When to use GLUCAGON!?!
Question: When to use GLUCAGON!!?
I am a type 1 diabetic, and i use two insulin pens!. Lantus and Humalog!.
Every night at 11pm I do 11 untis of Lantus, but someitmes i have been so careless and/or in a rush to get to sleep, that i pick up my Humalog pen, put a needle on, prime it, and as i am about to stick myself, relize my mistake
what would be the best thing to do if i proceeded to do 11 untis of Humalog!?
for me, one unit of humalog covers 15g of carbs!. so 11 units would be 165 carbs!!! that alot of carbs, so what do i do!?
pig out!?
use glucagon!?
drink a juice after about 30 minutes!?
if i use glucagon, how much!? and how long till i use it!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Every night at 11pm I do 11 untis of Lantus, but someitmes i have been so careless and/or in a rush to get to sleep, that i pick up my Humalog pen, put a needle on, prime it, and as i am about to stick myself, relize my mistake
what would be the best thing to do if i proceeded to do 11 untis of Humalog!?
for me, one unit of humalog covers 15g of carbs!. so 11 units would be 165 carbs!!! that alot of carbs, so what do i do!?
pig out!?
use glucagon!?
drink a juice after about 30 minutes!?
if i use glucagon, how much!? and how long till i use it!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Glucagon should only be used as a last resort!. Don't use it as a "safety" mechanism because it can cause side effects like nausea and vomiting, and it costs a lot for a kit!. It should be used for emergencies, if someone finds you unconscious or going into a reaction and they cannot get you to respond by eating fast acting carbs or cake frosting, or the diabetic sugar gels (yeah, I used to sneak those sometimes because they tasted so good!.!.!. yum!.!.!. so bad for me though!.!.!. lol)
To respond to your core question!.!.!. Humalog takes a couple of hours to fully take effect!. Now, 11 units is a lot of Humalog, especially for your carb ratio!. If your blood glucose is normal, and you give yourself 11 units, you have about 15-30 minutes before it begins to work!. Really your only option is to begin intake of simple sugars with complex carbs to back it up so that you dont drop low right afterwards!. Once the insulin starts to take effect, stay conscious and awake!. Dont go to sleep!. Check your blood sugar and make a judgment call!. You need to account for the insulin you put in, and make sure you dont drop too low!.
Humalog doesnt peak for 1 to 1 and a half hours, so plan on eating something quickly, but dont eat a bunch of simple sugars in one sitting!. Have some complex carbs with your simple sugars to ride out the peak!. Complex carbs are a lot easier to come by in large numbers, you can eat a cup of rice and get 60 carbs just from that!. Just make good choices on what to eat to ride out the peak!.
Humalog leaves my system in 3 hours, but that can vary from person to person!. Some people it leaves much quicker, others it can stick around for longer!.!.!. Stay vigilant with your blood sugar testing, test it like once an hour or so and make sure it doesn't drop!. If you begin to feel like you are sweating or dizzy, its your blood sugar rapidly dropping!. Make sure to keep testing to make sure you don't need to eat any more to counteract the drop!. Eating complex carbs early on when you first realize the mistake will help counteract a rapid drop later!.
Bottom line is, BE CAREFUL!. You wont have to go through the agony of overeating to correct for a mistake that could have been prevented!. But mistakes happen, we all make them!. Thats at least what I would do if I were in that situation!. I've done stuff like this before!. Glucagon is not the answer, though!. That is for when you are too far gone to even eat!. Once your stomach shuts down and is unable to process digestion!.
Again, don't take any of my advice as medical fact!. Just know that Ive been in these situations before, and thats what has worked for me!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
To respond to your core question!.!.!. Humalog takes a couple of hours to fully take effect!. Now, 11 units is a lot of Humalog, especially for your carb ratio!. If your blood glucose is normal, and you give yourself 11 units, you have about 15-30 minutes before it begins to work!. Really your only option is to begin intake of simple sugars with complex carbs to back it up so that you dont drop low right afterwards!. Once the insulin starts to take effect, stay conscious and awake!. Dont go to sleep!. Check your blood sugar and make a judgment call!. You need to account for the insulin you put in, and make sure you dont drop too low!.
Humalog doesnt peak for 1 to 1 and a half hours, so plan on eating something quickly, but dont eat a bunch of simple sugars in one sitting!. Have some complex carbs with your simple sugars to ride out the peak!. Complex carbs are a lot easier to come by in large numbers, you can eat a cup of rice and get 60 carbs just from that!. Just make good choices on what to eat to ride out the peak!.
Humalog leaves my system in 3 hours, but that can vary from person to person!. Some people it leaves much quicker, others it can stick around for longer!.!.!. Stay vigilant with your blood sugar testing, test it like once an hour or so and make sure it doesn't drop!. If you begin to feel like you are sweating or dizzy, its your blood sugar rapidly dropping!. Make sure to keep testing to make sure you don't need to eat any more to counteract the drop!. Eating complex carbs early on when you first realize the mistake will help counteract a rapid drop later!.
