TESTING BEFORE MEAL THEN INJECTING AFTER MEAL

[mum2westiesGill]

Is it ok to test before your meal then inject after the meal?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Is it ok to test before your meal inject after the meal?

Gill, surely you know that you inject 15 mins before you eat so that the insulin starts to work before the food hits your blood sugars and sends them sky high? If you didn't know this what have your team been doing since 1992 when you were diagnosed?

 

[barrym]

If you are uncertain what you might eat, and don't want to take too much, you could split dose. Half before meal and the balance when you're done. I have done this on rare times when faced with this conundrum.

HTH

 

[silentsquirrel]

If you are testing before the meal, injecting only takes a minute or so more, if that.
If you "forget" to inject before the meal, no need to wait until the end, do it as soon as you remember.

Do the best you can, occasional less than ideal timings won't matter much, but not good as a regular thing.

 

[Peely66]

I've also noticed that I needed to inject afterwards with certain types of foods. After pasta I used to go low and then high so I figured my insulin was kicking in before the food. I now split the dose. Also today I went low at lunchtime so had some fast acting carbs and then some lunch ( we call it dinner here so that tends to confuse me when I'm reading other peoples' posts). My lunch was a particularly "sturdy" sourdough bread bought from the local farmer's market. I started eating this soon after my injection as I guesstimated that it would be a slow burner and, so far, I think I was right as my levels have been just that...level.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Gill, surely you know that you inject 15 mins before you eat so that the insulin starts to work before the food hits your blood sugars and sends them sky high? If you didn't know this what have your team been doing since 1992 when you were diagnosed?

Hi @Pumper_Sue Sorry I really meant if you do it as the odd one off

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Is it ok to test before your meal inject after the meal?

Yes. Not (usually) ideal, but we do our best while living our imperfect lives.

Sometimes it's sensible to do that: if you can see you're heading down before the meal, it might well make sense to eat first. And generally these fast acting insulins start acting after ~15 minutes and keep acting for 4 hours or so (peaking 1 or 2 hours after injection. So whether we inject before, during, or just after eating doesn't make that much difference.

 

[Steve_H]

As I posted on a previous thread. At work I have to inject after I've eaten in case I get called away before I have actually eaten. Doesn't happen often.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

When I know I need my insulin to act over a longer period I will inject some before and the rest later, but I always have some up front.

 

[helli]

As I posted on a previous thread. At work I have to inject after I've eaten in case I get called away before I have actually eaten. Doesn't happen often.

Sometimes, I may get called away mid meal but never before I start. So I tend to bolus for the minimum I will eat to start and then top up when I finish my food later.

However, legally, you should get a proper break for lunch.