Hello all. New to this and very confused!

[Tom1982]

Hello all. Daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a few weeks ago. She’s 4 years old and taking to it like a champ! We are trying to get to grips with all the terminology and finding it confusing. If she has an injection of 2.5 Novorapid, to me that’s a dose of 2.5! How are some people talking about 200 something a day? Is that a different unit of measurement???

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, It must be very worrying for you. There are a few parents on here so hopefully they will be along shortly to explain things and clarify.
I hope you are getting good support in these early days from a diabetic support team.

 

[Lily123]

Welcome to the forum @Tom1982. Some people use a lot more insulin a day as the needs for how much insulin changes like the wind. Is you daughter on fixed doses or do you count carbs to work out insulin?

 

[Tom1982]

Welcome to the forum @Tom1982. Some people use a lot more insulin a day as the needs for how much insulin changes like the wind. Is you daughter on fixed doses or do you count carbs to work out insulin?

Thank you. She’s currently on a fixed dose before meals and bed. (2.5) But I believe the plan is to carb count and set the appropriate dose ourselves in the near future. Looking at the figures would 1 unit per 10g of carbs sound right? I know everyone is different, but if she had a dinner that had 100g carbs in it (not likely I know) would that be 10 units in one jab!?

 

[Lucyr]

I’d be amazed if a four year old could eat 100g carbs in one meal, but if they did and ratio was 1u for 10g carbs then yes the dose would be 10u

 

[Lily123]

Thank you. She’s currently on a fixed dose before meals and bed. (2.5) But I believe the plan is to carb count and set the appropriate dose ourselves in the near future. Looking at the figures would 1 unit per 10g of carbs sound right? I know everyone is different, but if she had a dinner that had 100g carbs in it (not likely I know) would that be 10 units in one jab!?

Your daughter had NovoRapid for her bolus dose (mealtime dose) and what insulin is she on for basal (bedtime)?

 

[Tom1982]

Your daughter had NovoRapid for her bolus dose (mealtime dose) and what insulin is she on for basal (bedtime)?

Levemir for bedtime (which, incidentally, she says stings?) 4.5 units for this one.

 

[Tom1982]

I’d be amazed if a four year old could eat 100g carbs in one meal, but if they did and ratio was 1u for 10g carbs then yes the dose would be 10u

Haha okay bad example. Just trying to get to grips with the numbers. Cheers for the reply

 

[Tom1982]

I’d be amazed if a four year old could eat 100g carbs in one meal, but if they did and ratio was 1u for 10g carbs then yes the dose would be 10u

Would it be unusual to have 10 units in one go? Or do some people do that regularly?

 

[Lily123]

1 unit to 10g carbs is usually a starting point but because of your daughters age she may need less insulin than 1 unit to 10g carbs . Your diabetes team will help with starting on carb counting

 

[Lily123]

Would it be unusual to have 10 units in one go? Or do some people do that regularly?

I normally have 15u as about average and and I know others on this forum have more and some have less

 

[Tom1982]

I normally have 15u as about average and and I know others on this forum have more and some have less

In one go? At meal times?

 

[Lily123]

In one go? At meal times?

That’s because everyone has different insulin needs and sometimes it’s more than 15 sometimes it’s less. Everyone needs different amount of insulin

 

[Bruce Stephens]

In one go? At meal times?

I do. It obviously varies between people (some people use a lot more, or less). It also strongly depends on body weight so it's not at all surprising that a 4 year old would need much less!

 

[Tom1982]

I do. It obviously varies between people (some people use a lot more, or less). It also strongly depends on body weight so it's not at all surprising that a 4 year old would need much less!

So where we set the pen to 2.5 you would set the Novorapid pen to 15? Or 20? Do you still press the button and count to 10?

 

[Lily123]

So where we set the pen to 2.5 you would set the Novorapid pen to 15? Or 20? Do you still press the button and count to 10?

I do as this is what I was told to do when I was first diagnosed, although I was only a few years older than you daughter then (I’m in secondary school)

 

[Tom1982]

I do as this is what I was told to do when I was first diagnosed, although I was only a few years older than you daughter then (I’m in secondary school)

Nice one. Did you decide not to have the pump and so on?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

So where we set the pen to 2.5 you would set the Novorapid pen to 15? Or 20? Do you still press the button and count to 10?

Yes, exactly the same.

 

[Lily123]

Nice one. Did you decide not to have the pump and so on?

The NICE guidelines are extremely tight and wasn’t offered one . Has your daughter been offered a pump?

 

[Tom1982]

The NICE guidelines are extremely tight and wasn’t offered one . Has your daughter been offered a pump?

Yeah it’s been discussed and I think it’s the way we will go. But unbelievably Madame don’t want it!!!! She likes her pen