Bottom line is, BE CAREFUL!. You wont have to go through the agony of overeating to correct for a mistake that could have been prevented!. But mistakes happen, we all make them!. Thats at least what I would do if I were in that situation!. I've done stuff like this before!. Glucagon is not the answer, though!. That is for when you are too far gone to even eat!. Once your stomach shuts down and is unable to process digestion!.
Again, don't take any of my advice as medical fact!. Just know that Ive been in these situations before, and thats what has worked for me!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I did that before with my daughter - mixed up the lantus and humalog!. What I did for follow-up was watch her in the hours that followed, and take lots of extra blood sugars!.
When using a glucagon, consider the default rule!. If you can do it yourself, you dont need it! Glucagon's are for emergencies, and by the way you feel really icky after, usually you'll throw up when you come to after using a glucagon!. dont run for juice or sugar either!. You'll rebound then the madness starts all over again!. Just watch your symptoms and take extra BGs!.
A whole injection wouldn't kill you!. One injection is what an adult should take if unconscious and hypo!. A half injection for a child!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
When using a glucagon, consider the default rule!. If you can do it yourself, you dont need it! Glucagon's are for emergencies, and by the way you feel really icky after, usually you'll throw up when you come to after using a glucagon!. dont run for juice or sugar either!. You'll rebound then the madness starts all over again!. Just watch your symptoms and take extra BGs!.
A whole injection wouldn't kill you!. One injection is what an adult should take if unconscious and hypo!. A half injection for a child!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
If you have used that much!.!. increase your sugar intake!.!.!.!. load up!.!. it's better to be hyper than hypo!.!.!. your chance of having a hypo is increased drastically, check your blood sugar after an hour and see if you've increasedf itWww@Answer-Health@Com
These are questions best answered by your physician!. Call as soon as possible so that you have a plan!.
God bless you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
God bless you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Don't use Glucogon!. Its for use with someone who is unconscious and in insulin shock!. It'll make you throw up, and possibly have a seizure!. Its a last resort for your family to use IF you pass out from extremely low blood sugar!.
Get some glucose tablets!. You can find them at Walmart or any pharmacy!. Look at the label to see how many carbs are in each one!. Figure out how many it would take to give you 15 carbs and write that number on the lid with an indelible marker!. That way you won't have to think about it when you need them!. Sometimes when you are very low its too hard to think, and you need to have that number handy!.
If you ever inject your Humalog by mistake, take the glucose tablets that would cover that number of carbs and drink some water to help digest it!. Or you could use some orange juice or pop with sugar in it, or even Gatorade, but you need to know ahead of time how much to use, because believe me, you won't be in any sort of shape to figure it out!. (Been there, done that)!.
From now on, put your insulin pens in different coloured kits, and attach clear labels so you can't make this sort of mistake!. I use a bright yellow label for my meal time insulins, and a dark blue one for my night-time insulin!. Yellow for sunlight, dark blue for night time sky!. Simple!.
Also, my pens are a different colours, so its easy to notice that I have the right or wrong one!.
You could keep juice tetra packs (juice boxes) in your room, enough to cover the carbs you'd need, or a large bottle of regular pop, or two, whatever it takes!. Then they'd be there if you need them!. They wouldn't be cold, but they'd be at hand!.
It also helps to keep your Lantus in your bedroom and do it there!. Then keep your Humalog in the kitchen or dining room and never use it in your bedroom!. This helps avoid confusion!.
Also, if you ever think you have given yourself the wrong insulin, TELL SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY!. It may not take long to kick in and your might not get enough carbs down fast enough to prevent yourself from passing out!. Better safe than sorry!.
It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse for an emergency plan to have in place so you know exactly what to do!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Get some glucose tablets!. You can find them at Walmart or any pharmacy!. Look at the label to see how many carbs are in each one!. Figure out how many it would take to give you 15 carbs and write that number on the lid with an indelible marker!. That way you won't have to think about it when you need them!. Sometimes when you are very low its too hard to think, and you need to have that number handy!.
If you ever inject your Humalog by mistake, take the glucose tablets that would cover that number of carbs and drink some water to help digest it!. Or you could use some orange juice or pop with sugar in it, or even Gatorade, but you need to know ahead of time how much to use, because believe me, you won't be in any sort of shape to figure it out!. (Been there, done that)!.
From now on, put your insulin pens in different coloured kits, and attach clear labels so you can't make this sort of mistake!. I use a bright yellow label for my meal time insulins, and a dark blue one for my night-time insulin!. Yellow for sunlight, dark blue for night time sky!. Simple!.
Also, my pens are a different colours, so its easy to notice that I have the right or wrong one!.
You could keep juice tetra packs (juice boxes) in your room, enough to cover the carbs you'd need, or a large bottle of regular pop, or two, whatever it takes!. Then they'd be there if you need them!. They wouldn't be cold, but they'd be at hand!.
It also helps to keep your Lantus in your bedroom and do it there!. Then keep your Humalog in the kitchen or dining room and never use it in your bedroom!. This helps avoid confusion!.
Also, if you ever think you have given yourself the wrong insulin, TELL SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY!. It may not take long to kick in and your might not get enough carbs down fast enough to prevent yourself from passing out!. Better safe than sorry!.
