Type 1 - Juvenile Diabetics

Join

Insulin needs changing at night.....

Options
Italian_Buju
Italian_Buju Posts: 8,030 Member
in Social Groups
I am wondering if anyone else has this.....I take a LOT of insulin, one unit of rapid for every TWO carbs I eat. However, I find by dinnertime, I need more like a 1:1 ratio....like tonight at dinner I had 68 carbs and took 60 units of rapid, and four hours later I am 9.4 and gonna need a few more units when I go to bed in a few minutes....

Does anyone else find their insulin needs go up and down at certain times of the day like that?

Replies

  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    My basal requirement varies by time of day and how active I am. Over night I need more than I do when I'm on my feet and active all day.
    The same happens with my I:C ratios. The more active I am the more sensitive I am. And the reverse is true as well - the more I'm one with the couch the more insulin resistant I become.
    I pump so I can have both my basal rates and I:C ratios adjusted by time of day.

    One thing that can help is to walk after meals. If you can do uphill/steps even better. It will help bring down those numbers with out adding in more insulin. Even 15-20 minutes can help and for me if I do 5-10 floors I can stop a rise in less than 15 minutes.
  • AlliSteff
    AlliSteff Posts: 211 Member
    Options
    Yes, both my basal and bolus rates change throughout the day. My I:C ratio at breakfast is higher in the morning than in the afternoon/evening. However, my basal rate is incredibly low overnight and is at its highest around noon.

    I also find that I need less insulin in the hot weather of summer (and my sugars tend to be more even) versus winter time
  • Ravenborn
    Ravenborn Posts: 3
    Options
    It is normal for your body to have different insulin requirements. I am on a pump and can set many different basal rates during a 24 hour period so it is easy to address. It is a little more challenging when you are on injections, but some people get around this by timing their dose or even by splitting their dose.

    Same thing can be said for your bolus injection. Some folk need more insulin for one meal and less for another.

    It is rarely a 1 size fits all.

    If you are not 100% sure how to go about this you should discuss it with your endo or diabetes educator.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Options
    It is normal for your body to have different insulin requirements. I am on a pump and can set many different basal rates during a 24 hour period so it is easy to address. It is a little more challenging when you are on injections, but some people get around this by timing their dose or even by splitting their dose.

    Same thing can be said for your bolus injection. Some folk need more insulin for one meal and less for another.

    It is rarely a 1 size fits all.

    If you are not 100% sure how to go about this you should discuss it with your endo or diabetes educator.

    I agree - I have 8 basal rates throughout a 24 hour period on the pump, and I have different bolus rates for different meals also. This is normal - even when I was on MDI, I had different ratios at different meals.

Categories