Type 1 Hypos and meal times

Sarahlouxoxo

Member
Messages
19
This might be a stupid question but I was only diagnosed a month ago so still new to all this, if my blood sugars are low or going low just before I sit down to eat a meal do I still take my insulin? I just went to have my dinner and my blood sugar was 4.1 so I didn’t take my insulin but I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do!
 

In Response

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,369
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
If your blood sugars are low, you must treat the hypo before eating.
When you have recovered from the low, you need to take your insulin for the food you eat.

If you are not hypo but have levels lower than your target, you need to reduce your bolus.

Are you on fixed insulin doses or are you carb counting and calculating your insulin dose. If the latter, you need to consider your current level when calculating your dose.
 

Sarahlouxoxo

Member
Messages
19
I’m on fixed doses at the moment of Lantus and novorapid, my diabetic nurse is trying to get me on a carb counting course as I keep having hypos, I reduced my Lantus from 16 to 12 on her request a few days ago but am still suffering the hypos.

I was just scared to take the insulin with such low levels as I was literally about to plate up my food. At least I know now what to do.

Thank you for your response!
 

thewestiesmum

Well-Known Member
Messages
143
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Firstly apologies @Sarahlouxoxo for gate crashing your thread. I hope you don't mind.

If your blood sugars are low, you must treat the hypo before eating.
When you have recovered from the low, you need to take your insulin for the food you eat.

If you are not hypo but have levels lower than your target, you need to reduce your bolus.

Are you on fixed insulin doses or are you carb counting and calculating your insulin dose. If the latter, you need to consider your current level when calculating your dose.

@In Response
I know that if your blood sugars are low before a meal, you must treat the hypo before eating then when you've recovered from the low, take your insulin for the food/meal you're about to eat.

What I didn't know is that if you're not hypo but have levels lower than your target, you need to reduce your bolus. For me my target target is 6mmol - 10mmol so I should reduce my bolus if my levels are in the 5s or 4s but how many units would you reduce your bolus by? Also when you've recovered from a hypo but are still lower than your target would you still reduce your bolus?
 

In Response

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,369
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I thought you were using an app to calculate your insulin dose. This should take into consideration your starting blood sugar level and your target.
If it is not adjusting your dose correctly, you need to talk to whoever set up your app.
 

thewestiesmum

Well-Known Member
Messages
143
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I thought you were using an app to calculate your insulin dose. This should take into consideration your starting blood sugar level and your target.
If it is not adjusting your dose correctly, you need to talk to whoever set up your app.

Yes you are quite right there so I don't need to worry about reducing the bolus myself because MySugr does it for me - silly me!