I was dx'ed a week before my 21st birthday and since then I've basically just been taking Lantus. With the doctor telling me that someday I'll probably have to take the fast acting insulin. Well it appears that day is here as it looks like I'm a full fledge member :) taking 5 shots a day. Personally I don't mind it. It's just new and it actually seems like I'm controlling my numbers a little bit better anyways. If you use novolog, I'm just curious how much you have to take before a usual meal or as a correction shot?
My insulin to carb ratio is 1 unit/ 30 g carbs. Everyone is different.
Good luck with everything!
My insulin/carb ratio is different for EVERY meal!!! For breakfast its 1:8, lunch is 1:6, and dinner is 1:9. Which gets so confusing cause even if I eat the same thing for lunch and dinner which is occasional I have to re-calculate for insulin. I was on a 1:10 ratio for every meal and I was still seeing blood sugars around 300. It was insane!!!
Are you taking Lantus once a day or twice??? I'm on it too, but just at night but my little brother takes his once in the morning and once at night plus Novolog. And my endo says only once a day. And it's confusing on why he is taking it twice a day and me only once. He even gets upset with me becuase I only have to take it once.
Good luck with everything!!! :)
Right now I'm only taking Lantus once a day, in the mornings. I've been thinking about trying to change this to night time because I have the most trouble keeping my night time and morning BG readings where I wan them. For instance BG before sleep was 116 and in the morning was 135. This isn't terrible, but I really don't want it rising at all at night if I can help it and I would like to get that morning BG around 100-110 or maybe even less.
I agree with the fact that getting the right ratio is confusing. That's basically what I'm trying to do now. I'm keeping a journal of my meals and readings and injection times and amounts so that I can figure out exactly how much I'm going to need. Do you use syringes or the flexpen? I hated using syringes but I wish the flex pen could get half units.
Yeah I wish I could get my reading to that I think my Lantus peaks around morning because I usually wake up with BGs between 50 and 80 and it always scares me that I'm NOT going to wake up!!!
I was on syringes but I hadn't seen an endo yet at the time so my general care dr was like oh just do this so at the time syringes were easier but now that I'm on such a crazy ratio the flexpen has definately become my best frined. And yeah I agree I wish they had half units. Sometimes I wonder it's like should I do 5 units if I need 5 and a half or go ahead and do 6. Usually I just double check with what my sugar is and if I'm kinda high I go ahead and do 6 plus my correction if it's too high.
I can't wait till I have it completely under control and can just do it without thinking about it. But of course with spending time at different houses and being in college it's hard.
[quote user="Aggie_Girl_10"]
Are you taking Lantus once a day or twice??? I'm on it too, but just at night but my little brother takes his once in the morning and once at night plus Novolog. And my endo says only once a day. And it's confusing on why he is taking it twice a day and me only once. He even gets upset with me becuase I only have to take it once.
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Our Endo told us that at lower doses Lantus (or Levemir) tends to not last 24 hours and "no one knows why". So your brother might be taking less Lantus (total) than you are and then it needs to be split. I've also read that it can peak in some people (even though its not supposed to) and that is also a reason for splitting.
[quote user="Aggie_Girl_10"]
Yeah I wish I could get my reading to that I think my Lantus peaks around morning because I usually wake up with BGs between 50 and 80 and it always scares me that I'm NOT going to wake up!!!
I was on syringes but I hadn't seen an endo yet at the time so my general care dr was like oh just do this so at the time syringes were easier but now that I'm on such a crazy ratio the flexpen has definately become my best frined. And yeah I agree I wish they had half units. Sometimes I wonder it's like should I do 5 units if I need 5 and a half or go ahead and do 6. Usually I just double check with what my sugar is and if I'm kinda high I go ahead and do 6 plus my correction if it's too high.
I can't wait till I have it completely under control and can just do it without thinking about it. But of course with spending time at different houses and being in college it's hard.
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Being in college can be an issue. I think a fairly regular routine is definitely helpful as well. I'm lucky, in that I just recently moved out a a townhome with three guy roommates into an apartment with my girlfriend. So even though I'm still in college, I really think it's a lot easier. She takes a lot of care, especially if she makes meals in keeping track of carbs. I guess that's the benefit of dating a public health major that wants to be a nutritionist at some point. I do feel your pain with the early morning lows. That used to be a fear of mine having a problem and no one being there but, like sports, the best defense is a good offense. If you really tackle getting to know how your body and insulin react together, hopefully that can be avoided ;)