insulin vs control

[Christophe]

My question is as follows:
is it harmful to not take insulin or certain evenings if I do intend to eat any carbs and my sugar levels remain within the 4-6.5 range (82-115) for the entire time including whilst I am asleep?

I sometimes do this if I am very stressed and do not have a decent appetite and find that as there are no lows or fluctuations, this makes matters a lot easier. Once again I stress that the bg control at these times are perfect.

I appreciate that you are not medical professionals or GPs but your insight is all the more appreciated as yours is knowledge that comes from the affliction of a loved one and this makes you uniquely qualified.


thnaks in advance

[Mr_Gatorade]

Mark's right.  Switch to Lantus & Novolog/Humalog if you can
afford it.  Makes for better control.  If you can't afford, Novolog or Humalog, use regular.

[Christophe]

I am taking human mixtard 30
24 units at approx noon and
22 units atr approx 8-9pm
sleep is normally from 1:30-9:30

thanks in advance

[Markie]

Cristophe,

It sounds like skipping meals is working for you. And, as long as your blood sugars remain within the target range, thats great. But the insulin you are using was not really designed to be used that way. Mixtard is pre-mixed insulin containing 30% rapid-acting and 70% NPH insulin. It's maximum action is at 2-8 hours after injection. And meals should be timed to coincide with this. Not doing this would cause a mismatch between the supply of glucose into the bloodstream and insulin available to act on it.

IMHO, you would be better off on a basal/bolus regimen. It would involve one daily injection of a long-acting insulin like Lantus, which has a flat action profile over 24 hours. And a shot of Humalog or Novolog before each meal. Doing this would minimise the carb/insulin mismatch when you skip a meal.

The basal/bolus regimen would give you more flexibility and better control. You may want to discuss this with your doctor.

Cheers,

Mark

[Christophe]

I take mixtard 24 units at noon and 22 units at 9pm
sleep is normally from 2am to 9am

[Christophe]

to clarify, it should say, take no insulin as iam NOT eating any carbs, sorry for the error

[JDRF-Team-SS]

Hello CHRISTOPHE,
Thak you for posting today:)  I am giving you my input based on my experience with my son who was diagnosed almost 7 yrs. ago at the age of 3.  (now on the pump as of 3 months ago)I am not a medical professional.  I know you realize this, but I just had to reiterate it:)

If I understood your question correctly, you were wondering if it was HARMFUL to NOT take any Insulin during a time period where you were not going to eat something with carbs????

My inclination would be to ask you what type of insulin you are on?  What is your regimen?  My sister also has type 1 and takes lantus at bedtime and then takes humalog for correction AND to cover food with carbs, so in her case, if her BG is not High (if it IS under a particular number that she and her doc have discussed), then she does not need a correction shot AND if she was not going to eat anything containing carbs at that time, she would not need humalog to cover food, HOWEVER, she would still take her lantus shot at bedtime.

Please tell us about your insulin schedule / type, so myself and others can better help you.

***Do keep in mind that stress can raise the blood sugar.

Warm Regards