BGLs from 7/8 - 12/8

[mum2westiesGill]

My DSN hasn't seen these BGLs yet.
What do other members think of them?
Can anyone spot any patterns that I can't spot?

Could my basal do with changing from 16 units or leave it as it is?

Target level - 5-8mmol

7/8
8:21am - 8.2 - waking
9:25am - 8.2 - bef breakfast
14:11pm - 12.4 - bef lunch
18:59pm - 8.0 - bef tea
23:27pm - 8.1 - bedtime

8/8
6:01am - 5.9 - waking
9:26pm - 7.0 - bef breakfast
13:37pm - 11.5 - bef lunch
19:31pm - 4.7 - bef tea
23:46 - 4.9 - bedtime

9/8
8:06am - 6.5 - waking
9:33am - 8.7 - bef breakfast
13:40pm - 9.1 - bef lunch
18:55pm - 7.4 - bef tea
23:47pm - 4.2 - bedtime

10/8
8:06am - 4.9 - waking
9:54am - 6.9 - bef breakfast
13:54pm - 4.3 - bef lunch
19:15pm - 3.7 - bef tea
19:34pm - 4.4 - 15 minute hypo check and last test bef tea
00:31am - 3.9 - bedtime
00:57am - 5.4 - 15 minute hypo check and bedtime

11/8
7:58am - 5.7 - waking
8:55am - 7.7 - bef breakfast
13:47am - 9.2 - bef lunch
19:41pm - 4.9 - bef tea - this test was re-entered so I could get bolus advice for bolusing after eating - had scampi and chips and madeira birthday cake for tea
22:48pm - 4.7 - below 8mmol so had 26g of carbs which was 2 bags of mini choc chip cookies

12/8
8:18am - 6.3 - waking
9:22am - 8.5 - bef breakfast
14:27pm - 8.7 bef lunch
19:45pm - 9.6 - bef tea
23:02pm - 8.9 - bef bed

 

[Sally71]

They look pretty good to me, I’d leave it as it is! You were slightly high at lunch time the first two days but then not since so nothing you can do about that.
Do you have to show all your readings to your DSN? She won’t mind if you don’t, surely, especially if there isn’t a problem. We hardly ever contact ours, she’s easy enough to get hold of if we do have a problem but is quite happy to let us get on with it on our own as much as possible.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

They look pretty good to me, I’d leave it as it is!

Thanks @Sally71 and yes I also think to leave everything as it is.

You were slightly high at lunch time the first two days but then not since so nothing you can do about that.

The first of the lunch highs on 7/8 of 12.4 was when I thought I had only done 4.5 units instead of 5.0 units at breakfast time - I've no idea about the second one and like you say there was only 2 of the highs.

Do you have to show all your readings to your DSN? She won’t mind if you don’t, surely, especially if there isn’t a problem. We hardly ever contact ours, she’s easy enough to get hold of if we do have a problem but is quite happy to let us get on with it on our own as much as possible.

I show all my readings to my DSN ever since I had dka. I think I've had 3 or 4 different DSNs since then. Ever since I had dka I just need that bit of reassurance. I had very high BGL levels caused by I think being stupid ie skipping injections and meals.

 

[mark king]

Hello @mum2westiesGill they're a good average set of results.
Leave well alone but continue to monitor looking for the exceptions and understand why you got them be they Hi or Lo Bgs.
If they remain steady like your results above it will give you the confidence to know what/how you are making your calcs is the correct way.
Things that can mess up your Bg's are:-
Miss calculations
Illness
Hot Weather

1 step at a time. 🙂

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Hello @mum2westiesGill they're a good average set of results.
Leave well alone but continue to monitor looking for the exceptions and understand why you got them be they Hi or Lo Bgs.
If they remain steady like your results above it will give you the confidence to know what/how you are making your calcs is the correct way.
Things that can mess up your Bg's are:-
Miss calculations
Illness
Hot Weather

1 step at a time. 🙂

Thank you so much for your kind reply 🙂

I've put this on the Group 7-day Waking Average it was a lo from before tea last night - I've no idea how it happened apart from an earlier dog walk in between breakfast and lunch.

19:52pm 6.3 - 3.5 units and 35g of carbs - because I had my tea instead of a follow up after hypo snack with no bolus I reduced the carb amount from 50g to 35g
19:01pm 3.6 before tea so had a 150ml can of coca-cola

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Update
the BGLs above and the ones below up to 15/8 have now been sent to my DSN eeek!

