Hypo help.

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Persil

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Type 1
Hi all,

First, I just though I'd let you know that after my worries regarding my test results that the university medical centre carried out, everything's fine, but I'm posting to ask for more help!!

Since being at uni I have had a ridiculous amount of hypos, and I'm not sure what to do. Do I reduce my carb/insulin ratio (1 unit of insulin for every 10g of carb) or do I stick with the same ratio, and just eat a little more?? I've been here two weeks and I have made my way through 1 and a bit pack of jelly babies, and to be honest, I'm getting quite sick of them now!!!

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

Vicki 🙂
xxx
 
Hi Vicki
Are your hypo's happening at certain times of the day? I always drop around 10/11am and 3/4pm so always have some rich tea biscuits on hand.

Emma xx
 
Hi Vicki, good to hear that the tests turned out to be fine 🙂 It sounds like the change of routine has resulted in a need to reduce your insulin doses. It's quite normal to have to do this, and one of the complicating factors of insulin use - how much do you adjust by? I think the best way is to reduce slowly, perhaps by 10%, and test regularly to see what happens. What are your waking levels like? It might also be necessary to change your slow-acting insulin too. If you're not sure how to go about it, it's probably best to speak to your DSN for advice. If you don't reduce the insulin you will end up, as you have discovered, 'feeding the insulin' and having to eat more than you wish.
 
hiya Vicki

I would decrease the insulin ratio rather than up the carbs to suit the insulin personally myself as increasing the carbs always a danger of causing weight gain..

But check out also that this isn't a background issue though, as I assume that you've changed where you life while up Uni, so new enviorment might have altered your actual background needs,,

Glad to hear you got on all right with the medica centre
 
I'm finding that I drop pretty much after all my meals, whether it be one hour later, two hours or even three. It's getting very annoying!! I am new to carb counting, and found that, back home, what I was doing was working really well - I wasn't needing to snack between meals unless I was actually hungry - but now I'm finding that I have to snack whether I want to or not!! As well, at times, I'll test my b.g. levels two hours after a meal and they'll be fine - around 6mmol - but then an hour or so after that I'll find I've dropped to 3.2mmol. Why?! Definately think my DSN will be getting a call on Monday!! It's hard though, as I can't actually book an appointment to see her as she's in Kent and I'm in Norwich :confused:

I think my slow-acting insulin level is fine. I take 9 units of levemir at 9.30pm every night and I tend to wake up with levels between 4.7mmol and 5.2mmol.

Thanks for your help everyone!!

Vicki 🙂
xxx
 
Your waking levels are great, so I think you are right about the levemir being OK. I would say that a 6 two hours post meal is probably a bit on the low side, and this is why you are dropping down to hypo levels later. Your insulin will be peaking at around 2 hours and depending on what you have eaten , your food may have already peaked. I'd expect personally to be around 8-9 two hours after eating, dropping to around 5 after 4 hours. It will be the change of routine that has caused all this, I imagine, and really does sound like you need less insulin with your meals.
 
Check out the B-DEC link for carb counting you might find it useful

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

Also quick acting insulin uses abour 80% of it's dose when it peaks at the 2 hours mark, the remaining 20% will continual to lower the bg over the next 2-3 hours..

Also you may need to reduce your insulin slightly if you are going to exercise soon after eating...
 
Vicki,
Further to what the others have already said, what you describe does suggest that you would benefit from an adjustment to you carb ratio. Maybe just try raising the ratio by one unit, for example if it is current 1u:8g then make it 1u:9g, and then see how this affects your subsequent readings. If you are having hypos on the current ratios anyway then a minor change is unlikely to make matters any worse.

A change of lifestyle can have a significant impact on your diabetic control. From what I remember (all those years ago! 🙄) starting at college involves a very big alteration to your lifestyle, especially if it is the first time that you are living away from your family home for an extended period like it was for me.

Best of luck! 😎
 
Persil - hope you get advice by phone on Monday. It might be as helpful as a face to face meeting, and far more convenient, given your relative locations.
 
Have only just seen this.

Hope you got sorted out.

One thought is simply that you are studying hard and using up lots of carbohydrate in the process. I know that when I mark exam papers or homework I need to do lots of extra tests to make sure my blood sugar is OK. I think my problem is that because I am sitting down I assume it's not exercise, whereas my husband thinks (and I now agree with him) that I must be exercising my brain and therfore should reduce my insulin etc. i.e. Possibly try thinking of lectures as exercise.

Out of interest, what are you studying?
 
Hiya,

Yeah, I got everything sorted (I hope!!) I'm now only taking half a unit of insulin for every 10g of carbohydrate instead of 1 unit to every 10g. Seems to be working a lot better. I've been hypo-free (touch wood) for 4 days :D

And I'm studying French and Spanish at UEA, Norwich.

Vicki 🙂
xxx
 
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