[dano]

Today I made a major mistake with my insulin dosage. Instead of taking my basal dosage of Levemir, I picked up the wrong pen and shot 60 units of Novolog. I knew that I had made a mistake as soon as I pulled the needle out, but it was too late.

I calculated the amount of food that I would need to eat and this equated to 480 carbs. I knew that I would not be able to eat that much so I called my doctor for advice. He recommended eating continuously for three to four hours. I survived this ordeal with breakfast and five donuts through out the morning. I did not take my normal basal dosage, I did not take any of the other meds that would help me use the insulin and I did not bolus for anything that I ate.

I knew that this would happen eventually, so I guess today was the day. Apparently this happens more than we might think according to my doctor.

In summary this can be survived by:

1 Keeping a Glucagon Emergency Kit handy in case you go too low
2 Checking your blood sugar at least every hour
3 Eating / "grazing" on food continuously for three to four hours

Always have someone with you that knows how to administer the Glucagon Emergency Kit or call for help and be ready to go to the ER if you can't keep your blood sugar up above 70 mg/dl.

The best advice that I can give you is to not let this happen. Always double check to make sure that you have picked up the correct insulin pen or vial. I know that they are color coded, mine was too, but I still made the mistake.

[bbb]

I have worried about that happening too

[type1rachelle]

I've done this before too, but in a different way - with my insulin pump... I was half asleep and managed to give myself 14 units of Humalog instead of 1.4 units.

I had woken up in the middle of the night a little high and I was on a new pump. My old pump would calculate the math for me, and I'd deliver that number of units with a press of the button. My NEW pump would calculate the math for me but I would have to press the up arrow to actually scroll to the number before giving it to myself.

Sounds like a tiny change, but when you're half asleep and the up arrow is extremely sensitive, I scrolled to 14u in no time, thinking that it said 1.4u

Anyway, I realized as I laid back down and in the quiet of the night I heard my pump STILL delivering insulin. I managed to cancel the bolus and stop it at 10u, but that was still the equivalent of 150g of carbs.

I pretty much did the same thing... took in a lot of carbs - 3 apple juice boxes and two big bowls of cereal, and of course I didn't go back to sleep until two hours later - and then of course I woke up high the next day (and very tired).

Such a pain, this disease. Thanks for sharing!

[corbo]

I happen to do the same thing

[rcpeter625]

been there done that. i idn't realize i had done it like you did so I ended up in an ambulance and the ER for 6 hours. I gave myself my dinner dose of insulin than forgot i did it and gave myself a second shot. my wife found me looking gray on the shower floor

[MilkyJo]

Practice to stay in the low end if you get there, it could save your life. It's sort of like holding your breath for a really long time. I can be at 2-2,5 and still stay calm.