So here's a heart attack for all the good LADAs....

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I think this is one that all we can say is from personal experience and as Alan says we vary immensely (weight, gender, age, hormones, other medications , I notice Alan takes a steroid could effect his dose )
. I started with a basal bolus regime of 34 units total (17 basal/17 bolus) but as I gained control this reduced.
Now 9 years later (and using a pump which reduces need by a small degree) it's variable between when I'm very active at around 20 units to about 28-30 when in the midst of winter and being lazy and eating too much.
 

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Took the increased evening dose at 6.30pm and my bs has dropped from 16 to 5.4 so now I'm too scared to go to bed.... Is 5.4 too low to go to bed on? I'm scared it will keep dropping?
 

robert72

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,878
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Took the increased evening dose at 6.30pm and my bs has dropped from 16 to 5.4 so now I'm too scared to go to bed.... Is 5.4 too low to go to bed on? I'm scared it will keep dropping?
The quick acting component of your insulin will be out of your system by now. If you are worried about sleeping at 5.4 then have a snack before going to bed - a couple of digestives or similar - and set your alarm for 3am to do a test.
 

smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Elaine!

Sorry you have had to go onto insulin - I know you were hoping to avoid that for a while.

I'm a little surprised that you've gone onto a mixed insulin - I thought they would probably start you on a basal-only regime (either long or intermediate-acting) and see how you got on with that for a while before deciding whether you needed a bolus introducing. Did you choose the mixed to avoid the multiple injections of the basal/bolus regime or was it the one your consultant/DSN recommended?

I can't really help with mixed doses as I've never been on that regime, but overall I take 13.5 units basal and between 7 and 10 units bolus daily depending on what I eat. For me, 5.4 would be a little low to go to bed, but my BG has been really unpredictable overnight so I'm just not confident it won't fall from there.

I was a little concerned with a comment you made about skipping your lunch in an earlier post - I don't think mixed insulin regimes are flexible enough to skip meals - you need to eat the right amount of carbs at the right times to use the insulin you have injected - if your dose is about right and you skip a meal, you will probably hypo. I know you got away with it the other day, but i think that was because your dose wasn't high enough for your needs. If you need to skip meals, you need a more flexible regime - and that means more injections unfortunately.

I hope it's settling down for you.

Smidge
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 people

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Hi Smidge,

The diabetic clinic recommended mixed insulin but said I could do basal/bolus if I wanted but - ur right - I chose the option with the least number of injections per day and went with the mixed.

I set my alarm for 3am and it had dropped from 5.4 to 5.1 so not too bad but this morning I woke with the worst headache I have ever had, it hurt so much I was nearly in tears. Checked my morning levels and they were at 11.9mmol so I'm guessing the good old liver kicked in with a glucose dump between 3am and 7.30am when I got up... No idea why the headache was so bad though as my morning levels have been higher than that for the last few months and I've been ok...

Not sure I could cope with more injections per day either as my stomach is very sore and tender and iv got bruises too from some of the injections... I knew this would happen, my body doesn't like needles :-(
 
Last edited by a moderator:

smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Elaine,

Yeh, I bruise sometimes too - I don't think there's anything you can do about it. I inject the 3 daily bolus in the stomach but the 2 basals in thighs or bottom - maybe you could try that if your stomach is sore? I don't like the number of injections either, but I put up with it for the flexibility.

When that bad headache and high BG has happened to me, DSN and consultant have suggested that I'm hypo'ing in the early hours and the high BG is the rebound - I have no idea if they're right though because I've not managed to catch this happening when I've tested in the night. You're wise to wake up and test in the early hours for a while though until things settle down.

Smidge
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
It was awful, hope I don't keep having them :-(

Felt a bit weird today and my hands went a bit shakey so I tested and my BS level was 4.1mmol so hopefully it means I will have good hypo awareness.. This was just before lunch after hoovering the whole house lol so the exercise may have had something to do with it.

I'm really worried about putting on weight though because today, when I dropped to 4.1mmol I worried I was too low so I ate two warburton thins sandwiches, a packet of crisps and a yoghurt (so effectively a carby packed lunch) and they only went up to 7.1mmol... I'm hoping I won't have to eat lots of carbs and cals just to get myself back up all the time... Might have to ask the DSN about reducing the insulin if that happens..
 

