Think I Need To Lower My Basal ...

[TheClockworkDodo]

I've had 5 hypos in the last two days, and 3 of them were 1.8 😱

I had put all my doses up a couple of weeks ago when I was ill, including my basal - now rapidly putting them all down again 🙄

On the plus side, I now know that I do still have hypo awareness when I'm 1.8!

 

[Rosiecarmel]

Oh no! Hope youre feeling okay. Too many hypos can leave you feeling drained can't they!

Could it be the heat affecting them too? My sugars drop in summer

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Thanks, Rosie 🙂

Tbh, I spend so much of my time hypo that it sort of feels "normal" to me so I tend to recover from them quite quickly, but I must admit I was a bit out of it with today's 1.8 - I had the hypo munchies, which I don't usually get, and I was lying on the floor mumbling about all the things I wanted to eat ... meringues, summer pudding, chocolate caramel squares, Mars bars (and I don't even like Mars bars!)

Hot weather used to make my blood sugar go up rather than down, though that hasn't been so bad since I've been on Tresiba - on Lantus I needed nearly twice as much insulin in the summer as I did in the winter. I shouldn't be at all surprised if the changing weather did have something to do with it though, my reaction to it may well have swung round the other way.

Lovely to see you back here, btw 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Always needs watching when you’ve had to up doses for illness doesn’t it?

I’ve been basal tweaking again, an almost constant pastime for me.

I tend to find i need to go down ‘too far’ have a reasonable couple of days then go back up a bit.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

I don't know, Mike - I've never had to up doses for illness before, so this is all new to me! I've always hypo'd away like I usually do when I've been ill, it's only things like weather or stress that have effected my blood sugar before.

That's a useful thought about going down too far though, I think that's what I've tended to do with sudden cold weather spells. I put my basal down half a unit at the weekend, maybe I need to go down another half and see if I can get my readings to level out a bit. This is the time when I could really do with a pump.

 

[Tracy Petty]

I've had 5 hypos in the last two days, and 3 of them were 1.8 😱

I had put all my doses up a couple of weeks ago when I was ill, including my basal - now rapidly putting them all down again 🙄

On the plus side, I now know that I do still have hypo awareness when I'm 1.8!

Hiya!!!! I think I’m in the same boat .. have woke last last few mornings mid hypo between 2-2.5 have eaten the same thing most of the day and one evening has a sneaky bag of wotsits and a small kitkat... still woke at 2.8?? Maybe it is this lovely weather .. maybe we do more without realising ???
Hope your well x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hiya!!!! I think I’m in the same boat .. have woke last last few mornings mid hypo between 2-2.5 have eaten the same thing most of the day and one evening has a sneaky bag of wotsits and a small kitkat... still woke at 2.8?? Maybe it is this lovely weather .. maybe we do more without realising ???
Hope your well x

Lots of people get more insulin sensitive in warmer weather (temperature has an effect on the way we absorb insulin which is why they have those scary ‘not for people with diabetes’ signs on hot tubs and saunas). Dose adjustments are often needed with changes in the seasons, but as usual it’s very individual. Plus as you say, we are more likely to get out and about a bit in the sunshine 😎

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hi Tracy, and welcome to the forum 🙂

I normally do less and need more insulin when it's hot, which is why this is a bit baffling, but my diabetes is upside-down generally due to other health issues - what Mike said is true of most people! It does sound as though you need to lower your basal too though, especially if you've had that washing line pattern overnight with lower readings during the night and your waking readings are when your blood sugar's on its way up.

