[alexg]

Thanks for the help all of you.... just right now before dinner and before my next insulin dose right now, I am at 120. Hope I can keep it around this level and make it a bit lower for now on.

Alexg

[ladytaz]

YaY!!! Awesome!!! Do know that when you eat, it will rise, but hopefully it'll stay under 140! Actually, THIS is were "R" insulin comes in!! When I was on the mixed, IF I was over 160 I'd take me some R then it'd come right on down So, if you find that you continually rise above 160 after meals, let the doc know that you'd like to use some R to bring down those higher after meal numbers.

[alexg]

Another day and before breakfast and my next insulin shot, I am at 112. I am off to vacations with my family. Will see how I do for the weekend.

Alexg

[ladytaz]

YaY Alex!!!!!!! Now ya gotta do the *happy dance* LOL Four and a half months later (since starting insulin) and I STILL get excited by these good numbers! [I dunno, maybe I'm just easily entertained?? LOL]

Have a SUPERIFFIC time while you're away!!

[alexg]

Okay an update, at 10 units of Novomix 7030 twice daily, I was ranging from 80 - 140 different ranges different times, mostly was in the range less than 120 mg/dL. Anyways, I am afraid now that the doctor told me to increase it to 22 units twice daily. I understand he wants to lower my 100's to the 90's - mid 80's, but I am worried now about those low readings I was already getting sometimes. Does this mean I have to be munching more during the day and before bed to keep my sugar at a reasonable level?

They left the message of the dosage change with my mom and didn't even say anything about dropping the Glimepiride pills. Like others said, it might lower my glucose level even more. Its Friday, so I can't talk to them until Monday.

alexg

[HollyB]

Hi Alex,

If you're nervouse about it (and that IS a big jump), you won't do any harm by waiting through the weekend and not starting till you can talk to the doctor about it. It's not an emergency, just an adjustment.

[ladytaz]

Hi Alex,
I think that was a rather large jump!! Not to mention that your range is already pretty darn good!! If you are already having some lows, then yes, you will be more likely to have even more, and having to eat just to feed the insulin.

I would call your doc and bring up taking NPH and R seperately, taking R using the I:C (insulin to carb) ratio with meals!

If you want to go ahead and up your 70/30 maybe try upping to 15u AM & PM and see how that goes for a few days. Then decide by your numbers if you really want to jump all the way up to 22u.

[sofaraway]

it doesn't sound like a big jump to me at all, 10 units twice a day = 20 units daily,
change to 22 units daily, means 11 units twice daily.
but if you are already having lows, you will be feeding the insulin
i would also ask about taking the insulins seperatly as already suggested

[alexg]

Originally Posted by sofaraway

it doesn't sound like a big jump to me at all, 10 units twice a day = 20 units daily,
change to 22 units daily, means 11 units twice daily.
but if you are already having lows, you will be feeding the insulin
i would also ask about taking the insulins seperatly as already suggested

Its 22 units twice a day not total. I mentioned that in the earlier post. I think its ridiculous. For example, yesterday before dinner, I was at 86. Now I haven't gone to the new dosage, this is still with 10 units twice a day.

By the way I used to take Glipizide then he changed me to Glimepiride, which one is actualy better?

dja2k

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by alexg

Okay an update, at 10 units of Novomix 7030 twice daily, I was ranging from 80 - 140 different ranges different times, mostly was in the range less than 120 mg/dL. Anyways, I am afraid now that the doctor told me to increase it to 22 units twice daily. I understand he wants to lower my 100's to the 90's - mid 80's, but I am worried now about those low readings I was already getting sometimes. Does this mean I have to be munching more during the day and before bed to keep my sugar at a reasonable level?

They left the message of the dosage change with my mom and didn't even say anything about dropping the Glimepiride pills. Like others said, it might lower my glucose level even more. Its Friday, so I can't talk to them until Monday.

alexg

You are getting this information second hand from your mom? Call the doctor for clarification.

[alexg]

Originally Posted by ladytaz

Hi Alex,
I think that was a rather large jump!! Not to mention that your range is already pretty darn good!! If you are already having some lows, then yes, you will be more likely to have even more, and having to eat just to feed the insulin.

I would call your doc and bring up taking NPH and R seperately, taking R using the I:C (insulin to carb) ratio with meals!

If you want to go ahead and up your 70/30 maybe try upping to 15u AM & PM and see how that goes for a few days. Then decide by your numbers if you really want to jump all the way up to 22u.

