• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Blood is 31.1 again!!! Help?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 83869
  • Start Date Start Date
If you use the Accu chek Combo pump look at the iHs way of dealing with the air bubble in the cartridges. Works a dream and will save you some hassle. Ive lost count over the amount of insulin Ive needed to prime to deal with trying to flush the bubble out of the cartridge and in to the tube. All the flicking and tapping the pump just made the bubbles worse until my OH figured out a good way....


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
You should only have to get the bubbles out once after a cartridge change.. Always worth checking within 5 to 24 hoyrs after a new cartridge goes in.

However, I don't oersonally think this is air bubbles. I think 8mm sets are too long for you...


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Always be prepared! I made the mistake of not being prepared and my pump broke. Had to rush to the doctors to get insulin pens represcrived as he'd refused in the past. It took him an hour to sort out the prescription! Waste of time but 4 hours after pump had broken and a blood sugar off the scale I finally had the insulin pens I needed and a telling off from my diabetes nurse. Now I'm actually over prepared lol. I know your probably sick of hearing it but it really is so so important to keep a back up of insulin.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
donnellysdogs said:
You may be able to see your local chemist and ask if they could let you have a pack of disposable syringes...then at least you could draw up from your vials.

If you have given yourself enough correction bolus you should not need to have a TBR.

A TBR is an increase or decrease in your basal rate for how many hours you want it.... Its called a tempirary basal rate. Its excellent for times when you are stufffing food all day at christmas... But personally I would be wary of advising you to do this.... Especially at night time.

How long ago did you change your set and how much correction bolus did you give yourself?


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
I changed it about 2 hours ago now and 16 units!
 
Emma_P23 said:
Always be prepared! I made the mistake of not being prepared and my pump broke. Had to rush to the doctors to get insulin pens represcrived as he'd refused in the past. It took him an hour to sort out the prescription! Waste of time but 4 hours after pump had broken and a blood sugar off the scale I finally had the insulin pens I needed and a telling off from my diabetes nurse. Now I'm actually over prepared lol. I know your probably sick of hearing it but it really is so so important to keep a back up of insulin.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
I am most certainly going to the doctors on monday!!


Also i started on 6mm but was getting too many lows which i think is the reason she put me on 8mm!
 
Maybe 8mm is too long and your sites are not absorbing the insulin properly. I have to have 6mm due to a build up of fatty tissue from years of needles. Welcome to the sometimes irritating and frustrating world of an insulin pump.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Emma_P23 said:
Maybe 8mm is too long and your sites are not absorbing the insulin properly. I have to have 6mm due to a build up of fatty tissue from years of needles. Welcome to the sometimes irritating and frustrating world of an insulin pump.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
Should i go back to a 6mm then???
 
That would be up to you and your diabetes nurse but in my experience I found the smaller one to be a lot better. If you had a lot of low blood sugars they should have just reduced your basal rates.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
As I said above I think 8 mm are too long for you.

6mm just needed your rates fine tuning if you were having too many lows....

You need to keep an eye out for bubbles, bus as I said above, I don't think this is your problem...

When you took the old set out was there any blood in tube, seeping after you took set out? Did it feel comfy in you or could you feel it slightly?




Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
My basal rates were changed too! I have some 6mm left over i could try them??? And nope no blood whats so ever!
 
Your rates were not changed correctly then.. To be honest. You can go down to 0.00 (nil delivery) for hours if needed with basal rates to stop hypo's occurring.

You are so new to a pump I personally don't think you should have been changed from 6mm d's, but there again I haven't seen your 2 hourly basal tests or 2 hour checks after food etc.

It is up to you to decide if you want to go back to 6mm, but 2 other members have also suggested 6mm, so it's not just me...

We can tell you what we would change with your basals if you need help...


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
donnellysdogs said:
Your rates were not changed correctly then.. To be honest. You can go down to 0.00 (nil delivery) for hours if needed with basal rates to stop hypo's occurring.

You are so new to a pump I personally don't think you should have been changed from 6mm d's, but there again I haven't seen your 2 hourly basal tests or 2 hour checks after food etc.

It is up to you to decide if you want to go back to 6mm, but 2 other members have also suggested 6mm, so it's not just me...

We can tell you what we would change with your basals if you need help...


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
I started in November and basal rates were changed back in December i was then told i would be seen again in 3 months but my appointment is 29th July....not exactly 3 months! The nurses/doctors just dont seem to want to know too much around here !:/

I think i am well overdue a basal rate test even though i hate them because they make me feel so ill from fasting!
 
