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Woozy feeling New Type 1 HELP

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

astbury1

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all, am hoping someone can help me. Recently diagnosed type 1 about month ago after feeling really dizzy, thirsty etc you know the score!

Well the first two weeks of taking insulatard I was really woozy and dizzy I had to grab on to things. Although it feels better than it was I am still getting woozy and spaced out feeling which is really horrible. My blood sugars are ok and getting into the correct range. However did anyone else experience this? Does it go away ? Is this just because my blood sugars are still settling and body having abit of wobble? The doctor and nurses seem to be contradicting themselves.Would be nice if there was someone out there that had the same? Or any newbies out there similar? Thanks Andrea
 
Hi Andrea, welcome to the forum 🙂 As you suggest, it is likely that you are feeling like this because your levels, although fine, are probably lower than you have been used to experiencing prior to diagnosis. As you become more used to these improved levels the wooziness should go. You could try having a small snack to see if the feeling goes, which will confirm that it is your lower levels. What are the doctors and nurses saying that is confusing you? Are you just on insulatard? How did you come to be diagnosed?
 
Hi thanks for getting back to me. I was diagnosed as I was displaying all the signs dizzy, tired, thirsty, toilet all the time and went to doctors. I had ketones and the next minute I was in hospital. My blood sugars were in their twenties and was oput on drip. I am just on insultard howeer I have some novorapid for sick days. Am generally getting my fasting about 6 and through out day before meals around 7. It does seem to match any particular blood sugar level. When I was coimng in around 12's etc the nurse just said oh the dizziness wont be due to those levels? Yet another nurse said different. It is almost like a migraney eye thing and then woozy sometimes. My blood sugar can range from 7 to 16 2 hours after tea?
 
It sounds like they think your pancreas is still producing some insulin, although it does look like it can't produce enough to cope with your meals if you are rising to 12 after eating - I'm surprised they aren't recommending small doses of novorapid to help with this. Abnormal blood sugar levels, whether high or lower than you are used to can produce different symptoms in different people. If my levels rise then I often feel a little nauseous. I think it is still very early days for you and you are probably still recovering from the state you were in at and prior to diagnosis.

I would highly recommend getting a copy of
Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas - it's a really excellent guide to everything to do with Type 1. You will find lots of good information also in our Useful links thread, so do have a browse 🙂
 
Quite surprised to hear you say you have only been given Insulatard with NovoRapid for 'sick days'. Are you being seen by a practice nurse and GP with interest in Diabetes or a fully fledged DSN and hospital consultant?

Insulatard is an intermediate acting insulin, so not ideally suited to matching the 'peak and trough' requirement of meals/between meals. How many times a day are you taking your insulatard and at what time(s)?
 
Hi, I take 15 units at before breakfast and 14 before tea and meant to monitor 4 times a day although I usually test more as so recently diagnosed that I frightened about hypos. The only other time Ive used novo rapid is when they were trying to get me to get some of reading below 20 when first duagnosed. I see a diabetic nurse and then Ive seen a consultant once, which I will see every 3 months. I spoken to other type 1 and I think they were given somethings similar, a back ground insulin to start off with. I will be going on the dafne course I believe so I can learn to carb cout etc
 
Hi yes I do believe the think my pancreas still producing insulin. They have said that they are happy that my blood sugars look to be settling given that when I started most of my readings were in their 20's. I think it is just nice to know that my symptoms are likel to be from my bloood sugars still settling. Hopefully it will continue to improve and my body will adjust
 
Hi Andrea.

It sounds like you are having a hard time which is completely understandable - especially if the doctors are contradicting themselves. That in itself is very frustrating. :(

Looking at the whole thread, it does sound like you're on the right track if your sugar levels (BG) behaves most of the time on the background insulin you're on, however, as Northerner said, you may need to look at quick acting as well to keep on top of those post-meal highs. It is very likely that the dizziness and other symptoms are your body trying to cope with the changes going on. I hope they ease off for you soon; if you can keep some stability with your sugar levels, this will help your body cope.

When do you do the DAFNE course? Do you have any questions about it? If you're interested in speaking to any course graduates, the dedicated graduate site is http://www.dafneonline.co.uk . I did the course back in 2009. New diagnosis is often a scary time but the DAFNE course should help you gain some confidence and better understanding. Keep your chin up. I personally think you're doing well! 🙂

In regard to hypos, try not to be afraid of them. Look at them like they're a signal from your body that you have too much insulin - though the trick then is to work out what insulin needs adjusting. In your case, you're only working with background insulin currently, but considering you seem to need quick acting insulin for those post-meal highs, you may be better to look into that option first and taking it from there - especially if you're still in the honeymoon period.

When I did my DAFNE course, we did have a young man who was newly diagnosed. He found it much easier to get things under control compared to us old hands which made some of us blush lol... but he was honeymooning as well! You could look at it as a temporary advantage! 😉

Best wishes to you and I hope you enjoy the DAFNE course when you do it. It opened my eyes and I had been diabetic roughly 19 years at the time I did it! 🙂 Take care.
 
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Hi not sure when doing course yet but there has been a mention of it. Infact i just rang the nurse and asked again about my symptoms and she still insists it wont be my diabetes causing them. So annoying😡, yet the consultant said it was probably because am settliing. so confused.

She did say though that once my background insulin has settled that I will be injecting extra for the meals. I have a feeling the nurse is getting abit sick of my questions really. Thanks very much for the links I will take a look. Hopefully these weird symptoms will pass
 
Just to add to that she also said weeks ago when I was in my 12s 14s that the symptoms wouldnt be that however she would expect them maybe at lower levwls. Now they are at lower levels she seems to have changed her mind to 'no I wouldnt expect it to be that'!🙄
 
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