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Figuring Out Your Insulin Dosage (continued)

Day 3
Meal Date (B, L, D): 2/3
Pre-breakfast glucose: 295
Grams of carb eaten: 20
Units of rapid acting insulin: 7
Insulin-to-carb ratio (carb divided by units of insulin): 1:3
(20 carbs divided by 7 units = 3 points of glucose affected by 1 unit of insulin)
3 to 4 hour post-breakfast glucose: 65
Comments: 1:3 makes glucose drop a lot

Day 4
Meal Date (B, L, D): 2/4
Pre-breakfast glucose: 83
Grams of carb eaten: 50
Units of rapid acting insulin: 4
Insulin-to-carb ratio (carb divided by units of insulin): 1:12
(50 carbs divided by 4 units = 12 points of glucose affected by 1 unit of insulin)
3 to 4 hour post-breakfast glucose: 78
Comments: 1:12 held glucose about the same

Day 5
Meal Date (B, L, D): 2/5
Pre-breakfast glucose: 75
Grams of carb eaten: 75
Units of rapid acting insulin: 5
Insulin-to-carb ratio (carb divided by units of insulin): 1:15
(75 carbs divided by 5 units = 15 points of glucose affected by 1 unit of insulin)
3 to 4 hour post-breakfast glucose: 180
Comments: 1:15 makes glucose rise

Day 6
Meal Date (B, L, D): 2/6
Pre-breakfast glucose: 168
Grams of carb eaten: 60
Units of rapid acting insulin: 5
Insulin-to-carb ratio (carb divided by units of insulin): 1:12
(60 carbs divided by 5 units = 12 points of glucose affected by 1 unit of insulin)
3 to 4 hour post-breakfast glucose: 171
Comments: 1:12 held glucose about the same

Day 7
Meal Date (B, L, D): 2/7
Pre-breakfast glucose: 62
Grams of carb eaten: 75
Units of rapid acting insulin: 5
Insulin-to-carb ratio (carb divided by units of insulin): Don’t use
3 to 4 hour post-breakfast glucose: 226
Comments: Don’t count due to hypo

In the above data, you can see that the 1 to 12 insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio held the glucose steady. You’d need another week’s worth of data to determine if 1:12 had the best track record for you. Also note variables, like work, stress, exercise, infections, dining out, etc.

Download your own insulin-to carb ration log chart to determine your ratios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here is where the patience part comes in. This will take you a good six weeks to figure out. Remember to throw out the data from the days that have unusual extremes (illness, hypos, etc.) as you are looking for patterns of stable conditions with which to determine insulin-to-carb ratios so tat you can adjust your insulin dosage as necessary.

Insulin-to-carb ratios vary during different times of the day. It’s not uncommon to have lower insulin-to-carb ratios in the morning and higher ratios for lunch and dinner. This can mean you start out with a 1:12 for breakfast, move up to a 1:14 for lunch and a 1:17 for dinner. It’s all based on your patterns, trial and error, and consideration of how variables affect your insulin requirements (like exercise, going to church or the movies, the need for more insulin prior to menstruation, social activities, and on and on).

SOURCE:
1 - Scheiner, Gary. March/April 2006. Tune in to Your Ratio(s). Diabetes Self-Management.

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NOTE: The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or another medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions and concerns about your medical condition.

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