IS it better to inject humalog before meal or after it?

Question

As a case of IDDM I usually take humalog after meal because I know how much carb I exactly have consumed what is your comments as a diabetic in this regards?

Answer 1

It depends.

Reasons to wait until after a meal:
-Your blood sugar was low prior to your meal
-Your meal is mostly low GI foods (i.e. brown rice, beans, etc.)
-You're not sure how much will be eaten (this is common in young children, I suggest parents do this with all toddlers)
-You have gastroparesis (nerve damage that can slow digestion).
-You are not absorbing your food properly due to illness or are having unpredictable low blood sugars that day.
-You do not have the food in front of you (assuming you use analogues).

Reasons to not wait:

-Your blood sugar is already high and/or your meal is high GI (potatoes, certain cereals, bananas, etc.)
-You know exactly how much you will eat, and your food is right in front of you.
-Your absorbtion of insulin sometimes takes longer than most people (i.e. you have scar tissue).

There is no real right or wrong way, your needs are individual, and will most likely change from meal to meal. It's easy for me to crank out suggestions, but it's much harder to manage in real life. The best thing I can say is to use trial and error, and see what generally works for you. If you don't know about the GI index, you can search for more info on the 'net, and/or see a dietitian. I say, whatever works, stick with it!

Answer 2

It is ideal to give insulin before a meal and that is when you have checked your blood sugar before you have eaten. Since you are an IDDM that means you do not produce insulin, you need to have the insulin. I believe that you are having your insulin after as you cannot gauge what you will eat before the meal. That is reasonable. I usually do that with patients who have very unstable blood sugar and doesn't have that much appetite to begin with. If you do not have problems with eating (no loss of appetite) you have to check your blood sugar before a meal and give yourself the insulin depending on what you think you can eat. Titrating your insulin dose can be a trial and error at times when you are still new at this but in the long run you will get used to this.

Make sure that you have an orange juice or sweets next to you in between meals. This is to help combat if you have a hypoglycemic attack.

Answer 3

I've always injected Humalog a few minutes before a meal. That's what I've always been advised to do

Answer 4

This is too complicated for a simple answer.
For starters; what are your daily blood sugars like? If your diabetic educator has made a suggestion about when to take your insulin, then you should follow it. If you have never seen a diabetic educator, it would be very useful to make an appointment with one and review your routine and blood sugars. Most insurance will pay for such a visit because it will help you achieve better diabetic control.

Answer 5

It depends on you. Take your blood sugar before you eat and if it's high then then certainly inject before you eat so that you don't end up with a high spike. If you're ok then inject after you eat, especially after a high carb meal.