Diabetics - if you forget to take your insulin before a meal, what happens?

[Deja Q]

I have a feeling I know, but I hope you don't mind me asking... thanks!

[Warpy]

1. Depends on the type of insulin and whether it's forgotten completely

or just delayed until the person goes "oops!" slaps his or her forehead, checks that sugar and acts accordingly. If his/her physician hasn't ordered a sliding scale of regular insulin for times like this, then the physician needs to be called ASAP.

If it's a mixture of short and long acting insulins and just delayed until after the meal or even a couple of hours later, there will be a spike in blood sugar. Short acting insulin kicks in about 15 minutes after the needle goes in, so it starts to act as the first bites of food are starting to hit bottom. About the time its peak is over, the longer acting insulin kicks in.

If the dose was missed completely, then the blood sugar might be high enough to require a call to the doctor, sliding scale or not.

There are other insulins, some with a very long period of time between onset and peak. If that is taken late as a result of an "oops!" and a head slap, it generally doesn't mean a whole lot, since the last dose is still having an effect on blood sugar.

Too little insulin isn't generally as dangerous as too much insulin. Extremely high blood sugars are unpleasant enough that the diabetic will call that doctor. Insulin shock may render him/her incapable of doing so.

In any case, when in doubt, CALL THAT DOCTOR! High and low blood sugars are nothing to play around with. Both will cause damage to body systems.

[Deja Q]

2. I'm not diabetic yet, but I am becoming increasingly sensitive to food, or lack thereof...

The moment I get "that" headache, if I start to eat (and I will NOT eat sugars anymore :cry:, I'm trying to get rid of 30lbs of blubber) I'll feel better, but then I feel a different weird headache that abates for a while.

But the 'after' one is far preferable to the 'before' one, which due to my stupidity last June nearly had me falling unconscious in the car.