# How many units of insulin do you take daily?



## Ingressus (Dec 27, 2017)

Im always being asked how many units of insulin do you take and is that normal, i know there is no rules everyone is different and lifestyle is different, fill out the pole would be interesting to see if there is an average, by the way im on Lantus 36 and Humalog 14 twice a day which equals 64


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## mikeyB (Dec 27, 2017)

On MDI, the question is akin to how long is a piece of string? Or, indeed, how many chips I want to eat. Or don’t. Over Christmas, I would have had to check three of the choices, which would be lost in the survey as an individual vote. Sorry.


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## Ingressus (Dec 27, 2017)

mikeyB said:


> On MDI, the question is akin to how long is a piece of string? Or, indeed, how many chips I want to eat. Or don’t. Over Christmas, I would have had to check three of the choices, which would be lost in the survey as an individual vote. Sorry.



I get that i know its hard to say but but xmas is a bit special


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## ukjohn (Dec 27, 2017)

*Afraid your table does not go high enough for me to enter my daily dose which is

Novorapid......200 units daily
Insulatard.......150 units daily                So total for the day is......350 units.


John.*


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## Ingressus (Dec 27, 2017)

ukjohn said:


> *Afraid your table does not go high enough for me to enter my daily dose which is
> 
> Novorapid......200 units daily
> Insulatard.......150 units daily                So total for the day is......350 units.
> ...


Wow i didnt realize people were at that level iv updated the survey more than above


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 27, 2017)

I’ve gone for a 40 day average, which handily Threepio keeps track of for me


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Dec 27, 2017)

So far today 20 units of Levemir and 8 Novorapid, however I plan on having some biscuits and chocolate this evening so it will be considerably higher later


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## Radders (Dec 27, 2017)

mikeyB said:


> On MDI, the question is akin to how long is a piece of string? Or, indeed, how many chips I want to eat. Or don’t. Over Christmas, I would have had to check three of the choices, which would be lost in the survey as an individual vote. Sorry.


Similar, but I went for the average. Over the past month it has varied between 15 and 28 with a mean of 22.5 but I have included Christmas and a few bad sets in there so I think my normal average is near enough 20.


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## AJLang (Dec 27, 2017)

Well my basal is 31 (and going down by the day) but my bolus only averages 7 units a day so I've gone for the nearest figure to 39.


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## Matt Cycle (Dec 27, 2017)

I'm now around 35 a day.  Since going on the pump earlier this month it has reduced by around 10-15u a day compared to MDI.  (The c.45 units on MDI hadn't changed much in over 30 years). 

I've tried to find out how much a 'normal' will produce in an average day.  It would need to be a very rough average and will obviously depend on lots of things - weight, sex, diet etc, etc.  Apparently it's difficult to measure but from what I could find 30-50u endogenous insulin seems to be in the right ballpark.  Apparently you can't really compare endogenous and exogenous insulin as the liver gets involved with endogenous insulin (not entirely sure what happens ).


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## Robin (Dec 27, 2017)

Basal is 7.5 at the moment, Bolus varies with what I'm eating, I had 15 today, it included Christmas cake, but lower carb meals, so it's probably a good average, so 22.5 total.


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## khskel (Dec 27, 2017)

Basal 5 units and usually up to 14 units bolus, although I might have gone slightly over that in the last few days........can't think why


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## Northerner (Dec 27, 2017)

Matt Cycle said:


> I'm now around 35 a day.  Since going on the pump earlier this month it has reduced by around 10-15u a day compared to MDI.  (The c.45 units on MDI hadn't changed much in over 30 years).
> 
> I've tried to find out how much a 'normal' will produce in an average day.  It would need to be a very rough average and will obviously depend on lots of things - weight, sex, diet etc, etc.  Apparently it's difficult to measure but from what I could find 30-50u endogenous insulin seems to be in the right ballpark.  Apparently you can't really compare endogenous and exogenous insulin as the liver gets involved with endogenous insulin (not entirely sure what happens ).


My consultant once told me that an average healthy pancreas produces about 20 units a day. I inject about 20 units a day (all novorapid, no basal), but injected insulin is used far less efficiently, particularly in larger doses.


