Low blood reading at meal time....

[Ben Dolden]

At meal time today my blood reading was 4.1. What would you normally do in this situation in terms of taking insulin and eating?

Would you treat for a hypo and then eat/inject or would you simply inject and eat as per normal and not treat for a hypo as "technically" it isn't?

 

[SB2015]

I was advised if you feel hypo treat it as a hypo. I pick up mine usually at about 4.2.
I adjust my number of jelly babies I use depending on how low my BG is.

As you were about to eat breakfast you could just make sure that you do not deliver the insulin so early and the bolus calculator will reduce the amount due to lower BG. Perhaps make sure that part of your breakfast is a bit of a faster acting carb. If I am in this position I treat myself to a little juice, which I do not usually have at all.

If I am very low before breakfast I would use jelly babies first to get back up before having breakfast. You need to get used to what you need for how you feel.

One advantage I have is that I use a Libre sensor and reader, so I have the additional information about what direction my bG is going in, level, up, up quickly, down or down quickly, so that would also be factored in when I decide what to do.

 

[SB2015]

PS welcome to the forum. I have found that there are a lot of really helpful people on here and I have learnt loads from them. Keep asking, and remember that no questions is silly.

 

[Ben Dolden]

I was advised if you feel hypo treat it as a hypo. I pick up mine usually at about 4.2.
I adjust my number of jelly babies I use depending on how low my BG is.

As you were about to eat breakfast you could just make sure that you do not deliver the insulin so early and the bolus calculator will reduce the amount due to lower BG. Perhaps make sure that part of your breakfast is a bit of a faster acting carb. If I am in this position I treat myself to a little juice, which I do not usually have at all.

If I am very low before breakfast I would use jelly babies first to get back up before having breakfast. You need to get used to what you need for how you feel.

One advantage I have is that I use a Libre sensor and reader, so I have the additional information about what direction my bG is going in, level, up, up quickly, down or down quickly, so that would also be factored in when I decide what to do.

Thank you. That sounds a good approach and what I should have done. I decided to eat my meal and take slightly less insulin after I ate it But this turned out to be the wrong approach as I had another hypo 90mins later (3.1 reading).

Interesting to know you use the Libre too. I was recommended it by my nurse and have been on It two weeks now. It's revolutionised my testing and I'm already seeing the benefits with a lot better control.

 

[grovesy]

Welcome!

 

[SB2015]

Hi Ben

If you have time, do go to the Newbies section on her and let us know a bit about how you manage your diabetes and how long you have been diagnosed. (I should have looked there first to check if you have already done this)

[Interesting to know you use the Libre too. I was recommended it by my nurse and have been on It two weeks now. It's revolutionised my testing and I'm already seeing the benefits with a lot better control.[/QUOTE]

I am pleased that you have found the Libre so helpful. I started using this in Feb, initially just when I wanted to find out something's specific, but once I started using it I found it so helpful, especially the direction of travel for the BG that I now use it most of the time. So you download your readings. I use Diasend, and I have given access to my results to my DSN and Consultants. It makes getting their advice a lot easier. It also collates everything from reader, handset and pump into one graph. Brilliant for reviewing results.

 

[Radders]

I have a tendency to spike in the mornings so I wouldn't even consider 4.1 as a hypo, however as you had another one later, it sounds as if you don't have much of a dawn phenomenon going on!