Injecting for snacks?

[MeanMom]

K went to clinic yesterday - mostly for session with councellor but we checked in with doc too.

Some of you will remember K has an issue with going low around 4pm on a school day. We were discussing this and doc said, 'Are you sure you ARE hypo, because I dont see any tests at that time in your meter, plus when do test,before tea, can be in double figures?' To which K replied 'o I know when I'm low - but perhaps I am overtreating it as it gives me the munchies'😱

So Doc and K have come up with the following plan-

Reduce lunch time ratio a bit
If hypo on bus grab whatever fast acting handy (glucotabs/OJ)
If hungry when get home and/or had hypo Have snack but inject for it

Doc didn't mention it, but I think K would need to test before the snack - whether she had been hypo or not?

K doesn't mind thought of extra injection, especially if it will get the 'food police' off her case (no chance😉) but likes to avoid testing where possible (saving the NHS some money?)

Doc has given K something 'else' to worry about as she says numbers too high lately (birthday allowed for) - K has had more hypo's since Christmas than she had for the whole of the Autumn term and her last HbA1c was something like 7.2 at end Nov. Her meter averages have always been higher than Hb... because she doesn't need to test when she is hypo.

Oh well - annual review next at beginning of March,gulp!

 

[Medusa]

i would encourage testing when feeling hypo to double check it is a hypo, could it just be hunger? i find hunger is one thing i get when i go hypo but always double check with a test

 

[Northerner]

From time to time I have suspected I was hypo, only to find that I am actually in the upper 5s and it's just hunger. If it's happening regularly then it's worth confirming that they are actually hypos by doing some tests 🙂

 

[novorapidboi26]

Its a good habit to get into to test when hypo, then you can make an educated decision to the cause and how to treat...........

Remember if you run high for a while, hypo symptoms will happen at higher numbers........

I use the freestyle insulinx blood monitor and this will not allow you to record a snack unless you take a reading, it then decides what dose to give you taking into account the insulin already working.............

Good HbA1c though............

If she tests for hypos then her machine will give her a better average, a reason to do it maybe?...😉


Test, test, test...........

 

[Copepod]

As a compromise, perhaps K will agree to "guess" her blood glucose level, then test and record both figures. If she's reliably detecting hypos, ie her estimates are near to test result, then she's right, she doesn't need to test before treating hypo, although, as she acknowledges, needs to be careful not to overtreat hypos.

But, like most people, I was always hungry when I got home from school (didn't have diabetes then) and still often feel hungry whenever I get home, whether from work or shopping or appointment or social etc. But even as a teenager, I found that a cup of tea was a good way to have a break from school before settling down to evening homework and / or other evening activities, so don't always need to eat when I get in, as a hot drink fills me up.

 

[MeanMom]

Thanks folks, and agree with everything ...

BUT

In my ramblings I didn't make it clear:

K feels hypo on the 25 min journey home on a school bus - if she can get access to her bag she is lucky - mostly she will have what is in her pockets (glucotabs) it is virtually impossible to test BS on the bus (packed full of teenagers as it is) She has tried waiting til she gets home before testing and treating but that was a BAD day (never again)

She has always been right about hypo when she has tested, so no reason to doubt she is hypo on way home.

Anyway - assuming there had NOT had a hypo on the way home, is adamant she wants say some cheese on toast AND milk, happy to inject, does she need to test?

(sorry - I do go on a bit😱)

 

[novorapidboi26]

If she is having a snack, why not test...........? If its within an hour of dinner, I wouldn't inject though.....

Its different coming from me, a grown man, I suppose. I feel testing before anything goes in the mouth, with exception to small amounts of carb [below 10g], will always give some useful information...........its a good habit to get into when she has to manage on her own.........😉

However, the hypo should be addressed first though.............any thoughts on that........?

 

[MeanMom]

Thx NRB

Aparently K is going to start injecting and testing for after school snack 'tomorrow' 😉

Doc thinks ratio for lunch still bit too high so we have today changed slightly. No 'Bus Hypo' today but I have a theory (suggested possibly by yourself amongst others) that it has more to do with days she has higher GI lunch - am going to give her the offending lunch tomorrow and use the lower ratio and see if still get hypo - in theory will still happen - we shall see (or not) If it does We will have to re think that lunch - o what fun!

 

[Medusa]

trial and error is a spot on way to learn the right solution.... tis what i do when altering my regime for different training routines, good luck and let us know how it goes