Chronic Health Conditions Discussion and Support

I struggled for years with 2AM lows until my new doctor put me on a Humalog/Lantus regimen a few years back. The Lantus is taken in a single dosage (or twice daily by some folk) to cover the 'basal' dose, or what the body needs hour-to-hour between meals. Humalog is used to cover the 'bolus', or mealtime carbs. It works more rapidly than Humalin R (Regular) and covers the calories without hanging around for hours afterward to cause low BG's. The key is to figure out what combination of insulin and carbohydrates you need and to know how much adjustment is required in cases such as illness or too much excercise. You do this by learning how to carb count, either with a registered dietician or using the wealth of material online. You don't have to be the Rainman when it comes to figuring out how many carbs are in a plate full of food; with practice you'll get a close enough guesstimate to keep your BG's within the zone.

Don't worry - a cure is within 5 years, or so I've heard for the past 40 years!