For a long time I’ve used an I:C factor of 1:10. Ltely however I’ve noticed that it should rather be 1:9 in the morning, 1:8 after 8 PM, and 1:10 otherwise.
This seems strange to me, since most people who post here report more carbs per unit in the evening. For example, 1:5 morning, 1:8 noon, 1:15 evening. Yet it seems to be different for me.
What’s also a bit odd is that my I:C values seem to be a bit high for a honeymoon. (Higher as in “amount of insulin needed for the carbs”, so 1:2 is higher than 1:5 for example.) And yet, I am using 11 units of Tresiba currently, and one unit of Humalog drops my BG by about 50-60 mg/dL, so this does not seem like insulin resistance to me.
Is it possible that some people are more “carb sensitive” than others? If so, how does this work in other people? Are their digestive systems using carbs less efficiently than mine? That is, are they extracting less glucose from the carbs? I suppose the body cannot use up the carbs 100%, and there are some leftover carbs that end up in the toilet, right?
I have found this is a moving number and what works for me now might not two months from now. I also hear many people need more coverage for breakfast due to some dawn phenomenon. So I guess my suggestion is do what works best for you right now. Good luck & ask questions as needed.
The I:C in the morning are indeed explained by the dawn phenomenon. This phenomenon also explains why my BG is higher in the morning. The odd thing though is the I:C ratio in the evening. After ~6 PM, I usually see a slight increase in the BG. If I eat a carby meal after 6 PM, my I:C ratio is 1:8 , as said. This is a bit unusual.
If your bolus needs are showing unevenness, then maybe it’s because your basal isn’t perfectly flat. I take 18 units of Tresiba every evening, and it’s got a big peak the next morning. As a result of my basal not really being flat the effective I:C I use for my meals varies as well. So my bolus for a carby breakfast is small, and later in the day my bolus for a less carby dinner is larger.
For me I like my Tresiba to have a nice broad peak in the morning because that’s incredibly efficient at stamping out dawn phenomena. So taking the unflatness of a basal and making it work to your advantage is yet another tool.
My I:C used to be 1:6 for all day parts and correction factor 1:10. Now the I:C is 1:2 in the morning, 1:3 in the afternoon and evening and correction factor 1:5.
First, you CANNOT compare your I:C ratios with other people. Its just not smart. YOUR diabetes is YOURS and yours alone. Everyone is different. With that said, having different ratios throughout the day is also normal. Just dial in what works for you, and go from there!