 

[Tracy Petty]

Yes I think so to... I have a diabetic overhaul on the 4th July, but my diabetic nurse seems to think I’m sensitive to novorapid and upped my lantas so basically I’m winging it on pretty much just lantas most days,
I eat pretty much the same thing most days eg porridge for brekkie, I eat a lot of berries for lunch ect ..but my hba1c seems high even tho I hypo so much, I think it’s because of my high spikes during they day before the lantas tackles the food??? I think I will probably need to trial another type?? Who knows?? But wish app wasn’t so far away!!
Thanks for replies everyone xx

 

[Sally W]

I've had 5 hypos in the last two days, and 3 of them were 1.8 😱

I had put all my doses up a couple of weeks ago when I was ill, including my basal - now rapidly putting them all down again 🙄

On the plus side, I now know that I do still have hypo awareness when I'm 1.8!

Sorry to hear Juliet. Take care x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes I think so to... I have a diabetic overhaul on the 4th July, but my diabetic nurse seems to think I’m sensitive to novorapid and upped my lantas so basically I’m winging it on pretty much just lantas most days,
I eat pretty much the same thing most days eg porridge for brekkie, I eat a lot of berries for lunch ect ..but my hba1c seems high even tho I hypo so much, I think it’s because of my high spikes during they day before the lantas tackles the food??? I think I will probably need to trial another type?? Who knows?? But wish app wasn’t so far away!!
Thanks for replies everyone xx

Have you ever fasting tested your background (Lantus)? Not much fun to do, but really useful to see what is going on when there isn’t food confusing things! Might be worth checking different parts of the day if you want to make sure your Lantus is keeping you steady when you don’t eat.

This page gives good info and suggests a method to check your basal dose is roughly right. http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

 

[Tracy Petty]

Have you ever fasting tested your background (Lantus)? Not much fun to do, but really useful to see what is going on when there isn’t food confusing things! Might be worth checking different parts of the day if you want to make sure your Lantus is keeping you steady when you don’t eat.

This page gives good info and suggests a method to check your basal dose is roughly right. http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

Thank you I will have a look in the morning.. I almost graze constantly when I miss eating I’m straight into hypo mode ..again I think my lantas is to high.. but nurse insisted on it going up rather than down?? Maybe once a week I miss a day so I don’t have to constantly eat lol..
I’m not dieting and I’m a healthy weight but sure as hell if I keep scoffing at hypos I will soon double in size ha ha

Night all x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you I will have a look in the morning.. I almost graze constantly when I miss eating I’m straight into hypo mode ..again I think my lantas is to high.. but nurse insisted on it going up rather than down?? Maybe once a week I miss a day so I don’t have to constantly eat lol..
I’m not dieting and I’m a healthy weight but sure as hell if I keep scoffing at hypos I will soon double in size ha ha

Night all x

Sounds like your basal and bolus/correction ratios could do with a bit of a once-over. Increasing your Lantus seems very odd from what you’ve said?! You definitely should not have to eat to ‘feed’ insulin and prevent hypos!

Sorry for the thread drift @TheClockworkDodo 😉

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

I think I will probably need to trial another type??

If you have a pattern of spikes and hypos on Lantus, I'd suggest asking them to move you to Tresiba or to Levemir - Lantus really doesn't suit some people. I didn't realise how badly it was effecting me until I came off it. Among other issues (twitching muscles, blotchy injection sites) I had the same problem as you - I couldn't not eat for any length of time without hypo-ing. I couldn't do a fasting test because if I had no food and no bolus I'd have hypo after hypo after hypo.

Like Mike, I think it's odd they've told you to put the Lantus up rather than down - it seems from what I've read here of other people's experiences of both that it's much more likely you'd be sensitive to that than to Novorapid. Do you have a phone number or email address for your diabetes nurse? I wouldn't want to wait until July before putting my basal down if I were waking up with such low numbers.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Sorry to hear Juliet. Take care x

Thanks, Sally, and sorry, I keep meaning to pm you, but between my health and the hot weather and our neighbours noisily putting in a new patio I've been a bit frazzled for the last few weeks 😳

 

[Tracy Petty]

If you have a pattern of spikes and hypos on Lantus, I'd suggest asking them to move you to Tresiba or to Levemir - Lantus really doesn't suit some people. I didn't realise how badly it was effecting me until I came off it. Among other issues (twitching muscles, blotchy injection sites) I had the same problem as you - I couldn't not eat for any length of time without hypo-ing. I couldn't do a fasting test because if I had no food and no bolus I'd have hypo after hypo after hypo.

