Helping my mum

[Gabby]

Hi my mum has been injecting her insulin for a while now however there seems to have been some changes in her health recently and her glucose levels have fluctuated.
The advice that she has been given by the GP is to drop her dose.
The symptoms my mum exhibited were at night and the whole experience has uneased her. She does not feel confident about calculating her dose now .
I need to get a better understanding of how she calculates her dose and am asking for advice on how to go about it?
Is this information/ training normally given at diabetes clinics?
I do not live near my mum and this makes it tricky.

 

[jack412]

have a read and ask questions, don't you change her dose, this is background knowledge to tell the nurse and keep an eye on your mum

There is an online course for background and an idea to it. Free to registerhttp://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

This set of workbooks are worth reading and practising working examples only of carbs and doses
Don't change dose without nurse approvalhttp://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/9224 Overview

Workbook 1http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/9225 Carbohydrate Counting.pdf
Workbook 2http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/9226 Carbohydrate Counting the Next Steps.pdf

Carb listhttp://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/9227 Carbohydrate Tables A6.pdf

Diaryhttp://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/9228 Free Diary Portrait A4.pdf

Basal testinghttp://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

Sick day ruleshttp://www.diabetes-healthnet.ac.uk...flet_-_Sick_Day_Rules_for_Type_1_-_Nov_13.pdf
Sick day rules flowcharthttp://www.leicestershirediabetes.org.uk/uploads//documents/Type1 Sick_day_rules_InsulinV3.pdf


A workbook with USA numbershttp://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/download/insulin_adjustment_workbook_complete.pdf

 

[Gabby]

Thank you for the prompt info. I forgot to say that my mum is type 2 and whilst the emphasis is on diet and tablets she also has administer insulin once a day.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. As your Mum is on one injection per day this will be what's called Basal or background insulin which lasts 18 to 24 hours. The problem your Mum had overnight may have been a Hypo where the blood sugar goes too low i.e. below about 4 on the glucose meter. If this is the reason, and I'm guessing a bit, then the GPs advice to drop the dose just a little may well be the right advice. A low-carb diet is always a good approach for diabetics as it keeps blood sugar down and minimises blood sugar swings. Also as the weight comes down so does any insulin resistance due to fat cells and this helps stabilise blood sugar when taking insulin. If your Mum finds using her meter (I assume she has one?) that her blood sugar is regularly into the teens then come back for more guidance. Do come back anyway with any questions.

 

[Gabby]

Oh thank you . This sounds like what happened over night. My mum has lost a lot of weight in the last 6 to 12 months ( 2 stone approx). I' m not sure why but perhaps her carb intake has greatly reduced. As an aside she has unfortunately become anaemic, which is currently being investigated and treated with B12 injections.
I am finding this sit e very useful and thank you for your info and support