Insulin Travel Adjustment Guide

Jun 10, 2004

Insulin Adjustment Traveling EAST Across Multiple Time Zones

	Day of Departure	First Morning at Destination	10 Hours after Morning Dose	Second Day at Destination
Single dose schedule	usual dose	2/3 usual dose N/L plus usual R/H,if appropriate	remainig 1/3 of morning dose N/L, if blood glucose over 240 plus R/H if appropriate	usual dose
Two doses schedule	usual morning and evening doses	2/3 usual morning N/L dose plus usual R/H if appropriate	usual evening dose plus remaining 1/3 of morning dose N/L is blood glucose over 240	usual two doses
Multiple daily doses schedule	usual morning & evening UL dose plus R/H with meals	2/3 usual morning UL dose plus R/H with meals	usual evening UL dose plus remaining 1/3 or morning UL if blood glucose over 240	usual doses

Insulin Adjustment Traveling WEST Across Multiple Time Zones

	*Day of Departure*	*18 Hours after Morning Dose*	*First Morning at Destination*
*Single dose schedule*	*usual dose*	*1/3 usual dose N/L followed by meal or snack if blood glucose over 240 and usual R/H dose if appropriate*	*usual dose*
*Two doses*	*usual morning and evening doses*	*1/3 usual morning dose N/L if blood glucose over 240 plus usual dose R/H if appropriate*	*usual two doses*
*Multiple daily doses*	*usual morning and evening doses followed by meal or snack*	*1/3 usual morning dose UL if blood glucose over 240 plus R/H as appropriate*	*usual doses*

*Note: On return journey, people traveling west use eastbound schedule (Table 2)

Reprinted with permission of: EDWARD A. BENSON, MD