# How Many Carbs Do You Take to Correct Lows?/ how long do you wait for result? **URL:** \ **Category:** Treatment\ **Tags:** hypoglycemia, low-bg\ **Created:** [December 19, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909 "2017-12-19T19:34:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MM2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/mm2/32/3032_2.png) [@MM2](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MM2)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/41 "2017-12-19T23:57:54Z")
I used to use skittles, but now use jelly belly beans (from Costco), and fill up old Rx bottles. They are all over the house, or in my pocket when I leave. Similar to skittles I can take one or more based on how many carbs I think I need, and can eat straight from the container without touching hands. ---
**Author:** ![jag1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jag1](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/jag1)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/42 "2017-12-20T00:34:11Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > Jag, do you use a CGM? or do you feel the low coming on and do a finger stick? > > i dont use a cgm, so i rely on how i am feeling and on finger sticks. i can generally feel if i am trending down, though, 'cause i feel the BG drop, although, there are many times where i am completely unaware that i am low until i test post-meal bolus. Like you, I have no CGM (or pump), so rely on how I feel, plus knowledge of how long ago I took insulin to know when it will be useful to test my BG. I test before my injection and usually test in the 60 to 90 minute post Humalog bolus injection time period, because I have observed that I can typically predict that soon after the injection based on the delta between these readings whether my injection was correct or not. There isn’t a lot of movement at that point, but there is enough to see a trend (so I suspect very similar to the idea of Sugar Surfing, though I haven’t read the book and this is done without a CGM). I have found it is enough for me to predict where my BG will be headed for the rest of that bolus duration. If my BG is lower or higher than I want it at about 90 minutes, then I start to correct at that time, rather than waiting until it gets more out of whack. I am perfectly willing to take a fruit correction, or to stack insulin, at 90 minutes post initial injection, because I have found experimentally that it works for me with low risk of being way off when the full IOB time has expired (I wouldn’t suggest this to others without testing for themselves). I do this for correction doses also - so if I take a correction injection and test at 90 minutes already at my goal BG, then I know that I overdid the correction, and will find a piece of fruit (or whatever). On the other hand if I test 90 minutes later and find my BG is higher or still where it was pre-correction, then I know that my correction dose was insufficient and I will take another partial correction of the original dose. Now this is clearly against the rules of stacking insulin, and therefore not recommended in any book. But all I know is that it works for me, so I do it and will continue doing it unless I come up with something better. I try very hard to stay out of the 30’s - I HATE the feeling of being in the 30’s so I test about 13 times a day and it is now very rare for me using this technique. It would probably be easier to use a CGM, since I could test less frequently, but so far I have not wanted to be attached to technology 24/7, and what I am doing works well enough for me. Sorry if this is a longer answer than you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/43 "2017-12-20T01:31:21Z")
> [@jag1](#): > > Sorry if this is a longer answer than you wanted. this is **not** longer than i wanted at all; this is exactly what i was curious about. and i just wanted to say that i do a similar thing in as far as corrections go: if i do a correction to bring down a high BG, and after 1.5 hours i see no or little movement, i will bolus again. not as much, but enough to try and push it along. sometimes i can be a little resistant when i am high (150+ ) (although the higher i might be, the more resistant i am, and then i may do an IM injection in my thigh, which works within 1/2 hour.) ---
**Author:** ![CatLady](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/catlady/32/36_2.png) [@CatLady](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/CatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/44 "2017-12-20T16:11:57Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > and after 1.5 hours i see no or little movement, i will bolus again. not as much, Ditto! And even up my basal with the first correction to jumpstart the process. I have learned that I need more insulin to correct at 225 than at 175, for sure! ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/45 "2017-12-20T16:14:36Z")
> [@CatLady](#): > > need more insulin to correct at 225 than at 175, for sure! yes. deffinately. my pumps program doesnt know that the higher my BG the more stubborn it is to come down, so if i rely upon its suggestion of insulin bolus, it cant know what is actually needed. ---
**Author:** ![Beacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a6a055/32.png) [@Beacher](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Beacher)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/46 "2017-12-20T16:36:44Z")
> [@CatLady](#): > > I have learned that I need more insulin to correct at 225 than at 175, for sure! Do you guess at how much more, or do you just add, say, 25%, or have you pinned down an IC ratio for when you’re high? ---
**Author:** ![CatLady](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/catlady/32/36_2.png) [@CatLady](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/CatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/47 "2017-12-20T16:39:50Z")
Mostly just guess, based on past (insufficient) bolus corrections and what’s been going on that the pump can’t factor in, e.g., stress, illness, nasty infected cat bite, etc. ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/48 "2017-12-20T16:41:23Z")
i try and stay in the middle of my ICR 1:10 and re-bolus almost, but not all, the amount as if i hadnt corrected previously. this usually works well for me. sometimes i will go a little low, but thats always much easier to correct. (however there are times when even the extra bump of a bolus doesnt quite get me back into my target range) ---
