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Massive Spike and it's not coming down!

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B

Babysaurus

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
😱

Am venting really as can't go to bed yet but unable to sit and watch TV or read for worrying.

I had my dinner at 7ish and tested an hour after - 19.8!! I had had, I figured, more insulin than I needed (didn't eat all my dinner, which was a veggie curry with rice and I didn't have much rice at all) and so was actually expecting it to be more like 5 or thereabouts - it normally would be. I had a mini panic and bolused (am on pump) 20 units and 45 mins later was 18, so I bit the bullet and had another 15 (would normally have far less but have quite strong insulin resistance now at 34 weeks.) I then tested another 45 mins after and had gone back to 19.9!

Cue yet more insulin (have now allegedly got 65 units in my system which seem to have done nothing whatsoever) after changing the insulin in the pump, the link thingie and the canula. Am now waiting, but also thinking I may suddenly have a massive hypo so am also on high alert for that. Glucogon and Dextrogel is on the kitchen counter and hubby isn't going to bed any time soon just in case...!

Buggeration.

The 'highest' I have been of late has been 10, and I am generally not going over 7.5 so a whopping reading like 19 has shaken me up a bit.

If it's still like this in a few hours I might take myself to A&E as am running out of ideas, and can't just keep bolusing massive amounts. Thankfully no ketones though, nothing whatsoever on that front (not prone to them even under normal circumstances.)
 
I hope you are OK now, that does sound scary to be giving so much insulin with seemingly no effect :(
 
Hi

The only times I have had readings like this of late is where there has been an issue with the pump (usually a bent cannula) and this has happened two or three times since having the pump. I have found that changing it all sorted it but the first time it happened I injected with the good old novarapid pen.

It is really scary and I hope you have managed to sort it

Ruth
 
Hi all, thanks for the replies.

Levels started to shoot down about half eleven, it was as if the insulin suddenly kicked in all at once. It would be reasonable to assume there is some sort of lipo situation going on where the intial canula was, but I can't quite believe this would be the case as it was in a place, my hip, where I had never had anything stuck in it before, and there was no sign of trauma or lumpiness or anything even vaguely suspect. It had also been fine for the previous 30ish hours, and is a steel one so unlikely to bend. Maybe it was none of those things, and was actually to do with the insulin. No idea!

Anyway, thankfully when things started to drop they came down very quickly. Less thankful am I of the fact that this meant waking up every couple of hours to test or due to hypo, but I'd rather be low than high in these circumstances.

Bloody knackered today!
 
Eeek, scary. Sounds like you did exactly the right things tho.

I think late pregnancy is pretty hard for things like this - I remember a few instances of being unexpectedly, and unreasonably high, and not being able to sort it.

Not long to go for you now, tho.
 
Really Monkey? That's, kind of, reassuring to know. I guess it's more of an issue if it is high for a long time or you develop ketones, but it was still a bit of a panic all the same.

Yep, I am having today as a day of not doing very much at all (as semi incapable!) and this bloody blood sugar ain't going over 6.5!!
 
Glad it came down eventually. I really empathise with the worrying over highs.

I am having the opposite today and am struggling to get my blood up. Have had a 1.9 pre-lunch reading even with two biscuits late morning without insulin. I have come to the conclusion that when pregnant and T1 you can't win, because I think my last post was fretting about being too high!

You are nearly there, Babysaurus, and are doing well despite these mad levels rearing their head. Fingers crossed for a nice easy time from here on in.
 
I keep telling myself the very same - only 4 more weeks! (A scary thought in itself!)

Personally, I'd much rather be low too much than have a scary high, although they are a pain too they are better out of the two (I'll look even more like the back of a bus with too many of them though!) Am in agreement with your conclusion that you just can't win sometimes! I do try and be more laid back, and generally get at least half way there, but it's easier said than done.

I am also thinking that I might be more prone to highs (well, being over 7.5 which was not something I'd have previously thought of as a 'high') from now on due to the combination of both insulin resistance and less exercise / moving about in general although hopefully not quite to the tune of last night's levels!
 
Yes I prefer a low too, although the doctors frown upon my gung-ho attitude to hypos I think.

Yes insulin resistance, less activity and more of you and changing constantly. These 4 weeks will be exhausting for you!

The other week I had a high and it was down to the canula and so I changed it (quite late in the day) but because I was in a bit of a panic I just changed it - I didn't fill the tubing or any of that, but I didn't realise that until the following morning when I actually stopped stressing and sat and thought about it. I had highs (between 15-19 - it fluctuated) like yours last night from about 8pm-5am when I got out of bed because I couldn't sleep anyway and was having to test every hour (or more). But then I had only myself to blame and I won't do that again at least!
 
Funny you say that, I have had similar notes of disapproval about my attitude to hypo's too. I generally have very good hypo awareness though and have only once in 32 years needed 'third party assistance' so it's hardly like I am conking out all over the place! Perhaps they are assuming that you're making yourself more prone to needing help / serious hypo if you are so gung ho...?

I have had to raise my basal rate quite a lot overnight now, some points it's gone from 0.8 to 2 units an hour. As I am slightly ahead of you in the pregnancy stakes bear this in mind as another thing that may happen soon!
 
After you had said that about overnight basals, my waking readings have been 7.4 for the last 2 days (usually around 4-5 on waking) so I have upped my basal from 3am. I will see what that does tomorrow. I have already raised it a few times at that time and am now up to 0.650 per hr.

My post breakfast readings have been in the 6s the last few days so at least that seems to have sorted itself out (for now).

Still hypo-ing late monring but I am wondering if that could be a hang over from my raised basals because I have raised it 0300-1030hrs so maybe I need to cut it down from 9ish instead. I will give that a whirl I think.
 
That's EXACTLY what happened to me, apart from the mid morning hypo's! I had one night of testing at 2am and then at 5am to see what it was then, and then to raise it accordingly (as it might be fine at 2am but then rise once you get to 4am).

Your blood sugars are freakily similar to mine!!
 
I know. I think I have had a few more spiked recently than you but then after reading this thread the other day I thought - ahh maybe it's not just me!

As I have said before it is VERY handy for me that you are a few weeks ahead of me in the pregnancy stakes. I can almost read your posts and know what's to come!

So, thanks!
 
aww bump buddies 🙂 xx
 
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