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How do you measure insulin intake?

Published in Insulin Calculation 3 mins read

To measure insulin intake, you need to calculate the correct dosage based on your carbohydrate intake and blood sugar level.

Calculating Insulin Dosage

Here’s how to determine your insulin needs, as explained by choa.org/diabetes:

  1. Calculate Insulin for Carbohydrates:

    • Determine total carbohydrates: Identify the total grams of carbohydrates in your meal.
    • Use your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio: This ratio, determined with your healthcare provider, indicates how many grams of carbohydrates one unit of insulin covers.
    • Divide: Divide the total carbohydrates by your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. The result is the number of insulin units needed to cover the meal.
    • Formula: Insulin Units for Food = Total Carbohydrates / Insulin-to-Carb Ratio

  2. Calculate Insulin for Correcting Blood Sugar:

    • Check your blood sugar: Measure your current blood glucose level.
    • Know your target blood sugar: Determine the blood glucose level you want to reach.
    • Use your correction factor: Your healthcare provider will determine your correction factor, which indicates how much one unit of insulin will lower your blood sugar.
    • Calculate: Subtract your target blood sugar from your current blood sugar, and divide the result by your correction factor to find how many units of insulin are needed to correct your blood sugar.
    • Formula: Insulin Units for Correction = (Current Blood Sugar - Target Blood Sugar) / Correction Factor

  3. Determine Total Insulin Dose:

    • Add: Combine the insulin needed for the meal with the insulin needed to correct your blood sugar level. The total represents your overall insulin dose.
    • Formula: Total Insulin Dose = Insulin Units for Food + Insulin Units for Correction

Example:

Let's assume:

  • You are eating a meal with 60 grams of carbohydrates.
  • Your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio is 1:10 (1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbs).
  • Your current blood sugar is 200 mg/dL.
  • Your target blood sugar is 100 mg/dL.
  • Your correction factor is 50 (1 unit of insulin lowers your blood sugar by 50 mg/dL).
  1. Insulin for Carbohydrates: 60 grams / 10 = 6 units of insulin
  2. Insulin for Correction: (200 - 100) / 50 = 2 units of insulin
  3. Total Insulin Dose: 6 units + 2 units = 8 units of insulin

Therefore, you would need 8 units of insulin for this meal and to correct your blood sugar.

Important Notes:

  • Individualized Plans: It is crucial to work with your healthcare provider to determine your specific insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio and correction factor, as these vary from person to person.
  • Type of Insulin: This calculation is for rapid-acting insulins like Humalog, Novolog, or Apidra. Always consult your healthcare professional for long-acting insulin dosages.
  • Blood Sugar Monitoring: Regularly monitoring your blood sugar is essential to ensure you are using the right insulin dosage.
  • Consult Professionals: The information provided here is for educational purposes and should not substitute advice from a healthcare professional.

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