Insulin/Bolus Calculators....

[novorapidboi26]

I use the InsulniX blood glucose monitor which calculates your bolus dose and takes into account, on board insulin....

I had my breakfast late this morning as I had to get bloods taken [kidney function].........

By the time lunch came, the meter reckoned I had 3 units remaining, so it took these units off my lunchtime dose..........

Is this the way it should work........?

Do I not still need those 3 units to take care of the food I would be eating for lunch......?

Any science or personal experiences welcome...........!

 

[Northerner]

Does it not also take into account your BG level before lunch? If this was on the low side and you had 3 units still circulating then you would be likely to hypo if you were to override the meter's suggestion. So, if you were 5.5 before injecting for lunch, but had 3 units still on-board then your level is already low enough and the 3 units will cover part of your lunch.

 

[Robster65]

Makes sense to me, though I can see the confusion.

If you are within normal range it would suggest that either you may be injecting too much on a normal day or you need to eat a late breakfast every day !

Rob

 

[novorapidboi26]

I was actually 7.8 before lunch today, so those 3 units still had time left........

the meter suggested I add 1 unit correction for that 7.8, then subtract 3, so in the end it was only 2 off the initial dose.......

Thanks Alan, your interpretation does actually explain why its taking off those units...............it will be interesting to see how the meter responds with a lower/higher BG......

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think this is one of those 'experience counts' situations for bolus calculators. I have used the Expert for a year and this is the sort of situation where its advice struggles. The factor that these meters cannot take into account (because it varies too much) is the absorption profile of the food.

Effectively your late breakfast/normal lunchtime combo creates stacked insulin which may or may not cause a problem depending on how breakfast digestion is getting along.

At lunchtime you still had 3u active, but you also had some (tricky to estimate) breakfast carbs still being digested. If your breakfast was nearly doen then taking off that active insulin would be fine... but you may end up needing that coverage if you are still digesting breakfast which then (effectively) adds to your lunchtime carbs.

In short - toss a coin and hope for the best!

 

[MeanMom]

... And isn't this an example of how Impossible it is to have 'one size fits all' advice as even the technology has gotten confused

K quite often has a (small) late breakfast at the weekend, then quite a carb heavy lunch at the usual time. If she tests at lunch and has a reading for which we would normally give an adjustment unit or two we would not adjust but would make sure we 'rounded up' on the insulin calc. For the meal. If she were to have a reading of 12 or more we would probably give an extra unit or two depending on what her activity is likely to be in the afternoon.

Now I must find that piece of string to see how long it is today...

 

[glitteryredshoes]

Ive just started using the insulinx myself and I have switched this feature off as it is far too confusing. I have been told just to ignore it and inject what I would normally give sticking to dafne rules. The only problem I have found is you cannot programme half measurements which is pretty annoying!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Can you use the same trick as the Expert?

So if you want to have 1:7.5 you times by 10 and set 10:75...?