Treating hypos

[sweepers]

Hi

Sorry, I'm sure this subject has been tackled over and over again but can I just check that the recent info I've been given is ok?

I've been told if I'm experiencing a mild hypo to take 3 mouthfuls of lucozade, test after 10 minutes and if i'm still under 4 to have another 3 mouthfuls. Last night I went hypo at 20.36 - reading 3.0, took 3 mouthfuls of lucozade, tested again after 10 minutes - reading 3.7 so took another 3 mouthfuls. At 22.37 I had levels of 15.8 and at 23.26 13.4, took 2 units of humalog to bring it down. At 0.55 reading was 8.8 and at 3.42 reading was 6.8 so took a mouthful of lucozade to make sure I didn't go down any further.
At 7.47 I was 5.7.
I know your body can raise sugar levels later, after a hypo, so it can be difficult to judge but should I be doing things differently?

Aiming for a good nights sleep tonight!!

 

[Northerner]

How soon after eating/injecting after your evening meal did you experience the first hypo, and what had you eaten? It's possible that the insulin peaked before the food, causing the low, then as the food digested it raised your levels up to the teens because the insulin peak had been missed. I think you did the best you could - you had to treat the hypo and again when you hadn't risen above 4.0.

Hope you have a better night tonight! 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I'd leave Lucozade 15 minutes. It has stated to work after 10 for me, but still has some go in it.

General rules tend to be 10 (10g carbs wait ten minutes) or 15 (15g carbs wait 15 minutes)

Take your pick and see what works best for you! The more conservative your treatment, the more carefully you need to watch later in case you dip again. Some people take 10-15g of slower carbs after the initial hypo has been resolved.

 

[sweepers]

Thanks, sorry, I forgot to mention I had a slice of bread after the second lot of lucozade as a long last carb which probably blew it! Also I take your point the effects of my lasagne at 18.39 may have continued working after the hypo. Also I've only just started injecting before or during meals (told (a long time ago) to inject up to 20 minutes after meal).

Phew, hard work isn't it!! Never mind I'll get there. Forgot I have a table tennis match tonight - that will make things interesting!🙂

 

[Copepod]

To be honest, if I find a higher blood glucose level around bedtime, I don't take any short acting insulin, just usual long acting dose, and go to sleep. Perhaps it's just because I value sleep too much, especially since sleep is in short supply since knee injury nearly 7 months ago!

Your own readings of 15.8 at 22.37, then 13.4 at 23.26 show that your levels wee declining even before you took 2 units of Humalog - I wouldn't have taken any correction units if levels were heading down.

Hope you enjoy yout tennis this evening. Have you seen this page? http://www.runsweet.com/Tennis.html

 

[Northerner]

Thanks, sorry, I forgot to mention I had a slice of bread after the second lot of lucozade as a long last carb which probably blew it! Also I take your point the effects of my lasagne at 18.39 may have continued working after the hypo. Also I've only just started injecting before or during meals (told (a long time ago) to inject up to 20 minutes after meal).

Phew, hard work isn't it!! Never mind I'll get there. Forgot I have a table tennis match tonight - that will make things interesting!🙂

If you had lasagne, it's quite possible that your insulin peaked first, as many people find that pasta has a 'slow burn' and can take ages to digest. Some people split their dose for pasta meals, taking some before and some an hour or so after in order to give a longer insulin action.