Copying Heasandford - I did my Basal test!

[hyper-Suze]

Sorry to jump on the band-wagon with this, I did mention about checking my basal in the pumping section, so when I saw Heasandford's thread, thought I should do mine.

I did mine during the night (yawn yawn). I inject my Lantus at 11pm:

7pm
Pre meal - 8.9
Final meal - 100g carbs (rounded up)
Novorapid - 15u+1u for correction

10pm - 9.8
11pm - 10.4
Lantus - 42u
1am - 10.6
3am - 4.8
5am - 2.3
7am - 2.1

Think this shows I don't suffer from DP!

Think I may do another one this arvo. Will go and have a hearty breakfast now!!!!

 

[Northerner]

...
1am - 10.6
3am - 4.8
5am - 2.3
7am - 2.1

Think this shows I don't suffer from DP!

Think I may do another one this arvo. Will go and have a hearty breakfast now!!!!

I think it shows you are on far too much lantus! 😱 Dropping nearly 6 mmol/l on a basal insulin like lantus is a huge amount and reminds me of how I used to be before I got the basal all sorted out. I can now go o bed around 5 mmol/l and wake at around the same level - sometimes I might fall slightly if I have had a particularly active day the day before. I used to be on 20 units lantus at night and was going to bed around 8-9, but now I am currently on 6 units - I have been as low as 3!

I would definitely be looking to decrease the dose with numbers like those! 🙂 Did you treat the 5 am 2.3? If so, then it is even worse if you then dropped down to the 2s again in two hours 😱

 

[Robster65]

Looks like you'll be wanting to play around a fair bit if/when you get your pump.

I would have said that maybe a split dose would suit. If you've pushed your lantus up that high to cover the evening rise, then a lower dose at bedtime so you don't drop and a top up around lunchtime to get you through the evening would probably even those numbers out better. But not sure if you want to start messing that much with the pump option ahead. Although it would show how proactive you are and may give you more kudos with the consultant/DSN. 🙂

Rob

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Far to much lantus as already stated. Testing also needs to be started at least 5 hours after your last meal and bolus and light meal consumed not 100 carbs worth 😱

You need to aim for no more than 2 mmol/l rise or drop in blood sugar levels.
Well done on getting some useful info and carrying out the test.

 

[trophywench]

Depends how long till you get your pump, doesn't it Suze?

Plus you need to do the whole 24 hours at least twice because one lot of figures isn't a pattern ....

Whenever - this is really great info to discuss with your DSN anyway if you do want to try and get it better on Lantus. If not - then it's really useful to have that to compare with the basal testing when you are on your pump.

In some ways I feel both Heasanford and Suze might be better off than they are now on 2 x Levemir than 1 x Lantus; however I also think that pumping is defo a better option than anything hitherto and while they are on offer I think you should grab one now if you can - after all despite them being better and all that jazz we don't have a clue what's really going to happen in the NHS in the future or whether in X years time, people will have that opportunity .....

 

[heasandford]

Glad I got you onto it too!

Did you think you had a problem overnight or was it a shock to discover you dropped so low?

I checked back on previous months and didn't find that I was dropping so low overnight, although I did occasionally. It's alright this testing lark providing there is some regularity with the results - mine don't seem to be.

Best of luck anyway, and especially with the pump! (I want CGM for at least a month!)

 

[hyper-Suze]

Thanks everyone!
Had to abandon the one this arvo. I hypo'd just 20mins from the start of the test(3hr & 40mins after brekkie)

Alan - I didn't correct the hypo, naughty I know and I was half asleep and figured that I'll wake up in 2hours soon anyway. i didn't want to abandon the test after trying sooo hard not to eat anything after my last meal/bolus!! (I don't normally snack after tea, but knowing that I couldn't, made me want something more!!!!!!)

Rob - I understand your comment and everyone else when suggesting a split dose, but I have tried this as well as moving my lantus to the morning but I have inconsistency in my days and the ONLY thing that is routine is the time I go to bed. It is always between 11pm-12am. I have had such a hard and long journey in accepting the diabetes that this one injection has become such a strong anchor and structured part of my diabetes management. I tried moving and spliting but then there were massive time lapses and many a time I forgot the dose completely!

Sue, thanks for your encouragement. I read the guidelines as given in the link by Gary Schreiner. He said to avoid high fat products rather than high carb? Therefore, as I wouldn't be eating later I had a very large jacket potato and coleslaw (plus it was bonfire night!)

Jenny - not sure of the time scale and/or whether I will get approved tomorrow! Will deffo mention that I have tried this test which will of course show my willingness to wake up every few hours to test!!!!😱 Will have to let you know how I get on tomorrow!!! 12 hours time and my fate will be (almost) decided!!

Heasandford - I always seemed to wake up low in the mornings and usually with a raging headache - that now makes sense as it is likely the Somogi effect. I now see that it is likely I need to slowly reduce my lantus, but this is the dose the dsn had worked out on the dafne course and was infact higher at 46u. I think I will continue to monitor this a few more times, some at different times of the day to see how the lantus fairs and some repeating the overnight one.
Thank you for bringing this to the main messageboard as it spurred me on to doing it. It just takes such a large chunk out of the day that I can't eat.

 

[Robster65]

I'd forgotten that you'd said before about trying split doses. Sorry 😱

ALl i can say is keep trying and I hope you find the magic number that works. You try bl**dy hard at getting there. Much respect. 🙂

Rob

 

[hyper-Suze]

I'd forgotten that you'd said before about trying split doses. Sorry 😱

ALl i can say is keep trying and I hope you find the magic number that works. You try bl**dy hard at getting there. Much respect. 🙂

Rob

Ha ha, thanks Rob

...we ALL work hard with this stupid and interferring illness...therefore the 'much respect' is reciprocated back atcha and to everyone else!!!
(think we all deserve a cream cake 😛)

 

[trophywench]

Mmmm, Suze, you certainly can't rely on the BG's after the early hours hypo to make basal dose judgments on, just have to abandon ....

Question - have they ever suggested to you that you might be on TOO MUCH insulin?

I know it might sound utterly counter-intuitive but stranger things have happened you know.

I should just concentrate on getting a pump I think, you might have a chance of finding out properly what the hell it is that your body does naturally! (or as my DSN tells me - 'Well one thing we can certainly be sure of Jen - your blood sugar does what it wants to - doesn't it?' ROFL)