Messing with my insulin

[GeishaGirl]

So I've been on Lantus for 3 weeks, and Novolog for just under 2. And I'm discovering that, for me, instinct plays a much larger role than the I:C my doc gave me.

When I was playing by the strict I:C rules, my sugars were still 200-300. Since going by instinct, they're 70-200. My highest reading today was 211 -- that's usually my lowest :P

I'm still learning, and 70 is a hypo for me. I flipped out yesterday at 70 and had 2 pop tarts and a rice krispie treat because I NEEDED SUGAR and I WAS HUNGRY etc. To be honest, I wasn't really present at that time :P

So to more adjusting :) The endo said 1:10 with 1:50 corrective. I played the "rounding up/rounding down" game, and finally started playing with my ratio. My morning numbers still SUCK, even at 1:5, but if I keep that up all day, I'll hit 70 (or lower) by 3pm. I think I'm going to need a different I:C for morning, afternoon, and evening. How weird is that?

I know I probably shouldn't be experimenting with my own I:C ratio, but I'm really proactive with my meter so lows don't have the chance to sneak up on me too bad. I actually managed to stay in the low-100s for most of the day today. Joy! I could SEE! I could THINK!

[Psycho Penguin]

Yeah you SHOULD be messing with your I:C carbo. You would know better than any doctor!

[Olidus]

I was told by several of the people at the Diabetes education center that eventually I would "Just Know".
At 1st I did not understand what exactly they ment by that but eventually it came.
Instinct > ALL.
Its your body, and you know it better than anyone else. There are times that you will just know " You know what - That is not enough insulin, or that its just too much."

As for your hypo - how long did it take for you to recover?
For myself, I use juice boxes. Juice or pop- sugar liquids tend to work quicker than eating something and waiting for it to break down, as the liquid obsorbs into the blood stream almost right away.

[GretchO]

Different I:C ratios for different times of day isn't too weird. I also agree that juice boxes or glucose tabs are the better way to go (harder to over eat those), and since the lows make you wicked hungry you can overeat and then go too high (especially if you have a liver dump). I've definitely been there...I turn into a cookie monster.

[GeishaGirl]

Yeah, I had boxed Juicy Juice in the little fridge in the English office, but I still don't equate it with sugar, so in my slightly out-of-it state, I wound up going to the vending machine.

And, yeah, overcorrected my way back up to 330. Hit 70 again today, but only overcorrected to 223, so I'm already improving :)

I like this instinct thing. And I can't wait til this is routine and doesn't have to consume 90% of my daily thoughts. :)

[d_k_moon]

I don't adjust my insulin based on my carb intake. I adjust my carb intake based on my pre-meal b/s reading.

I take 16 units of Levemir in the morning, and 10, 8, and 9 units of NovoLog before breakfast, lunch, and supper.

My fasting b/s was 80, 2hr after breakfast was 81, pre-lunch was 75, 2hr after lunch was 87, pre-supper was 80, 2hr after supper was 79. I also excercise after breakfast, (1 mile brisk walk - 15-17 minutes) and after supper, (1.5 mile brisk walk 24-27 minutes).

My 7 day average is 83, 14 day is 85 and 30 day is 88.

[ant hill]

So I've been on Lantus for 3 weeks, and Novolog for just under 2. And I'm discovering that, for me, instinct plays a much larger role than the I:C my doc gave me.
Yes it's good that you have good instinct as that's a good thing to have. :)

I'm still learning, and 70 is a hypo for me. I flipped out yesterday at 70 and had 2 pop tarts and a rice krispie treat because I NEEDED SUGAR and I WAS HUNGRY etc. To be honest, I wasn't really present at that time :P
That's quite normal to have a craving of something that you like and you will learn to have unusual things and how this reacts to BG's

So to more adjusting :) The endo said 1:10 with 1:50 corrective. I played the "rounding up/rounding down" game, and finally started playing with my ratio. My morning numbers still SUCK, even at 1:5, but if I keep that up all day, I'll hit 70 (or lower) by 3pm. I think I'm going to need a different I:C for morning, afternoon, and evening. How weird is that?
Yes and this is something that you alone have to do as activity changes so too the I:C ratio will change also. Be independent from your doctor on working out your rates. ;)

I know I probably shouldn't be experimenting with my own I:C ratio, but I'm really proactive with my meter so lows don't have the chance to sneak up on me too bad. I actually managed to stay in the low-100s for most of the day today. Joy! I could SEE! I could THINK!
Be independent GeishaGirl, know your maths and carbs and plan ahead. Look at the whole idea in a tripod scale as you balance insulin, diet, And exercise. :D

[Erin]

So to more adjusting :) The endo said 1:10 with 1:50 corrective. I played the "rounding up/rounding down" game, and finally started playing with my ratio. My morning numbers still SUCK, even at 1:5, but if I keep that up all day, I'll hit 70 (or lower) by 3pm. I think I'm going to need a different I:C for morning, afternoon, and evening. How weird is that?

I know I probably shouldn't be experimenting with my own I:C ratio, but I'm really proactive with my meter so lows don't have the chance to sneak up on me too bad. I actually managed to stay in the low-100s for most of the day today. Joy! I could SEE! I could THINK!


Just make sure you are recording what you are doing, and carefully noting the changes you are making so your doctor can fine tune it if need be, when you see him her again.

And only change one thing at a time. If you start messing with basal and bolus then you get to a point where you don't know what insulin is doing what.

Congratz on the wonderful numbers!!! You must feel amazing.

[gettingby]

So I've been on Lantus for 3 weeks, and Novolog for just under 2. And I'm discovering that, for me, instinct plays a much larger role than the I:C my doc gave me.

When I was playing by the strict I:C rules, my sugars were still 200-300. Since going by instinct, they're 70-200. My highest reading today was 211 -- that's usually my lowest :P

I'm still learning, and 70 is a hypo for me. I flipped out yesterday at 70 and had 2 pop tarts and a rice krispie treat because I NEEDED SUGAR and I WAS HUNGRY etc. To be honest, I wasn't really present at that time :P

So to more adjusting :) The endo said 1:10 with 1:50 corrective. I played the "rounding up/rounding down" game, and finally started playing with my ratio. My morning numbers still SUCK, even at 1:5, but if I keep that up all day, I'll hit 70 (or lower) by 3pm. I think I'm going to need a different I:C for morning, afternoon, and evening. How weird is that?

I know I probably shouldn't be experimenting with my own I:C ratio, but I'm really proactive with my meter so lows don't have the chance to sneak up on me too bad. I actually managed to stay in the low-100s for most of the day today. Joy! I could SEE! I could THINK!
Multiple I:C ratios are not strange or weird at all. I have different ones. I even have multiple correction ratios.
And yes, you should experiment. My endo tells me to experiment but to do it cautiously. Yeah, like I listen to him. :T I actually do make changes myself. I'm semi cautious but then again, I've been doing this for quite a long time.
Good on you for getting your readings down and being proactive. That's the only way to be.:)