Like Mike, I think it's odd they've told you to put the Lantus up rather than down - it seems from what I've read here of other people's experiences of both that it's much more likely you'd be sensitive to that than to Novorapid. Do you have a phone number or email address for your diabetes nurse? I wouldn't want to wait until July before putting my basal down if I were waking up with such low numbers.

Good morning everyone !!!!
Ahhhh that does sound interesting Juliet !!!
I have noticed more so recently my eyes constantly twitch I know others can really see it but I feel like I’m winking at everyone yes between the spikes I can 20 and 2 between a morning and afternoon.. don’t feel yo rough most of the time, it’s the headaches in the morning that get me !!
May catch up with the nurse, but she seemed rather baffled last time we spoke hence the overhaul is at the hospital lol
I don’t mind eating so much ha ha but I need to shed a couple of pounds for holiday !!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Headaches in the morning can be a sign of long and quite nastily low overnight hypos that you may not be feeling. AKA ‘Hypo hangover’

Like Juliet, I wouldn’t wait until July to address this. You need advice more quickly, or the confidence to do a complete ‘reset’ yourself.

Have you ever read anything like Gary Scheuner’s ‘think like a pancreas’ or John Walsh’s ‘Using Insulin’? They might really help you.

I’d also ask about what courses are offered in your area - something like DAFNE or BERTIE would help.

 

[Tracy Petty]

Yep it’s deffo a hypo hangover !!!! Sometimes the headache actually wakes me as I feel someone has embedded and axe across my head. I was offered to go on a course but unfortunately I moved areas and had to re start with a new doc ect. But will chase it up, will have to read think like a pancreas, don’t know what mine was thinking lol I developed diabetes. After many bouts of pancreatitis ( not from drink, I barely drink anything ) eventually chronic pancreatitis but literally went into hospital on day woke up a few weeks later and I was diabetic... although I was attached to many machines they forgot to tell me until they handed me the insulin to go home with and I was like I think you have made a mistake and given me someone else’s medication thAt was my introduction to diabetes
X

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

That's awful, Tracy - they should have given you the insulin well before you went home, with at least a basic introduction to how to use it!
Was the baffled nurse a diabetes specialist nurse at the hospital, or one at your surgery? If the latter, it's definitely a good idea to get in touch with the hospital asap and get yourself referred to a DSN - surgery nurses won't know very much about diabetes (even if they're the surgery diabetes nurse!), especially about type 1.

I have a hypo hangover today too so my basal will be going down again tonight. My waking readings tend to be really high (usually 7s and 8s, sometimes 9s or 10s) so I often dither between whether my basal should go up or down - but I suspect they're high at the moment because I'm hypo-ing in the night and my liver's panicking and dumping out a load of glucose into my system first thing.

And last week (my diabetes weeks start on Wednesday as that's the day I was discharged from hospital) was a 15 hypo week 😱 which feels like going back to the bad old days of Lantus - I only had 6 hypos the week before, and 3 and 4 respectively the two weeks before that, when I was stressed and ill - usually it's about 6-10 because I'm really sensitive to insulin 🙄

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

7 or 8 wouldn’t strike me as high at all Juliet!!

The guidelines for T1s are pretty impossibly small - 5-7 in waking. So 8 for me would count as absolutely fine. 9s and 10s less ideal, but only really because it doesn’t give you much wiggle room for breakfast. An extra 10 minutes prebolus might help me there.

It’s perfectly possible to have an on-target A1c if a third of your readings are above the ideal range.

My experience has been that when I reduce hypos I also reduce highs too, as several highs are rebounds from the relentless lows.

Hope you can find a set of doses that drops that 15 hypos down to next to nothing 🙂