It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse for an emergency plan to have in place so you know exactly what to do!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You shouldn't need Glucagon!. You just need to eat or drink the amount of carb you need to cover that!. 48 oz!. (1-1/2 quarts) of apple juice should cover it (168g of carb)!. But you don't have to gulp it down, just keep drinking it over the course of an hour and check your BG every 1/2 hour for the next few hours!.
You can write "LANTUS" and "HUMALOG" using different colored Sharpie pens on masking tape and put that on the pens to help you tell them apart!. Have you considered an insulin pump instead!? Chances are your insurance will cover most of it!.
Mixing up insulins is a big problem, here's a recent article on the subject: (Scroll down the page a bit if you just see a bunch of empty space)
http://www!.diabeteshealth!.com/read/2008/!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You can write "LANTUS" and "HUMALOG" using different colored Sharpie pens on masking tape and put that on the pens to help you tell them apart!. Have you considered an insulin pump instead!? Chances are your insurance will cover most of it!.
Mixing up insulins is a big problem, here's a recent article on the subject: (Scroll down the page a bit if you just see a bunch of empty space)
http://www!.diabeteshealth!.com/read/2008/!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Pay better attention to your insulin! If you did inject yourself and didn't notice it could be deadly!!! Seriously, slow down enough to do it right!.
If you did give the humalog instead eat some carb and protein, don't go to sleep!. Check your blood sugar after about 15min -1/2 hour!.!.!.eat a little more if it is low!. Stay awake and monitor yourself!. Call the doctor if you have questions!. Let someone know you gave yourself too much insulin!.
Glucagon is only supposed be used in emergencies!.!.!.generally if you are passed out or your blood sugar is super low!. Don't use it to prevent low blood sugar!.
I would say prevention and responsible action is the best way to prevent having to use glucagon!. Again!.!.!.eating carb and monitoring if you overdose yourself on regular or fast acting, and calling the doc ASAP to find out for sure what he/she wants you to do in that situation!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
If you did give the humalog instead eat some carb and protein, don't go to sleep!. Check your blood sugar after about 15min -1/2 hour!.!.!.eat a little more if it is low!. Stay awake and monitor yourself!. Call the doctor if you have questions!. Let someone know you gave yourself too much insulin!.
Glucagon is only supposed be used in emergencies!.!.!.generally if you are passed out or your blood sugar is super low!. Don't use it to prevent low blood sugar!.
I would say prevention and responsible action is the best way to prevent having to use glucagon!. Again!.!.!.eating carb and monitoring if you overdose yourself on regular or fast acting, and calling the doc ASAP to find out for sure what he/she wants you to do in that situation!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Ask your dr!. I do stupid stuff all the time like daily I do stuff like that so when I go to inject (i take lantus 15 at night & 30 when i wake up) I always stop and think and look real clear (I keep both my pens in the same small make-up bag) Or if you think that won't help just keep your lantus away from your humalog, don't store them in the same place!.
Once I was low I was 52 and in my unclear thinking I took 5 units of novolog!. I caught it right away so I drank a hot cocoa, ate a banana while a co worker found me something else I don't remember what it was!. (I was at work- a school and had a limited supply of food right there on me) I was fine , even after i spilled the hot cocoa and tried to clean it up first!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Once I was low I was 52 and in my unclear thinking I took 5 units of novolog!. I caught it right away so I drank a hot cocoa, ate a banana while a co worker found me something else I don't remember what it was!. (I was at work- a school and had a limited supply of food right there on me) I was fine , even after i spilled the hot cocoa and tried to clean it up first!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Glucagon is recommended when the individual is unconscious from hypoglycemia!. Therefore, hopefully a member of your family or good friend (that you are often with) knows how to use your Glucagon!.
Honestly, (and I am not trying to be mean), but you need to be more careful!. Hypoglycemia can be very serious!. Your brain can only live for about 10 minutes without glucose!. After that you could suffer permanent brain damage!.
I am not sure what your physician would recommend if you were to give yourself 11 units of Humalog!. If I remember correctly, Humalog's onset is about 15 minutes and peaks at about an hour!. Therefore, if your doctor did want you to correct the mistake by ingesting food, you would need to immediately begin consuming carbohydrates!. Do you have the diabetic tabs!? Or gels!? Or just find some carb rich food in the house!. I would defintely ask your physican about this though, just to be sure!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Honestly, (and I am not trying to be mean), but you need to be more careful!. Hypoglycemia can be very serious!. Your brain can only live for about 10 minutes without glucose!. After that you could suffer permanent brain damage!.
I am not sure what your physician would recommend if you were to give yourself 11 units of Humalog!. If I remember correctly, Humalog's onset is about 15 minutes and peaks at about an hour!. Therefore, if your doctor did want you to correct the mistake by ingesting food, you would need to immediately begin consuming carbohydrates!. Do you have the diabetic tabs!? Or gels!? Or just find some carb rich food in the house!. I would defintely ask your physican about this though, just to be sure!.Www@Answer-Health@Com