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How long does insulin take to take effect?

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pottersusan

pottersusan

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
With my (2nd hand) CGM I've become very aware of how long it takes from giving myself insulin to it having any effect on my BG. I use Novorapid and it takes at least an hour to have any effect! I think the 'rapid' part of the name is a bit of a misnomer. I'm trying very hard to reduce the spikes in my BG ( the CGM certainly highlights them) but being organised enough to give myself insulin an hour before eating is hard - especially when you are busy, to say nothing of not knowing what and when you might be eating when you are out.
For you other pancreasless folk out there my surgical consultant tells me that more than 10% of people who've had a total pancreatectomy die of hypoglycaemia. This in NHS terms makes it 'common' - another reason why I want a CGM funded by the NHS. I really don't want to become part of that percentage.
 
If anyone should get one Susan, it's someone in your situation. I find novorapid can take up to an hour to have any noticeable effect on my levels in the morning, a bit quicker at lunchtime, then quicker still by evening - although even then it's 25-35 minutes! Rapid? 🙄 I've heard Apidra is quicker to peak.
 
My surgical consultant has written to my diabetes consultant telling him very politely to 'remove his finger'! What with that and going to see my MP I've got 'patient from hell' on my record! If I get an NHS one I'll be selling my 2nd hand one (I hope I won't be trampled in the rush!!)
 
I certainly need to do my insulin at least half an hour before eating, and sometimes an hour. As you say, it's difficult to remember/ break off from what you're doing. And when I've been driving up to Scotland to visit my daughter, it's impossible, I daren't do my insulin before we are actually driving into the service station in case we get stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway, and then I want to eat ASAP and get on my way. I only became aware of quite how long it takes because I invested in a Libre.
 
I don't know about you, but I don't wake up more than an hour before I have my breakfast 🙄. I've decided that as of tomorrow I'm going to have an old fashioned cooked breakfast with as few carbs as poss to eliminate the mid morning spike. The need for these changes became obvious when I had my hba1c done about 3 months into having the cgm. I've all but eliminated hypos 🙂 but the result is that my hba1c had gone up significantly😱 which wasn't a great surprise. It's very much sort one problem and create another!
If anyone has any ideas for low carb, high calorie, wheat and lactose free portable snacks I'd love to hear them! Oh, and no fruit with stones...
 
I agree about breakfast! I often have scrambled egg, which I can have straight way, (even Burgen toast I have to wait 30 minutes for, and despite the recommendations, I find porridge gives me a horrendous spike!
My favourite high calorie low GI snack is a chocolate brownie, off the top of my head, I know there are gluten free ones on sale, but I couldn't say whether they're lactose free, because Ive never had to consider that. Home made, possibly?
 
Walnuts are low in carbs and high in calories, if you can tolerate nuts. I also eat Green & Black's 85% cocoa dark chocolate, but they can't guarantee it's lactose-free (no milk in ingredients, but a "may contain milk" warning) - you can get chocolate which is both gluten and lactose-free, but I don't know if you'd be able to find one which is dark enough to be low in carbs.

If I have my Novorapid more than about 10 minutes before eating, I tend to hypo mid-meal 🙄
 
Apidra does start to work quicker and also finishes quicker. About 3.5 hours instead of 4, or 4 +. I think Humalog is much the same as Novorapid, except it does sometimes tend to have a 'sting' in its tail after about 5 hours.

Can you 'do' eggs? Frittata?
 
I don't know what the Diabetes Fairy will make of my diet when she comes to visit.

I wish I liked nuts. I'm in danger of changing into an egg!
 
Hi Pottersusan. If you are pumping have you tried giving your bolus in % ie 20% straight away then 80% later on. Depending what you are eating. "Dual wave". When I was on MDI I used to inject 30min before eating. Good luck
 
Hmm. I tend to forget about the various bolus options. Thanks
 
pottersusan said:
I use Novorapid and it takes at least an hour to have any effect! I think the 'rapid' part of the name is a bit of a misnomer. I'm trying very hard to reduce the spikes in my BG ( the CGM certainly highlights them) but being organised enough to give myself insulin an hour before eating is hard - especially when you are busy, to say nothing of not knowing what and when you might be eating when you are out.
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Are you 100% sure it's the novo that's slow or is your basal out?
 
Pumps are so adaptable & everyone's different. Is every day the same ? Like you at work I never know what time I have my dinner or what it is till I see it. Quite often I miss dinner & adjust pump to suit.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Are you 100% sure it's the novo that's slow or is your basal out?
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Ive been working hard on getting my basal right, so I'm pretty sure its the novo that's slow. its probably something to do with my strange physiology! 🙄
 
It's interesting reading about everyone's injecting times. I find that, for anything other than something quite sugary/pure carbs like bread on its own, I need to inject after eating. If I injected before eating almost all of my meals I can guarantee a hypo quite soon after eating. Lord knows what's happening with my digestive system!
 
Worcester_Matt said:
It's interesting reading about everyone's injecting times. I find that, for anything other than something quite sugary/pure carbs like bread on its own, I need to inject after eating. If I injected before eating almost all of my meals I can guarantee a hypo quite soon after eating. Lord knows what's happening with my digestive system!
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I need to split my dose if I'm having something like a cake or a pudding at the end of my meal, otherwise I'll hypo before I've got to the end of the first course. I don't know whether it's my digestive system or whether I just eat very slowly!
 
That's where a pump helps and being able to do extended or multi-wave boluses. Both are a terrific help.
 
trophywench said:
Apidra does start to work quicker and also finishes quicker. About 3.5 hours instead of 4, or 4 +.
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Sadly not for me - I converted to Apidra before I got my pump, but it has honestly made very little difference.

My Libre has shown that pre-bolusing can help to prevent the worst of spikes, but the timing can be variable depending on where my BG is when giving insulin. I can go hypo very quickly if there is no food on board, but as soon as I eat my BG goes up - more with high GI carby food, but even with protein if there's no carbs around.
 
heasandford said:
Sadly not for me - I converted to Apidra before I got my pump, but it has honestly made very little difference.

My Libre has shown that pre-bolusing can help to prevent the worst of spikes, but the timing can be variable depending on where my BG is when giving insulin. I can go hypo very quickly if there is no food on board, but as soon as I eat my BG goes up - more with high GI carby food, but even with protein if there's no carbs around.
Click to expand...
I'm glad it's not just me and being a 'newish' diabetic. It's amazingly comforting that people who've been dealing with diabetes for many years don't know all the answers.It makes me feel a lot less stupid and gives me hope that I'm on the right track. Quite what the Diabetes Fairy is going to make of me, when she comes to stay, I don't know!
 
None of us knows all the answers!! Why the heck do you think we joined here in the first place?
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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