Correction dose

[Charl]

At the moment my correction dose is 1 unit of insulin to drop number by 2, at the moment especially around breakfast time it doesn't seem to make much difference, do I just increase by half a unit till it looks like it's making a difference. Thanks

 

[Robin]

At the moment my correction dose is 1 unit of insulin to drop number by 2, at the moment especially around breakfast time it doesn't seem to make much difference, do I just increase by half a unit till it looks like it's making a difference. Thanks

If you’re confident to experiment, that’s what Is do. I find first thing in the morning that my blood glucose is rising thanks to my helpful liver gearing me up for the day, so I always need extra short acting to 'mop up' the excess.

 

[helli]

There are a few things that can affect this
- Dawn Phenomenon - is the reason the correction is needed due to a continued liver dump? You may find the reason the correction is not quite hitting it is that your liver is adding more glucose until you break your fast (eat breakfast). What this means is that you may need more in the morning that at other times of the day.
- Insulin resistance - how high is your BG when you make the correction. It is common for us to experience insulin resistance when our levels get higher. For some this is anything over 10, others experience it over 12 and others over 15. What it means is when we get to these levels, our body needs more insulin to bring down our BG. For me, when my levels are over 12, I need 1.5 times my correction dose and when over 15, I need twice as much insulin.

Sorry, to add this confusion but I think it is important to understand that your correction ratio may not be the same all the time.
I agree to experiment and add an extra half unit until it hits the mark for breakfast but take care with changing your correction ratio at other times of the day.

 

[rebrascora]

The only other thing I would add is the timing of a correction in the morning. I find that injecting that correction as soon as I wake up and see my levels are high really helps, because once I swing my legs out of bed and stand up, my liver is pumping out more glucose and sending levels higher still., My experience is that I need 1.5-2 units of insulin to cover that liver dump every morning plus any correction (at my normal correction rate), if I am above range. If I wait until I get out of bed, even if it is just 10 mins that can make all the difference because in that 10 mins my liver is pumping more glucose into my blood and my levels are going higher and as explained above, the higher your levels go, the more insulin you need to bring them down, so getting the insulin into me before I set foot out of bed is an important factor for me. My Foot on the Floor liver dump will usually increase my levels by 4-6mmols (without insulin), so injecting that 1.5-2 units in advance, is key for me to maintain good management.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

A little cautious experimentation can be helpful @Charl - but do be careful, and keep hypo treatments handy. And remember that insulin generally acts over 4-5 hours, so it can take much longer that you think to see the full effect of any correction dose you have given.

Do check with your Dr or DSN if you are unsure about adjusting your doses.