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Bg through the roof for days!

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A

Amanda102

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Typical that we are due to go on holiday abroad on Saturday and for the last week Hannah's bgs have been very, very high. I am talking 19/20 and struggling to bring down successfully with correction doses. I am getting used to waking at 3 am to do extra tests and corrections, but am then shattered at work! Hannah has felt so lousy at times that she had to skip PE twice this week. Today in PE she had a headache and blurred vision and felt totally lethargic. When I got home she was upset and I was alarmed to see that she looked like she did on first diagnosis - dark rings under her eyes. I haven't been able to speak to our own nurse today as she has been off, but she is going to ring me in the morning. In the meantime I have adjusted all her basal rates by about 20% and we are testing regularly and hoping for the best. I feel so sorry for her at times like this because she gets so frustrated and disillusioned. I hope the nurse can work some magic on her settings tomorrow and she can just concentrate on enjoying our holiday. :(
 
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I'm really sorry to hear this - is there a possibility there might be something wrong with her insulin?
 
Check the insulin and also try a new batch of pods.
What happens if Hannah corrects via a pen?
 
Still 15 just now. It's going to be another long night. We did change her pod and started new insulin two days ago so kind of ruled that out. I think her insulin has been stored ok. I haven't tried correcting with a pen and am not sure what dose to give as I think she would need more?? Not sure though. I might ask the nurse this tomorrow. I have got her pens ready to take on holiday as it is as a back up so I could easily try this and see if it makes a difference. To complicate things she has just changed her pod a day early because it was bleeding at the cannula site and she always goes high after she puts a new pod on for some reason in any event. That's going to make it hard to tell what is going on for a few hours! I can feel a trip to the hospital clinic coming on tomorrow!
 
Oh dear, I do hope you can get to the bottom of things very soon! Could you try a cautious correction with the pen?
 
Could this be a hormone thing, as Hannah is 12? It sounds very frustrating, but I'm sure you will work it out. Good luck.
 
Amanda102 said:
Still 15 just now. It's going to be another long night. We did change her pod and started new insulin two days ago so kind of ruled that out. I think her insulin has been stored ok. I haven't tried correcting with a pen and am not sure what dose to give as I think she would need more?? Not sure though. I might ask the nurse this tomorrow. I have got her pens ready to take on holiday as it is as a back up so I could easily try this and see if it makes a difference. To complicate things she has just changed her pod a day early because it was bleeding at the cannula site and she always goes high after she puts a new pod on for some reason in any event. That's going to make it hard to tell what is going on for a few hours! I can feel a trip to the hospital clinic coming on tomorrow!
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Hi Amanda, if you can't work out the dose for correction just ask the pump but don't deliver it via the pod just use a pen and write down the time it was given and the amount.
Numbers that high should always be treated via a pen/syringe.
 
Ditto what Sue said, I would use the bolus wizard to work it out for me then use to the nearest half unit in the pen.

Perhaps try higher TBR if 20% isn't cutting it, I have sometimes had my daughter's up to 200% if it isn't budging and she is poorly, I work it up gradually and keep a close eye on things. Best of luck, I hope you see some better numbers soon and she is feeling better x
 
Thank you all. Today I got an emergency prescription for some fresh insulin just in case (including novorapid for her pen as I am not sure the stock I have will still be ok). Also finally managed to speak to her nurse. She also said that if her test is really high, such as 20, I should correct with her pen and do half a unit for each year of age (i.e 6). That seems like a lot, but at this point I will try anything. It's a pity I wasn't told this when she went on the pump or maybe I was and I forgot! Yesterday I put all her basal rates up by about 20% and she has been slightly better (still high, but not quite so bad), I have just increased them all again by 0.05 and will see how that goes. We are due at the clinic when we get back from Portugal so hopefully we will have a good idea of what is going on and, on the plus side, Hannah is going to be with me all the next week, so I can look after her! Still, I have been thinking I'll have to find out the emergency ambulance number in Portugal and where the nearest A & E is, just in case. It's always seems a bit drastic, but I would hate to be trying to find out when I'm in a panic!!! Life really was so simple before and I just took it for granted. 🙄🙄
 
Amanda102 said:
...She also said that if her test is really high, such as 20, I should correct with her pen and do half a unit for each year of age (i.e 6). That seems like a lot, but at this point I will try anything....
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What sort of a completely random recommendation it *that*?!?!

I would be very cautious of following that sort of generic advice. It doesn't use any of the available information about the person's sensitivity to insulin 😱
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
What sort of a completely random recommendation it *that*?!?!

I would be very cautious of following that sort of generic advice. It doesn't use any of the available information about the person's sensitivity to insulin 😱
Click to expand...

Oh!! In that case I think I'll start by correcting with the pen using the dose suggested by her pump and see how it goes! Thanks for the words of caution!🙂
 
Hi Amanda I was always taught
BG over 14.0 mmol/l add 15%
16 25%
25 50%
25.5 100%

My previous pump used to work this out automatically. Never been above 16 but up to then it works brilliantly.

Do you have the book pumping insulin? If not please do buy it and read it.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Hi Amanda I was always taught
BG over 14.0 mmol/l add 15%
16 25%
25 50%
25.5 100%

My previous pump used to work this out automatically. Never been above 16 but up to then it works brilliantly.

Do you have the book pumping insulin? If not please do buy it and read it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sue, something else for me to try! I have that book as well as 'think like a pancreas' and 'Diabetes in children, adolescents and young adults'. The info is probably in there somewhere is it, I just haven't found it!! Hannah has just had a reading of 5.6 as we are about to eat. I was overjoyed. I think I'd even have been happy if she had been slightly hypo after the week we've had! I am cautiously optimistic that we are getting to grips with it, but I am worried that now it will have been the insulin all along and all the basals will be too high! At least I can keep an eye on her now school is finished for a week! 🙂
 
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