Could this have been bad insulin?

[satindoll]

After having some odd summer readings and them settling down with the cooler weather I was taken by surprise when on Tuesday morning after my usual jab of 20u I started feeling really ill after my usual breakfast of 25grm of yoghurt my numbers shot up to 8.2 from 5.3 after 2hrs, so after talking to the Diabetic clinic at the hospital and being told off for only testing 4 times a day and to revert to testing before and after meals to see what was going on and not to inject again in case my numbers crashed which they did by 4pm they were 3.3 by 5.30 even after taking glucogel and a snack they were 3,2, I had dinner no jab and by bedtime they were 5.7.
Yesterday they went from 6.1 before breakfast to 8.7 at 1h then to 7.7 at 2hr,, then 5.7 before lunch to 5.3 at 2hr after dinner 9.3 at 1hr to 8.6 at 2hr and 6.4 before bed, I took my usual 20u morning and 20u late afternoon.
They did ask if I was sure I was t2 had I had the GAD or C-peptide test I said not as far as I know and she said It was as if I wasn't t2 at all and if by changing injection sites and not seeing any improvement to get the gp to refer me back to the clinic for more tests etc. and to ask him for Ketosticks as if my numbers were to go above 10 at any time to test for Keytones, apparently all diabetics whatever type should test for keytones if having higher than normal numbers or unwell, this I didn't know.
I used to do the morning jab in my leg and the afternoon one in my tum, well my legs are now so skinny there isn't much fat on them at all to jab into hence the change of site.
So this morning having changed the tube of insulin I did my usual 20u in my leg and my numbers were before breakfast 3.6 then 5.3 at 1hr and 5.1 at 2hr, so I am now wondering if the insulin I had been using was off, I had been going to use my arm but out of habit I did my leg, I know its early days but I will continue testing at the 1 and 2 hrs for the next few days to see if things settle down and report back here and to the dr who was not too pleased I had called the clinic and not the dsn at the surgery, I told him of the disagreement I'd had with her over her wanting me to eat foods that would kick off my IBS and how she had said she couldn't help me anymore and she didn't think it was worth me seeing her again, he wasn't to happy about me needing the extra strips either but he coughed up the script and said he hoped it wouldn't take too long to get things back under control.

 

[smidge]

Hi Satindoll. My apologies, I'm not going to answer in full as I'm not well today, but I saw your post and thought I'd tell you a couple of things and at least bump the post for someone to respond.

Firstly, your numbers are not bad - even the 'out of control ones' and all sorts of things like illness can affect levels. Secondly, many people are misdiagnosed as Type 2 when they are in fact LADA, but I can't see why the nurse at the clinic has specifically raised this concern with you now. However, if they are offering the tests it might be worth taking them up on them to be sure - if nothing else, it gets you back in the care of people who know what they're doing for a while rather than GPs and under qualified GP nurses. Finally, I have had bad batches of insulin and they do exactly what you are describing - levels all over the place and higher than usual for which you increase doses, followed by a significant drop and hypos when you change cartridge to one that's working properly. If I get unexpected prolonged high levels now, I discard open insulin and start a different cartridge, preferably from a different box.

Smidge

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Yes, those numbers aren't too bad; I still go into the teens occasionally. The LADA tests might be interesting but won't change your medication or approach now you are on insulin. Ketone sticks are useful if your blood sugar often goes very high and you are in ketosis due to lack of insulin and carbs i.e. burning fat. Most people on insulin wouldn't need to use the sticks unless they are out of control. Yes, illness can and usually does cause higher blood sugar. Your surgery sounds pretty useless like many.

 

[satindoll]

Hi @smidge and @Daibell , thanks for your replies, I don't know why she asked about the tests and when I asked the dr it I'd had them he said back in 2006 when I had my diagnoses they didn't have/do those tests.
As I went straight onto insulin from the start I know that being diagnosed as something else won't change how I am treated, so am not pressing for that, It took months to get my numbers down from the high 20s to the teens then to the levels I now run at and have done for the past 5 years of between 4 and 7 and the occasional 8 if we've had a evening out so now anything over 8 or 9 and it makes me feel really really ill, even when I was sick my numbers didn't go up like that.
I have never had a bad tube of insulin before so was at a loss as to why my numbers shot up for what was apparently no reason, anyway todays numbers have gone on as 5.4 before lunch and 6.9 at 1hr and 6.4 at 2hr afterwards, now down to 4.7 and I am about to have dinner have done my 20u in my tum and hoping my numbers will behave,
Tomorrow I will try my arm and see how the numbers go, I will continue testing at 1 and 2hrs to get a good idea of take up time.
I would love to be back under the hospital clinic as they were really supportive of my dietary problems and helped me find foods I can eat without kicking off my IBS or upsetting my tum, and its due to their wonderful support I managed to get my numbers down so quickly and to maintain them.
Don't get me wrong my gp is a good dr and usually can be relied upon to listen and help all he can, but I know the senior partner has been miffed with me after I forced them to re prescribe my original pen needles as the new ones were bruising me, so I expect he will be upset I asked for more strips, but he will have to get used to it as I intend to do more driving over the next few months.

 

[satindoll]

@smidge ,
Hi hope you are feeling better, been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, on Thursday after dinner my numbers crashed as expected but was 5.1 before bed.
Friday started low so I only did a 10u jab in my arm to see what the take up rate was and to give me leeway to inject my tum if it didn't work, which it didn't numbers went from 3.8, 3.7 then shot up to 9.0, 8.6 then crashed again to 2.1 (scary) after dinner 6.5, 9.6 then fell to 8.9 before bed, I took my evening units in my tum as usual, it was a fresh tube.
Today first thing I was 5.1 went to 6.6 after breakfast then 7.3 after lunch now 3 hrs down the line am down to 5.9 not too bad but still feeling the after effects of the high numbers.
I guess I have had it relatively easy compared to lots of posters, I've never had much trouble with my numbers, as I learnt early on that 2u bring me down a mmol so if I needed to drop it has been easy to do so, even with the stress of hubby's heart attack and subsequent hospitalisations I never saw numbers like these, not being able to bring them down in the usual way has made me appreciate how hard it must be for others,
I know I still have a way to go till I'm back in to my usual running numbers but I think I now understand to try a new tube if the one I'm using doesn't seem to be doing the job, and for that knowledge I thank you, and for helping me stay calm.

 

[PaulinaB]

I read a good quote somewhere: if you think your insulin has gone bad, it probably has...
As a rule of thumb, if I get a bunch of weird readings without a reason, I get a new pen and see if that helps

 

[satindoll]

I read a good quote somewhere: if you think your insulin has gone bad, it probably has...
As a rule of thumb, if I get a bunch of weird readings without a reason, I get a new pen and see if that helps

Hi PaulinaB,
Thanks for your reply, guess I am a bit naïve, up till now I had never had a problem with my insulin not working and it was only a chance remark of my neighbours that made me think that it may have gone bad, it was a bit of a shock as it was the last cartridge in the box and all the others had been fine, but now I know and can watch out for the symptoms in future and know to discard the cartridge and use a new one.
Pleased to report my last two readings were 4.5 and 4.3 respectively so now a happier diabetic.