According to my pump, for the last 31 days, I have used 34.59 units of insulin per day (basal and bolus) and eaten 157 carbs per day on average.
When I was first put on the pump, I remember they set my reservoir to hold enough insulin for a 300 carb/day average (they were using the FDA guidelines for someone eating 2,000 calories per day). That was really awful because I ended up wasting lots of insulin that first time. I don't think my nurse took into account the fact that I am a small-boned, 5'2" female, not the 5'9" male for whom the FDA guidelines apply. There is no way my body could handle 300 carbohydrates every day (on the other hand, there is no way it could handle Atkins levels, either - I feel great taking in 150-ish carbs each day).
So what are your averages? Do you feel they work well for you?
Hey Khendra, there was a similar thread on here last summer, and I think what we all found is the "correct" insulin amount per day really depends on the person. You can't even tell based on height and weight.
The only reason I know my carbs per day is b/c I've been trying to loose weight, so I've been tracking everything. It's been between 150 and 200 a day, usually around 170.
I'm not on a pump, but I'd estimate I take about 35 units of insulin a day. But, I've been eating less and exercising more. I'd say it's normally more like 40-45 units a day...
[quote user="Sarah"]Hey Khendra, there was a similar thread on here last summer, and I think what we all found is the "correct" insulin amount per day really depends on the person. You can't even tell based on height and weight.[/quote]
That makes sense. Sometimes I've pondered how our health knowledge is really not so advanced on the individual level...we've made lots of progress in the last 100 years for sure, but we know very little about metabolic rates, how people respond to different kinds of foods, etc. We really have to make extra effort and try all kinds of things because there's no easy formula to figure out what works for each of us.
I think everyone is different in what level of carb works for them. I too am small (5 feet) and a normal frame so most "general" guidelines are just too much for me. I usually ate between 80 - 120 carbs per day depending on how my day was going. Some days I had more cravings, and other days not. So basically I would average between 4 and 6 (roughly) units per day for my carb intake. So all totaled I would usually have between 17 and 22 units.
i usually do about 50 units per day i'm not exactly sure how many carbs each day i have but probably around 100-130? My basal rates are pretty high and i end up correcting a lot, and when i correct i have to give myself a lot more then i did from when i was on shots because it takes so much longer to correct!
i have been totaling about 76 units of insulin a day. I can tell that is a lot more than anyone else so far but i do not eat very healthy right now. I am working on it and believe it or not a couple weeks ago i was averaging around 90 units a day.
i'm too lazy to pull my pump out, but i typically average between 85-100u a day (don't feel bad, stephanie! i use a lot of insulin too). i've been running A LOT of lows lately, so i might be dropping closer to 70-75u a day now. without looking, i'm guessing i take in somewhere around 200-250 CHO a day.
I am a type 1 with insulin resistance, but only 8 pounds overweight.
I use 38 units (basal + bolus) per day, and average 150-160 carbs per day. If my carb intake and insulin dosage increases, my weight increases too. Too much overweight is what caused my insulin resistance.
I strongly believe that each of us is different, and it would be a mistake to try and use an average obtained from other T1s. It takes lots of experimenting to find the right combination of food, insulin, and exercise, for you, and of course, every day is different, too. Many of you don't have experience designing experiments - the most important thing is to only change one thing at a time. You might think this would slow things down too much, but when only one thing changed, at least you will know whether that particular thing worked, or not.
I used to use about 30 u/day when I started on the pump (3 years ago) but now I'm up to around 40. I don't know why- possibly just because of my age or the stresses I'm experiencing now finishing high school and starting college. I go for a 2 mile walk every night that takes 40 minutes or less, but other than that I'm not really that active. I usually eat 200 - 250 g carbs/day but I drink milk with every meal and always have fruit at lunch and dinner. That makes for more carbs, but it's worth it to be healthy!
Yes, I agree with the others as there are way too many variables to compare usage of insulin. I've been with diabetes 37 years, exercise daily, consume 200 grams carbo a day and use approximately 39 units a day. But that is me. I am tall and skinny. Just sharing....
Sorry for the bad thread idea. I was mainly just curious to see how much variation there could be among a given sample of type 1s, but I probably should have been able to surmise that on my own.
Sorry for the bad thread idea. I was mainly just curious to see how much variation there could be among a given sample of type 1s, but I probably should have been able to surmise that on my own.
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It's not a "bad" thread idea, Khendra! In fact, I'm pretty sure we had a similar discussion on an old thread several months ago, that was similar to this. I think the point people are making is that we can't really compare apples to apples here, because so many factors influence how much a person averages for a day, but I think it's still interesting to know what other people do - so for me, it might just be entertaining instead of educational. :D
[quote user="Kim"]It's not a "bad" thread idea, Khendra! In fact, I'm pretty sure we had a similar discussion on an old thread several months ago, that was similar to this. I think the point people are making is that we can't really compare apples to apples here, because so many factors influence how much a person average for a day, but I think it's still interesting to know what other people do - so for me, it might just be entertaining instead of educational. :D[/quote]
Glad to know it's not too bad. :) I kinda wondered about the wording afterward. I don't want to come across like one of those folks who's got that mentality of "you have to do it this way or else," lol.
Yeah this wasnt a bad idea at all, don't worry! It is really interesting in a way because some people exercise more and use less, others exercise more and use more... it totally depends. When I get into a low streak, my family jokes about me becoming the first "un-diabetic" for not using as much insulin :)
Yeah this wasnt a bad idea at all, don't worry! It is really interesting in a way because some people exercise more and use less, others exercise more and use more... it totally depends. When I get into a low streak, my family jokes about me becoming the first "un-diabetic" for not using as much insulin :)
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That reminded me of this time when I was in third grade I think. I woke up several times in the 30s and my parents couldn't figure out why. We joked that I was making insulin again :)
In the past 7 days my average daily insulin intake has been 42 units and my average carbs about 200. Both are a little higher than normal for me, but it's summer so my activity levels and meals have been pretty different.