3 months post covid and BG still out of control

[Gary F]

Had covid at New Year and since control is...well..it isn't really. Can have hypo after hypo one day and, with similiar initial readings and food, protracted highs the next.

It has improved through the day now but, at night, from around 1am it rises to 15 to 19 and stays there, even though I have increased my Levimir by 30% (+4 units, i.e. the top end of "sick day" tweaks). Anyone else experienced this/have any suggestions as to how I can improve this? I'm unsure if increasing the levimir by nearly 50% (i.e. another couple of units) won't drive me into an unpredictable hypo cycle instead.

Been a well controlled diabetic for near 30 years and never experienced the likes of this before!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear things are being so difficult for you

Sounds like it has been going on long enough so that you can discount anything like the insulin being ‘off’ or it being a specific site issue, so it does make it sound like your insulin needs have just ramped up for a while.

I guess all you can do is keep your sites rotated, and cautiously keep adjusting your doses. I try to only adjust doses upwards or downwards by 10-20% each time.

Have you tried a basal check by skipping a meal or two?

 

[Gary F]

I did a while back, but will do it again.

Oddly, my morning levimir is now back to normal (11), while I suspect I will be raising my night one (was 14, currently 18 and feels like it should be 20+...quite an increase). To be c lear, all was fine pre covid

 

[trophywench]

@Gary F - your reaction to needing more insulin sounds exactly like mine a couple of years ago after smashing one kneecap. Anyway the pain was ridiculous and they had to open it up and do the jigsaw - and your truly's insulin needed increasing. Slapped a 30% increase on basal - not enough - try 50% - not enough, etc etc and in the finish I was on THREE TIMES as much basal as I'd been on for over 10 years!

Both the bone and the scar healed just as quickly as a non diabetic would (scar was actually quicker - hospital nurse was gobsmacked at having to dig the staples out after 10 days (whereas they usually start by removing every other one to begin with) since my skin was starting to fuse over some of their ends - and so removal ruddy hurt!) (had I known they'd have used a normal 'office' staple remover I'd have got Pete to do it at home and been able to thump him when it hurt - but I had to sit on me hands in outpatients)

Took 6 months-ish to come back down to normal- ish basal level again.

We need what we need when we need it.


What a complete miracle the fully functional human body is, eh?