Me again with another basal question!

[Munjeeta]

Hello all you lovely helpful people 🙂

Over my recent half term holiday I managed to get my basal doses perfect - an achievement (that will no doubt have changed by next holiday 😛)

And I know Rossi posted something a few weeks ago about different basal needs...

Monday my bs were high all day - between 17 and 19, I blame the stress of being back at school. Yesterday and today, however, I have been running low. Especially mid-morning (I was 4.4 at half ten, ate a huge banana and was still only 5 before lunch, which is a good reading, but without the banana I would have hypoed and I can't always guarantee the option of having a snack at break time) and after school (have hypoed both days around 4-ish).

Firstly... Both these readings are around 4 hours after food, is that too late for it to be my novorapid causing the lows? If so... Is it possible that I may need less basal during the day when I'm working and more during holidays or is it just novorapid I should fiddle with? Any help would (as usual!) be muchly appreciated. I'm trying to keep diaries of everything still, so am seeing patterns but can't quite muster up the energy to work out what to do about them 😱

 

[smile4loubie]

Could it be because your doing more exersise? If your schools anything like mine used to the stairs just seem to go on for ever lol x

 

[randomange]

Yay for getting basal sorted! (for holidays at least 😉)

I definitely need more basal when I'm on holiday compared to when I'm at work, so that is a possibility.

Novorapid lasts for different lengths of time in different people, and four hours is definitely within the times mentioned, so it's also possible that it could be that.

How are your overnight numbers? If you're waking up round about the same as what you went to bed on, then your basal might be ok. Could you skip breakfast one day and see what happens? If you still drop, then you need to lower your basal, if not, lower your novorapid. 🙂

 

[rossi_mac]

Wahey getting there, keep going and you'll have it cracked in no time.

Well done on keeping diary I've given up writting anything down, not good I know.

Interesting that people are saying they need more basal at different times, I hadn't even considered that before cheers all.

I guess your NR could be in the system, the only way is to do a basal test at school but I guess that is impossible!? I'd be tempted to leave it for say a week, so long as hypos don't get dangerous, then if the pattern is definate, alter the basal doseage.

Just my thoughts, might be worth chatting to your nursey if you can, she might say something like yeah if you're busy have 23.56% less basal on Monday to Friday and weekends 10% more than the holiday successful dose?

Cheers

Rossi🙂

 

[Munjeeta]

Could it be because your doing more exersise? If your schools anything like mine used to the stairs just seem to go on for ever lol x

Yes - definitely - cycle to school, plus running around all day after the kids. However, previously I've found that stress levels play a huge part in bs levels, and when stressed and at school the stress counteracts the exercise and levels rise. This doesn't seem to be happening at the moment though, which is a GOOD thing! 🙂

Yay for getting basal sorted! (for holidays at least)

I definitely need more basal when I'm on holiday compared to when I'm at work, so that is a possibility.

Novorapid lasts for different lengths of time in different people, and four hours is definitely within the times mentioned, so it's also possible that it could be that.

How are your overnight numbers? If you're waking up round about the same as what you went to bed on, then your basal might be ok. Could you skip breakfast one day and see what happens? If you still drop, then you need to lower your basal, if not, lower your novorapid.

Yes, hypoed mid-morning today again and dropped after school too (if I hadn't have snacked I would've hypoed). Thinking I will start with decreasing novorapid ratios tomorrow and see what effect that has. Don't want to start spiking that's the only thing... From my readings overnight basal seems fine. I will see how novorapid affects it before tampering! Not sure I can face skipping breakfast on a school day, my tummy's rumbling by lunch time as it is!!

Wahey getting there, keep going and you'll have it cracked in no time.

Well done on keeping diary I've given up writting anything down, not good I know.

Interesting that people are saying they need more basal at different times, I hadn't even considered that before cheers all.

I guess your NR could be in the system, the only way is to do a basal test at school but I guess that is impossible!? I'd be tempted to leave it for say a week, so long as hypos don't get dangerous, then if the pattern is definate, alter the basal doseage.

Just my thoughts, might be worth chatting to your nursey if you can, she might say something like yeah if you're busy have 23.56% less basal on Monday to Friday and weekends 10% more than the holiday successful dose?

Cheers

Rossi

Haha... Yeah, ta Rossi, I have an appointment booked in for the week after next - I pre warned my nurse that I was going to keep a detailed log during half terma nd the weeks after for her to analyse!! Not sure basal test at school is really feasible.

