Night lows & hypod

[Sugarcoated]

Sorry should have explained. Reactive hypoglycaemia is where your blood sugar goes high and your own insulin production kicks in to bring it down a little too enthusiatically.

That does sound plausible. It's very annoying though

 

[Sugarcoated]

Ah another avenue to enquire about is secondary Addison's disease. This is when your adrenal glands shut down due to prolonged use of steroids.

I'm having bloods done tomorrow to check my adrenal function as Drs want to reduce or stop my steroids ahead of having covid booster vaccine. But as I've been on prednisolone for over 20 yrs I'm feeling alittle pessimistic that i can come off them.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I'm having bloods done tomorrow to check my adrenal function as Drs want to reduce or stop my steroids ahead of having covid booster vaccine. But as I've been on prednisolone for over 20 yrs I'm feeling alittle pessimistic that i can come off them.

Why would they want to stop or reduce your steroids for a booster jab?
I take steroids every day as have Addison's and I certainly didn't reduce my dosage when having the jabs. In fact I had to increase the dosage after the first one as so unwell.

If you have been on steroids for 20 years it would probably take a year or two to wean you off of them anyway.

 

[Sugarcoated]

Why would they want to stop or reduce your steroids for a booster jab?
I take steroids every day as have Addison's and I certainly didn't reduce my dosage when having the jabs. In fact I had to increase the dosage after the first one as so unwell.

If you have been on steroids for 20 years it would probably take a year or two to wean you off of them anyway.

I'm not 100% but my cf DR says steroids are an immunosuppressant & it could make you less liable to produce antibodies to vaccines as prednisolone suppresses your immune system it might not be stimulated enough.
And being cf & needing a heart/lung transplant I need as much help as i can...his words not mine.
You certainly sound like you have enough going on with your health problems aswell.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

You certainly sound like you have enough going on with your health problems aswell.

I may have the conditions, but hey what's in a name 🙂 The MS is a pain in the article due to the fatigue but everything else is just worked around 🙂
Diabetes was diagnosed when I was about 4 years old so I'm so lucky in that I know no different 🙂

I'm not 100% but my cf DR says steroids are an immunosuppressant & it could make you less liable to produce antibodies to vaccines as prednisolone suppresses your immune system it might not be stimulated enough.

That's probably why we are going to have a 3rd booster in the autumn.
Do you have to come off of your steroids when you have a flu vaccine?

 

[Sugarcoated]

I may have the conditions, but hey what's in a name 🙂 The MS is a pain in the article due to the fatigue but everything else is just worked around 🙂
Diabetes was diagnosed when I was about 4 years old so I'm so lucky in that I know no different 🙂

That's probably why we are going to have a 3rd booster in the autumn.
Do you have to come off of your steroids when you have a flu vaccine?

I haven't in the past but think it shows it never protects me as I've caught flu a few times & always end up in hosp with complications with pneumonia & lung damage.
MS is no fun. I have 2 friends with it. One is undercontrol, the other like you has diabetes type 1 & his MS is quite severe.

 

[helli]

@Sugarcoated do you check your night time lows with a finger prick?
The reason I ask is Libre suffers from “compression lows” if you apply pressure to it. This is quite likely if you lie on your arm when asleep.
If this is the case, you are not going low ; it is just Libre.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

MS is no fun. I have 2 friends with it. One is undercontrol, the other like you has diabetes type 1 & his MS is quite severe.

There are different types of MS and everyone's symptoms are different as well. I struck it lucky as mines progressive (at a snails pace) So can walk the dog ok as long as I watch where I put my feet and use a walking pole for balance. If I need a sleep in the afternoons I have one. Biggest bug bear is the fatigue and the memory problems (cog fog)
There's a lot worse off than me so I'm not complaining. 🙂

 

[Sugarcoated]

@Sugarcoated do you check your night time lows with a finger prick?
The reason I ask is Libre suffers from “compression lows” if you apply pressure to it. This is quite likely if you lie on your arm when asleep.
If this is the case, you are not going low ; it is just Libre.

I don't always check but i did lastnight & finger prick was low aswell. I never treat a low blood sugar through day without checking with finger pricking but at night, I'm half asleep.

 

[Sugarcoated]

There are different types of MS and everyone's symptoms are different as well. I struck it lucky as mines progressive (at a snails pace) So can walk the dog ok as long as I watch where I put my feet and use a walking pole for balance. If I need a sleep in the afternoons I have one. Biggest bug bear is the fatigue and the memory problems (cog fog)
There's a lot worse off than me so I'm not complaining. 🙂

I've got cog slowness due to a drug i take called Kaftrio. Its hard & very stressful. But as i say, there is always someone worse off.

 

[mikeyB]

Yes I'm on creon 25,000 & have been on enzymes since birth.
I'm already on maximum dose so upping it is not allowed.

There is no upper or maximum dose of Creon. It’s not a drug, and there is no risk at all in taking more. Creon simply replaces the digestive enzymes that your pancreas can’t produce and release into the intestine to digest your food.

I have chronic pancreatitis. I was already T1 for years before that developed. My Creon need has slowly increased, and I now take at least 60,000 with meals to control the symptoms. Digesting food better gives insulin some work to do. So if you match your insulin dose to the food you eat, you must take enough Creon with the food to ensure absorption. If these aren’t matched, then the insulin will tend to make you go hypo.

This also brings up another issue - if you are correcting a low blood sugar with a snack - a biscuit or two, you need to take some Creon with that as well. I’ve learned that from experience. I would take 20,000 with that. Some folk on the Pancreatitis forum take 100,000 with food. They were well brassed off when the 40,000 dose capsule was withdrawn. On my prescription is a supply of 25,000 capsules and 10,000 capsules to fine tune my food absorption.

And I feel good, like @Pumper_Sue. And like her, I also have a neurological problem called PLS, which is a very rare variant of Motor Neurone Disease, but is very slowly progressive and, like MS, is not usually a terminal disease. It does cause occasionally profound lethargy, but so what. That’s what beds are for.

As a tip, you will know when you take too much Creon. It gives you a hot bum, like a very spicy curry or chilli, when you do a poo. That’s the only limit on maximum dose, and everybody’s limit is different.

You’ve been taking Creon or similar for much longer than I have, but you’ve been under the misapprehension that there’s a limit. Free yourself up, and the diabetes will be easier to control.

 

[Sugarcoated]

There is no upper or maximum dose of Creon. It’s not a drug, and there is no risk at all in taking more. Creon simply replaces the digestive enzymes that your pancreas can’t produce and release into the intestine to digest your food.

I have chronic pancreatitis. I was already T1 for years before that developed. My Creon need has slowly increased, and I now take at least 60,000 with meals to control the symptoms. Digesting food better gives insulin some work to do. So if you match your insulin dose to the food you eat, you must take enough Creon with the food to ensure absorption. If these aren’t matched, then the insulin will tend to make you go hypo.

This also brings up another issue - if you are correcting a low blood sugar with a snack - a biscuit or two, you need to take some Creon with that as well. I’ve learned that from experience. I would take 20,000 with that. Some folk on the Pancreatitis forum take 100,000 with food. They were well brassed off when the 40,000 dose capsule was withdrawn. On my prescription is a supply of 25,000 capsules and 10,000 capsules to fine tune my food absorption.

And I feel good, like @Pumper_Sue. And like her, I also have a neurological problem called PLS, which is a very rare variant of Motor Neurone Disease, but is very slowly progressive and, like MS, is not usually a terminal disease. It does cause occasionally profound lethargy, but so what. That’s what beds are for.

As a tip, you will know when you take too much Creon. It gives you a hot bum, like a very spicy curry or chilli, when you do a poo. That’s the only limit on maximum dose, and everybody’s limit is different.

You’ve been taking Creon or similar for much longer than I have, but you’ve been under the misapprehension that there’s a limit. Free yourself up, and the diabetes will be easier to control.

Thank you for replying but being cf I know, i never ever NOT take my creon & how much is suitable. The reason why i have reached my maximum limit is that being cf, i suffer with severe impaction issues (DIOS) & my creon dosage is 1creon 25,000 for every 5g fat & that keeps my food digested, no impaction (still have to lake laxido though daily) & no malabsorption.
I've been taking enzymes all my life, its mandatory in cf & trust me, the cf belly pain after missing or not having enough is excruciating lol. As I'm sure your aware. I'm not sure if you get the pain that forgetting or taking little creon causes, if you do i sympathise.
I see a dietition monthly & diabetic Dr has never been concerned with my creon & insulin. But i will take it on board what you've said because it does make sense & i'll do anything to try & get control on these lows.
Thank you.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your recurrent hypos @Sugarcoated

They must be very draining for you.

It sounds like these are happening longer than 4-5 hours after your last Novorapid, so it sounds like you might be dipping low for some other reason?

Hope you can find a strategy that helps you avoid them.

Do your Libre traces show any big BG rises that might trigger an overenthusiastic reaction from your own insulin production?