I can go 10 days to two weeks injecting a total of 20 units and having fairly predictable glucose levels as long as I don’t change my food intake or my exercise routine very much. Then things will change and become much less predictable and I might need another 2 or 3 units to get through the day.
I watched a YouTube video which said that a 4 unit cartridge is equal to 2.6 units of liquid insulin. If it is more like 2 units then I can possible use it when I reach the 165 range. 2.6 would probably bring me down too low. I am afraid I wouldn’t compensate with gel fast enough and need to use glucagon which doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.
I am well aware of everything which can change insulin needs, but I can also be surprisingly stable for days. Also when I wake up in the morning my glucose levels fall rather then rise, which I think is rather unusual, Since the vaccination my levels have been rising towards morning instead of falling and that has been disconcerting.
The lowest SD I have had is 19, and I realize that you have achieved tighter numbers than I have. I doubt that I can go much lower on MDI.
Usually when my numbers start rising over 130, I jump on my exercise bike and bring them back down, so it will be hard for me to be high enough to use Afrezza, but next time I am high I might try it. I have much more trouble with lows than I do highs and would certainly like a super quick correction for hypoglycemia.
I don’t think the “pros” have a clue about how difficult it can be to live with diabetes, unless they are diabetics themselves.
Some days, I think my diabetes is fairly easy to live with and some days I am quite frustrated with the diabetic life.
I think it’s best to experiment and find the “liquid insulin equivalent” for you. Scott Benner and his bold with insulin philosophy encourages the person with diabetes to not fear insulin but to also take some chances. Under his philosophy, if you’re unsure whether a proposed correction dose is too much or not, just take it and keep a juicebox on hand to “catch you” if your correction is too heavy handed.
If, for example, your insulin sensitivity informed you that a six ounce juicebox could be metabolized with 2.6 units of insulin, then you could confidently take that correction knowing that you could drink the juice to keep from crashing.
I wouldn’t choose a juicebox as I prefer to raise sugar with glucose tablets, but you get the idea. I don’t think you need to consider glucagon in this scenario.
The next time your glucose rises to 130 and you would rather not climb onto the bike, use a 4-unit Afrezza cartridge and keep your pre-calculated quick acting emergency glucose nearby. Again, your personal experimentation will keep you informed about what works best for you.
I am getting my second booster tomorrow. Since my first three doses were Pfizer, I am choosing to get Moderna under the mix-and-match strategy. I have so many things that affect my TDD (age of infusion site, age of insulin, what I eat, the moon, the stars, and various indecipherable things) that I am not too worried about the vaccine effect on my BG. If I need more insulin, I’ll take more (Control IQ basal adjustments and my manual corrections).
The whole reason for coming here,to hear what everyone else with diabetes is doing. You know what works what doesn’t.
It’s kinda of the point of this place.
I am here to read the opinions of others. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have strong opinions of my own, but others might have information or opinions that I haven’t considered. It is the same reason I read a wide variety books and newspapers, it makes me a more intelligent person.
I had my 4th vaccine in January 2022. I am immunosuppressed, so the 4th came 6 months after the 3rd vaccine (or first booster). I got Pfizer for all vaccines, and I personally have had no side effects other than the expected sore arm. None of the vaccines seemed to have affected my blood glucose level. I will get the 5th vaccine in May 2022 since the CDC now recommends the next vaccine FOUR months after the last booster. So far, so good…
I know that many of you are NOT on Medicare, but since this came into my Mail yesterday, I thought I would share it since the CDC recommendations apply to all. I add this because we all know that diabetes makes some of us (like me) more likely to have other medical conditions that cause us to be immunocompromised.
“In case you missed it: If you or a loved one are 50 or older, or are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you can get an additional Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 booster shot at no cost to you. The CDC recommends an additional booster shot for certain individuals to increase protection from severe disease from COVID-19. People over the age of 50, or who are moderately or severely immunocompromised can get an additional booster of Pfizer or Moderna 4 months after their last dose. This is especially important for those 65 and older who are at higher risk from severe disease and most likely to benefit from getting an additional booster.”
I think you are asking a great question, because unlike the first booster that was strongly recommended by CDC for pretty much everyone (even my college and high-school age kids), the second booster is just “authorized” for those of us over 50, without a strongly worded CDC recommendation.
I’m going to get my 2nd booster sometime this month.
I received my second booster today, Pfizer. My arm is a little sore like it was after the first booster shot. I didn’t feel the original 2 shots at all. My BG has been running low all day but it was doing that yesterday as well so I don’t think it has anything to do with the shot. My BGs weren’t affected at all by my first 3 shots last year.
I’m getting my 4th (2nd booster) this Wednesday. I have had 3 Pfizers and will get a Moderna booster Wednesday, per recommendations I have heard/seen. I want a mix! I am about 7 months from my 1st booster.