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## Ljc (Dec 27, 2017)

Basal 10 units daily 
My Novo Rapid varies according to what I eat. today 27 units unless I’m hungry later on.


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## grainger (Dec 27, 2017)

I’m probably around 60 a day at the moment but I’m on over double what I normally have for meals as pregnant and enjoying becoming insulin resistant... this is likely to go up and up over the next 12 weeks. 
Not pregnant I probably sit around the 30 mark I’d guess.


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## Hepato-pancreato (Dec 27, 2017)

Like someone else mentioned it varies so i’ve Put what I thin is average. Which is above 100.
But I was told it  is nothing to do with how much or how less you need to take. It’s the fact you need to take it is more important


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## trophywench (Dec 27, 2017)

I was told approx. 20u a day for a non diabetic as well as Northerner so I've always had to use more right from Day 1.

I'm in the low 20s or less mostly but considering I've eaten a big bowl of stew followed by another, though smaller, dish of trifle and that's been dessert for 3 days now I think this weeks average might be up a bit!


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## Greyhound Gal (Dec 28, 2017)

As with everyone else, my bolus varies, generally between 11 - 16u a day, so I've gone for 13 as the average. My basal is normally 9u but the TB drugs have pushed that up to 10u currently, so my total insulin is low 20s.


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## Radders (Dec 28, 2017)

Somewhere I read that a rough rule of thumb for total daily dose (I think for type 1) is half one’s body weight in kilos. For that much insulin I estimate I’d be eating about 200 g carbs a day and I think that’s not far off the average. I eat a lot less so that explains my lower dose. I also find that my basal needs increase if I eat more carbs.


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## Bloden (Dec 28, 2017)

Basal: 8. And my 3 meals on a normal day: 3, 5 and 6. A grand total of 22.


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## SB2015 (Dec 28, 2017)

Robin said:


> Basal is 7.5 at the moment, Bolus varies with what I'm eating, I had 15 today, it included Christmas cake, but lower carb meals, so it's probably a good average, so 22.5 total.


Glad someone else succumbs to Christmas Cake.


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## SB2015 (Dec 28, 2017)

I  had used my average total daily dose of about 28 units.
I did peak at 32 on Christmas Day.  That Christmas cake is so tempting!


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## Ingressus (Dec 28, 2017)

SB2015 said:


> I  had used my average total daily dose of about 28 units.
> I did peak at 32 on Christmas Day.  That Christmas cake is so tempting!


I know Christmas cake and wenslydale cheese on what a way to go lol


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## eggyg (Dec 28, 2017)

I have gone for 20-29.my basal is 13, split 8 morning 5 evening. Breakfast never more than 3 sometimes none. Lunch usually 4-6, evening meal varies depending how much of a greedy cow I feel! But generally averages 7 I would think.


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## SB2015 (Dec 28, 2017)

Ingressus said:


> I know Christmas cake and wenslydale cheese on what a way to go lol


If Wensleydale is not available I resort to Cheddar with it.
Introduced to this by Father in law who was from Yorkshire.


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## grovesy (Dec 28, 2017)

SB2015 said:


> If Wensleydale is not available I resort to Cheddar with it.
> Introduced to this by Father in law who was from Yorkshire.


No it has to be Wensleydale with Christmas cake.


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## khskel (Dec 28, 2017)

grovesy said:


> No it has to be Wensleydale with Christmas cake.


Anything else should be a criminal offence


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## SB2015 (Dec 28, 2017)

khskel said:


> Anything else should be a criminal offence


I am a criminal this evening!!


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## khskel (Dec 29, 2017)

SB2015 said:


> I am a criminal this evening!!


What the hell it is the season of good will. At least it wasn't brie.


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## Ingressus (Dec 29, 2017)

Oh my word found a block of Wensldale in the fridge going to have to change my survey score after this lol


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## SB2015 (Dec 29, 2017)

khskel said:


> What the hell it is the season of good will. At least it wasn't brie.


Ugh.  Brie with Cake!!!


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## Radders (Dec 30, 2017)

I prefer Lancashire or Cheddar. Wensleydale doesn’t have enough of a tang for me.


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