# Advice on swapping from 2 to multiple injections.



## Jacqkie (Oct 5, 2010)

My Daughter was diagnosed on 26/8/09 aged 6 1/2.
She has been on two daily injections and is currently on 6 novorapid/12 insulatard before breakfast and 3 novorapid/5 insulatard before tea. I obviously have to increase/decrease insulin when required and occasionally I have to give her an additional injection during the day if she is high.
We have got used to working around her injection times but I am finding it very difficult at the moment to keep her levels normal.
I am visiting the clinic in November and want to ask about multiple injections.
I have read that it involves "carb" counting which sounds daunting and am I correct in saying that you are not so restricted to eating at a certain time?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## gewatts (Oct 5, 2010)

Hi. My daughter was on 2 injections a day for nearly 4 years and her levels were always up and down. We also used to battle at meal times. It was very hard. I too was very scared about carb counting. Initially we moved to 3 injections a day so she didn't need an injection at school. We only carb counted then at tea time. After a few weeks of this we moved to 4 a day and we now carb count all her meals. There are loads if good books about - carbs and cals is good. Also The collins gem carb counter or the Map fat and calories counter (similar to collins gem but I prefer it). I also use the Salter 1400 nutritional scales which have loads of foods programmes in (they are cheaper off ebay then Amazon!). Carb counting just takes practice. It really isn't hard once you get used to it. After a few months I found that I could just look at a food and estimate how many carbs were in it (not all foods though!).  Good luck x


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## gewatts (Oct 5, 2010)

Also meant to say ............... yes meal times aren't as restricted now. Before, she used to have to eat before 8am, at noon and before 5pm for her tea. We don't have to stick to these times anymore. So at weekends if she sleeps in, she sometimes doesn't have breakfast until after 9am - it's so much better. She can also have a leter lunch and tea without going hypo. She can also pretty much eat what she wants as long as we can carb count it. When she's been ill and not wanted to eat it's been much easier as she hasn't had to eat much - we just cover what she does eat with insulin. xx


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## MeanMom (Oct 6, 2010)

My K has always been on multiple doses, and we started to carb count after about 3 months. It is very daunting but i look on it as the only way you can have anything like a 'normal' life. We are still learning as the hardest thing is to judge 'by eye' when you cannot weigh the food (when eating out for e.g).

One thing I will add which not many books even mention - another 'D Mum' suggested it - we inject AFTER meals. 

It is much easier to count the carbs already eaten rather than guess what K is going to eat before hand. And if she wants some more she can have it but doesnt have to eat everything if she doesnt want to. You do see this mentioned in books when having a high fat meal but we do it at every meal now. Our Dsn has no problem with it - but you would have to check with yours. 

Good Luck x


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## gewatts (Oct 7, 2010)

We also inject after meals. However, I have recently started to inject before breakfast as she tends to eat all that I give her and I have also discovered that after a night of not eating, the body processes breakfast really quickly and so, to prevent a mid morning spike, it is better to inject before breakfast.  We inject after lunch and tea though.


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## Ruth Goode (Oct 8, 2010)

My daughter is 2, she was dx at 23 months old and she was on 2 insulins (narvomix) a day, her level goes up and down too... mostly high so we have started on 4 insulins (narvorapid and levemir) its only been over a month and also carb counting.  I have to say her level have improved since and Im pleased with it.


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