Just started with insulin -signs of nightime hypos

[Dickon Best]

Been a diabetic for around 2 years, initially diagnosed as Type 2 but think they got that wrong. Just started on insulin and feel very groggy in the morning and woke up last night with sweats. Am I having a nightime hypo?

Bloods in the morning are often higher than my late evening test, around 8 mmol/L so I had assumed I was not - any views?

 

[Northerner]

Hi, welcome to the forum 🙂 What insulin are you on? It is possible that you are having lows in the night - it would be worth setting your alarm for 3 am to check your levels (this is around the time when your liver will be producing the least glucose, so is generally when people dip lowest in the night). Feeling groggy on waking can also be a sign you had a low/hypo, and it may be that your levels seem a little on the high side when you wake because your liver sometimes responds to the low by releasing extra glucose to raise your levels. It doesn't always do this though, so better to check and find out what is going on. What are your levels like before bed?

 

[Dickon Best]

Novorapid at lunch and dinner and Levermir in the morning and before bed/evening. I have a baby so I can get my wife to wake me!

Well last night it was 6.8 mmol/L

 

[Northerner]

Novorapid at lunch and dinner and Levermir in the morning and before bed/evening. I have a baby so I can get my wife to wake me!

Well last night it was 6.8 mmol/L

The levemir might take a little while to get the dosage right, so it is worth doing those checks just to see how you are doing. I presume also that your levels were getting quite poor prior to you starting on insulin, so it may be that you are not technically hypo during the night i.e. you may still be above 4.0 mmol/l, but you may be getting false hypo symptoms (the sweating, grogginess etc.) because your body is used to your levels being higher.

Let us know how those checks go! 🙂

 

[Dickon Best]

Just started with insulin -signs of nightime hypos?

Thanks - will do