in what you eat, but it also gives you greater flexibility in when you eat.

Ruth