Toying with an experiment....

[rebrascora]

Well I have now changed the experiment and injected 2 units of Levemir in the hope that that will save me having to wake up and inject Fiasp through the night.

My levels have suddenly taken off in the last few mins and currently 7.9 and climbing when they were mid 6s and reasonably stable 10 mins ago. I ate early tonight but had a bit more meat with my evening meal than intended as some chicken needed eating up, so perhaps it is protein release. Have jabbed 3 units of Fiasp with the Levemir and will be heading off to bed very shortly as I have an early start in the morning. Let's hope I have an uninterrupted night. I have raised the high alarm to 8mmols for tonight....

The next stage of the experiment begins.....

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Well I have now changed the experiment and injected 2 units of Levemir in the hope that that will save me having to wake up and inject Fiasp through the night.

My levels have suddenly taken off in the last few mins and currently 7.9 and climbing when they were mid 6s and reasonably stable 10 mins ago. I ate early tonight but had a bit more meat with my evening meal than intended as some chicken needed eating up, so perhaps it is protein release. Have jabbed 3 units of Fiasp with the Levemir and will be heading off to bed very shortly as I have an early start in the morning. Let's hope I have an uninterrupted night. I have raised the high alarm to 8mmols for tonight....

The next stage of the experiment begins.....

I do happen to know I’m more insulin sensitive the latter half of the day & night? I put the morning wrestle with the fixing with corrections down to liver dump. I think you split dose your basal? But then, I don’t have your metabolism. I find my personal basal can work on the amount of protein I consume over night. Now that is an “experiment” I did using a sensor. If your concerned about potential DKA?

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Find out about diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), including what the symptoms are, when to get medical help and how to prevent it.

www.nhs.uk

 

[rebrascora]

Well my Levemir experiment overnight was not successful. I still had to have 2 jabs of Fiasp and a jelly baby in between. 😡 Plus my levels were higher when I woke up this morning. Starting to not love my Levemir as much as I thought I did! Not having any this morning and just rely on my Fiasp although I think it might be more challenging with today's planned events.

 

[Inka]

What day is this @rebrascora (I don’t mean Sunday! 😛 ) ? Perhaps it’s just that Day 3 thing I mentioned?

 

[rebrascora]

What day is this @rebrascora (I don’t mean Sunday! 😛 ) ? Perhaps it’s just that Day 3 thing I mentioned?

Starting day 4 today and my results have been reasonably similar the last 2 days, so I expect the Levemir taken on Wed morning is long gone now.

 

[rebrascora]

My graph today looks better (will post it tomorrow and do a tally of insulin for day 3 and day 4) but I have done almost no exercise today and eaten more carbs (hot beef sarnie in a white bun and roasties, was all that was on offer for lunch) and used a lot more insulin and feel rubbish!

I have jabbed 4 units of Levemir tonight as oppose to 2 last night, so we will see how that goes. Hoping to at least only need one extra dose of Fiasp through the night but a completely uninterrupted night's sleep would be good. Currently on 6.2 but if it gets to 6.5 before I sleep I will hit it with a single unit of Fiasp as the Levemir will take time to build up and I have only just injected it.

 

[rebrascora]

Saturday (Day 3) results 8am-8am yesterday I had 24.5u of Fiasp in 10jabs PLUS 2u Levemir (9pm) Plenty of exercise/activity and low carb. Total insulin 26.5u but needed 2 jabs through the night.



Yesterday (Day 4) from 8am up to this morning at 8am I had 38.5u of Fiasp totalling 12jabs PLUS 4u of Levemir (10.30pm). As I said, almost no exercise and far too many carbs for my liking so that accounts for the large increase. Total insulin 42.5units and only one jab not long after going to bed but ignored high alarm and woke on 9.9..... so definitely feel like I need to increase Levemir more and take it earlier.



Just to put it into a bit of context I went back to randomly pick a couple of days in the previous week to this experiment....
22nd Sept I needed 10 injections of Fiasp totalling 34 units plus 2 of Levemir which were 22units so a TDD of 58units ..... levels were high quite a bit that day and I was really battling my diabetes.
24th Sep I needed 5 injections of Fiasp totalling 19u and just 1 jab of Levemir 24units So 6 jabs total a TDD of 43u

 

[rebrascora]

Well, levels have been creeping up a bit more than previous days. I suspect I will have another increased TDD when I tot it up tomorrow morning. Have done some exercise, but mostly running up and down stairs multiple times to try to get the insulin I have jabbed to actually work before I eventually give up and jab some more. 😡

Going to inject 6 units of Levemir tonight and going to do it now rather than bed time, then I am going out for a walk (in the rain 🙄) to see if that will also help things. Eaten very few carbs today but plenty of protein, so maybe my levels wanting to stay in the 8s and not come down is a reflection of that.
Time in range so far today is 100% and not been lower than 6 I think, despite stacked insulin, but I have almost certainly jinxed myself saying that!

