High blood sugars for no obvious reason

[gayle]

Hi,

I'm hoping that someone can give me some advice. I use levermir and Novorapid. I take my Levermir at about 9pm each evening. I have been type 1 for about 6 1/2 years and have had quite good control.

Over the past couple of weeks though I have started to need more insulin and I don't know why. I am doing the same amount of exercise, eating the same foods and I am not ill or stressed. The evenings are being the most challenging as I will get blood sugars of about 4.0 two hours after my evening meal and by around 10pm they are 10.0 - 12.0. (Without me having eaten anything.) So each evening I am needing extra novorapid at about 10pm to sort my sugar levels out.

I thought there was something wrong with my insulin so I threw it away and got new ones out of the fridge but it didn't really do anything.

Does anyone know what could be causing this or how I can sort it out? My doctor isn't very helpful.

Thanks,

Gayle

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

Dear Gayle,

Sometimes I think the human body does weird stuff all on it's own. I have a 2 yr old diabetic so i suppose it is expected that he should go a bit haywire now and again. There seem to be just too many things to affect blood sugar. I contend with activity, weather, diet changes, stress, growth, illness (I hate this one) and juggling insulin. You would also have some naughty hormones to contend with.

I have had a similar problem to you and was finding myself giving my son more and more insulin. I got new pens and then had a massive hypo and dropped the dose back down. I guess they were a bit worn out or maybe I had dropped them a bit hard one day. You don't say wether you use pens or syringes.

Anyway, you might be getting so worried about it that your blood sugar is going up. Hope you find yourself in range soon. I've read that people sometimes need to change injection sites or needle sizes also.

All the best, Jen.

 

[LittleSue]

I will get blood sugars of about 4.0 two hours after my evening meal and by around 10pm they are 10.0 - 12.0. (Without me having eaten anything.) So each evening I am needing extra novorapid at about 10pm to sort my sugar levels out.

Hi Gayle

I wonder if your sugar is continuing to drop after your 2-hr test, you're going hypo and having a liver dump, hence the high sugar later. Would be worth testing also at 2.5 hrs and 3 hrs. Worth checking this out because if this is happening, by correcting the high but not the low you're into a destructive seesaw pattern.

Another possibility is your Levemir is not lasting through to the next dose. Your Novorapid with dinner could be counteracting the absence of Levemir soon after you eat, then as Novorapid wears off your bs rises before the next Levemir kicks in. Are you on a big dose of Levemir (bigger doses last longer)?

Jen's point about pens is a good one. The pens you put cartridges into are only supposed to last about 3 yrs. Once it feels at all 'loose' its worth replacing it.

 

[martinsoton]

I get a similar thing, it is almost like i have sugar caught in my teeth, that stangly releases its self and rocks up my sugar levels. I think the human degestion system is complex and the differnt foods the get digested at different speeds and have varied effects. I tend to find writing down everything i am eating when i start loosing control really helps..

hope this helps

 

[Ancient Lady]

Hi Gayle
I have been type 1 for a very long time and have found over the years that despite one's best efforts control can be erratic for no obvious reason. I can eat the same things on a daily basis and my blood sugars are different each day. I started taking my Levemir in 2 doses at 7am and 7pm just after Christmas and my control has been much easier, allowing me to cut my carbs drastically and my Novorapid doses. This has had a fortunate side effect as I have managed to lose 8lbs without any effort at all. I previously took Levemir once a day at 11pm but was finding that I had to have a large dose of Novorapid at my evening meal because the Levemir was running out about 6pm.
I think it is thought that Levemir does not last for 24 hours if given in one dose, it certainly didn't for me.
You might find this article interesting at the website below as it describes the interaction between insulins(Lantus, Levemir and fast acting) and how to adjust your doses and in what quantity]

http://www.medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevention/lantusnotes.htm

When do you take your Novorapid, before or after your meal?
I take Novorapid straight after eating as I find that I convert food rather slowly and this seems to work best for me.
Have your blood sugars risen because you have eaten more fat than usual in your meal, fat can take quite a time to get absorbed and in my case sends my blood sugars well over 10 several hours if I consume more than my usual negligible amount.
Do you have access to a diabetes specialist nurse, I have found mine to be excellent and always available for help and advice.
Best of luck
Ancient Lady

 

[ChuckT]

I think it is well recognised that Levemir does not last anywhere near 24 hours - but the rate it drops off will depend on your own metabolism. And it will be an ongoing decline, not a simple on/off.

The seesaw mentioned above sounds interesting as well, since if you're body starts releasing sugar in reponse to a low blood sugar, when there is still insulin in your system, you'll find it harder to compensate. There is a lot of homeostatic feedback happening, but in funny ways, since the automatic insulin regulation is broken.

Your doctor has to discuss this with you - get another one if they're no good!

Chuck