How much insulin should i take per carb

Read some examples and therapeutic principles on how to calculate the carbohydrate coverage dose, high blood sugar correction dose and the total mealtime insulin dose. You will need 6 units of rapid acting insulin to cover the carbohydrate. Finally, to get the total mealtime insulin dose, add the CHO insulin dose together with the high blood sugar correction insulin dose:.

Bear in mind, this may be too much insulin if you are newly diagnosed or still making a lot of insulin on your own. And it may be too little if you are very resistant to the action of insulin. Talk to your provider about the best insulin dose for you as this is a general formula and may not meet your individual needs.

If your body is very resistant to insulin, you may require a higher dose. If your body is sensitive to insulin, you may require a lower insulin dose. Jump to content. Carbohydrate, or carb, counting is an important skill to learn when you have diabetes.

Carb counting helps you keep tight control of your blood sugar glucose level. It also gives you the flexibility to eat what you want. This can help you feel more in control and confident when managing your diabetes.

To count carb grams at a meal, you need to know how many carbs are in each type of food you eat. This includes all food, whether it is a slice of bread, a bowl of lettuce, or a spoonful of salad dressing.

Most packaged foods have labels that tell you how many total carbs are in one serving. Carbohydrate guides can help too. You can get these from diabetes educators and the American Diabetes Association.

To find out how many carbs are in food that is not packaged, you will need to know standard portions of carbohydrate foods. Each serving size or standard portion has about 15 grams of carbs. By using the number of grams of carbs in a meal, you can figure out how much insulin to take.

This is based on your personal insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. For example: Your doctor may advise you to take 1 unit of rapid-acting insulin for every 10 to 15 grams of carbs you eat.

So if your meal has 50 grams of carbs and your doctor says you need 1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbs, you would need 5 units of insulin to keep your post-meal blood sugar from rising above your target level.

Your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio may change over time. In some people it will change from one meal to the next. You might take 1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbs for lunch but take 1 unit for every 15 grams at dinner.

When you keep track of what you eat and you test your blood sugar after meals and exercise, you can figure out what effect protein, fat, fiber, and exercise have on the amount of insulin you need.

Your daily amount depends on several things—your weight, how active you are, what diabetes medicines you take, and what your goals are for your blood sugar levels. A registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator will help you plan how much carbohydrate to include in each meal and snack. Author: Healthwise Staff. Testing your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio: Before you start. In order to use an ICR properly, you must be able to accurately calculate the amount of carbohydrate you are about to eat.

So before you test your ICR, make sure your carb-counting is on-point. Testing your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. What you need. A blood glucose monitor, a continuous glucose monitor or a Freestyle Libre.

An accurately carbohydrate-counted meal. Avoid anything too high in fat or fibre, as it will delay the digestion and absorption of the meal. A ham and cheese sandwich is an option some of my patients like to use. When to test. Many factors impact blood glucose levels and can affect the results of your ICR test. Choose a time when you know you can prepare an accurately carbohydrate-counted meal and will have the opportunity to test your blood glucose over the subsequent hours.

Avoid ICR testing at the following times:. At the start of your menstrual cycle if you are female. How to perform an insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio test. Prepare your meal and test your blood glucose level before you eat. Home » Health Topics » What is diabetes? Insulin-to-carb ratios to calculate meal insulin doses with type 1 diabetes.

Use an insulin-to-carb ratio if you: Are not sure your very young child will eat all the carbohydrate in the meal Are not hungry Do not like some foods served with a meal Are eating a meal with a lot of carbohydrate Are eating a low carbohydrate meal Need or want a larger snack The insulin-to-carb ratio means you will take 1 unit of insulin for a certain amount of carbohydrate.

To use an insulin-to-carb ratio, you need to: Plan ahead and eat all of your meal. Take your rapid-acting insulin 15 minutes before you eat. The only time it is okay to take the rapid-acting insulin after eating is for very young children who may not eat everything. If a child is taking their insulin after they eat, they must take it as soon as they finish eating, within 30 minutes of their first bite of food. Taking insulin after eating will always result in a high blood sugar a few hours later.

Practice using an insulin-to-carb ratio When using your insulin-to-carb ratio, you divide the total grams of carbohydrate by the ratio amount.