Any suggestions?

[Miss90]

Recently I've been having trouble with my levemir at night. It brings my sugar right down; I reduced the dose by 1 unit for two weeks to test the effect and my night time and morning sugars were sky high so I went back to 18 units. But right now I can't keep my sugars up!!!!! I had a BG of 11 and it dropped to 3.1 within half an hour just with the levemir. I've eaten two slices of bread with peanut butter, 350ml lemonade and an angel slice and it reaches about 6.5 but keeps dropping again. I WANT TO SLEEP!!!!!! What can I eat to keep it up!?!?


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[Miss90]

Just had 250ml orange juice as well and it's still only 4.1!


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[jack412]

How is it now? it's been an hour, hopefully it's resolved and you're asleep

 

[Miss90]

Yep finally went to sleep at 3am, after injecting my levemir at midnight!!! Deffo giving the DSN a call after the weekend!


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[Ambersilva]

Perhaps you could try injecting Levemir earlier, say about 8pm, or in the morning upon waking. That way you will see how it is effecting you while you are awake.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Do you also take a rapid insulin?

 

[Miss90]

Perhaps you could try injecting Levemir earlier, say about 8pm, or in the morning upon waking. That way you will see how it is effecting you while you are awake.

I split my insulin, 16 units in the morning and 18 at night. I'm thinking if asking to try a different background as this has just been a hassle for me for a good few months now!


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[Miss90]

Hi. Do you also take a rapid insulin?

Yep I take novorapid too but that's all fine as I carb count every meal.


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[Ambersilva]

I split my insulin, 16 units in the morning and 18 at night. I'm thinking if asking to try a different background as this has just been a hassle for me for a good few months now!

That is a tremendous amount of insulin. Each slow acting dose is still active when you give a repeat dose. Perhaps reduce the night dose considerably and see what happens during the night.

 

[Spiker]

Recently I've been having trouble with my levemir at night. It brings my sugar right down; I reduced the dose by 1 unit for two weeks to test the effect and my night time and morning sugars were sky high so I went back to 18 units. But right now I can't keep my sugars up!!!!! I had a BG of 11 and it dropped to 3.1 within half an hour just with the levemir. I've eaten two slices of bread with peanut butter, 350ml lemonade and an angel slice and it reaches about 6.5 but keeps dropping again. I WANT TO SLEEP!!!!!! What can I eat to keep it up!?!?


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I wouldn't think you can be on 34u/day of basal and see that kind of drop with quick acting insulin, let alone with basal. If it dropped that fast in just half an hour you would be unconscious 15 minutes later.

Any chance you accidentally put novorapid in the levemir pen? Or that you are honeymooning?

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[Miss90]

That is a tremendous amount of insulin. Each slow acting dose is still active when you give a repeat dose. Perhaps reduce the night dose considerably and see what happens during the night.

It is a lot of insulin but everyone's requirements are different and I need that much. I've tries reducing my night time dose as advised by my consultant by one unit but I was running high all night and it was affecting my sugars all day!


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[Spiker]

Have you done something recently that could have radically changed your insulin sensitivity? Like a major increase in your level of exercise or a profound reduction in your level of stress?


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[Miss90]

I wouldn't think you can be on 34u/day of basal and see that kind of drop with quick acting insulin, let alone with basal. If it dropped that fast in just half an hour you would be unconscious 15 minutes later.

Any chance you accidentally put novorapid in the levemir pen? Or that you are honeymooning?

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Nope, I use the pre-filled pens and deffo no honeymoon, been type 1 for almost 12 years! I just can't seem to find a correct dosage... 17units isn't enough and 18 seems too much.. Maybe another insulin instead of levemir may help!?


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[Miss90]

Have you done something recently that could have radically changed your insulin sensitivity? Like a major increase in your level of exercise or a profound reduction in your level of stress?


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I went to the gym but I go to the gym 3 times a week and have a similar workout routine so I can't see than being the problem... I reduce my novorapid before exersize and snack after so that's all ok as far as I am concerned! The levemir has been troublesome for sometime now, I'm seeing my DSN in 2 weeks so hopefully she can suggest something different.


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[donnellysdogs]

Personally I think splitting your long term insulin is affecting you and it would be better to bring your long term 2nd injection forward a few hours..


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[noblehead]

Perhaps you could try injecting Levemir earlier, say about 8pm, or in the morning upon waking. That way you will see how it is effecting you while you are awake.

That's a good suggestion Ambersilva, I did this with my lantus insulin and it made a huge difference in preventing night-time hypo's, it was my DSN that suggested it.

 

[noblehead]

It is a lot of insulin but everyone's requirements are different and I need that much. I've tries reducing my night time dose as advised by my consultant by one unit but I was running high all night and it was affecting my sugars all day!

If you haven't tried it already try switching to lantus or the newer basal insulin Tresiba, you'll find if you do change to lantus that you won't need to inject as much insulin as you do with levemir.

 

[kkkk]

I was going to say about Tresiba - there are some people trying it on here and really like it and it might work well for you. Nights are always hard, the other choice might be a pen with a 1/2 unit and see what happens with that? Other things to think about - are you eating well before you go to sleep - i.e. about 6 ish if you go to bed at 10...basically having that short acting about 4 hours before you go to sleep so that it clears your system and doesn't do any surprises at night? You might do that already, just eliminates the possibility of it being short acting, also short acting can be more potent when you are sleeping as you release a hormone that makes it more potent so people who bolus in the middle of the night for highs need to take that into consideration. I wish I was a flat line at night perfect person, but you know each night my sugar has the potential of doing something slightly different...even with the same doses, and sometimes it is just riding it out til it settles - maybe it is just a virus or something hormonal going on and it just wobbles it for a bit. Speak to the hospital and see what they can offer to help and maybe ask about the Tresiba.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Can I ask whether you are overweight as your number of units is high? If overweight and on insulin it can be quite difficult to stabilise it due to insulin resistance. Apologies if I've guessed wrongly but in general the number of insulin units tracks body weight amongst other things.