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Well, levels have been creeping up a bit more than previous days. I suspect I will have another increased TDD when I tot it up tomorrow morning. Have done some exercise, but mostly running up and down stairs multiple times to try to get the insulin I have jabbed to actually work before I eventually give up and jab some more. 😡

Going to inject 6 units of Levemir tonight and going to do it now rather than bed time, then I am going out for a walk (in the rain 🙄) to see if that will also help things. Eaten very few carbs today but plenty of protein, so maybe my levels wanting to stay in the 8s and not come down is a reflection of that.
Time in range so far today is 100% and not been lower than 6 I think, despite stacked insulin, but I have almost certainly jinxed myself saying that!

I honestly can’t knock your crafty graph work on this experiment. Don’t forget the hypo fixers just incase, when you leave the house?

 

[rebrascora]

I honestly can’t knock your crafty graph work on this experiment. Don’t forget the hypo fixers just incase, when you leave the house?

Thanks. Never fear, I don't go anywhere without my Hypo Heros (AKA jelly babies)!

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Thanks. Never fear, I don't go anywhere without my Hypo Heros (AKA jelly babies)!

I actually don’t doubt it. I’ve got used to a personal “pat down” & crunchy bag quantity of these sweets in a pocket? Been doing it a long time. Even driving. It’s been a basic “circle check” in the vehicle too. 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

And just as well, because I needed a couple of the little guys to keep me afloat on my second trip up the hill with heavy feed buckets. Unfortunately just as I have come in the house, I need a top up of Fiasp to cover basal, but I am using it as an opportunity to treat myself to a little supper snack of cucumber sticks with caramelized onion hummus. A very rare treat as hummus is not low carb or slow release for me.

I am reasonably confident the 6 units of Levemir is going to be about right for whilst I am asleep tonight after the exercise I have done today, but I have been wrong about such a lot of things that this experiment has highlighted, that I am prepared to be wrong again. We shall see in the morning when I post my graph and results.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

And just as well, because I needed a couple of the little guys to keep me afloat on my second trip up the hill with heavy feed buckets. Unfortunately just as I have come in the house, I need a top up of Fiasp to cover basal, but I am using it as an opportunity to treat myself to a little supper snack of cucumber sticks with caramelized onion hummus. A very rare treat as hummus is not low carb or slow release for me.

I am reasonably confident the 6 units of Levemir is going to be about right for whilst I am asleep tonight after the exercise I have done today, but I have been wrong about such a lot of things that this experiment has highlighted, that I am prepared to be wrong again. We shall see in the morning when I post my graph and results.

Fingers crossed about your basal. I’m going to be cheeky & suggest you may need your usual amount once settled back in to “MDI?” Your horses. Are they still “turned out” onto any grass where you are? Or has the hard feed been from a ride? “Hack.”

 

[rebrascora]

Fingers crossed about your basal. I’m going to be cheeky & suggest you may need your usual amount once settled back in to “MDI?” Your horses. Are they still “turned out” onto any grass where you are? Or has the hard feed been from a ride? “Hack.”

Yes, I am under no illusion that I will need the same daily amount of basal as I did before when/if the experiment ends, but I am hoping that I can get a better balance which allows me more adjustment than the previous 20-24u am and 0-5u pm. the problem being that rather too often I hit 0 on a night but still end up spending time in the red. I am hoping that a redistribution of the basal will still work as it did before but give me more evening adjustment as my overnight levels are by far my most volatile and clock me up too high a percentage in the red which looks bad on my stats.

