Newbie here.

[Cathy Cally]

I really am terribly mixed up about the whole insulin thing. I literally have had one short phone call with the nurse since I was prescribed insulin so really don’t know what to do about my does of both rapid and long acting insulin. I have so many questions that keeping popping into my head. Do I have to be exact with taking the rapid dose and what if I forget what do I do? What do I do if my levels go sky high in between meals, do I have to wait till I eat to use the rapid dose? What time should I take the long acting at night? Can I ever go out for a drink with my friends again (meaning Bacardi ). At the moment I am told that I am very underweight (I got Septic Shock after extensive reconstructive surgery and lost 5 stone last year) so not got a lot of good places to inject into and my stomach is getting a little sore, is there any other places I could use?

Apologies for my list but I really am struggling with it all. It seems that Diabetes has taken over my life at this time. Do other people feel the same way when first diagnosed? I really don’t want to sound like a whiner but do need some good advice. Thanks Cathy

 

[westlife48]

Thanks for your response. I took the 3 units as directed of my insulin 10 minutes before eating had been working my dogs for quite a long time though. But a very good point about touching food. Each time my dogs protect me from or pin the “baddie” down, they get a chicken treat reward, could this have been the reason?? But the experience really has set an anxiety off for me. What should I carry with me in future or are the glucose sweets I bought adequate? Do you get warnings from your body that this is happening? If so what do I look for? Many thanks. Cathy

See if you can get some glucose shots from the nurse

 

[Cathy Cally]

Thanks for your response. What are glucose shots? I bought some glucose sweets are they the same or completely different? Thanks Cathy

 

[CheeseSeaker]

they get a chicken treat reward, could this have been the reason?? But the experience really has set an anxiety off for me. What should I carry with me in future or are the glucose sweets I bought adequate? Do you get warnings from your body that this is happening? If so what do I look for? Many thanks. Cathy

Could be - there is all sorts of stuff in dog treats to make them smell attractive - wouldn't surprise me if you'd got a high reading from that.

Glucose sweets are fine - glucose is the fastest thing into the bloodstream (doesn't need digesting to pass through the intestine walls) and onto the red blood cells - so anything convenient with glucose in (preferably not chocolate as that's fatty and takes longer to break down, but even that is fine if you need something and its what you have)

Hypo symptoms are 'various' - as depends on which bits of your body are affected first so not always consistent - common ones are cold sweats, shaking, disorientation, confusion, eyes not focusing struggling to think straight etc.

You start to get a feel for whats happening - I find though, if I'm concentrating on something I can ignore the symptoms and carry on - I have a watch that vibrates and alarms when I go low (saves me loads of times) but that means you need a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) like a Libre or Dexcom.

 

[CheeseSeaker]

Thanks for your response. What are glucose shots? I bought some glucose sweets are they the same or completely different? Thanks Cathy

You can get Glucogel on prescription (glucose in a jelly form in a small toothpaste tube to carry with you) - I tent to go for glucose sweets in my pocket as easier to carry - there are lots of options available - I like Clif Blox (as can sit in my pocket ages without going off or getting sticky) but you'll find you're own preferred way as you try stuff.

 

[Cathy Cally]

Could someone please advise me? The insulin that I am using I do not keep in the fridge unlike my unopened new ones. But in this warm weather should I also be putting the current ones also in the fridge? I wondered if it has a detrimental effect on the insulin I am using. Thanks in advance. Cathy

 

[Juicyj]

Could someone please advise me? The insulin that I am using I do not keep in the fridge unlike my unopened new ones. But in this warm weather should I also be putting the current ones also in the fridge? I wondered if it has a detrimental effect on the insulin I am using. Thanks in advance.

Hi Cathy, don't put your current insulin in the fridge, it's supposed to be kept out once started, using insulin from the fridge can be painful to inject too, however take care in regards to how you store in whilst out of the fridge, so out of direct sunlight/hot areas, just a bit of common sense in keeping it stored in cool areas, it won't have a detrimental effect as long as it's kept somewhere cool, you'll know if it's not working as you'll see from your readings.

I use x3 glucotabs to treat my hypos, you can buy big bottle of them off Amazon in different flavours, you can get glucogel from your pharmacy, ask them to add it to your prescription.

Just take care in the heat too as this can increase our insulin sensitivity as the heat opens up capillaries in the body, so more likely to go low.

 

[CheeseSeaker]

NHS guidance is here:

Storing and travelling with rapid-acting insulin

NHS medicines information on how to keep rapid-acting insulin safely at home, while you’re using it and when you’re travelling.

www.nhs.uk

 

[John 21]

Just saying hello as I am new to the forum. I have just been diagnosed with type one diabetes after I sustained injury to my pancreas and feel overwhelmed by everything at the moment as I am still finding my feet with it all.

