Not sure if this is the right place for it but..

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smile4loubie

smile4loubie

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Ok.. Just had a banana, sugars at 9.5 before (which is low for me) took 5 units of insulin to counteract the banana and the 9.5 beforehand (was this too much).
When should I test again to see if my levels have gone down??
 
Most people test around 2 hours after eating.
 
If you want to test more quickly it is up to you, but the two hour mark seems most common. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Like most things, it is a matter of trial and error, and what works for one wont always work for another.
 
Caroline said:
If you want to test more quickly it is up to you, but the two hour mark seems most common. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Like most things, it is a matter of trial and error, and what works for one wont always work for another.
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Thanks Caroline xx
 
Bananas are quite carby, and it depends on how big the banana is as to how much insulin you will need for it. A very ripe banana will also convert to glucose much quicker than an unripe one, so if you are trying to spot the peak in your levels you need to take this into account too. If it's a ripe banana I'd test after an hour, unripe after two hours.
 
If Alex has a banana on its own we give him insulin at least 5 minutes before so that it 'peaks' when the banana hits. If he is eating it after a meal we just do a normal bolus because its normally about 10 minutes after that he eats the banana. I would test after 1 hour and then 2 hours - this way you can find out if you have the right ratio for snacks. 🙂Bev
 
Northerner said:
Bananas are quite carby, and it depends on how big the banana is as to how much insulin you will need for it. A very ripe banana will also convert to glucose much quicker than an unripe one, so if you are trying to spot the peak in your levels you need to take this into account too. If it's a ripe banana I'd test after an hour, unripe after two hours.
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Jeeeze I can't eat anything right, thought I was being good by eating a banana but i guess not lol.
Thanks Northerner
 
levels at 12 now :'( how do I correct this??
 
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Lou, it all depends what you were before you had the banana. In general you are supposed to rise by 2mmols - so if you were 9 then its ok to be 11 after 2 hours. We cant tell you how much to correct by - because we dont know what ratio your on and also this is something that your team should have told you. Alex needs 1 unit to bring him down by 5mmols - but this has been worked out properly and you should not be guessing. I would suggest leaving it for an hour and seeing what you are then. Do you know what your correction factor is? You really need to be asking your team about these things - but i realise your waiting to be referred etc - so hopefully you will be able to have all this worked out for you so you know what you should be doing in circumstances like these.🙂Bev
 
bev said:
Lou, it all depends what you were before you had the banana. In general you are supposed to rise by 2mmols - so if you were 9 then its ok to be 11 after 2 hours. We cant tell you how much to correct by - because we dont know what ratio your on and also this is something that your team should have told you. Alex needs 1 unit to bring him down by 5mmols - but this has been worked out properly and you should not be guessing. I would suggest leaving it for an hour and seeing what you are then. Do you know what your correction factor is? You really need to be asking your team about these things - but i realise your waiting to be referred etc - so hopefully you will be able to have all this worked out for you so you know what you should be doing in circumstances like these.🙂Bev
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I don't know what ratio I'm on, Im not on one. And no idea as to correction factor. My team are the pits, no help what so ever so I'm in the middle of switiching clinics. Just got no idea what to do in the mean time lol
 
Lou,
I dont want to tell you what to do because it could be dangerous as i dont know your correction factor or ratio. I do think you have been 'taught' about diabetes and how to deal with it in a very poor way. I think the best thing for you to do is to push to see your new team and tell them you know very little (not your fault) and that you want to be treated as if you were newly diagnosed. I am shocked that you havent been told how to work out things like ratio's and correction factors - it is not good enough to be guessing all the time - its like playing russian roulette with insulin! Please try to push them for a consultation asap!🙂Bev x
 
sugars now down to 9.8 with no correction dose. I'm guessing I should have taken the insulin before not just after
 
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