May 23, 2004
Hypoglycemia, Insulin
Question from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA:
I am a male, 51, 30 pounds overweight, diagnosed type 2 in 1997. I currently take 80 units 70/30 Humalog twice a day, morning and before dinner. Recently, I started the South Beach diet per my doctor and I have low blood sugars anywhere from one and a half to four hours after breakfast or dinner. I have begun cutting back on the dose. Should I consider smaller doses at each meal or possibly a mix of different insulins?
Answer:
Personally, I do not prefer mixed insulins. They are matter of convenience. What I recommend is that you learn how to mix the insulins so that each of the individual components can be titrated. For instance, your pre-lunch and bedtime glucose are low. That reflects on the amount of rapid-acting insulin you take in the morning and at supper. If it is only this component that needs to be lowered or changed, you can do that in the context of mixing the insulins into one syringe yourself.
JTL
Additional comments from Brenda Hitchcock:
Please consult your own doctor about which insulins you should use.
BH
