Insulin timings help

[Jimmy2202]

So I know from the Libre that when I inject novarapid it works the most after 1 & 1/2 hours.

The original guidelines I was given was to inject 15 mins before food.

Now knowing how long novarapid works for me, what’s the correct time I should be injecting before meals?

 

[rayray119]

So I know from the Libre that when I inject novarapid it works the most after 1 & 1/2 hours.

The original guidelines I was given was to inject 15 mins before food.

Now knowing how long novarapid works for me, what’s the correct time I should be injecting before meals?

I think the correct time is different for everyone and it takes some trail and error I tend to spike after brackfast however long I can wait(and not being on any kind of cgm I don't know which waits that practical look time) bur it's depends on person

 

[Sally71]

The only way you can know that is by lots of testing and trial and error, and see what produces the smallest spike. Everyone is different, also different foods digest at different rates and people are more or less insulin sensitive at different times of the day (usually less so in the morning and more as the day goes on, but there’s bound to be someone somewhere whose body doesn’t work like that!!). If you get a massive spike after food then try doing the bolus gradually earlier until you find the magic point at which there is hardly any increase. Don’t expect it to work the same for every meal though. Good luck!

 

[Inka]

So I know from the Libre that when I inject novarapid it works the most after 1 & 1/2 hours.

The original guidelines I was given was to inject 15 mins before food.

Now knowing how long novarapid works for me, what’s the correct time I should be injecting before meals?

If only it was that simple @Jimmy2202 ! I so wish it was! I find times vary for different meals (ie breakfast, etc), for different foods, and at different times of the year.

Yes, your NR might peak then but if you delay your food too long, you might be risking a massive hypo.

 

[rebrascora]

As others have said, the timing of prebolus injection is individual to you and will depend upon your insulin sensitivity, absorption rate and the speed or slowness of your digestion and the food you are eating.... Oh and the type of insulin you are using.... and perhaps your premeal reading. As with everything else diabetes related, there are lots of factors which influence it, so do some careful experimenting when you have plenty of time.... ie days off work and see if you can improve on your current situation but don't get too hung up on it as it is something else which can cause people to become obsessive if you aren't careful.

At the moment I need a fairly consistent 45 mins before breakfast of Greek yoghurt with fruit and seeds unless my levels are in double figures and then I need longer. That is with Fiasp which is quicker than NovoRapid which needed 75 mins for me for breakfast. Most people would hypo long before this, so I am really just saying that it can be significantly longer than 15mins for some people and you have to gradually increase the timing by a few mins each day from the time you currently wait, to find what works for you. Libre is great for showing you when you hit the right timing and your peak flattens out.

At other times of day I need less prebolus time, usually 15-20 mins before I eat, unless my levels are low 4s and then I can sometimes get away with eating straight away as long as I eat slowly. If levels are 8 or above it will take longer and I try to adhere to a personal rule of not eating carbs if my levels are above 8. What I mean by that is that I inject and wait for my levels to drop below 8 before I eat..... usually I wait until Libre shows I am at low 6s or 5s before I start eating but my digestive system is quite fast. That might be too late for some people who would hypo before their body digested the food and released the carbs, so it is about what is the right timing for your body and your meal time and the food you eat.

 

[rayray119]

also remember what usailly works might randomly decide to be different one one day