I am considering a low carb diet and am curious what kind of basal reduction people had to make when adapting to low carb. At one time I reduced my carbs (not to a "low" carb diet) by cutting out desserts and other excess carbs and just from that I had to reduce my Lantus dose by 20%. What have you all experienced?
Hello, try your Lantus half dose in morning and half in evening it has help me with better control, have been on the Bernsteins diet for 3years. The amount is what you will have to figure out I do 5 units in AM and 5 units 12hrs later, if that helps any.
Don, I use a pump, and don't change my basal rates according to what/how many carbs I eat. Just adjust my boluses.
Thanks for the replies. Robert, do you recall your Lantus dose before taking on Bernstein diet?
For some reason, small doses of Lantus don't work for me because they metabolize more variably than larger doses (the peak varies 20 to 80 points), so I don't split it. My peaks on split doses of Levemir are more consistent but still vary enough that I can't offset it reliably (30 to 70 points). Pumping would eliminate the problem altogether but is a big commitment just to experiment with low carbing!
Hi Don it was 6 units just in the morning, however I was up to 10 units 3years later and still doing the Lantus in the AM just having a harder time keeping the BG under control . I also am a athlete so I Cycle and NordicSki Daily, the diet which i have is from a naturalpath that study under Bernstein he has me on a no carb, no fruit, no gluten, so that help with control. I hope that help you. take care Bob
Don, great question! I have been on DR. B for 1 year now. I have definately reduced my long lasting. I can remember when I would take anywhere from 12-20 units in the am and 15 units in the pm. Now, I can't find a DR. who supports my diet so I am trying to figure out the same thing as you are. Because for the last year I am having a hard time with my Dawn Phenomena, it's pretty bad. So I have been taking 6 units in the morning with breakfast of Levemir. And pretty much 5-7 units with my dinner. I do wake up at night at least 2-3 times and check my bg and correct any type of high with Humalog. I do have to say I am more comfortable correcting my bg with Humalog, and I probably should be taking a bit more Levemir but I am not comfortable doing that just yet. Had some pretty bad lows early on this diet trying to figure things out with eating and insulin and now I just stick to what kinda works for me. I am still a work in progress.
Good luck to you!
Yolanda, tx, I think you have given me my best option which is to undershoot the dose needed and correct as needed with short-acting. This may keep the peak from being unmanageable. Not a perfect solution but it might allow me to at least try low carbing.
Adjusting the long-acting only slightly, as I am very sensitive to insulin and over- or under-shooting quite likely with short acting insulin. I do not split the Lantus dose anymore, I think Dr. B. advised this only initially and now doses with intermediate acting 3times a day (a regular 2am reading.), but I’d rather take Lantus once a day.