What do members think of my BGLs from 13/8 - 15/8?

13/8
6:40am - 3.9 - waking - no idea why
7:08am - 7.8 - 15 minute hypo check
10:01am - 9.0 - bef breakfast
13:57pm - 5 2 - bef lunch
19:01pm - 3.6 - bef tea
19:19pm - 6.3 - 15 minute hypo check
23:30pm - 5 8 - bedtime

14/8
7:34am - 6.5 - waking
9:48am - 9.2 - bef breakfast
13:36pm - 10.3 - bef lunch - no idea why high
18:26pm - 4.7 - bef tea
21:57pm - 5.8
00:01am - 9.7 - bedtime - had 1 gin & diet coke, 1 jaegermister, 1 large bag of quavers, 4 papa John's chicken poppers

15/8
7:28am - 4.2 - waking
10:02am - 7.8 - bef breakfast
14:44pm - 11.8 - bef lunch
19:10pm - 4.2 - bef tea
23:58pm - 4.8 - bedtime

 

[mum2westiesGill]

16/8
8:01am - 5.9 - Waking

my DSN has now seen all of the BGLs from 7/8 to waking on 16/8 - she thinks the readings look pretty good to her and is pleased they're more settled.

"Also, glad you have used the DUK site for Hypo info , it is a mine of information at your fingertips" - she thinks the hypo treatment is "grand"
Re my loss of hypo awareness she said "Hypo awareness is particular to you . Can't really make it any better , it changes the longer you have been Diabetic for" .

 

[mark king]

Looking very good, steady as you go.
Just keep on checking and observing so as to keep aware of your levels.

Well done again.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Looking very good, steady as you go.
Just keep on checking and observing so as to keep aware of your levels.

Well done again.

Thank you so much @mark-king and I have a BUT....yesterday 16/8 after the waking BGL which I posted above on post number #7 it all went downhill and I have no idea why because day in and day out I seem to do the same things which is pottering in the house with housework and I eat the same sort of food (creature of habit) etc...

16/8
23:16pm - 4.7 - bef bed
20:10pm - aft tea - took humalog with reduced carb amount 114g eaten - 99g bolused for
19:39pm - 5.8 - 15 minute hypo check
19:20 - 3.5 - bef tea
15:00pm - 12.3 - bef lunch
10:25am - 11.2 - bef breakfast - could this be because my breakfast was later than usual?

 

[mum2westiesGill]

I'm thinking yesterday BGL wise was a bad day - what do other members think?

17/8
23:07pm - 4.3 - bedtime
19:15pm - 4.9 - bef tea
14:31pm - 12.0 - bef lunch
9:59am - 4.1 - bef breakfast
6:34am - 4.6 - waking

 

[mum2westiesGill]

19/8 - a day of no ideas!
23:44pm - 11.5 - bef bed - have no idea why it's this level!
20:19pm - aft tea - used BGL from bef tea to get bolus advice - had 99g of carbs for tea but on bolus adviser reduced the amount by 15g to 84g to get a reduced Insulin amount which was 8.5 units
19:46pm - 7.2 - 15 minute hypo check - bef tea
19:28pm - 3.6 - bef tea - didn't feel hypo - had 150ml can of non-diet coca-cola - I have no idea why I was hypo!
16:27pm - 7.7 - random test just to see what BGL was
12:59pm - 9.9 - bef lunch
9:35am - 7.4 - bef breakfast
7:05am - 8.2 - waking - 0.5 correction - 16.0 units tresiba

18/8
23:05pm - 8.2 - bef bed - 12g of carbs - no insulin
20:55pm - 13g of carbs - bag of mini cheddars - no insulin
19:22pm - 8.7 - bef tea
14:31pm - 4.1 - bef lunch
9:43am - 7.5 - bef breakfast
8:16am - 6.3 - waking

 

[rebrascora]

23:44pm - 11.5 - bef bed - have no idea why it's this level!
20:19pm - aft tea - used BGL from bef tea to get bolus advice - had 99g of carbs for tea but on bolus adviser reduced the amount by 15g to 84g to get a reduced Insulin amount which was 8.5 units

Do you not realise that this is the reason why your levels were high at bedtime. If you deliberately tell the bolus advisor that you have had less carbs than you actually have, then it will advise you to use less insulin than you actually need and that will mean that your levels will be too high. That 1.5 extra units of insulin for the 15g carbs you deducted would have put you on a much better number at bedtime.