WHAT ! That's it ? I've been on a pump since may 6th And have since then had weekly appointments with DSN up until last week I now have a fortnight without seeing her but have a dietician appointment instead I email DSN with pump upload and if she sees anything needing adjusted or possible changes will phone to discuss after this appointment I have another 1 end of June and another 1 end of July then pump clinic first week in August you need to do some shouting to get this sorted not having a pen for correction is an issue I have been told to always have spare set, cartridge battery ketone meter and strips and most importantly a pen for someone only having had a pump for 8 months I am surprised you did not know this/have these things we were sent away with a letter from DSN of everything that needed put onto or taken off prescription if you did know this apologies but I would never risk hospital admission over not having an insulin pen
It certainly seems like you are very much being left to get on with it a pump is not an easy option and to not be properly confident in using / programming it is very concerning get to your DSN Monday never mind the GP mine knows nothing about insulin pumps and freely admits he just issues what he is told the DSN that got you the funding for your pump should have been trained to show you how to use. It / programme it properly as well as sick day rules hypo treatment I had to jump through hoops for mine as I know many others have to it's not a case of hand them it and let them get on with it if you are not doing as you should with it and your levels don't stabilise you may have the pump taken from you and put back on MDI not something that anyone would want I would think please go and get someone to deal with these things for you get your basal checks done this is the only way you will be able to see exactly what is happening and what needs addressed it may be nothing is set right it may be the sets are wrong there is so many things it could be but if you don't have a base line to start from and the Basals are not correct there is not a lot to go on

Sorry for sounding abrupt but it sounds like you need a bit more than our help getting this sorted but to get that help unfortunately means shouting louder

Hope you feel better in the morning

Danae
 
Hi NicolaAnne,

Hope you're feeling a bit better this morning and a little more in control.:)
Great suggestions from the guys on the forum about the 8mm vs 6mm issue. Sounds odd to change needle lengths because of hypos - that means the insulin is doing it's job - it's just that there's too much of it!
Better really to know that it's getting around the body properly - if the 8mil is causing a time-lag (or any other issue) then it will be far harder to manage your blood control.

Didn't you change to a lower carb diet recently? Could that possibly be having an impact on how much basal you need? (In relation to hypos and needing less - not more)

Danaemac is right - you need to shout a little louder to ensure you get looked after properly. In the meantime perhaps some of the more experienced members of the forum could give you an idea of what to look out for to see if your basal is right or not.
 
A basal check means having food having your bolus waiting 4 hours and then testing for 4/5 tests over 4-5 hours do this to cover all day parts and any basal rates you should not move any more than 2 mmol in that 4 hours if you do you should check again and if the same happens increase or decrease your basal and do another check it's a long hard slog but once it's working it makes such a difference

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Bebo321 said:
Hi NicolaAnne,

Hope you're feeling a bit better this morning and a little more in control.:)
Great suggestions from the guys on the forum about the 8mm vs 6mm issue. Sounds odd to change needle lengths because of hypos - that means the insulin is doing it's job - it's just that there's too much of it!
Better really to know that it's getting around the body properly - if the 8mil is causing a time-lag (or any other issue) then it will be far harder to manage your blood control.

Didn't you change to a lower carb diet recently? Could that possibly be having an impact on how much basal you need? (In relation to hypos and needing less - not more)

Danaemac is right - you need to shout a little louder to ensure you get looked after properly. In the meantime perhaps some of the more experienced members of the forum could give you an idea of what to look out for to see if your basal is right or not.
Click to expand...

I think I will give the 6mm a go for a couple of days and see what the difference is! And if no better then just carry on with the 8mm!

Haha low carb......really hasn't isn't going well! I have tried to do it but it's soo hard when no one else around me is willing to help me! I know a load of you are probably going to moan at me for not sticking it out etc but it's just soo hard for me etc! And when I do get on at my nurses they see me frequently for about a week and when they think I am settled just leave me be! I can never get hold of them either, which is a nightmare...maybe I need to move to another area ha! My cousin in somerset has 24 hours access to his DSN. I barely have an hour!
 
Danaemac said:
A basal check means having food having your bolus waiting 4 hours and then testing for 4/5 tests over 4-5 hours do this to cover all day parts and any basal rates you should not move any more than 2 mmol in that 4 hours if you do you should check again and if the same happens increase or decrease your basal and do another check it's a long hard slog but once it's working it makes such a difference

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
I thought basal rate testing was having say breakfast and then fasting till about 2pm and testing every 2 hours?? that's what I got told anyway or am I doingg that wrong too?

Also bloods today have been 9.4, 4.1 and then 14.8 not too sure why the 14.8 though!! but overall feeling alot better today
 
Fasting is, yes.. Have breakfast say at 8am with your bolus.
Wait until all that food and bolus is out of your body-and then do 6 hour testing.
So in this case you would do testing from 1pm to 7pm.
They say test every 2 hours... But if you have enough strips and for better exact changing of basal rates.. Especialyy with the 24 1 hour slits combo pump has.. One hourly testing is better during the day time.
Then eat at 7pm.

You should not do a fasting if you have had a hypo (in this example) from 8am to 1pm.




Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
donnellysdogs said:
Fasting is, yes.. Have breakfast say at 8am with your bolus.
Wait until all that food and bolus is out of your body-and then do 6 hour testing.
So in this case you would do testing from 1pm to 7pm.
They say test every 2 hours... But if you have enough strips and for better exact changing of basal rates.. Especialyy with the 24 1 hour slits combo pump has.. One hourly testing is better during the day time.
Then eat at 7pm.

You should not do a fasting if you have had a hypo (in this example) from 8am to 1pm.




Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
Ahh Yes I thought it was that! And ahhh I hate doing them because I get soooo hungry and feel soo ill but I think that is probably just the lack of carbs.....
 
Back
Top