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High readings

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

AnnHoggan

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi
I don't know if anyone can help me but I am getting consistently high readings every morning - often 18+. Before bed my levels are normally between 4 and 5 but overnight my libre sensor just shows my level going up and up. I have tried increasing the amount of insulin I take before bed and even tried putting a new cartridge in but nothing has made a difference. This has only been happening in the last two weeks but it is making me increasingly stressed and depressed. Has anyone experienced something similar and can give me some idea as to how to manage this.
Sorry I have never used this forum before so hopefully I am posting this correctly.
Many thanks
Ann
 
What kind of insulin? Some people have reported just not getting on with some basal insulins whatever they do, and have found changing improves things.
 
I had this issue. I was taking my lantus in one dose at night but now take it in two split doses. And I am not really having that issue any more x
 
AnnHoggan said:
Hi
I don't know if anyone can help me but I am getting consistently high readings every morning - often 18+. Before bed my levels are normally between 4 and 5 but overnight my libre sensor just shows my level going up and up. I have tried increasing the amount of insulin I take before bed and even tried putting a new cartridge in but nothing has made a difference. This has only been happening in the last two weeks but it is making me increasingly stressed and depressed. Has anyone experienced something similar and can give me some idea as to how to manage this.
Sorry I have never used this forum before so hopefully I am posting this correctly.
Many thanks
Ann
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Hi Ann this is my first posting too. I have had a very similar problem my highs not as bad first thing but continue rising even after having my breakfast/fiasp insulin. I have not been able to get to the bottom of this but it also only started very recently. Would also appreciate any help don't know what to do other than keep having more insulin which is way above what I should have normally.
 
Hi Sandie = could you be sickening for something? Are you on Lantus? Have you done a basal test?
 
Hi @AnnHoggan 🙂

If you can rule out illness and stress, then I find it’s usually an absorption issue or, occasionally, ‘bad’ insulin. I’ve just had a few similar days to what you describe and traced my issues to poor absorption from a cannula site (I’m on a pump).

You’ve changed your cartridge but have you tried one from a new pack (if you’re talking about pen cartridges)? Have you tried injecting in a different body area?
 
Bruce Stephens said:
What kind of insulin? Some people have reported just not getting on with some basal insulins whatever they do, and have found changing improves things.
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Hi I am on tresiba. Was wondering if having a different insulin may be the answer. Thanks Bruce.
 
T
PhoebeC said:
I had this issue. I was taking my lantus in one dose at night but now take it in two split doses. And I am not really having that issue any more x
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Thanks Phoebe, I can try that and see. How do you split yours? Half before bed and the other half in the morning?
 
Inka said:
Hi @AnnHoggan 🙂

If you can rule out illness and stress, then I find it’s usually an absorption issue or, occasionally, ‘bad’ insulin. I’ve just had a few similar days to what you describe and traced my issues to poor absorption from a cannula site (I’m on a pump).

You’ve changed your cartridge but have you tried one from a new pack (if you’re talking about pen cartridges)? Have you tried injecting in a different body area?
Click to expand...
Hi Inka, I have changed the cartridge twice and one was from a completely new pack but still no difference. I haven't tried a different injection site so will give that a go. Thanks for the ideas.
 
Hi Ann.

Because Tresiba is a very long acting insulin which is supposed to give a good flat line, it is not recommended to split the dose and the best thing to do would be to discuss the problem with your diabetes clinic.
I have recently increased my physical activity on a morning and have found the opposite problem that I am hypoing, but I am on a split dose Levemir so I am cutting back my evening dose. I am just wondering if due to the cooler weather recently things have worked in the opposite way for you and perhaps you have been a bit less active during the day and this is meaning that your night time basal insulin needs have increased. Obviously with Tresiba being a single dose basal insulin it may no longer be suiting your needs, so yes, another insulin might be the solution. You must feel rotten with readings in the high teens!
I think a phone call to the clinic is probably the way to deal with this. Hope they can help sort you out. Alternatively, you could perhaps try a morning yomp and see if that helps.
 
AnnHoggan said:
T

Thanks Phoebe, I can try that and see. How do you split yours? Half before bed and the other half in the morning?
Click to expand...
This is what we did at first. 10 first thing 10 last thing.
It takes 3 days to settle in.
Now I have 8 morning and 12 evening and it’s working for me
 
AnnHoggan said:
Hi Inka, I have changed the cartridge twice and one was from a completely new pack but still no difference. I haven't tried a different injection site so will give that a go. Thanks for the ideas.
Click to expand...
Hi Inka, I tried a different injection site last night and success - reading of 6.5 this morning! Hopefully it wasn't just a one off so will see if I get the same result tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.
 
The other thing I would suggest is to change your pen.
Pens do not last forever and can become a tad dodgy over the years.
Sometimes they fail suddenly but sometimes it is more a slow degradation.
 
AnnHoggan said:
Hi Inka, I tried a different injection site last night and success - reading of 6.5 this morning! Hopefully it wasn't just a one off so will see if I get the same result tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.
Click to expand...

Oh, that’s great! 😎 I hope that continues to work for you.
 
Glad you have had some success with switching injection sites. Hope that continues for you. I found buttocks a very useful area for basal jabs in my last years of MDI because it wasnt a space I used for injections during the day, and there was a reasonable amount of area to aim at.

One possibility that occured to me was that it might be your liver suddenly getting all uppity and dumping glucose. Some have a regular and consistent “dawn phenomenon” experience, but just recently mine has become significantly haphazard and variable. With significant effects some weeks/months, and next to nothing on others.

Unfortunately there isn’t a lot you can do if it is a liver dump. Some find a small low carb suppertime snack helps, but it can be heartening to realise that it isn't anything you are doing ’wrong’, it’s just your diabetes not playing fair, and you have to work around it.
 
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