First corrective action

[Blueboy83]

Type 1, I’ve just done my first corrective action after having 11.2 (dinner over 4 hours ago) so was trying to be good, but having 1 unit of novorapid correction has dropped me 5 to 6.1. I’m now worried about bed if I continue to drop! Any advice, have a biscuit? Stay up late?

 

[Lily123]

@Blueboy83 how long has it been since you had the corrective dose?

 

[Blueboy83]

@Blueboy83 how long has it been since you had the corrective dose?

Thanks for your reply, Only 1 hour, so was quite surprised and now anxious

 

[Lily123]

Perhaps you could leave it about 10 or so minutes then retest and see how much your BG has changed and then depending on that number you could have a biscuit or something to try and keep the BG at a level you feel safe with

 

[Inka]

Type 1, I’ve just done my first corrective action after having 11.2 (dinner over 4 hours ago) so was trying to be good, but having 1 unit of novorapid correction has dropped me 5 to 6.1. I’m now worried about bed if I continue to drop! Any advice, have a biscuit? Stay up late?

My correction factor is very different late evening compared to earlier in the day. Late evening 1 unit drops me 6 or 7mmol, and I’ve had Type 1 for almost 30 years.

So, firstly I’d have done a smaller correction, and secondly, I’d have been hesitant about correcting late at night anyway. I’m presuming you’re very recently diagnosed, so in your situation I’d probably have left it, possibly checked in the night (to make sure I hadn’t shot up to 20 or whatever) and then corrected in the morning if necessary. When I was newly diagnosed, my remaining beta cells would have lowered that blood sugar a bit overnight anyway.

You don’t need to try to be good, more you need to be safe. If that happens again, leave the 11mmol, don’t correct and see what happens overnight. If you do go higher overnight, next time you’re in a similar circumstance, take a half unit correction not a whole unit.

 

[Blueboy83]

My correction factor is very different late evening compared to earlier in the day. Late evening 1 unit drops me 6 or 7mmol, and I’ve had Type 1 for almost 30 years.

So, firstly I’d have done a smaller correction, and secondly, I’d have been hesitant about correcting late at night anyway. I’m presuming you’re very recently diagnosed, so in your situation I’d probably have left it, possibly checked in the night (to make sure I hadn’t shot up to 20 or whatever) and then corrected in the morning if necessary. When I was newly diagnosed, my remaining beta cells would have lowered that blood sugar a bit overnight anyway.

You don’t need to try to be good, more you need to be safe. If that happens again, leave the 11mmol, don’t correct and see what happens overnight. If you do go higher overnight, next time you’re in a similar circumstance, take a half unit correction not a whole unit.

Thanks for your advice. The dietician told me it should drop me about 4, she didn’t say anything about not doing it in the evening. I was very surprised by the large drop, this is the first time I’ve done it, I know now! Unfortunately I’m using manual novorapid so can’t do half units!

 

[Inka]

Thanks for your advice. The dietician told me it should drop me about 4, she didn’t say anything about not doing it in the evening. I was very surprised by the large drop, this is the first time I’ve done it, I know now! Unfortunately I’m using manual novorapid so can’t do half units!

Novorapid has the option of a half-unit pen. Do ask for one. They’re very useful, not just for corrections, but for bolusing (meal injection) too.

Generally, it’s wise to avoid taking fast-acting insulin close to bedtime because of the risk of a nocturnal hypo. I follow that advice even though I’ve had diabetes years. So, I eat earlyish at around 6pm (so my bolus insulin is pretty much gone by bedtime), I don’t eat carby snacks that need a bolus during the evening, and I don’t correct at bedtime unless I’m really high, and even then I do a very cautious correction.

Even when you get your half unit pen, I wouldn’t correct an 11 at this stage. How’s your blood sugar this morning?

 

[helli]

Unfortunately I’m using manual novorapid so can’t do half units

It is possible to get half unit pens for NovoRapid.
I don't know about single use pens but I have a NovoPen Echo which is a half unit reusable pen.
I highly recommend requesting half unit pens. They made my life much easier.

 

[Inka]

Here @Blueboy83

https://www.novonordisk.com/our-products/pens-and-needles/novopen-echo.html

.

 

[Blueboy83]

Perhaps you could leave it about 10 or so minutes then retest and see how much your BG has changed and then depending on that number you could have a biscuit or something to try and keep the BG at a level you feel safe with

Thanks for your help. I had a biscuit and that stabilised me

 

[Kaylz]

As the others have said definitely ask your team for the Novopen Echo and cartridges, it really is a life saver to have the option of half unit increments, I was given mine less than a month into my diagnosis due to 1u being too much of a correction a lot of the time xx

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Thanks for your advice. The dietician told me it should drop me about 4, she didn’t say anything about not doing it in the evening. I was very surprised by the large drop, this is the first time I’ve done it, I know now! Unfortunately I’m using manual novorapid so can’t do half units!

Novo does have a kick in it at about 4 1/2 hours and duration of insulin is about 5 hours. Which would account for the rapid drop you had.
As it takes about 2 hours to peak I would suspect the meal time bolus was still in operation and the correction was not the cause of the very quick drop.