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Perhaps rethink about using a basal bolus regime. You can't separate the fast acting from the slower acting insulin so you have to eat the right amount of carbs for the rapid insulin .
There are lots of places you can inject. The Brits seem to like the stomach and rarely use the arms but I didn't realise that until I got onto online forums in English. I was taught to use my arms and stomach. I used my arms for the rapid and my stomach for the 1 lantus a day for at least 2 years. It worked fine for me.
 

smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Oh dear you don't want that Elaine. Maybe you will need a reduced dose soon. After a few days on intermediate insulin I had to backtrack my doses pretty fast because my body seemed to want to help again. It will take a while to settle down, so stick with it.

Smidge
 

LucySW

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,945
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
If it was me I'd want to ditch the mix and go to my free choice of bolus and basal. Because then you wouldn't be mortgaged to a high dose which you have to cover by super-eating. I hear what you say about injections not suiting you ..

Time to make some choices? Maybe? You're the boss. Good luck Elaine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
I'm not ready for more injections, I'm struggling with the two I'm doing and I really don't want anymore so I guess I will have to sacrifice the flexibility for now..

My friend also wants me to start going to a netball class with her once a week (we used to play on the school team) but I'm scared of exercising like that when I haven't done it since before I had the children.. A bit of manic hoovering and my BS plummeted to 4.1mmol so I'm terrified of what strenuous netball will do :-/

This insulin business really is an adjustment, went to bed last night on a 10.9mmol and woke up on a 4.4mmol...where's my liver got to? Must have taken the night off.
 

Susiespearish

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Wow @elaine77 Thank you so much for this thread .
I've had a BG between 12/30 for over six months now despite all meds and diet changes .They want me on insulin but I had no idea about the insurances, driving licence ect !! My endocrinologist stated nothing would work but insulin but I refused.
Having said that I'm now on 1500SR Metformin and today I started on Sitagliptin and for the first time since diagnosis I have a BG of 7.5 !!
Praying that this is the answer because there is NO way I'm taking insulin after reading about your experiences .
 

Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@Susiespearish, insulin is very manageable and not anything like as scary as you think. By all means avoid it as long as you can remain healthy without it, but don't resist insulin therapy if and when you need it, out of fear. There is really nothing to worry about .
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Hi susie, if u are type 2 then that's fine you can more than likely prevent yourself from ever needing insulin with lifestyle and diet changes along with some meds, but if u are LADA then unfortunately u won't have a choice and will one day in the near future need insulin. It will literally be inject or die I'm afraid.

I put it off for as long as possible but to be honest I'm not sure there is much point, it is inevitable and so is probably easier to start injecting as soon as possible so that you can get some good control. I've felt rubbish for months now as my levels have been creeping up since January and it got to the point where I had to either bite the bullet and take insulin or risk losing a limb or going blind or getting kidney failure as my levels were consistently between 10mmol - 20mmol all day everyday.

Yes it's horrible; I'm bleeding and bruising from the injections and it is very tender wherever I inject but if I had a choice between a bit of discomfort or losing my sight/kidneys/toes I'm afraid I would choose this discomfort every time... I haven't even heard back from the DVLA yet either so god knows what they are doing about my license....

Good luck :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 people

Susiespearish

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hmmm didn't last long .Back up to 27mm and I didn't even eat dinner *sigh* That's just it Elaine .They think my pancreas has stopped producing and that meds and lifestyle aren't going to help .Guess I'll just hold off as long as I can .
 

elaine77

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
I wouldn't hold off with levels that high, mine were never above 20mmol. You will need to go onto insulin as soon as possible or you could potentially end up in hospital with DKA where they will hav no choice but to put you on insulin via a drip at first and then injections
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people

LucySW

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,945
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hmmm didn't last long .Back up to 27mm and I didn't even eat dinner *sigh* That's just it Elaine .They think my pancreas has stopped producing and that meds and lifestyle aren't going to help .Guess I'll just hold off as long as I can .
Suzie,

Insulin is a lot less bad than you are picturing it .. Those levels are too high. Please go and get help.

You might well find that the reality isn't quite the same as the picture you have. Good luck anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people

Ian DP

Well-Known Member
Messages
712
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Chips
Hi susie
Have you tried a low carb diet?. No bread, no pasta, no potatoes, no rice, no cakes etc.
This works for a lot of us on here. If you want to lower your blood sugar levels without insulin it might be worth a try.
I have been on it for around 6 months now, it's working for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

Susiespearish

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
@Ian DP I've been low carbing for months guys .Lost a lot of weight but it really hasn't affected my levels that much .they've upped my meds and tried others and my GP has now referred me to the endocrinologist who wants insulin :-(