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Bad night

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

MrsCLH

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Morning all, just need a bit of a rant, hope you don't mind.

I had such a great day yesterday, before and after breakfast and lunch were all under 5.0 and I didn't have a single hypo. Was sending euphoric texts to DH all morning and afternoon :D

I did a test at about 4pm and it was 5.7. Trouble was I didn't eat my evening meal until 7pm and by then it had gone up to 9.5 - not sure why? Any suggestions how I could have stopped that from happening?

Knock on effect of that was one hour after tea my bg was 10.0 - I corrected then, not sure whether I should have or not but I can't wait another hour, I hate it being high, its such a horrible feeling. An hour later it was down to 9.2 so I just thought it would have dropped a bit more by bed time but it didn't, by then it was 12.4 - there is just no explanation for that!

I couldn't bear to go to bed with it that high so I corrected again and waited up for another hour and by then it was down to 10.1, so I went to bed and set an alarm for one hour later by which time it was 8.3. Went back to sleep but woke up two hours later desperate for the loo and it was back up to 9.7!! Again, how do you explain that?! Corrected again, and woke up hypo 2 hours later. Can't win!

This morning before breakfast was 7.5 which I know is too high but after a night like that was happy to accept it. But, after the same breakfast and insulin as normal, one hour later I was up to 11.5!! Corrected again - probably wrong thing to do I know. One hour later and I'm now 5.0 - wouldn't be surprised if I was hypo again in about half an hour.

Sorry to go on, its just so hard, I'm trying so hard and its just so horrible getting highs. Plus I'm knackered because I've been up in the night so many times. To make it worse my sister is 13 weeks pregnant and just had her scan yesterday and it know it sounds like sour grapes but all I can think is 'its not fair'! She feels sick and tired all the time and is getting loads of sympathy and no one even knows I'm pregnant yet. God I sound pathetic. I know I sound awful but I can't help it, I just want to sob. And then I start crying in front of DH and then I just feel guilty because he feels bad that he can't do more to help! Oh woe is me haha! 🙄 Just needed to let off a bit of steam this morning :(
 
Morning!!

Firstly, rant as much as you like!! We've all done it plenty!! Secondly, don't beat yourself up about it. We're all only human and as infuriating and frustrating as it is, it's impossible to have 100% control 24/7 at any time, but especially during pregnancy. I'm 21.5 weeks at the moment and I know how horrible the days are where you have no explanation of what's going on, why it's happening or how to correct. There have been some days where I've taken enough insulin to drown an elephant and bms still won't come down!!

Are you on a pump or injections?

I'm on a pump and I found that after a certain stage, I think it was about 15/16 weeks for me, it didn't matter what I ate at breakfast, my bm would go sky high. My Diabetic Specialist Nurse said that it's very, very common in pregnant diabetics and to try and take a maximum of 30g carbohydrate at breakfast. This worked for me for a wee while but needless to say everything's changed again!! it's part of the fun of being pregnant!!! All these doses, rates, ratios etc change and you just about get control and they change again!! These things are sent to try us and try us they do! 😛

Obviously, I can only speak from my own experience so please discuss the problems your having with your own DSN before changing anything. My DSN has been a huge support so far and I can honestly say that without her support, expertise and experience, I'd be a wreck!!

Keep going, keep smiling and keep thinking of the wee baba nestling away in your belly! The only way is up (or down if we're talking BMs!!).

I've found here to be a great support too. I don't write on here often but I learn so much from reading other peoples experiences and also just to see that other people deal with the same things too!! There's nothing like a place where you realise you're not alone!

Chin up, and keep ranting! 😉

M xxx
 
You can see how bad my night was - I managed to post the same thing 3 times, oops!

Thanks so much for the reply, its so reassuring to know that I'm not the only one. I could honestly throw my blood tester at the wall every time I get a high!!

I'm on injections but seriously thinking about a pump. I've got my first scan next Tues so might ask about it then.

Can't decide when I should be speaking to my DSN? Should I give her a call after one bad night like that? Or do I just keep plodding on till next Tues? I'm doing okay so far, it's just the odd high and I'm happy to make adjustments/corrections on my own.

The other thing I keep wondering - do I check for keytones every time I'm over 10? Most of the time I'm getting it back down within half an hour at the moment. What do other people do?

Thanks again 🙂
 
Morning! STOP PANICKING! You're doing everything that you can do....unfortunately in the early days there's just no predicting what will happen to your levels. As I've said to you previously, I was expecting lots of lows and ended up with lots of highs that I couldn't do anything about and spent my first trimester an emotional wreck! My DSN told me that the crazy levels were just a big diabetic pregnancy symptom as the hypos. Keep monitoring and correcting where you think you need to. Perhaps it would be worth calling your DSN to tell him/her your levels? My second trimester was spent with alright/lower levels (reducing my lantus) and now I'm in the third trimester (30 weeks) I'm only just starting to notice that they're going up...and I was expecting that 5 weeks ago! Your life for the next 35 odd weeks will be mucho unpredictable so keep monitoring and keep smiling....the baby is coming to no harm. From the sounds of your emails/posts you lead a healthy life and are well controlled...even with the random days of highs that you can't explain! :D
 
Can't decide when I should be speaking to my DSN? Should I give her a call after one bad night like that? Or do I just keep plodding on till next Tues? I'm doing okay so far, it's just the odd high and I'm happy to make adjustments/corrections on my own.