GGs are out at the moment but the grass that is left in their field is poor, plus they are very aged and my old mare (31) in particular has been losing weight over the last few years, so she needs a bucket of feed and gets a sachet of Bute to ease her stiff joints. I would have difficulty just feeding Cora, so I take one bucket of lower grade feed for the other 3 and a bucket of higher protein and fat (linseed) feed for her. I have them all lined up at the gate and she gets 3 handfuls of feed from her bucket to each one handful the others get of theirs. I also like it to be a warm mash on an evening when it is cold and wet, as it has been. It keeps my hands warm whilst I am feeding them as well as their tummies. I wouldn't bother if they were younger and holding their weight but she is particularly lean. In fact, my sister thinks I should have her put down before the winter this year, but as long as she still comes trotting for her feed and is keen for it, and will hold her back leg in the air when I give her a tummy tickle because she enjoys it so much, then I don't feel I can make that decision to end it yet. She still has quality of life. She can still get down for a roll and back up surprisingly well and is contented living with her elderly sons 27 and 26 and her "baby of the family" daughter who is now 16! Where did all those years go!!

 

[rebrascora]

Day 5 results....
9 injections of Fiasp amounting to 21.5u plus a jab of 6u of Levemir at 6.30pm which proved to be a bit too much.
TDD 27.5u in 10 jabs but needed at least 4JB so probably 2 units too much.

Followed by the overnight graph that blots my copy book!
So much for me being confident that 6 units of Levemir would be right, although it would have been if I hadn't jabbed a unit of Fiasp just after midnight when the high alarm went off at 8.1 and things were drifting upwards....

Slept like a log and feel fine this morning. This happens a lot with my overnight levels. Libre generally reads low for me, so this may not actually be hypo at all or only a small percentage of it below 3.9. I did not double check it as I knew it wasn't a compression low, so just ate a couple of JBs.

 

[rebrascora]

Day 6 wasn't such a good day graph wise and perhaps emphasizes how much I am relying on Libre to achieve good results because in the hour warm up for my new sensor, things got away on me a bit, partly due to having some hummus which always spikes me badly, even though I injected for it. Anyway, yesterday's tally 8am-8am this morning is:-
Fiasp 33.5u in 12 doses
Levemir 6u at 6.30pm.
Giving a total of 13 jabs and a TDD of 39.5units

I still ended up jabbing some Fiasp at bedtime for an 8.3 with an upward sloping arrow but then having to eat JBs through the night, so I need to resist the temptation to jab that bedtime Fiasp tonight and see what happens.


And my overnight graph where you can see each JB stepping up my levels. Looks like I might have got away without the last one.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Day 6 wasn't such a good day graph wise and perhaps emphasizes how much I am relying on Libre to achieve good results because in the hour warm up for my new sensor, things got away on me a bit,

An hour is better than the olden days where all we had was a test tube & you ranked & filed into a consultant ever 6 or 12 months to get slapped with some tuts over the HbA1c. the graphs look reasonable to me.

 

[helli]

Day 6 wasn't such a good day graph wise and perhaps emphasizes how much I am relying on Libre to achieve good results because in the hour warm up for my new sensor

I put that down more to the amount of time (and effort) you are needing to put into your diabetes management.
I assume you have had a quiet week but I know I couldn’t be looking at my CGM and reacting as often plus pay attention to work and friends.
I know it has been interesting and you have the time but, please, be aware of the risk of diabetes burnout and do not let it take over your life.
Take care of yourself not just your diabetes.

 

[rebrascora]

@helli I appreciate your concern and I understand what you are saying. However there is a saying that "a change is as good as a rest" and most of the time I am really enjoying the experiment and finding it very interesting and motivating. To be honest, apart from documenting it it, I am not finding it any more taxing than normal and I tend to treat my diabetes management more as a game than a health issue, so this is just like a slightly different game to the old one, which was perhaps getting a bit boring and stale. It takes seconds to get my pen out and jab 1.5 units when my high alarm goes off.

Yesterday was a bit of a mental down day for me which happens from time to time and nothing to do with my diabetes, but I am certainly back to everyday life now and the experiment is just fitting in with that. The more that I do it, the easier it is getting, as I am just developing a new routine with it. It is certainly not onerous.
What I am liking about it is that I seem to need less prebolus time for meals as well as needing on average, less insulin. It is also helping to motivate me to do more exercise and I had been struggling with that of late.
When it becomes tedious or challenging, I will resort back to more conventional management but at the moment I feel that I have a reasonable balance with the evening Levemir if I just fine tune it a bit more.

 

[rebrascora]

Day7 was definitely a success.

10 jabs of Fiasp amounting to 21.5u and 1 jab of 6u Levemir giving a TDD of 27.5u.

And restraining myself from a bedtime correction paid off, as I got a reasonable overnight graph and no alarms. Took Levemir a bit later, just before 8pm, and that seemed perhaps a bit better.

Now to see if I can get some consistency.....