Double dose of basal insulin
If you suspect that you have administered a double dose of basal insulin, check your sensor reading or measure your blood glucose every 2-3 hours until the next scheduled basal insulin injection, which is in 12-24 hours. Ensure that you have carbohydrate-rich or sugary food and drinks available. If your blood sugar drops, consume additional snacks without rapid-acting insulin. Depending on the situation, consume juice, sandwiches, and dairy products, which means both fast- and slow-absorbing carbohydrates – but not excessively. Accordingly, you can reduce or even skip rapid-acting insulin doses for main meals.
If you are unsure, alone at home, or if the extra insulin dose administered is significantly high, contact your care provider or seek emergency care.
The same guidelines apply if you accidentally inject long-acting insulin instead of rapid-acting insulin.
Double dose of mealtime insulin
If you inject double the amount of rapid-acting mealinsulin, consume an additional amount of carbohydrates corresponding to your personal insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. For example, if 1 unit of rapid-acting insulin covers 10 grams of carbohydrates for you, and you inject 5 units double, you will need extra 50 grams of carbohydrates. Measure your blood sugar or read your sensor every 1–2 hours for the next 4 hours.
You can follow the same guidelines if you inject rapid-acting instead of long-acting insulin. However, do not omit your long-acting basal insulin, but you can reduce its dose by a couple of units (10–20%).
If you are unsure about how to manage the situation, contact your care provider or seek emergency care.