I find it strange that you use the bolus calculator, calculate your carbs so accurately but then input a randomly reduced number into the system. Can you explain your thinking with why you did that? And what made you choose to reduce it by 15g as oppose to some other amount?

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Do you not realise that this is the reason why your levels were high at bedtime. If you deliberately tell the bolus advisor that you have had less carbs than you actually have, then it will advise you to use less insulin than you actually need and that will mean that your levels will be too high. That 1.5 extra units of insulin for the 15g carbs you deducted would have put you on a much better number at bedtime.

I find it strange that you use the bolus calculator, calculate your carbs so accurately but then input a randomly reduced number into the system. Can you explain your thinking with why you did that? And what made you choose to reduce it by 15g as oppose to some other amount?

I was hypo before tea so treated it with fast acting carbs then when I was back to a normal level I didn't have a snack I had my tea instead so over to @Lucyr

You normally have a snack of about 15g slow carbs without insulin after a hypo, so you wouldn’t bolus for that part of your meal

 

[mum2westiesGill]

My approach of a pump is just the same as it was on MDI.

Treat the hypo as normal - take 15g or fast acting carbs with NO insulin to cover these). The purpose of these carbs is to raise my BG, so I don’t need insulin to balance them.

I did this first.

Then after having my meal I injected for the carbs in the meal but told the bolus adviser I'd had fewer carbs than I'd had

Inject for the carbs in the meal. I need insulin to balance these carbs so that my BG doesn't go too high. Rather than follow-up carbs to treat the hypo I might tell the bolus adviser that I am eating 10g fewer carbs than I actually am, so that I get a slightly smaller dose.

 

[rebrascora]

Ah OK. Well it looks like you didn't need the extra 15g carbs. I never do otherwise I would be up into double figures and needing more insulin to bring me down. It is something that you need to figure out for yourself not a rule set in stone.
.
Out of interest, did you double check the 3.6 hypo reading? I understand that your hypo awareness is impaired and you don't always feel them but since you were surprised to be hypo, it is always worth a double check.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Ah OK. Well it looks like you didn't need the extra 15g carbs.

Maybe I should've reduced the carbs by 10g instead of 15g

I never do otherwise I would be up into double figures and needing more insulin to bring me down. It is something that you need to figure out for yourself not a rule set in stone.

So to know that you would be up into double figures do you test again after eating?
When I've been hypo before a meal I manually re-enter the test result from before the meal - the test where I'm back to a normal level.

Out of interest, did you double check the 3.6 hypo reading? I understand that your hypo awareness is impaired and you don't always feel them but since you were surprised to be hypo, it is always worth a double check.

When you say "did you double check the 3.6 hypo reading"? Do you mean did I check it again after 15 minutes? If this is what you meant - yes I checked it again (after fast acting treatment) and it was back to a normal level of 7.2

 

[rebrascora]

No. What I meant is...... when you get a reading which is unexpectedly low or high and doesn't correspond with how you feel then you should do another finger prick straight away to double check before you treat it, just in case it was a dodgy test strip or some other error.

My Libre shows me that I have gone up into double figures because I scan regularly to check..... I scan my levels an average of 30+ times a day to keep a check on things and keep levels in range. It takes 2 seconds and whilst most of the time I don't take any action other than making a mental note, it gives me a huge amount of information about how my body responds to various situations and treatment strategies, so that I can amend how I deal with things and that is how I know I don't need those extra 15g slow release carbs after a hypo.

 

[Leadinglights]

You do seem to be struggling to keep things on an even keel, so I wonder whether you should consider a more consistent amount of carbs for your meals. I know you can correct and adjust your insulin but having similar amount of carbs for each meal each day might help your body to stabilise.
That might be a silly suggestion so I apologise if it is.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

No. What I meant is...... when you get a reading which is unexpectedly low or high and doesn't correspond with how you feel then you should do another finger prick straight away to double check before you treat it, just in case it was a dodgy test strip or some other error.

I'm with you now. I've lost a lot of hypo awareness. So is this what you mean - in future when I test and find out I'm hypo I should do another finger prick straight away to 'double check' that I am actually hypo? If the second finger prick still says I'm hypo then I can go ahead and treat?

 

[rebrascora]

Only if you don't feel hypo and you haven't just been for a walk or done a spell of gardening or hoovered the stairs or some such activity that might drop your levels... ie it is an unexpected and unexplainable low reading.