Returning from being AWOL

[RachelT]

Um...*sheepishly* I'm back. I'm sorry it's been so long but I guess it's all been a bit of a confusing ride for me of late. First I got diagnosed with Coeliac disease on top of, or possibly alongside of, diabetes. I've sort of concentrated on that and when not actively feeling ill I put the diabetes on a back burner. Well, having got the gluten thing under control diabetes took a nose dive and I've just been started on Novorapid along with my Humulin I. It's been 5 days and I'm not sure how it's going. Mostly I'm just annoyed that I took my eye off the ball and I feel like I'm back at square one again, worrying about how it'll affect my work and hypos (I'm up to a grand total of 3 of those now. One happened at work, probably because I left it too late for lunch, actually it was totally out of the blue and i have no idea why it happened. Otherwise it's between 2 and 4 in the morning).

So, I'm reading the threads on carb counting and hypos with more interest.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Rachel! Good to hear from you again 🙂 Sorry to hear you've been having problems though Have you been taught anything about carb counting yet or been booked on a course (like DAFNE, or XPert for example)? It sounds like very early days and it does take a bit of getting used to, just make sure you are always prepared with some fast-acting sugar handy 🙂

There's a simple guide to carb counting from Diabetes UK here (in right margin of page):

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-t...and-diabetes/nuts-and-bolts-of-carb-counting/

Let us know if you have any questions 🙂

 

[RachelT]

Nope, I literally saw a DSN last wednesday and I'm going back to see her in early March. I've got yet another appointment with another dietitian because this DSN believes there's a link between Type 2 and Coeliac disease. I've been seeing one lot of dietitians for Coeliac with extra appointments because of my diabetes and now i'm going see another lot for the diabetes with extra appointment for Coeliac. And they all work for the same PCT, but hand out appointments in different places, worst luck. Do they let type 2s on DAFNE these days? I suppose since my pancreas has apparently finally given up the difference between having Type 2 and Type 1 is irrelevant anyway. I've always considered myself to be "Type Weird" anyway.

I've got a copy of Carbs and Cals, which has a paragraph or two on Carb counting basics and I guess the DSN might discuss it with me in March. I'm probably doing ok if it wasn't for the nightime hypos, but I'm wandering around with packs of glucotabs, dextro energy and jellybabies on me. Unfortunately the symptoms of hypos, hypers and general anxiety seem to be identical and I can't tell the difference between them and I'm usually suffering from at least one...

 

[grovesy]

welcome back.

 

[Carolg]

Hi Rachel. It's easy to take the eye off the ball, and especially with you having 2 health conditions going on needing dietary changes. Don't beat yourself up, and good luck

 

[RachelT]

Thanks you guys. That's what I like about this place, everybody's always so welcoming and supportive.

 

[Ginny03]

Sending lots of love to you this evening! My niece is coeliac and its a really difficult thing to deal with. As for the hypos - I've lost count of the number I've had over the years! One if my best was at work - I'd been in the job a week and had a disabling hypo at my desk. Was calling both my new boss and the bloke sitting across from me 'mum' apparently - I have no recollection!

Carbs and cals is, in my view, the BEST book. If you're on humulin I, you will almost certainly need a night time snack to ward off hypos - I was on that insulin for 20 odd years and it has a peak after 6 or so hours.

 

[KookyCat]

Welcome back Rachel 🙂. Hypos are a delight, especially the stealth ones that have no particular cause. On the night time hypo front 2-4am is the golden period for them because blood sugar naturally drops at that stage. If you take basal insulin at night time it can also be caused by the basal peaking. I know they're all supposed to be flat in terms of action but my body knows otherwise. Assuming it's not too much basal overall, if they continue you might find injecting basal in the morning more useful. I inject when I wake up these days and that's sorted out 99% of my night time issues. Not something for you to consider yet I wouldn't have thought just something to keep in mind in they persist at that time 😉

 

[Northerner]

What sort of doses of your insulins have you been advised to take, Rachel? I think DAFNE is very much Type 1 focused, their argument being that carb counting doesn't work in Type 2 because a primary cause is insulin resistance. However, if you are on relatively small doses of insulin then that argument ought to be irrelevant XPert do a Type 2 Insulin course, so I would investigate getting booked on one of those:

http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/Courses/X-PERT-Insulin-Overview

There's also the online BERTIE course:

https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/

How long before bed are you having your last novorapid injection? What BG levels are you normally on at bedtime, and what are you waking to?

 

[trophywench]

Graphs of the action of various insulins here, Rachel. http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=408

Humulin I does peak at 4- 6 hours - 2 hour increments along the bottom of the graph, whack your screen resolution up to see it properly. I was on it for a few years and to say it was tricky for me is a complete understatement - hypos out of the blue eg whilst driving when 20 minutes previous before I got into the ruddy car - I'd been 7 or 8. If it doesn't start to settle down for you soon - don't just leave it, please. Don't struggle like I did.