A really lovely thing today though, a (rather talkative!) girl in my class came to me at break time and said she wants to do a sponsored silence and give the money to "diabetic people"! It was very sweet!

 

[Northerner]

....Firstly... Both these readings are around 4 hours after food, is that too late for it to be my novorapid causing the lows? If so... Is it possible that I may need less basal during the day when I'm working and more during holidays or is it just novorapid I should fiddle with? Any help would (as usual!) be muchly appreciated. I'm trying to keep diaries of everything still, so am seeing patterns but can't quite muster up the energy to work out what to do about them 😱

I've found that novorapid is usually still active for me for 5 hours. I often experience quite a drop in BG between 4 and 5 hours which can catch me out sometimes if my meals are only 4 hours apart - I can dose my next meal without taking into account the still-active NR and it therefore mucks up my calculations!

 

[Munjeeta]

Yeah... It's balancing act. And tricky to know how long it's hanging around for...

I've just had a sense of de ja vu... I remember getting to this point before, adn going low at these 2 points in the day, so changing my ratios from 2 units to every 10 g of CHO to 1.5 units to every 10g and my bs shooting up... Hey ho! I will give it a try tomorrow and see what happens.

Just another thought though... What do I do at weekends? Continue with my school regimes (if I change it) or revert to holiday ones? And if I need to change it and it turns out my basal needs changing would I need to take one dose for 5 days and a different one for the other 2 days?! So many questions... You'd think I'd know by now!

 

[Rainbow]

When I read your posts it's as though it's me writing them. I work in a school too and I know just what you're going through. I've tried multiple regimes both for working days and holidays/ weekends and just when you think you've seen the light the whole thing comes crashing down. Stress is a killer in diabetic terms for me too.

I seriously considered leaving the proffesion at the end of last summer term as the strain was immense. I work in a special school and daily routines are very variable and unpredictable. My school are good, I get time out to test and to treat hypos and recovery time if needed. I also get lunch at a fixed time too. Don't forget you are allowed reasonable adjustments.

At the end of my tether I requested a pump and heard this morning that I have been approved. I'm fully aware that the same amount of care and attention will be needed but I'm hoping that the pump will allow me the flexibility to adjust for different routines instead of planning and injecting for a day that may never happen as I have to do now and spend the rest of the time playing catch up.

I do understand.....

 

[runner]

Hi Munjeeta,
I have had the same problem - stress really affecting BG and activity too. when I'm doing regular excercise, my basal dos is OK around 9, but at other times (like now) about 14! Trouble is, my morning readings can be high, but can't increase basal as hypo during day - I guess it's trial and error until you find a routine that works for you.

 

[Munjeeta]

When I read your posts it's as though it's me writing them. I work in a school too and I know just what you're going through. I've tried multiple regimes both for working days and holidays/ weekends and just when you think you've seen the light the whole thing comes crashing down. Stress is a killer in diabetic terms for me too.

I do understand.....

Wow! Great news on the pump. It's something I'm currently considering... Thank you for your reply! It's good to know it's not just me... I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, but I too have my moments of wondering whether the job is worth it given the adverse way it can affect my blood sugars. Did you teach before you were diagnised or go into teaching while daibetic?

Hi Munjeeta,
I have had the same problem - stress really affecting BG and activity too. when I'm doing regular excercise, my basal dos is OK around 9, but at other times (like now) about 14! Trouble is, my morning readings can be high, but can't increase basal as hypo during day - I guess it's trial and error until you find a routine that works for you.

Just so many factors to take into account!! 🙄 Runner, do you do 1 or 2 basal injections a day?

 

[runner]

Just so many factors to take into account!! 🙄 Runner, do you do 1 or 2 basal injections a day?

I'm on Lantus, which is supposed to last 24hrs with 1. I tried splitting and ended up gradually moving the whole dose from am to pm. Morning BS still a bit up and down.

 

[Rainbow]

Wow! Great news on the pump. It's something I'm currently considering... Thank you for your reply! It's good to know it's not just me... I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, but I too have my moments of wondering whether the job is worth it given the adverse way it can affect my blood sugars. Did you teach before you were diagnised or go into teaching while daibetic?


I was diagnosed at 11 months old so its been with me through everything!