I'm rather confused?

[blue_eyed_devil]

I was reading some of the other posts and was quite surprised by the information i was reading... i'm not sure how different it is in the UK or USA but we are not prescribed insulin in relation to how much we eat, we are prescribed insulin depending on the average amount of units we require each day (this is specifically for pump users). Thats number one, secondly i was wondering how some people can say they use one 3ml cartrige over six days and not need to refil it? esp when others are saying they eat up to 350 carbs per day... wouldn't they require a heck of a lot more insulin? i average about 60 units of insulin a day and am beguinning to question if i'm over-doing it... maybe it's just the country difference!

[Stuboy]

I use a 3ml cartridge... not sure how often i'll have to refill it yet as im only on day 7 of my new road... but it's only just starting to look like ill be refilling soon.

It depends on how many units you need to take a day to keep the BS down, some people exercise more than others which would also make a difference to how much insulin they need. so the cartridges can last around 7 days... i would say that's about right for me anyway. im on about 28-30mm of insulin a day at the moment.
Everyone is different.
60units a day from a 300mm cartridge = 5 days worth?
which means i get like 10 days out of mine!!

[SueM]

No it's not the country that is different it's the human body :)
Everyone is different, people eat dif amount of foods have dif carb ratio's some more some less insulin etc etc. The weather affects people in dif ways as does illness.

What some people inject in a day I doubt I inject in a whole week. You need as much insulin as your blood sugars say you require.
I'm in the UK and my insulin is prescribed as needed IE down to 1 bottle left ask for a repeat precription.
I always keep 1 in hand in case a vial gets dropped.

[Stuboy]

What is Bovine?

I think mine is mixtard 30? would that be my type of insulin?

[SueM]

What is Bovine?

I think mine is mixtard 30? would that be my type of insulin?

Bovine is beef insulin what you are using is a synthetic insulin.

[JediSkipdogg]

Sue put it dead on. It has to do with the body and the person's eating habits. I eat 350+ carbs a day because I have an extremely high metabolism. My basal rate in my pump is about 33 units a day and my insulin to carb ratio is most of the day 1:19, meaining 18 units to cover carbs. That alone is 50 units a day.

I know people on here that just eliminate the carbs because they don't like the spikes in BG that carbs cause, so they limit how many of those they have. That means they just need a basal insulin level to cover theirs. There are also users that are very sensitive to insulin. We have people on here that 1 unit of insulin could possible kill them, meaning drop them 100 mg/dl. I on the other hand am 1 unit of insulin drops me 35 mg/dl. Huge difference there. I think we even have a user on here that uses 200+ units of insulin a day because he has a high insulin resistance. It's all different body types, eating habits, and living lifestyles.

In the US there isn't really a specific prescription method. Insulin can either be prescribed by the bottle or by how many units you use in a day (then the pharmacist does the math.) It's pretty much a doctor, pharmacy, and insurance company agreement. Sometimes one doesn't agree with the other two, and that can throw it all out of wack which is why some people gripe so much about their insurance (remember, diabetics make 0 money for insurance, we actually make them lose money.)

[Stuboy]

I guess we're pretty lucky in the UK in that sense, i dont have to pay for anything! I've got 3 pens, a OneTouch Ultra AND a OneTouch Ultrasmart meter, all my insulin, needles and sharps bins for free! I think we can get the ID tags for free too... but i bought mine on www.medicaltags.co.uk out of choice just so i could have a nice one.

I say free, but i guess we already pay for it through taxes and NI. but it does mean you dont have to pay out of the pocket for things.

[poodlebone]

I was reading some of the other posts and was quite surprised by the information i was reading... i'm not sure how different it is in the UK or USA but we are not prescribed insulin in relation to how much we eat, we are prescribed insulin depending on the average amount of units we require each day (this is specifically for pump users). Thats number one, secondly i was wondering how some people can say they use one 3ml cartrige over six days and not need to refil it? esp when others are saying they eat up to 350 carbs per day... wouldn't they require a heck of a lot more insulin? i average about 60 units of insulin a day and am beguinning to question if i'm over-doing it... maybe it's just the country difference!

As someone else said, it's the differences in people that account for the different numbers you'll see. I use an insulin pump and therefore need only one tyoe of insulin, fast acting. I use Humalog in my pump. My pump's reservoir/cartridge can hold 300 units of insulin. I fill it when it's almost empty and keep using it until it's almost empty again. For me, those 300 units last 10-12 days. I'm sensitive to insulin and my basal insulin (for background, the insulin you need to keep going all day without your BG shooting up) is only 11.95 units right now. It's actually a little less because I'm disconnected for at least half an hour in the morning when I shower and I often set temporary (lower) rates when I go for a walk.

I don't need a whole lot of insulin to cover the carbs I eat either. For breakfast, I need 1 unit of insulin for every 20 grams of carb. For lunch, it's 1:25 and dinner is 1:28.

My doctors don't write insulin prescriptions based on food either, but a number for the total daily use. Last time she wrote for 50 units/day, which is twice as much as I actually use in a day. Even when I eat a lot of carbs (for me, that's close to 300 grams) I can only use 25 units total, basal + bolus combined. Sometimes my BG goes high for some reason I can't fathom, and I need extra to bring it down.

So, everyone is dofferent/ Someone who needs 1 unit for every 8 grams of carb might use 3 times as much insulin as I do. Some people who restrict carbs might use less than I do.

[seacomp]

i average about 60 units of insulin a day and am beguinning to question if i'm over-doing it
You are not overdoing it!. You would know.
Insulin is a very potent drug that causes near immediate problems (a "low", a "hypo") when a user overdoses. There is almost no "play" betwen the correct dose of insulin and an overdose. That one of the key reasons why insulin is such a difficult drug to use. (In the long run, the fact that it needs to be injected is a minor point.)

[blue_eyed_devil]

thanks eveyone... i think maybe it's just my own insecurities! i've been on my pump for almost a year and still (at times) struggle with my management. my a1c was 6.9 after the first few months, which is great (for me at least) however keeping it there seems to take some rather strict contorl... whcich i was never used to prior to the pump. i spent 13 years fluffing about with bgs that wouldn't drop below 10mmol! thanks again for the replies.

lauren