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Hypos are work

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

Emmakeets

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Hi everyone, hope you are all well. I’m aware that I disappeared after a really rough period but it *THINK* I’m finally getting my head around it all.

so I quit my desk job because it was making me miserable and working in a bar at the moment. It’s been really positive as I found out quickly the physical work meant I really needed to keep my blood sugars down otherwise I really struggled to get through my shifts. As a result I’ve been finally paying better attention and taking my insulin. It’s also helped to stop any weight gain which I struggle with when starting up the insulin and the exercise aspect is lifting my mood.

the bar I work in does all sorts of events and is really busy. I’ve been trying to get my sugars in target for when I start work and eat before I go etc but after 8 hours of rushing around I am quite often having hypos. If I don’t have one at work it’s in a few hours time when I’ve finally fallen asleep!

I just wondered if anyone has any advice to combat this? I’m trying to lose weight so don’t want to add more food in and I don’t want to run my sugars purposely higher that seems counter productive? I’m thinking it must be related to the background insulin but then I don’t work every day so do I just adjust when I work? Also I’m on Lantus which I believe has a delayed effect so do I need to ask to change insulin?

thanks to anyone that can help at all! I hate having to stop at work all the time to sort out a hypo when everyone is working so hard, I don’t want any special treatment.
 
Sorry can't help with your query, but it is good to see you back and feeling more positive.
 
Hi everyone, hope you are all well. I’m aware that I disappeared after a really rough period but it *THINK* I’m finally getting my head around it all.

so I quit my desk job because it was making me miserable and working in a bar at the moment. It’s been really positive as I found out quickly the physical work meant I really needed to keep my blood sugars down otherwise I really struggled to get through my shifts. As a result I’ve been finally paying better attention and taking my insulin. It’s also helped to stop any weight gain which I struggle with when starting up the insulin and the exercise aspect is lifting my mood.

the bar I work in does all sorts of events and is really busy. I’ve been trying to get my sugars in target for when I start work and eat before I go etc but after 8 hours of rushing around I am quite often having hypos. If I don’t have one at work it’s in a few hours time when I’ve finally fallen asleep!

I just wondered if anyone has any advice to combat this? I’m trying to lose weight so don’t want to add more food in and I don’t want to run my sugars purposely higher that seems counter productive? I’m thinking it must be related to the background insulin but then I don’t work every day so do I just adjust when I work? Also I’m on Lantus which I believe has a delayed effect so do I need to ask to change insulin?

thanks to anyone that can help at all! I hate having to stop at work all the time to sort out a hypo when everyone is working so hard, I don’t want any special treatment.
I don’t know if I should be , but I adjust my lantus at weekends as normally more active .
 
Have you done a basal test? If all is well there you could try reducing your bolus insulin when you eat xx
 
Also I’m on Lantus which I believe has a delayed effect so do I need to ask to change insulin?

People do say it lasts a bit too long to sensibly change it as you want to. Regardless, it seems worth seeing what your healthcare team can advise (maybe you'd be better off with something like Levemir, or maybe there's something else they can suggest you do).
 
Thank you for your input I suppose I know I need to speak to the hospital but my health avoidance has meant I haven’t been in a while need to build myself up for that.

@Kaylz I could do with doing a basal test it’s been a while. It’s definitely not the bolts though. Saturday I ate at 5pm took insulin etc started work at 8, 3.8 at 2.30am while still at work had a sugary drink and couple of slices of pizza didn’t bolus for it. Got home at 4.40am fell asleep and was up at 7.30am with a 2.4. Definitely seems to be basal to me and yet no problems on the days I’m not at work (I’m off now until Thursday evening)
 
If Lantus is working well for you and you don’t want to change (I think 2x Levemir is generally thought to be the most flexible and responsive basal insulin in MDI), the other option would be to deliberately reduce your meal doses by a percentage on work days immediately before your shift. That way as the food absorbs it will slightly overrun the insulin and provide the energy for the extra activity. When I used to use the AccuChek Expert it had 2 settings for exercise which adjusted doses downwards by whatever percent you found worked.

If without a smart meter you could use your phone calculator?
 
Hi Emma,
have you got a Libre, if not can you have one prescribed? The sensor might help you predict any oncoming low thus a quick snack to ward the hypo off would help. As I understand it Levemir is an easier basal to adjust as most people inject it twice a day. Nice to see you back btw
 
I think it may just be that you need to eat more slow release carbs towards the end of your shift. You’re working at a time of day when most of us are asleep and so your meal times will be different too. Did you test before you went to bed at 4.40 to see where you were at before you slept? That would give you an idea of how far you dropped and whether a small snack at bedtime would have stopped that.
It may be worth speaking to your team to see if they can let you have a Libre for a time so you can see what’s happening. Bar work is a lot of effort and energy and will be meaning that you’re insulin needs are different on work days.
 
the other option would be to deliberately reduce your meal doses by a percentage on work days immediately before your shift.

Good point, that's much simpler than changing basal insulin. It's much more time-limited than a basal insulin change, and so much faster to fiddle with to get the changes more or less working for you.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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