**Author:** ![Lisa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/lisa/32/2701_2.png) [@Lisa](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Lisa)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/49 "2017-12-30T15:31:55Z")
I do the same. I always start with 4-5 g of carbs and then wait. I find that If I take 10g then I will overshoot my target. I always use glucose tabs and sometimes I will even split one in half if my BG is not that low and I just want to nudge it up. ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/50 "2017-12-30T21:26:26Z")
> [@Lisa](#): > > I always use glucose tabs and sometimes I will even split one in half i do the exact same thing. i am happy that they are scored down the middle so i can split them easily. ---
**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/51 "2017-12-30T22:54:35Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > i am happy that they are scored down the middle so i can split them easily. They do the same thing with a lot of chocolate bars, DM. 😉 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/2X/b/bcae8511ebb3a7642bfbfe7b4591011d0a313d2e.jpg) (BTW, if you haven’t already had it, try Scharffen Berger) ---
**Author:** ![bkh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@bkh](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/bkh)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/52 "2017-12-31T17:44:27Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > so, that being said, at what point do you decide to treat a low? how many carbs do you need to take for different BGs? and, what do you find to be the most effective carb correction method? also, how long do you have to wait to get the thorough effect of your correction? I generally will eat some kind of carb when falling and I predict that I’ll go below 80, and I usually treat with glucose when I am in the low 70s or below. I have a safety rule that if I’m 60 or below I must take glucose right away, without stopping to reason about the low, because I might be sufficiently impaired to get lost if I stop to think about it. If I’m in a hurry or it’s near bedtime (so I want the full effect to be over soon) I use glucose tabs. I prefer them to candy because glucose is faster than fructose or sucrose. (Not faster like sparrow vs. turtle, but faster is faster.) I use 1 tab for every 10 mg/dL that I want to go up. So if I’m at 62 I’ll count “72, 82, 92” as I pop tabs in my mouth, until I’ve counted up to a number I like. This is easy enough that I can do it even when way low. Then I watch the CGM and I expect to see the graph start to turn up within 10 to 15 minutes, and I continue to watch to see if it is going where I want and fast enough that I’m satisfied, or do I need to make another adjustment . ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/53 "2017-12-31T18:10:41Z")
one thing that i have found with the glucose tablets is that i dont see the full effect for about 1 hour. sometimes even longer. so, if i want to bring my BG up and then bolus after i get to 70ish, it could take 15 minutes, but the Gtab is still inside me working/digesting, so if i bolus for my meal based upon a 70 BG, but within the full hour my BG comes up to 100, i will be 30 points off and i might not be bolusing for the correct amount of insulin. make sense? but, if i dont plan on having a meal/snack, i try not to over-correct. i wait it out for an hour to see the full effect of the Gtab. if i only waited 15 to 20 minutes, and then tested, and i was only 60, i wont take another tab. i will just wait it out. i learned this the hard way 😉 ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/54 "2017-12-31T18:15:49Z")
> [@Eric](#): > > They do the same thing with a lot of chocolate bars, DM DUH 😉 hows that Toblerone and the Merci doing? (BTW: Toblerone is very easy to break off into little pieces.) ---
**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/55 "2017-12-31T18:18:19Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > hows that Toblerone and the Merci doing? ( Working on them both, but not too much yet. Have you ever tried Scharffen Berger? ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/56 "2018-01-01T00:17:49Z")
Split this topic on January 1, 2018, 12:17am UTC 6 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Eggnog… to treat lows](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/eggnog-to-treat-lows/3041) ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/57 "2018-01-01T00:18:43Z")
Split your post to start new Eggnog thread, hope it’s OK! ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/58 "2018-01-01T00:35:18Z")
of course thats okay ☀ ---
**Author:** ![bkh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@bkh](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/bkh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/59 "2018-01-01T16:15:59Z")
> [@daisymae](#): > > so, if i want to bring my BG up and then bolus after i get to 70ish, it could take 15 minutes, but the Gtab is still inside me working/digesting, so if i bolus for my meal based upon a 70 BG, but within the full hour my BG comes up to 100, i will be 30 points off and i might not be bolusing for the correct amount of insulin. make sense? Yes, it makes great sense for you to do it that way. I’m lucky that I don’t have to deal with that delayed-digestion phenomenon. I would feel in danger if I didn’t have an easy way to raise my BG quickly. Maybe someday they’ll invent long-life glucagon pens for microdosing. That might be a helpful option for us all (not a routine replacement for your chocolate technique, though.) ---
**Author:** ![daisymae](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/daisymae/32/1199_2.png) [@daisymae](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/daisymae)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909/60 "2018-01-01T20:11:02Z")
if i drink a little juice, i come up much faster than an hour. within 15 minutes i can pretty much guess where i’m at. i think liquids in general bring me up much quicker than anything hard like my tabs or chocolate or hard candy, etc. [Previous page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-many-carbs-do-you-take-to-correct-lows-how-long-do-you-wait-for-result/2909.md?page=2)