Carb ratio

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jonesf492

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Type 1
Hi guys.
I’m wondering if anyone can help me my carb to insulin ratio has been changed today from 1:10g to 1:0.8g so for every 0.8g carbs I inject 1 unit. My maths isn’t terrible but I’m wondering on a calculator what’s the easiest way to work this out? If anyone could help.
Thank you
 
jonesf492 said:
Hi guys.
I’m wondering if anyone can help me my carb to insulin ratio has been changed today from 1:10g to 1:0.8g so for every 0.8g carbs I inject 1 unit. My maths isn’t terrible but I’m wondering on a calculator what’s the easiest way to work this out? If anyone could help.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Are you sure it is 0.8g and not 8g as that would be a vast change and you would be injecting a huge amount of insulin.
Please do NOT do it until you double check it is that.
 
Hi @jonesf492

There seems to be a strong desire amongst DSNs to count everything in 10g portions.
I am an engineer who uses maths every day and found this very confusing ... maybe the way my brain works.

Would it help you to think of 1 unit of insulin for every 12g* carbs? You would just need to use the standard calculator on your phone to divide the total number of carbs by 12 to get the number of units of insulin.

If I have just completely confused you and you want to use the 0.8 units to 10g ratio, on a calculator you need

TOTAL NUMBER OF CARBS divided by 10 multiplied by 0.8

Whichever method you use, you will need to round the number down to accommodate the number of units your pen can dose.
As your ratio is quite low, I hope you have a 0.5 unit pen (if not, I recommend requesting one). Then, if your calculation suggests 3.7 units, you can give yourself 3.5 units.

---------

*I have done a little bit of rounding to make it easier as 0.8 to 10g is actually 1 unit to 12.5g carbs
 
jonesf492 said:
Sorry 0.8:10 so every 0.8 units to 10g of carbs.
Click to expand...
You will have to see what your insulin pen will deliver as it is no good working out that you would need 1.6 u insulin for 20g carbs if your pen cant deliver to that accuracy. So it does become a bit awkward so you would need to work out how many g carb you can have for 1u or 2u etc so for 1u insulin you could have 12.5g carb or 2u for 25g carb.
 
I'm wondering if the nurse could have meant 1:8g carbs or 1unit to 0.8CP (Carb Portion)??
Were you having problems with your levels going high after meals or dropping low?
 
helli said:
Hi @jonesf492

There seems to be a strong desire amongst DSNs to count everything in 10g portions.
I am an engineer who uses maths every day and found this very confusing ... maybe the way my brain works.

Would it help you to think of 1 unit of insulin for every 12g* carbs? You would just need to use the standard calculator on your phone to divide the total number of carbs by 12 to get the number of units of insulin.

If I have just completely confused you and you want to use the 0.8 units to 10g ratio, on a calculator you need

TOTAL NUMBER OF CARBS divided by 10 multiplied by 0.8

Whichever method you use, you will need to round the number down to accommodate the number of units your pen can dose.
As your ratio is quite low, I hope you have a 0.5 unit pen (if not, I recommend requesting one). Then, if your calculation suggests 3.7 units, you can give yourself 3.5 units.

---------

*I have done a little bit of rounding to make it easier as 0.8 to 10g is actually 1 unit to 12.5g carbs
Click to expand...
Thank you so much that’s really helped me understand it better! I’m having a couple of hypos and all my doses have been changed since I’ve become pregnant. They have just changed my night insulin from Lantus to tresbia to try and give me a steady line throughout the night. Thank you so much all it’s really helped me.
 
Oh heck! You'll be having to change ratios regularly for the next few months and no sooner will you get it right than it'll change again! Still - it's absolutely worth it in the finish and no sooner will you have given birth than it'll be all back to normal again. Only trouble is as you won't have been using your basal when you haven;t been pregnant, what dose of that will you take? I know very well it's very early to be thinking about that day after yet - BUT you must know that upfront!
 
Congratulations on your pregnancy. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible for you.
 
helli said:
Hi @jonesf492

There seems to be a strong desire amongst DSNs to count everything in 10g portions.
I am an engineer who uses maths every day and found this very confusing ... maybe the way my brain works.

Would it help you to think of 1 unit of insulin for every 12g* carbs? You would just need to use the standard calculator on your phone to divide the total number of carbs by 12 to get the number of units of insulin.

If I have just completely confused you and you want to use the 0.8 units to 10g ratio, on a calculator you need

TOTAL NUMBER OF CARBS divided by 10 multiplied by 0.8

Whichever method you use, you will need to round the number down to accommodate the number of units your pen can dose.
As your ratio is quite low, I hope you have a 0.5 unit pen (if not, I recommend requesting one). Then, if your calculation suggests 3.7 units, you can give yourself 3.5 units.

---------

*I have done a little bit of rounding to make it easier as 0.8 to 10g is actually 1 unit to 12.5g carbs
Click to expand...
Yes, engineer's practicality.

Since the pen only delivers single (or half units if you have the NovoEcho pen) it makes more sense to me to think in terms of how many carbs per unit of insulin. When 1:10 it's straightforward either way. My breakfast ratio is 1:8 so my standard big breakfast at around 100 carbs is 12 units for 96 gms, 12.5 units for 100 gms or normally 13 units for 104 gms and its the size of the banana that changes the doses!
 
Well, I didn’t understand what you were told at all and I’ve had Type 1 for almost 30 years! The best way, IMO is to use 1 unit of insulin to x amount of carbs not the other way round. That gives you your ratios in a form like 1:8g, 1:12g, etc etc and is so much easier to work out.

Your DSN should be able to use that method because it’s been used for years and years, and is more common, I’m sure. With the above method, you’ll find the Maths a hell of a lot easier and more instinctive.
 
Hope the change in ratio works out well @jonesf492

You might find it handy to get hold of a bolus calculator now that your ratios are a bit tweakier - especially if you start needing different ones at different times of day o_O

There are a few Smartphone apps that can crunch the numbers for you (mySugr has one built in) or there’s a calculator in the Freestyle Libre handset if you unlock it with the Googleable code.
 
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