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Bringing down hypers with insulin

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F

fencesitter

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hello all. My son's school got in touch to say he'd woken up with a bg of 16 this morning, but by breakfast time was back on track.
It got me wondering about bringing down glucose levels. I've heard it said that coming down too fast might lead to problems, but always assumed that was when someone with long-term highs strives to bring down their HbA1c.
But could it also unwise to bring down a hyper to normal levels in just an hour or so? Would it be more sensible to take half a day over it? I can't find any information about this ...
Thanks!
 
It's an interesting question and I don't know the answer. I would think that it would be OK to correct a high like this with the appropriate amount of insulin in one dose, since the insulin will not work instantly, but over a period of 2-5 hours. A rapid lowering of HbA1c though implies a drastic reduction on ALL blood sugar levels, or maybe swinging levels with lots of hypos, over a period of several weeks/months which is going to be on a much larger scale. That's what I think, anyway! 🙂
 
Hi Willsmum.

I always try to bring the highs down as quickly as possible but there is always the danger of over-correcting to get there.

Personally, I like to give maybe 1u less than my full correction dose and, once my BG starts to drop, go for a stroll or do some gentle exercise.

If I'm in a rush to get it down or it's very high, I might up the exercise to something a bi more energetic. But only once the BG has started to drop and I know there's enough insulin on board and working.

I'm assuming from your post that your son is at a boarding school and that you trust the people there to know what to do for the best ?

Rob
 
Hi Rob
Yes, William's weekly boarding at a music school. He got his place before the T1 diagnosis and we were extremely worried about letting him go. I'm not sure he could have forgiven us or the T1 if we'd let it hold him back, and thankfully the school staff have been really excellent. They sent themselves on a special course before William came on how to care for children with diabetes. We also had a day there before he started, specially to talk about his diabetes care. William has to let them know if he goes low, although he treats himself - they like to be kept informed. Likewise if he's high.
I couldn't sleep at all when he first went, but three months down the line I'm much more relaxed as I really think he's in good hands. On Fridays I download his meter data and have a good look at how the week went!
 
Wow. Really well done for letting him have his freedom. They sound like a great bunch of people at the school.

Don't forget to recommend us to them if they have any general queries, although anything regarding william would obviously be best left to your discretion.🙂

Does he know what caused the 16 at waking ?

Rob
 
Thanks 🙂 I must say the apron strings were stretching big time.
I think we are lucky that the staff are so engaged with his health. They always contact me if they're concerned about anything, and they like me to send them his meter data with comments about any patterns!
Not sure what caused the high. It was probably a pizza ... Apparently he and his friends sent out for a takeaway when they all got back on Sunday night. He usually splits his dose for pizza but maybe it got too late.
Canteen food is a bit of an issue at boarding school (or any institutional setting I suppose). You can't do such accurate carb counting although William has the carbs & cals book which is pretty good. That is all getting easier as they tend to serve similar meals on a rotation basis.
 
As long as he's got some idea what caused it and it isn't his basal, then he'll be fine I'm sure.

DOn't think I would have survived away from home in the early years. It's touch and go now if I'm on my own ! :D

Rob
 
Ah - so they haven't taught the canteen staff to carb count then? LOL

Is that a step too far? The ruddy NHS can't do it in their own hospitals - so why should a school, deep sigh ......
 
wow, what an amazing school. That support will make all the difference to your son.

I don't remember any support from my school....instead I remember a big confrontation in one lesson where the teacher told me very rudely to take off my necklace (we weren't allowed jewellery in my school, but I was allowed to wear my medic alert one) and I refused. So we had a disagreement about it and he sent me out the lesson....IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. This was despite all my teachers supposedly knowing about my diabetes (which I had from before I started the school). I was totally embarrassed :(

I am slightly jealous lol

Good luck to him, it sounds like he's in safe hands and with you backing him up too he must feel like he's got all the support he'll ever need 🙂
 
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