Hypo

[Filignano]

Can anyone please explain to me why after a long days work in my garden I am still having hypos two consecutive nights after the work. Levels are not bad throughout the day however they really drop around midnight causing hypo. I take 5 glucose tablets however sometimes I require a fruit drink also. Then a couple of oatmeal biscuits as carbs, as an example I am 16mml this morning when I wake. Not sure if I should take more/ less insulin. I will check with my nurse just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with persistent hypos @Filignano

The effects of exercise can continue for quite a while - at least 24-48 hours, and also build up over time affecting the doses that you need if your increased level of activity is sustained.

Exercise can empty glucose stored in muscle tissue, which then gets refilled directly from the bloodstream.

Perhaps it would help to chat this through with your nurse, and develop some strategies for dose adjustment or fuelling your gardening exploits?!

 

[rebrascora]

Are you still taking Humulin 3 nixed insulin? It can be difficult to adjust mixed insulin to accommodate extra activity.

My night time levels are very susceptible to increased activity during the day and 2 or 3 days of increased activity have an accumulative effect. I have to lower my evening basal insulin for several days to balance things.

Are you relying on Libre or other CGM to monitor your hypos? If so, it may be causing you to over treat your hypos and then end up high. Once you are hypo, you need to finger prick to check 15 mins after treatment to monitor your recovery. This is because the algorithm used in Libre causes it to be unreliable when levels are changing direction, ie dropping and then suddenly rising after eating glucose tablets and it usually shows your levels continuing to drop 15 mins after treatment, leading you to eat/drink more glucose, when a finger prick test will usually show your levels have come back up 15 mins after treatment, so a finger prick test is more reliable in that situation.

 

[Drummer]

Can anyone please explain to me why after a long days work in my garden I am still having hypos two consecutive nights after the work. Levels are not bad throughout the day however they really drop around midnight causing hypo. I take 5 glucose tablets however sometimes I require a fruit drink also. Then a couple of oatmeal biscuits as carbs, as an example I am 16mml this morning when I wake. Not sure if I should take more/ less insulin. I will check with my nurse just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

I'm a bit shocked that you are unsure if you should be taking more or less insulin when you are having hypos - perhaps your medical team needs to their act together to provide you with such essential information.
We are not supposed to give any advice on diagnosis or treatment, but really - I sometimes wonder what the NHS is trying to do.

 

[Inka]

Can anyone please explain to me why after a long days work in my garden I am still having hypos two consecutive nights after the work. Levels are not bad throughout the day however they really drop around midnight causing hypo. I take 5 glucose tablets however sometimes I require a fruit drink also. Then a couple of oatmeal biscuits as carbs, as an example I am 16mml this morning when I wake. Not sure if I should take more/ less insulin. I will check with my nurse just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

What blood sugar do you aim for to go to bed on @Filignano ? Perhaps you just need extra bedtime snack on and after gardening days?

 

[Filignano]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with persistent hypos @Filignano

The effects of exercise can continue for quite a while - at least 24-48 hours, and also build up over time affecting the doses that you need if your increased level of activity is sustained.

Exercise can empty glucose stored in muscle tissue, which then gets refilled directly from the bloodstream.

Perhaps it would help to chat this through with your nurse, and develop some strategies for dose adjustment or fuelling your gardening exploits?!

Thank you for your time to explain and yes I have appointment with my nurse.

 

[nonethewiser]

There was discussion on here many years ago about hypos, 2 causes of which were gardening & supermarkets which were particularly troublesome, can understand gardening as it can be physically demanding but supermarkets never quite got.

 

[helli]

There was discussion on here many years ago about hypos, 2 causes of which were gardening & supermarkets which were particularly troublesome, can understand gardening as it can be physically demanding but supermarkets never quite got.

I guess it depends upon your shopping style.
If your style is to zoom round with your shopping list ordered according to the shop layout and get out as soon as possible, then traipse home carrying your load, a hypo is a possibility.
If your style is to consider your shopping trip a social event, blocking the aisles from the "zoomers" as you natter to your mates for hours on end, creating your shopping list as you spot things on the shelves and then push the trolley out to your car at the end of the afternoon, I suspect the hypo is very rare.

I am sure most people are some where in between a zoomer and a natterer. I am the former; the floors in supermarkets are great for sliding if you wear the right footwear 😎

 

[Filignano]

There was discussion on here many years ago about hypos, 2 causes of which were gardening & supermarkets which were particularly troublesome, can understand gardening as it can be physically demanding but supermarkets never quite got.

Never shop but thanks