Extra insulin required for some foods?

[randomange]

Hi everyone 🙂

I was wondering of anyone had problems with some foods seeming to require more insulin that your insulin:carb ratio calculates? In particular I think I'm having this problem with pizza, but I've noticed it with other meals that are particularly high in carbohydrate.

For pizza, I always split my bolus, and that seems to work ok - I'll be in range after two hours and before bed (normally four hours), but I always seem to wake up high. I've been looking over my results, and I've noticed that my correction almost always seems to end up being about 25% of whatever my insulin dose for the pizza was. We also had pizza earlier at the weekend, and in testing, I'm fairly sure that the extra peak is hitting at around six hours. I know it's common to have a late peak with foods like pizza, but in my case it seems to be a peak that requires more insulin. I seem to recall something being discussed about this in the pump thread, so I was wondering if anyone else had this problem? 🙂

 

[Caroline]

Some foods are higher in carbs than others, pizza being one of them. One of the reasons pizza seems to take a long time to spike is the fat slows the absorbtion of the glucose from the carbs.

Can't advise regards the insulin, but am sure someone will be along soon with suggestions.

 

[bex123]

i find doritos a problem always seem to need more insulin for them

 

[Pigeon]

Hiya Rando mange, yes I find this too, especially for things like curry or pizza. If I have one of those "take away" box curries from Sainsbury's that comes with naan, rice and bhajis, then if you add it up it's about 140g carbs. Even if I take that in two injections of Novorapid, I'll still wake up high the next day, so I tend to take a few extra units at bed if I still feel full. For something like pie and chips I need more units than normal as well - as you say, I think about 25% extra. I can't really work out why though, I thought carbs were carbs, and there was a linear relationship to the insulin units you require!

 

[Viki]

Porridge - and ive never mastered it!!

Ill be perfectly back in range then will suddenly spike up to the 20s a while later.

Should really do some trial and error with the magic pump features but i dont want to have to feel the highs in the meantime.

Shame, i love porridge . .

 

[Adrienne]

Porridge - and ive never mastered it!!

Ill be perfectly back in range then will suddenly spike up to the 20s a while later.

Should really do some trial and error with the magic pump features but i dont want to have to feel the highs in the meantime.

Shame, i love porridge . .

Porridge is a nightmare for some people, whatever you do. We had to find something to guarantee to keep Jessica up overnight. One we tried was porridge but it was too good. It took her up to the 20's and kept her there till morning however much insulin I gave her to bring her down !! However there is now small packets of porridge you can get in boxes, one of them is called Paw Ridge (pictures of bears on the box - kiddies stuff) and it is 23 carbs for a small bowl (very small) and we have no problem with it. 🙂

 

[Adrienne]

Hi everyone 🙂

I was wondering of anyone had problems with some foods seeming to require more insulin that your insulin:carb ratio calculates? In particular I think I'm having this problem with pizza, but I've noticed it with other meals that are particularly high in carbohydrate.

For pizza, I always split my bolus, and that seems to work ok - I'll be in range after two hours and before bed (normally four hours), but I always seem to wake up high. I've been looking over my results, and I've noticed that my correction almost always seems to end up being about 25% of whatever my insulin dose for the pizza was. We also had pizza earlier at the weekend, and in testing, I'm fairly sure that the extra peak is hitting at around six hours. I know it's common to have a late peak with foods like pizza, but in my case it seems to be a peak that requires more insulin. I seem to recall something being discussed about this in the pump thread, so I was wondering if anyone else had this problem? 🙂

You are right. It is almost like you are bolusing for the fat part as well. For an example take pasta.

If you have pasta with a tomato type sauce (containing no carbs) I use 25 carbs per 100g of pasta.

However if we have pasta with a cheesey based sauce (containing no carbs) I use 30 carbs per 100g of pasta.

So in theory we bolus for the fat.

Some people I know add on about 25% again of the overall meal if chip shop fish and chips or pizza or Chinese.

It is very very complicated when things are fattier than normal stuff and you may not ever get it right.

 

[randomange]

Thanks for the replies! It's good to know it's not my body being weird!

I did wonder if it was essentially bolusing for the fat. With the pizza, I'm confidant enough that I need the extra 25% that I'm happy to add that in to my bolusing regime for that, and as for the other foods, I guess it's just a case of testing and figuring it out! 🙂

 

[Viki]

Thanks for the replies! It's good to know it's not my body being weird!

I did wonder if it was essentially bolusing for the fat. With the pizza, I'm confidant enough that I need the extra 25% that I'm happy to add that in to my bolusing regime for that, and as for the other foods, I guess it's just a case of testing and figuring it out! 🙂

Good old diabetes trial and error!!!

 

[Caroline]

Thanks for the replies! It's good to know it's not my body being weird!

I did wonder if it was essentially bolusing for the fat. With the pizza, I'm confidant enough that I need the extra 25% that I'm happy to add that in to my bolusing regime for that, and as for the other foods, I guess it's just a case of testing and figuring it out! 🙂

We are all weird in our own wonderful ways. Since we are all different, what will work for one may not work for another, but it is good to share ideas as it is something else to try.