Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gerri on November 17, 2009 at 11:46pm

Matthew,

Of course, Salome should see an endo. But, she doesn't have insurance:)

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 18, 2009 at 7:02pm

i know how much regular to take, it just i'm running out of the lantus, and 70/30 is what i'm going to have to take. but thanks 4 being nice :{ so glad we r not friends

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 21, 2009 at 11:48am

u didn't anything, sorry i snapped. its just 4 a minute there u sounded like my first doctor who made me feel crappy, cause in his words i wasn't trying hard enough. he basicaly made me feel like crap all the time and i was starving doing everything he said and still he said i sucked. no worries, life goes on.

sorry again

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 22, 2009 at 11:07pm

life goes on, its fine. ;-}

Permalink Reply by Gerri on November 17, 2009 at 11:45pm

Hi Salome,

What's your strict diet plan?

The best way to dose insulin is according to how many carbs you eat, not by a sliding scale. Jenny's site is a great place to start http://www.bloodsugar101.com. Also please get the book "Think Like a Pancreas." It explains about different insulins, timing & dosing.

Taking 70/30 (a mix) with basal (Lantus) & Regular could cause problems because you're doubling up on what you're already taking in the 70/30.

It would probably be better to take a rapid acting insulin for meals (& to correct highs) & basal insulin. That's the regiment most people on injections use. Regular is slower acting than rapid acting, unless you need slower acting for a specific reason.

Since you don't have insurance, see if there's a free clinic where you can see a doctor & get the proper insulin. Call hospitals, social services, etc. for suggestions where to go. Pharm companies have assistance programs for people without insurance to get insulin.

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 18, 2009 at 7:02pm

thank u, ur really nice, great info.
my diet plan is i think 1800cal. not sure. just been doing same thing for ever now.

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on November 18, 2009 at 8:56pm

You're welcome, Salome. Know how difficult it is not to have a doc to consult. Hard enough even with a doctor.

Please check out Jenny's site I mentioned above. If you don't mind a suggestion, learning to count carbs will help. The exchange method & sliding scale we were taught is pretty outdated & not accurate. I take Humulin R & there aren't many of us on Regular. Most people use rapid acting before meals.The fast acting insulins are too fast for me because I have delayed stomach emptying. I need something slower acting & longer lasting. I use Apidra to correct highs because it works fast. Expensive being on three different insulins, but it's the only way for me.

Everyone reacts differently to insulin types & brands based on their unique biochemistry, weight, age, level of activity & heaven knows what else. Sometimes just the brand, not type, needs changing.

I hope you can find a caring clinic doctor who can review your numbers & update your treatment, if needed. There's lots of info here & elsewhere about carb counting & matching insulin to carbs. Not easy to learn new methods, but it's worth it because you're worth it!

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 18, 2009 at 7:03pm

and i live in miami, so anywhere thats free is usually really dirty or scary. but i'll keep looking for free clinics.

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on November 18, 2009 at 6:25am

First off, anything people discuss on this board is not medical advice. You should get medical advice from a doctor. That being said, I realize that you without insurance and probably have not see a Dr. in a while. Novolog mix is a mixture of 70% long acting insulin and 30% short acting. I believe the "long acting" portion of Novolog mix, which is insulin aspart protamine suspension is probably an intermediate action insulin roughly corresponding to NPH.

Thus a rough description of the action of 10 units of novolog mix would be that it is the same as 7 units of NPH and 3 units of R. If you take the novolog mix three times a day, ten units each time, your total daily dose would be 3 x 7 units of NPH, with 3x3 units of R. You would probably need to cut back on your lantus markedly, probably to 5-10 units. At those levels you need to also be aware that you are heavily stacking your insulin during the day and getting enough R to cover your meals may give you too much basal.

Again. I am no expert on insulin, am not a doctor and would certainly encourage you to get the advice of a dr or pharmacist. I would also support the idea of moving away from a sliding scale towards carb counting. And don't forget, Walmart sells Relion NPH and R insulin without prescription in many states for $23 plus change for a vial. And don't forget, you can ask the pharmacist basic questions, they can be helpful.

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Permalink Reply by Salome hernandez on November 18, 2009 at 7:07pm

"Walmart sells Relion NPH and R insulin without prescription in many states for $23 plus change for a vial" not walmart i checked u have to go to Sam's club. same dumb people, but still worth it.

Thank you, u were most helpful. and i only ask about using lantus with the 70/30 cause i was searching on net and read in some places that people were doing that, even though i didn't think it added up.
Thank you ever so much :-}

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on November 19, 2009 at 8:36am

There may be some Walmarts without pharmacies, but I would expect that any Walmart with a pharmacy would have the Relion insulin and diabetic supplies. Let us know if you find out otherwise. I'm glad the info was helpful.

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