Insulin Frustration...Please Help!

pupluv0410

Anyone out there with GD on insulin?  They put me on 4 units of Humalin at night and 4 units of Humalog in the morning.  However, they do not seem to be working.  I have never dealt with diabetes before.  So my question is, is 4 units a very small amount or is my body just not responding to it?  I just got diagnosed a couple weeks ago and I plan on calling them back again tomorrow (since they were supposed to call me today about possibly taking some at dinner too but they didn't).  If you are taking insulin, how much are you taking?  Can too much insulin hurt the baby?  Thanks so much!

katkatmoss

Loaded questions. Everyone is different in regards to the amount of insulin their bodies need to cover your carbs. My needs have nearly tripled since the beginning of my pregnancy.  4 units isn't much as far as I'm concerned. Lack of insulin at this point is what will be harmful to your baby if you aren't keeping your numbers down. What kind of pre meal and post meal numbers are you getting with only taking 4 units? And how many carbs are you having at these meals?

pupluv0410

15-30 carbs at breakfast and 30-45 carbs at lunch and dinner.  My fasting numbers are between 105-120 and my numbers after breakfast and dinner sometimes are in the 150s.

katielee0127

I'm on Humalin too, the 70/30 mixed kind (fast and slow acting) I take 15 units in the morning and that's it and it seems to be working well for me. My fasting numbers are between 80-105 depending on what I had the night before I guess. This is my first rodeo with insulin too, with diabetes all together so it's a work in progress. My little boy is measuring a couple weeks ahead and the dr. told me that the insulin would slow him down some to where he's not 25 pounds when he decides to come! lol

memali26

4 units is a very small amount and it's likely you just need to increase. They tend to start off small and increase as needed instead of starting high and decreasing so they don't cause your blood sugar to crash. With my first GD pregnancy, I was up to 24 units of Humulin N morning and night and 4 units mid-day by the time I delivered. With my second, I was up to almost 20 units of Humulin N at bedtime and 6-8 units of Humalog with all 3 meals by delivery.

Definitely call ASAP and have them help you adjust your units. Too little insulin will keep your numbers running too high. I was always assured there could not be too much insulin - it's something your body already makes naturally, GD moms just need a boost because your pregnancy hormones are causing your body to be more insulin-resistant than normal. Unfortunately, you become more insulin-resistant the farther you get into pregnancy (even non-GD moms do), so your insulin needs will probably continue to increase up until the end. 

katkatmoss

Yes, call them if they haven't called. 150 is a bit high. Should be 120 or under after your meals. I don't see any harm in increasing by a unit if you haven't heard from them. Hopefully they sent you to a  GD education class, or sent you to a high risk OB and or Endocrinologist (I highly recommend you do so if you haven't seen one). Don't be afraid to ask for more help or training. You haven't long to go, but it can make a huge difference in the rest of your pregnancy. Managing this is not fun, but very doable. But there is such a thing as too much insulin. But a unit for a GD isn't going to get you to too much if you are currently hitting 150's on 4 units and those carbs. I'm not a doctor, but I'm a type 1 and have gone through 2 pregnancies as a diabetic and managed my own insulin dosages for a while now. Breathe. Remember to ask for help from the professionals. That is what they are there for. And of course, we are here to support you too )

jessibel00

To put it in perspective, I am taking 70 units of Humalin at night and 24 units of humalog before meals.  Your doses need o be upped, call or email your dr and they will increase you.  They do the increases gradually and it may take a while to get it under control.

pupluv0410

Thank you guys so much for your responses!

deziraeb

Exactly what everyone else says! With GD, there isn't a long history of what insulin needs you have so the doctors have to start you off slow. I've been type 1 diabetic for 16 years now and when I got pregnant, the docs already had a baseline of insulin so they knew what to increase. With you, it's a whole new ballgame, give them time to adjust through trial and error. This is why testing right now is so important! It gives the doctors something to look at to see how you're processing the sugar and what needs to be increased!

 Too much insulin doesn't necessarily harm the baby. You'd rather your numbers be controlled than have high numbers. Basically, whatever your sugar is, the LO's sugar is. If you have high sugar, the LO will produce more insulin inside of itself to combat the high sugar which is why so many GD women have babies that are born with low sugar counts. Keep your numbers regulated and you'll be fine! FWIW, I take about 85 units a day overall but I'm on a pump. Before I was pregnant, I took about 50 units a day and it just increases the bigger I get.