TYPE 1 DIABETES QUESTION - How much Levemir to take

[louisejay86]

Hi All,

I was just wondering out of interest how much Levemir/ Lantus/ Tresiba insulin people are taking?

Im 34 and have been diabetic since I was 7. I was having trouble with my Lantus in that I felt it wasn't working as my sugars were always high. I'm not on Levemir and have been taking it twice a day. I'm finding that to keep my sugars level I'm needing to inject 30 units in the morning and 25 units at night. I feel this is really over the top amounts but I don't have anything to compare to.

All I do know is that I've recently again a lot of weight around my stomach which does worry me, as I'm generally a fit and healthy person overall. I have also gained around 3 stone over around 2 years and I cant help feel that some of this is linked to the amount of insulin i'm taking.

I have read on another forum somewhere that it is possible to over inject insulin and thus become resistant to it. Has anyone else heard of this?

Thank you for any insights 🙂

 

[helli]

The correct amount of basal insulin is the amount that is needed to keep your blood sugars stable.
We are all different with different lifestyles, different weights and different bodies so it makes no sense to compare your insulin needs with others.
In similar threads, I have seen people taking much much more insulin than you and some people taking less.

Those with insulin resistance (type 2) do experience weight gain which I understand is related to the excess insulin. Whilst it is not impossible for someone with Type 1 to become insulin resistant, it is important to remember that the two conditions are different.

Unfortunately, diabetes does not protect us from other medical conditions not necessarily related to diabetes or the amount of insulin we take.

Some people with Type 1 adopt a low carb diet. This has the advantage of making bolus easier to dose, for many it aids weight management/weight loss and for those concerned they are taking high doses of insulin, it reduces their insulin needs.

 

[Amity Island]

Hi All,

I was just wondering out of interest how much Levemir/ Lantus/ Tresiba insulin people are taking?

Im 34 and have been diabetic since I was 7. I was having trouble with my Lantus in that I felt it wasn't working as my sugars were always high. I'm not on Levemir and have been taking it twice a day. I'm finding that to keep my sugars level I'm needing to inject 30 units in the morning and 25 units at night. I feel this is really over the top amounts but I don't have anything to compare to.

All I do know is that I've recently again a lot of weight around my stomach which does worry me, as I'm generally a fit and healthy person overall. I have also gained around 3 stone over around 2 years and I cant help feel that some of this is linked to the amount of insulin i'm taking.

I have read on another forum somewhere that it is possible to over inject insulin and thus become resistant to it. Has anyone else heard of this?

Thank you for any insights 🙂

Hi Louisejay86,

Although each of us have different dose requirements, I believe when people are first diagnosed, their basal is calculated based on body weight. x-Unit per kg of weight. I take 19u of basal once a day (tresiba deguldec) and then bolus (humalog) for each meal. 2u to 10g upon waking, 1.5u to 10g carbs at lunch and 1u to 10g evening meal.

Just out of interest how much are you taking for meals?

 

[Inka]

Hi @louisejay86 You need the amount of insulin that you need 🙂 Have you done a recent basal test?

If you have and your Levemir is at the correct amount, then that’s that really. Other people might use more than you, others might use less. Don’t worry about them. We’re all different.

If you’ve been eating normally and yet still gained that weight, have you had other possible causes ruled out eg thyroid or hormone problems? Has anything else changed eg new medication, change of job, change of lifestyle, less exercise, etc.

As @helli says, Type 1s can become insulin resistant but I don’t think it’s very common, and it’s different from the insulin resistance associated with Type 2.

 

[trophywench]

Have you done anything to try and get your weight down? If so, what? If not, then you definitely need to think about it. At knocking 40 I did something about mine cos I was nearly 3 st overweight and got made redundant but succeeded, then after a couple of false new job starts found another good one that I loved. Not long after I started at a place where I hadn't actually met anyone in person but did know some since we were all in the same trade, A week or so in, a chap at the new place was puzzled why he didn't know me so he asked an ex colleague of mine who he did know, about me. The ex colleague told him I was lovely - she's a jolly, little, fat person, he said! Never ever forgotten that comment. Still rankles slightly 30 years later! But - truthful. No wonder the new bloke was confused when this 5ft 3 size 12 woman appeared. Little yes, but fat? Definitely not.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm one of those Type 1s who follows a low carb higher fat way of eating and I find it great for reducing my insulin needs and losing weight, combined with daily exercise. I am 9.5stone and currently need 16 units of Levemir and 5-6 units of Fiasp (bolus insulin) per day. If I do less exercise I need more Levemir. If I eat more carbs, I need more Fiasp. I usually have about 50-70g carbs a day but sometimes a little less. I was about 12stone at diagnosis 2 years ago and feel so much better for the weight loss and change of diet and increased exercise and I enjoy my food still. It is just different to the things I used to eat. I feel a lot fitter and healthier in general since my diet change.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @louisejay86

Sorry to hear about the trouble you are having with your basal insulin, and keeping your levels in line. Gaining weight can certainly increase insulin resistance in some people, so it would be well worth trying to make some changes to your menu and activity levels to see if you can lose some of the weight that has crept on recently.

In general I think the forum feeling is that we are all different, and ‘you need what you need’ dose-wise.

Basal insulin has a specific job, to keep your BG levels steady when you are not eating or digesting carbs, so it’s important to check and adjust every so often. Mine seems to need tweaking monthly, sometimes up, sometimes down... Mostly I go by gut feeling and sensor readings, but every once in a while I take on a more formal basal test to give it a proper reset. My basal seems to form the bedrock of all my other doses/management decisions, and if it’s slightly out everything else goes all out of kilter.

There are handy basal test instructions on this page:
http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120