Sudden change in readings

[hkk1970]

Hi everyone, yet again diabetes baffles me. Harry's readings have suddenly gone within range or dropping drastically through the night, after several weeks of battling higher levels. Also, today from school, he was 8 when he came out, by the time he got home , he was hypo 3.6 !

I feel so sorry for him as we have to constantly test him and through the night too. Thank god he is on a pump now , as we have reduced his basal from 6pm. Looks like now we have to do it after school time too !!

Oh the joys....

Helen

 

[Hanmillmum]

Have you thought about a different pattern for school and then holiday time? My dtr needs less insulin on school days as much more active (about 20% less)

Just a thought but we are currently using CGM from the hospital for 6 days as virus has left levels erratic - does your team offer this as it would be a good insight into what is going on with his numbers over 24 hrs 🙂

 

[Redkite]

We get exactly the same effect when he goes back to school. During the holidays all his ratios and basals had to go up, and he was having 30+ units a day instead of 20ish. After just two days of being up and active earlier, and having the routine of the school day, I'm having to drop basals here, there and everywhere, and his levels are all in lovely single figures. It won't last - there will be hypos creeping in before the end of the week! Especially since he hasn't actually walked to school yet this week, because of the appalling weather. Once he starts that long uphill walk just after breakfast, there'll be sharp drops in his BG in the morning, and his basals will need to go back down to practically zero!

Sounds like Harry's lunchtime play at school might be quite energetic, and therefore he might need a lower basal for a couple of hours in the afternoon? It's just trial and error, and when you think you've cracked it, it'll last a couple of days and then he'll go and have a growth spurt. 🙂

P.S. Good tip from Hanmillmum about the basal patterns, which we do use for weekends. But I've never been able to find a pattern to adequately cope with the variability when he's off on holiday, so we tend to just go with the flow and react to the numbers!

 

[Redkite]

Spoke too soon 🙄. He was 8.6 at 3.15pm, and just tested 3.9 now. Had basketball this afternoon, but had reduced his lunch bolus ahead of that. More basal reductions for the afternoons needed!

 

[hkk1970]

Hi, thanks for your advice. Red kite, seems though we are in the same boat at the moment. Harry now is 16 after 1 bottle of glucojuice!!!! Can't win. The consultant told me not to mess changing his basal all the time, but I know Harry and I have to adjust when I feel it's the right thing to do. Helen xx

 

[Redkite]

??? Strange advice from the consultant! One of the plus points of having a pump is being able to adjust basal as and when needed. Sounds like your consultant is worried that he/she won't be able to follow what you've done! Anyway, there's a clear and obvious reason for needing to make changes, as Harry's BGs are behaving differently since his return to school. Carry on as you are doing if it's working for Harry! 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The consultant told me not to mess changing his basal all the time, but I know Harry and I have to adjust when I feel it's the right thing to do. Helen xx

I agree... I wouldn't change basal pattern more than a couple of times in a single week (naturally that doesn't include TBRs which might be needed several times each day!)

Too much basal faffing can drive you mad... But only when you are not leaving enough time to recognise a pattern/effect of a change (ie generally I find it best to wait a day or two between each tweak).

What we are all aiming for is a set-up that 'works'. But if it *isn't* working, I don't understand why you shouldn't try to tweak it to be better... Even if you know it will be different in 2 weeks time.

 

[PattiEvans]

When you say the readings have "suddenly" come down have you just changed the insulin vial? I've been struggling for about 3 days with insulin needs going up and up, but I got out a new vial today when I changed infusion set and numbers have fallen right into place with a near hypo (4) early evening. The previous vial had been out of the fridge for nearly 30 days.

Being relatively new to the pump and vials I hadn't realised that insulin needs to be protected from light as well as heat. Never thought of it before when on pens, because of course you put the cap on and then put it into some sort of case and container so it is in the dark! I'd left the previous vial on the bathroom shelf out of the box. Not that I think that would be the case as I expect you would be a bit more on the ball than I was, but insulin can lose potency for any number of reasons.