I think I should mention taking it separate, but he is really hard to convince. Is using the I:C (insulin to carb) ratio as hard as it seems? I am barely getting used to this Novomix 7030 and if I change now, I am gonna be lost again. I think just moving just a tad more on my daily dose will do the trick, but I will have to see. I will talk to my doctor on Monday and see what he says, I am still not crazy enough to take 22 units twice a day even if he says so, no way!

dja2k

[alexg]

Originally Posted by xMenace

You are getting this information second hand from your mom? Call the doctor for clarification.

My mom actually writes down exactly what they say and she also questioned the nurse about such high change and the nurse said thats what the doctor told me to tell your son. But anyways, I will still call him to verify.

Alexg

[ladytaz]

Originally Posted by alexg

I think I should mention taking it separate, but he is really hard to convince. Is using the I:C (insulin to carb) ratio as hard as it seems? I am barely getting used to this Novomix 7030 and if I change now, I am gonna be lost again. I think just moving just a tad more on my daily dose will do the trick, but I will have to see. I will talk to my doctor on Monday and see what he says, I am still not crazy enough to take 22 units twice a day even if he says so, no way!

dja2k

No, it's not hard at all. It's just simple multiplication. Everyone's ratio is different, but I'll tell you what mine is and how easy it is.

My ratio is 1u insulin per 10g of carbs (1:10) So if I'm going to eat a 30 carb meal, I take 3u of R insulin, a 45g carb meal, 4.5u, a 60g carb meal (RARE! LOL) 6u. See, just simple multiplication.

I too thought it would be difficult, but I started doing it while I was still on the mix. (I was instructed to take R on a sliding scale IF my BG was over 160) So, like when we'd go out for supper and I wanted to eat something that was higher in carbs than I'd normally eat (that's usually when I'll eat a higher carb meal). I would take extra R along with my regular evening dose of mix, so that I didn't go high after my meal. I was working with the 1:15 ratio at that time, and factored in how much R was already in the mixed. So when I went to NPH and R separately, it was easy peasy for me

Most likely you would be started out at 1:15 (seems to be the most common "starting point") then work from there. So if it was 1:15 then for a 30g carb meal that would be 2u of R. A 45g meal would be 3u of R, etc.

1:15 wasn't enough for me, and I knew it in one day. The next day, based on my numbers at 1:15, I dropped it down to 1:10 and that was perfect for me. I'm also comfortable with changing my insulin doses when/if needed, on my own, without my docs approval. I do realize that some people aren't comfortable doing that, though.

As for your doc not listening, well strongly remind him that this is YOUR disease and it is up to YOU to control it, but, you'd appreciate his help and guidance along the way! If he's not willing to work WITH you, then you'd be more than happy to find a doctor who WILL!

I'm SO glad I don't have those troubles with my doc! When I was considering going NPH and R separately, I told my doc that, or his physicians assistant actually, and she was, Ok, if that's what you want to do, go ahead! You've already figured out your dosages, they sound right on to me. Go for it! She then informed my doc about what I was considering, and he too said it was fine with him.

Not that I "needed" their "approval". I would have done it no matter what they said, IF I so chose to. Which, I did chose to, and it was a very good choice for me. Having their "blessings" was just a perk.

Good Luck Alex, keep us updated!!

[alexg]

Well it turns out that the nurse and my mom have a communication problem because both were wrong. My mom asked if it was 22 and the nurse said yes, but it was 22 total. He wants me to inject 12u at morning and 10u at night. It seems my lunch reading is a bit higher due to the time between breakfast and lunch. Anyways, I asked about the split insulin and he said I can change it if this doesn't work and that I am still at a trial of Novomix 7030. He will now be slowly increasing the dosage until I get normal readings throughout the day.

I am still having the same problem of my morning before breakfast reading being slightly higher as well compared to my before dinner reading. What can I do before bed to help my glucose level during sleep?

Thanks all of you for the replies you have provided so far, I really appreciate it.

dja2k

[ladytaz]

Well, that sounds much better!! Guess it pays to go ahead and double check with the doc then, huh?

Mine higher morning numbers went away when I started on the insulin. I usually wake up with in 10 points of where I went to bed at. Now, if I have a high morning number, there's a reason for it! LOL

What are your numbers like before you go to bed? And have you awoken at 3 or 4 am to test? To make sure that you aren't going low in the middle of the night, and then, rebounding causing that higher morning number? I