I developed Type 1 after a Whipple procedure and would say that it does get easier, particularly if you have long lasting insulin and only need to inject once a day. I am pleased that many foods are clearly labelled and you can see how much sugar they contain. Also sugar free biscuits are available, including chocolate digestives. With a bit of care you should be fine and still able to enjoy many things, my wife makes me a delicious sugar free fruit cake with no sugar substitutes. Do hope you feel better about managing the diabetes soon. John

 

[CheeseSeaker]

I developed Type 1 after a Whipple procedure and would say that it does get easier, particularly if you have long lasting insulin and only need to inject once a day. I am pleased that many foods are clearly labelled and you can see how much sugar they contain. Also sugar free biscuits are available, including chocolate digestives. With a bit of care you should be fine and still able to enjoy many things, my wife makes me a delicious sugar free fruit cake with no sugar substitutes. Do hope you feel better about managing the diabetes soon. John

Hi John - keep an eye out for carbs rather than sugar (and substitutes like fructose etc).

Pretty much everything has carbs in (except water) - fruitcake (for example) has flour, dried fruit etc) will all contain carbs. Dafne courses help a lot with getting your head round how all this affects diabetes (both T2 and T1)

 

[John 21]

Could someone please advise me? The insulin that I am using I do not keep in the fridge unlike my unopened new ones. But in this warm weather should I also be putting the current ones also in the fridge? I wondered if it has a detrimental effect on the insulin I am using. Thanks in advance. Cathy

I have had no problems keeping the insulin pen I am using in a basket under the bathroom washbasin.

 

[John 21]

Hi John - keep an eye out for carbs rather than sugar (and substitutes like fructose etc).

Pretty much everything has carbs in (except water) - fruitcake (for example) has flour, dried fruit etc) will all contain carbs. Dafne courses help a lot with getting your head round how all this affects diabetes (both T2 and T1)

Given my build I am fortunate and don't worry about carbs, just the quoted sugar amounts. I try to avoid sugar substitutes, just have naturally occurring sugar that is in fruit etc. Thanks for your reply, hopefully I will be able to continue as I am, however, should things deteriorate then I shall look for more information.

 

[Fairygodmother]

A Frio will keep insulin cool when it’s out of the fridge. Lots of us use them, they can be ordered on the net.
There’s also support for finding the amount of carbohydrate in foods in apps like Carbs and Cals, which is the one I use. Others will no doubt tell you what they find best.
It’s very early days for you @Cathy Cally but you’re doing the right thing finding out as much as you can asap.
Your life with Type One should become much easier when this first stage is over and the right doses for you are discovered; I wish there were an easy formula to use for dosing but it seems to be a very individual thing.
In the meantime, yes, be exact with the doses you’ve been given and keep a record of what you eat on the Libre app which I hope has been set for you so that the the team the nurse is part of can also see it. This will help with decisions about your doses.

 

[Duncan Lord]

Hello newbie here. I had a really scary experience yesterday which has left me really anxious. I had been exercising 3 of my German shepherd’s for a display this weekend in protection work all day. I had eaten but prior to that my glucose level was 26.7 so had my 3 units of rapid acting insulin. Then about 20 mins later started to feel very weird, checked my glucose levels again and the alarm on my sensor showed that I had dropped to 2.3. I used the glucose tablets I had bought which started to bring it up. I just don’t understand why it dropped so quickly and I am so worried that this could happen again. Anyone any advice please.

Yes a drop whilst doing exercise is perfectly normal! Even humans without diabetes have sugar levels which go up and down. There are graphs showing this with Libre etc attached to a non diabetic.
It is a case of trial and error. Getting to know your own body and how that reacts.
Lowering basal before exercise helps or if that not possible reduce bolus for the meal before so your levels start to climb.
Try not to exercise too much with IOB. Bolus (Fast acting Insulin ) tends to stay in body about 4 hours and has a peak efficiency between 1 and 2 hours.

Have plenty of snacks available. Set your low alarm HIGH. 5.6 so you have wiggle room to correct that low.

Keep checking on figures.

As a foot note I went scuba diving this week for the first time in 4 years since diagnosis. ( just got the full medical back).
On the first dive about three quarters way through my buoyancy went to pot and my breathing all over place. I had lost concentration but did not fully tie in BG.
Only when back on boat did the low become apparent. Corrected it with Gluco tablets and liquid. Missed second dive that day and did third with no problems.
On subsequent days no problems due to increasing protein greatly and a reduction in bolus.
Two bananas before each dive also gave energy for dive.

As Type 1’s there is very little we can’t do. We just have to think through how to do them.

General advice. TEST TEST and TEST. Then analyse data and adapt what we do!