I am a 22 year old female (145 pounds) who has been living with diabetes for 17 years. I take Humalog during the day with NPH at night, and I have been on an exercise program. I realize insulin dose varies depending on sugar levels, but I would like a goal range to be sure. What is an appropriate insulin dose range for my age and weight?

It’s not fair to ask what the correct dose for age and weight is for you. Every person is unique in their sensitivity to insulin. It is good that you exercise as this decreases your insulin requirements relative to not exercising. On the other hand, you don’t want to withhold insulin if your sugars are not as good as they should be. It sounds like you are not overweight.

Your goal should be a blood sugar range that you and your physician decide upon. For instance, having a goal of 70-140 mg/dl [3.9 -7.8 mmol/L] would be a good range. This would be verified by the hemoglobin A1c value.

The frequency of insulin injections is less important than where they are placed. After holding out on you, I would say that in the absence of other illnesses or medical problems, good blood sugars should be obtainable with total insulin dose less than 50 units per day. However, if you take more than that, it is not appropriate to drop it. There may be other reasons why you require more insulin.

JTL