I visited my endocrinologist over Spring Break because I felt like I was slowly coming off of my "honeymoon." I'd had pretty good control ever since I was diagnosed May 2009, but have seen significant changes, with levels going in the upper-200's and 300's.
Right now, I've had it pretty easy-- 2 shots of a set amount of NPH a day, with a fairly low amount of units. Doc wants to change my regimen from 2 shots of NPH to 1 shot of Lantus in the morning, and then a rapid-acting shot right before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Four shots in all--yikes! I'll start tackling that next week.
Does anyone have experience with changing their regimen to something similar to this? Should I expect to experience some episodes of hypoglycemia as we tweak my regimen? Also, up to this point my regimen has been set units of NPH...is it harder to determine the amount of insulin you should take on the sliding scale?
Thanks in advance for any responses! I've really benefitted a lot from this site since last May!
it might take you a bit to get a hang of it, but it won't be too bad. you are being sent to someone to teach you carb counting for your novorapid doses??
i would expect both lows and highs are you tweek your doses. you may end up being on a lantus shot in the am and pm as well. my endo says only 1% of diabetics can stay with the 1 shot of lantus. i take 5 shots a day min w/ my regimen of lantus and novorapid.
I hope your change goes smoothly. The regimen they put you on is more common -- the old one was probably just b/c you were honeymooning. While you change, I'd be cautious and aim towards being slightly higher until you get the hang of things to avoid lots of lows. But, if you are aiming for tight control, it's hard to avoid having ANY lows. Your lantus will stay pretty stable from day to day, but your rapid insulin will change from meal to meal. I'd make sure to test a lot during any changes to track how it's working.
Do they have you carb counting? It takes a bit to get the hang of, but lets you eat more freely. But, it means you'd also have to inject for any snacks w/ carbs between meals. Are you using insulin pens? They're easier to carry around than syringes. Once you get used to this regimen, it will be easier to understand how a pump works if you ever decide to go that route...
I learned carb counting my first few weeks with a dietician, but haven't really had to use it all that much with the honeymoon...but I've been practicing! ...And yes, I've been using the pens.