Need Help

[Brian23]

Does anyone take their humalog/novolog just after you eat? I have noticed that if I take my rapid insulin with meals or 15 minutes before (like Dr. advised) eating, my sugar levels are a lot higher than if I take my humalog just after I eat. Does anyone else take their rapid insulin after they eat? Benefits? Disadvantages?

[JediSkipdogg]

You go high if you take it before? That's a first for me.

The benefit to taking it after (and a very good rule of thumb for diabetic children) is because you know exactly how much to give because you know exactly what you ate. One of the worst things one can do is give 10 units of insulin for say a steak and potato dinner and only have one potato and mess it up. Then you have to find something the same number of carbs as that potato or eat more and give more insulin.

I highly recommend after for parents of kids since it's hard to know what kids will eat. It's a safety measure in my opinion.

[Brian23]

I dont know what it is.. maybe because I am LADA i am more sensitive after meals. I do know that if I eat breakfast and take my insulin 15 minutes before my meal, I am like 189 mg/dl. If I take it just after eating I am 90-100. I usually eat 2 bisquits, jelly, and sausage. Then take 3 units of humalog.

[BlueSky]

.. I do know that if I eat breakfast and take my insulin 15 minutes before my meal, I am like 189 mg/dl. If I take it just after eating I am 90-100. ....
How long after eating do you test?

[Brian23]

I usually test two hours after first bite, unless i feel low.

[BlueSky]

It doesn't make much sense to me, but ultimately you just have to do whatever works best ... ;)

[Stuboy]

i often take my rapid after i eat, because i dont know if im going to finish my meal or not... i usually do. but you never know!

Danger is forgetting to take it at all...

[Alice]

I don't see where it makes much difference...it's difficult to "test" from one meal to another since our food is usually varied and so is our body chemistry at any given moment.

Humalog is designed to take either prior or immediately after a meal. Neither is "right or wrong"...most doctors only tell patients to take prior and that works for most people. It gives the Humalog a few minutes to get a "head start" on the food.

Problem is that different foods digest and break down differently. So that "one size fits all" direction doesn't work meal-to-meal.

Some meals I take early and some meals I take afterwards. Read the package insert for manufacturer info...you'll see the "afterward" clearly stated. Just don't wait too long.

Restaurants and dinner with friends...I always take afterwards for obvious reasons. Sometimes I take a few units at start of a long meal and follow=-up with a more exact amount afterwards.

[UpNorth]

In 9 cases out of 10 i take my insulin after eating. Then i know or at least have a good idea about how many carbs i've eaten, instead of bolusing and not eating enough, or eating too much and needing another bolus...