Did my 1st Insulin last night... but what next should I expect.?

Sigh ; (
I’m thinking my first week gave me a false sence, most likely some residual metformin. Since Friday, my morning numbers have been 5.2 -5.4 first thing in the AM. But the rest of the day, way higher that I want. 12 and 14 2 hrs PP. Then tonight after dinner I was 11.3 so I put on my shoes and headed out for a jog/fast walk. 35 minutes later I was 7.7… ah but wait for this an hour after the jog. with not a single crumbing making its way to my mouth I jump up to 9.9. Seriously ! That sucks. I guess a phone call to the Dr tomorrow is in order cause having these numbers is stressing me out.
Oh question??? Is it normal at first to take your insulin units increasing daily by 2? And when I get the fast acting stuff is it the same deal starting at 2 units? This is the stuff I need to learn asap I guess. Oh and is there an average # of units that diabetics tend to take of long acting.

thanks : )

Crashette, my endo had me increase my basal insulin dosage 2 units every three days until I had an initial morning reading of 110 (6.1). Usually that reading will hold steady each morning with perhaps a slight drift unless of course I really blow it at the evening meal. That can carry over into the next morning sometimes (at least for me,). Once you find that basal dosage, it usually won’t change much. The amount of insulin for a basal dosage does range quite a bit by individual, so there is no average. Some people only require 10 units while others may require 60 units or more. I currently take 28. Your early morning BGL is already beyond what I would dose for basal. If anything, I would not add any more basal insulin. You don’t want to wake up with a low.



The bolus (fast-acting) insulin dosage is based upon your pre-meal BGL AND the amount of carbs you expect to eat. For example, if my pre-meal BGL is 165 (9.0), and I expect to eat 45g of carbs, I would dose 11 units. If my pre-mean BGL was 90 (5.0) w/ 45g carbs, I would dose at 8 units. If I planned to eat a meal with extra carbs, then I may add a couple of units to my bolus. These of course are my dosage amounts. You’rs may be very different.



The BGL reading 2 hrs after my meal is what lets me know if my bolus insulin is within my targeted range. I try for a 140-110 (7.8-6.1). If the reading is too low, then I know I injected too much insulin or did not eat enough to cover the insulin. If my BGL is over the target range, I either did not inject enough, or I ate too much or too many carbs.



Your insuline:carb ratio can also be used to determine your bolus, but determining that ratio can take a little time to figure out and often does change during throughout the day. However, a lot of people prefer that method.



Anyway, I hope this helps. Your doc should be able to help you get your initial bearings. I’m sure you’ll do just fine. :slight_smile: