Oh bother this bloomin' basal!

[Northerner]

too low? you had two hypos...

Today i woke up to 4.8 (i was shakey) that was after a sh*t load of insulin before I went to bed. I'm fed up.

That's what's confusing me katie! I've had two low readings and two higher-than-expected readings! There's no pattern or clues as to what to do! I'm fed up too. Your 4.8 waking BS was good! What is it normally?

 

[katie]

That's what's confusing me katie! I've had two low readings and two higher-than-expected readings! There's no pattern or clues as to what to do! I'm fed up too. Your 4.8 waking BS was good! What is it normally?

In the last couple of days ive woken to about 16, so 4.8 is low for me and I get mild hypo symptoms. It's not usually as bad as 16, but usually over 7

I think you are trying to be too perfect with your readings, 7 is fine! but I guess your control is so good you want to get it between 4-6?

 

[katie]

btw i think the 16 readings are because i had night-time hypos! cant win...

 

[Steff]

I dont know about some of you but i mentioned this is another thread these numbers we are all trying to strive for probs have a factor on what readings we are getting in the first place , to much emphasis is put on us all trying to get those magic numbers ,I know with my personal circumstances if i spent all my time stressing and worrying about my numbers i'd never be out of hospital..I know these diabetic health profs give us the numbers we should be aiming for but if for example somebody like myself is consistently not hitting them how the hell are we supposed to feel i am so deflated most of the time it gets on my nerves how i worry over it grrrr.. well anyway I dont usually stoke up on here so thats that rant over

 

[aymes]

Having a weird couple of days. After waking to 7.3 yesterday, the day's readings were lunch 5.0, evening 3.9, bedtime 3.8. I had a snack and woke to 5.5 this morning. I went for a run this morning and was 6.4 before and 7.2 afterwards, but then I was 7.5 before lunch, 6 hours after my breakfast! I'd fully expected to be much lower, having dosed normally for breakfast and then having the run I would have expected to be around 4.5. No NR in my system at that time so it must be my basal that is now slightly too low. Sigh!

Ever the perfectionist! I'd say your basal looks pretty much right, even with it spot on you'd probably expect your numbers to fluctuate by up to about 1 unit or so.
How much running did you do? I'm impressed how steady you can stay, is that without taking on extra carbs/lowering insulin? i suppose it's because you do so much of it, I need to take on the equivalent of about 10g carbs for every half mile or so!

 

[aymes]

I dont know about some of you but i mentioned this is another thread these numbers we are all trying to strive for probs have a factor on what readings we are getting in the first place , to much emphasis is put on us all trying to get those magic numbers ,I know with my personal circumstances if i spent all my time stressing and worrying about my numbers i'd never be out of hospital..I know these diabetic health profs give us the numbers we should be aiming for but if for example somebody like myself is consistently not hitting them how the hell are we supposed to feel i am so deflated most of the time it gets on my nerves how i worry over it grrrr.. well anyway I dont usually stoke up on here so thats that rant over

I think that's really important to remember, although we are of course all trying to get the right numbers but there is a lot more involved to, so maybe it's more important to look at how we are in comparison to how we were, focus on how well you've done to get to where you are, rather than beating yourself up if there's still some way to go. For example an hba1c of 7.5 might be fantastic for one person, but a real backwards step for another...

Does remind me, it always really bugs me how meter adverts always show a perfect reading on the screen, 5.8 or similar. Was so happy this morning to see an article on the news showing someone takign a reading and getting 14.8, nice to see a bit of variety!

 

[Steff]

yes aymes i saw that myself they was something on the 1 o clock news i caught it at work was a little girl emily her name i think and her meter gave 14.8 as a reading , as you say nice to see variety

 

[Northerner]

I think Arthur Smith did an article in Balance about the 'perfect' reading they show on all the meter adverts! I know I shouldn't worry, and it's not really that I'm worried, I just like to understand what is happening, and I don't think I have enough experience yet to know that sometimes things go completely gaga - it hasn't happened to me yet! When you're used to waking around 4 then 7 is a 75% increase above 'normal'!

I don't need to eat anything extra on my runs and am rarely more than 1 mmol/l different from start to finish - I think it's just that my body is used to it so doesn't need extra carbs (I've been doing it for nearly 30 years!). Before diabetes I never used to eat during a run even for a 20-miler, but would be ravenous afterwards!

My highest reading since last August has been 14.5 and my lowest 1.9 - I would be horrified to wake at 16+, but that's mainly because it would be completely out of the ordinary for me.

 

[katie]

I think Arthur Smith did an article in Balance about the 'perfect' reading they show on all the meter adverts! I know I shouldn't worry, and it's not really that I'm worried, I just like to understand what is happening, and I don't think I have enough experience yet to know that sometimes things go completely gaga - it hasn't happened to me yet! When you're used to waking around 4 then 7 is a 75% increase above 'normal'!

My highest reading since last August has been 14.5 and my lowest 1.9 - I would be horrified to wake at 16+, but that's mainly because it would be completely out of the ordinary for me.

the thing is northerner, 7 can be normal for someone who hasn't got diabetes. so for you, over 4 shouldn't really be abnormal! It's great that you monitor everything so tightly so that you can see what's going on, but you really shouldnt worry about those readings at all.

Trust me, im horrified when I wake up to 16!

 

[Vanessa]

but if for example somebody like myself is consistently not hitting them how the hell are we supposed to feel i am so deflated most of the time it gets on my nerves how i worry over it grrrr.. well anyway I dont usually stoke up on here so thats that rant over

Steff, just try to remember how well you have been doing and the improvements you have made with precious little face-to-face input. Personally believe it is important to celebrate the small steps too. Also - you are so encouraging to others on this site and your posts often make me giggle so thanks

Really has been only in the last 3 months that I have consistently managed to get readings below 7 first thing in the morning. Before that I would practically leap for joy if I got down to 7! So 16 months before I began to get my head round exactly what I needed to do plus two lots of meds

 

[katie]

YAY!! Today I have had perfect readings all day!

Of course this involved eating minimum carbs and doing exercise. I was told I could eat carbs and cover them with insulin, but this obviously doesn't work for me - urgh! So i'll be carrying on with the diet for now.

 

[runner]

YAY!! Today I have had perfect reading all day!

Of course this involved eating minimum carbs and doing exercise. I was told I could eat carbs and cover them with insulin, but this obviously doesn't work for me - urgh! So i'll be carrying on with the diet for now.

Brilliant - well done!

 

[katie]

thanks runner 🙂

 

[Steff]

well done hun x

 

[insulinaddict09]

YAY!! Today I have had perfect readings all day!

Of course this involved eating minimum carbs and doing exercise. I was told I could eat carbs and cover them with insulin, but this obviously doesn't work for me - urgh! So i'll be carrying on with the diet for now.

Hi twin , this is the exact reason that i swerve carbs !!!! my levels go crazy

if i eat them even if i cover them with insulin ... keep up the good work,

if you need any help i'll always help you . xx A.M x

 

[katie]

well done hun x

thanks steff x

Hi twin , this is the exact reason that i swerve carbs !!!! my levels go crazy

if i eat them even if i cover them with insulin ... keep up the good work,

if you need any help i'll always help you . xx A.M x

ahh so i'm not the only one! I just couldnt get it under control, so im hoping this will help.

thanks, I may need your advice on what to eat after I get bored of salad lol xx

 

[insulinaddict09]

thanks steff x



ahh so i'm not the only one! I just couldnt get it under control, so im hoping this will help.

thanks, I may need your advice on what to eat after I get bored of salad lol xx

Yes no problem Twin, ive been low carbing for ages now and dont really miss

them .. i thought i would as i love bread etc but i have found it really easy.

And apart from a couple of hypos where i just took too much insulin my levels

have been good. Before if i ate a slice of bread my levels would zoom to the

20's even when it was covered with insulin. it is worth trying to see if it

works for you and add carbs back in . in small amounts and see if you can

find a happy medium . If you need any help at all im here or catch me on

MSN . Anne-Marie x

 

[katie]

Yes no problem Twin, ive been low carbing for ages now and dont really miss

them .. i thought i would as i love bread etc but i have found it really easy.

And apart from a couple of hypos where i just took too much insulin my levels

have been good. Before if i ate a slice of bread my levels would zoom to the

20's even when it was covered with insulin. it is worth trying to see if it

works for you and add carbs back in . in small amounts and see if you can

find a happy medium . If you need any help at all im here or catch me on

MSN . Anne-Marie x

Thanks for the reassurance, thought I would never get my levels under control urgh. I think im find with not eating too many carbs during meals, i probably end up binging occasionally, but before I was eating carby meals and binging so it will be better I'll try to keep up the exercise too, think it's helping.

I'll see you on msn xx

 

[Northerner]

YAY!! Today I have had perfect readings all day!

Of course this involved eating minimum carbs and doing exercise. I was told I could eat carbs and cover them with insulin, but this obviously doesn't work for me - urgh! So i'll be carrying on with the diet for now.

Brilliant katie! Well done! Yayyyy!!!!

 

[insulinaddict09]

Thanks for the reassurance, thought I would never get my levels under control urgh. I think im find with not eating too many carbs during meals, i probably end up binging occasionally, but before I was eating carby meals and binging so it will be better I'll try to keep up the exercise too, think it's helping.

I'll see you on msn xx

Hi Twin , one thing I did notice when I stopped eating Carbs was that I

didnt feel as hungry. If I do eat Carbs all I want to do is eat ... constantly!!

I know Carbs are supposed to make you feel fuller for longer but they just

make me ravenous .😱 Keep up the good work!!!!