The other thing I keep wondering - do I check for keytones every time I'm over 10? Most of the time I'm getting it back down within half an hour at the moment. What do other people do?

I check for keytones if I'm sky high...normally in the high teens. I'm not sure if that's the 'right' thing to do but I've never had a problem...even when I woke up at 3am and it was 21mmol! Do you use the urine keytone testing strips or do you have a blood tester? I have a blood testing kit which gives an immediate result whereas the urine tests are based on up to a couple of hours ago. I don't test when it's the odd high above 10 and especially not when I'm able to control it

Whether you call your DSN is your choice. Personally, if I was REALLY worried about anything then I'd send a quick email to put my mind at rest. Stress doesn't help you or the ikkle one.
 
Thanks Becky! It just feels so horrible late at night, or in the early hours, when its high and you feel like the only person going through it. And you can't help but think the baby is coming to harm, its drummed into you that much how good control is so important.

I knew I was going to be like this, I was bloody obsessive about control when I wasn't pregnant! The day I went to the pre conception clinic my hba1c was 6.4 and they told me to go away and start trying straight away! So I know I've started from the very best place, and I know I'm doing my absolute best. Just need to keep telling myself that. DH does - keeps saying I'm amazing and he's really proud of me bless him.

Can't tell you how much it means that others go through the same thing, especially when I expected to be hypoing every minute of the day!

Will keep posting on here when it gets too much, you'll all be sick of me in a bit!
 
Thanks for the advice re keytones as well, I have the urine sticks. I haven't peed on one of those things since I was about 16 I'm not kidding you! I thought I probably didn't need to check every time I was over 10. DSN said if it was high and I felt unwell I should check. Will just listen to my body I think and if I can't control it or it runs high for any length of time I'll check.

I'm okay now, back in range for pre-lunch. Will just see how I get on tonight and maybe call her tomorrow.

Thank you thank you thank you again!
 
No worries! I was obsessed too....which is how I ended up an emotional wreck...and the hospital told me that they give every diabetic lady the same horrible horror stories to, frankly, put the fear of God into you! They said that only 90% go away and pay attention to what they've said (surprising figure if you ask me) so it almost surprises them when someone like me comes along and panics over BMs that don't reach the 'target' because some people live in the highs throughout pregnancy without a care in the world!

I was given a blood testing keytone kit purely because the urine testing strips I'd got had gone out of date in about 1993...shows how much I used to think about keytones!

It's gonna sound silly, but I'm just grateful that I'm type 1 and already insulin dependent because a friend has gestational and hates the idea of injecting so has refused (I think that's because she remembers my syringes from 20 years ago and doesn't realise that you can get snazzy pens now!) which means that she needs to be really strict with her diet....at least we can still eat the bread and butter pudding and inject a bit extra to control our levels!
 
My consultant said the same to me. I guess that all of us on here are here because we concerned about it and we want to talk about it and get it right, so it gives a false impression that everyone is the same. When really lots of people carry on without a care in the world like you say.

Test strips out of date in 1993 - I had to laugh at that, you are so much like me! But then I think we haven't had to worry about it because we've always been careful, so never had the need to test. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

It's going to take a lot for me to risk the bread and butter pudding though I have to tell you, maybe in a couple of weeks 😉
 
I'm glad that you've found some help in our wittering on in the forum!! It makes a huge difference to know you're not alone!

I was told to test for keytones anytime I was above 14mmol initially and then that was dropped to 10mmol. I only test when above 10mmol and I don't have a reason for it, an unexplainable high.

I think you should get in touch with your DSN whenever you feel you should. it might be that you desperately want to speak to them today or it might be that it was a one day blip which we all have, pregnant or not! You'll come to see that there are more and more of these random one day blips during pregnancy! :( But they're all worth it in the end.

It is horrid waking during the night with high readings. I always try and explain to my other half what it feels like but I think it really is one of those things that you only really know how horrible it is, if you've been there.

My DSN gave me a blood testing machine for the keytones when I discovered I was pregnant so you could ask if one might be available?

M xxx
 
Hey Rach, hope you're getting on okay. I think I'll panic less the more little blips I have and the more I know I can get them under control without anything terrible happening! Hard getting used to it at the beginning isn't it. I don't trust a single thing my body is telling me, I'm so used to putting everything down to diabetes that I can't get used to the fact that some things are just a normal part of being pregnant!
 
Hello
Try not to panic when you get high numbers. My consultants kept telling me not to worry about the odd high reading, so long as it does not stay high for days. It is the hbac1c which is important. I rarely had a day without a reading in double figures throughout my pregnancy, and Nathan was healthy (if big) and had perfect sugar levels himself at birth.

I know what you mean about being jealous of pregnant non diabetics. There were 3 pregnant people in my corridor at work and the others woukd be happily eating for 2 without worrying about it.
 
Thanks Rachel, so good to know that Nathan was a healthy baby despite at least one high reading a day. There's no way I'll be staying high for days, and I know that, so I'm going to try so hard to stop worrying about it!

Last night was a good night so feeling good again this morning, pretty much stayed under 6.0 all day long and was dead on 6 when I went to bed. Went for a pee at about 3am and was up to 9.5 though so took a correction and was hypo about 2 hours later - sensing a pattern here, something making me go high in the night, will keep an eye on it.

Hope everyone else having a good day so far!
 
i had ketones for a week or more the highest one and i am not even diabetic back in december i did not eat or drink for 4 days i was only throing up continuosly
 
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