Getting base insulin level right on new diet

JohnAtTheCove

Sorry. I should have started this as a new topic rather than as a reply to another post so I am reposting here.

Just joined MFP and this forum. I am Type 2 on 80 units of Solostar plus 2000 mg of Metformin per day.

This is only my second day and last night before bedtime I was on my MFP target but my sugars were getting too low so I had a punnet of strawberries and a bowl of muesli to see me through the night.

I dropped the insulin injection to 40 units last night and was too low this morning still so I am thinking of stopping my insulin injections and working back up from there.

I realise that the Solostar is providing my base insulin level which means that it may take a few days for my body to respond.

I am reducing my weight from 103 kg to 80 kg.

Thank you for creating this forum

bdubya55

Welcome to this support group johnno!

Sorry to hear your having issues with your Solostar. I strongly encourage you to contact your healthcare provider managing
your diabetes as soon as possible to discuss the problems your facing as this isn't a good place for prescriptive advise.

Solostar as you mentioned is a baseline insulin designed as a background insulin to augment our natural insulin production. For some people using Lantus episodes of hypoglycemia can be experienced although not common.

When you say you were getting low last night what was your reading at bedtime?..and when you were low still again this morning after dropping your dose in half, what was that number?

A clinical hypo (low) is considered to be any meter reading below 70mg/dL or 3.9mmol/l. Were you at or below these numbers?

JohnAtTheCove

Thank you for your response.

Over the past maybe even 6 months I dropped the ball when it came to my health and I didn't do a blood test at all during that period. I just injected 80 units of Lantus per day and took 1000 units of Metformin in the morning and evening and hoped for the best.

I was eating so much food I knew I couldn't have a hypo. Surprisingly in spite of all of that my H1A1 still came back at a 'lowish' 7.2 although obviously there would have been episodes of hyper readings if I had taken them.

I like what I see here and I will stick with this.

I start to become anxious and jittery well before 3.9. Usually anything under 4.5 makes me start to feel different. Last night before I went to bed I was 4.9. This morning I was 5.3. I injected 40 units of Lantus last night. When I first started on Lantus about 3 years ago my doctor told me to begin on 10 units and find my own level based on my daily blood tests and quarterly H1A1 tests and I just happened to finish on 80.

It's not so much that I am having issues with the Solostar it is about matching my new insulin demands to my new MFP dietary goals.

JohnAtTheCove

Also, I meant to say - 63lbs - very encouraging!

bdubya55

Thanks for your kinds words johnno,

Rewinding my life as a diabetic I too took the approach of "winging it" with my insulin and hope for the best as you say. Admittedly I recall it was very stressful at the time, like pulling the handle on a sot machine never knowing what result I was going to get so I can truly understand.

Back in those days (the 80's) I didn't get much help from my doctor on adjusting dosages either nor was there the volume of information readily available through the internet as our finger tips can find today.

Your right to be concerned and fortunate to have hypo awareness symptoms as you approach those lower numbers as many diabetics don't have that capability and oftentimes their hypo episodes turn into medical emergencies.

I'm currently treating my diabetes with Lantus Solostar long acting too, injecting a dose at bedtime along with a Novolog bolus to cover
mealtimes carbs in during the day based on an insulin (I:C) ratio. Additionally, I'm finding the need recently to adjust both injectables doses downward consistently with the weight loss progress I've made in addition to regular exercise. You might find this to be the case for you as well. Not a bad thing really, although the negative take away is the potential for hypos.

To that end, I found a great book on Amazon. "Think Like A Pancreas" by Dr Gary Scheiner M.D.,CDE. and a T1 diabetic himself.
This book has been extremely valuable and helpful in learning how to set my Solostar doses in addition to calculating my insulin to carb ratios. It's an easy to understand explanation for using insulin. I would encourage you to look into getting a copy if your interested.

Also a valuable resource online has been www.calorieking.com a website having a huge nutrition database for accurately identifying the carbohydrates associated with the foods and snacks I eat.

Each of us is unique, along with our doctors approach to blood sugar targets, treatment and management.

The MyFitnessPal program is a wonderful tool for tracking carbs. and it's free to boot!...It's been pointed out though the default recommendation for carbohydrates has been found to be too high for diabetics. With that said you can customize that macro or
any macro under "custom diary settings" to fit your needs.

I hope some of what I shared here is beneficial and doesn't come off as preachy in my effort to help.

Wishing you the same great success and positive experience I've had working with this program.

Good luck!

JohnAtTheCove

Thank you for your insights and advice. I have just downloaded your book recommendation and that will be some good weekend reading.

Yesterday I didn't inject Lantus at all and just took my 2000mg of Metformin.

I woke during the night so I tested and it was 5.3

Before breakfast this morning I was 5.4

I had a slice of wholemeal bread and 200g of baked beans and 100g of strawberries for breakfast.

One hour later I was 9.3 and two hours later I am 6.5

Also, that is good advice on the carb settings.

bdubya55

Great. I hope the book helps.