First, I want to start off by saying, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! No, this is not a Jackass or Tosh.O video, and no you shouldn’t try that stuff at home either, but just keep in mind, I am not a doctor, I am not a medical professional, I am just a dude with diabetes who can use a calculator.
As I’ve mentioned recently, I am going off of the pump for a few weeks, possibly longer, and will be using Apidra and Levemir pens. I cannot get in to my endo’s office for at least another week, but I want to start now.
I figured, no matter what basal dosage we come up with initially, there is going to need to be testing that is done, so I figured I might as well try and calculate an approximate basal dosage, but damn it sure came out to a lot of insulin.
I honestly don’t remember where I heard this, but I swear I heard somewhere that most people use 25% less basal when using fast-acting insulin in a pump as opposed to an insulin like Levemir.
So, based on that assumption, which like I said, is totally an assumption because I THINK I heard that somewhere, here is what my calculations would be like:
Total Daily Dosage for Basal = 56.25
Additional Insulin needed = 25%
Total Daily Levemir Dose = 70 units
I plan on splitting my Levemir half in the morning and half at night. However, 70 units sounds like a lot, but until I can somehow continue to lower my insulin dosages by losing a little bit more weight, I don’t care if it’s a lot of insulin, as long as it is keeping my sugars in check.
I haven’t started on this plan yet, but I’ve sent an e-mail to my doc to have her confirm this dosage to at least begin testing out the right basal.
Once again, do not try this at home. Consult with your doctor on any changes to your insulin intake.