A case study of 1. Have you seen anything like this?

[andcol]

Just a thought. Could the fasting have reduced some IR and then coupled with the reduction in stress together gave you a perfect calm. As long as the storm doesn't hit in a few days time

 

[tim2000s]

Just a thought. Could the fasting have reduced some IR and then coupled with the reduction in stress together gave you a perfect calm. As long as the storm doesn't hit in a few days time

It's certainly possible! It's not like it's a bad thing either , it's simply rather unusual, and a right PIA when your basal needs suddenly change dramatically! Spending all night avoiding hypos when you'd rather be sleeping is tough.

 

[Griffter15]

I had a very similar experience a few weeks ago. It started on a Thursday and lasted till Monday. The only thing I could put it down to was a few months of eating less carbs combined with lots of exercise, but I don't know why the change was so sudden. Maybe to do with depleted glycogen stores.

I had so many sweets and lucozade over the 4 days that I think it set me back to normal

 

[TorqPenderloin]

I don't think my situation is worthy of a comparison as I'm still a honeymooner. However, I always found the idea of basal testing to be very interesting. It's interesting to me because my basal requirement vary significantly based on diet, type of exercise, and even random weeks without a reasonable explanation.

-During the holidays, my basal was as high as 12 units twice a day (24 total).
-If I low-carb (<50g/day) and moderate my protein, that figure drops to about 12-16 units.
-If I low-carb, moderate protein, and lift weights that figure drops to about 10-12 units.
-If I low-carb, moderate protein, lift weights, and run 10+ miles a week that figure can be as low as 4 units/day.

In contrast, I had a week in early February where I was (apparently) particularly insulin resistant. My carb ratio increased from about 1:30 down to about 1:15 and my basal requirements increased by 6-8 units without any explanation. I had no noticeable symptoms of sickness and still haven't been able to explain the rise (which has since corrected itself).

Theory: protein intake seems to have a significant effect on helping me to avoid hypos, but doesn't necessarily cause hypers for me. It also seems to have a significant effect on my basal needs.

Again, not saying it's something to compare to because my situation is much different. Mostly just thinking out loud.

 

[steve_p6]

All of which I think brings us back to the reality that for diabetes expect the goalposts to shift and be ready to revisit your basal and then bolus assumptions.

 

[tim2000s]

@TorqPenderloin, I think you've described the honeymoon very well in that post. Mine's kind of like the inverse. Ive been fairly stable for ages then all of a sudden I no longer seem to need as much!

 

[tim2000s]

Well after a few days, I've finally arrived at what seems to be a stable new basal regime. Overnight reduced by 56% and daytime reduced by 29%.

All working nicely and I:C ratios back to more or less where they were. Bet it changes again soon though...

 

[RAPS_od]

...but happens every month for me: drop by 25% mid cycle (ovulating) when v insulin sensitive, then back to normal, then increase by 25-40% for week or so for pmt.

Hormone changes and stress affect BG drastically. On the hormone side, it makes sense, since insulin is a hormone. When I ovulated, my BG would drop so low on the first day, I thought I was dying. I took Evening Primrose Oil and Black Currant Oil to fix that.
But stress? No oil cure for that. Stress raises the BG dramatically, so if you've been under constant stress and now, as you indicated, found relief for that, a great change in you BG is likely related. Now, find your new normal and work from there. (And good job on the stress relief!)

 

[ann34+]

Yes, it's all very odd. I'm just glad I have a libre so that I could see it happening and take pre-emptive action. The other side to it is that I can't get the basal to last long enough at the reduced dose levels so there is a lot of filling in with Novorapid going on.

It just all seems rather unusual. It's really weird going to bed and using an incredibly low level of insulin.

Changes in thyroid levels can alter insulin needs, i have found. But then for me viruses and infections are the most usual cause, viruses may (or may not - there is never a pattern ) lower insulin needs at least in their early stages. The worst hypos i have ever had - and i was adjusting downwards all the time as well - were in the 4 days before i got shingles. Recently, a virus last year led to my being down to 0.1 i.u. per hr in the early part of the night , and at at present there is a very strange virus around - a returner one that wont stop coming back, now one month on - non D friends have had it, (and also the return of symptoms including muscle aches) - although seemingly mild, with an irritating dry cough, it has been throwing my blood glucoses all over the place. and last night it was the same as last year - back to 0.1iu per hour, though generally more in the day, so averages on meter worse than for a long time. over the years i have sort of get a 'feel' for when i think i need food at night even though not low, and eat half a banana and reduce base rate by 50% - and check in the middle of the night ..... but then , stress also throws base rates.......i gave up trying to wonder what was going on years ago.......

 

[zebs]

I have had a similar thing over the past month. I have been type 1 for 30 years and on the pump. I haven't gone down to 50 percent but prob about 75 percent basal and had to reduce all my basal levels, loads of hypos along the way. Obviously didnt feel normal. Had thyroid and kidneys checked and both ok. No increase in exercise but off work so less stress but hard to believe that it would make such a difference. GP thinks maybe due to poor absorption in small intestine due to bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) - which has just been diagnosed. Will see what happens after the antibiotics. If not may ask gp to check adrenal function. Good luck and hope you find the answers

 

[Book_woorm]

Have you done a control test on your meter? the allowed tolerance is quite wide. Depending on the age of the meter (the rules for the manufacturers changed recently) for a 5.3mmol/L reading the actual could be anywhere between 4 and 6 so you could have been kidding yourself you were high before and now tricking yourself in the thinking you are low.

Have you changed the injection site? I get the sort of variation you are seeing just moving 3" across my stomach! Where you injecting into muscle or hard fat before and not doing so now?

You can also insulin stack if your blood stream only absorbs an injection slowly and its not all use up by the time you inject again that leads to hypos or at least makes you think your too low.

 

[tim2000s]

Have you done a control test on your meter? the allowed tolerance is quite wide. Depending on the age of the meter (the rules for the manufacturers changed recently) for a 5.3mmol/L reading the actual could be anywhere between 4 and 6 so you could have been kidding yourself you were high before and now tricking yourself in the thinking you are low.

Have you changed the injection site? I get the sort of variation you are seeing just moving 3" across my stomach! Where you injecting into muscle or hard fat before and not doing so now?

You can also insulin stack if your blood stream only absorbs an injection slowly and its not all use up by the time you inject again that leads to hypos or at least makes you think your too low.

I've not lost hypo awareness, so I was very aware that I was low.... And I was using the libre which also tells you the direction your glucose level is moving in. Calibration via blood test is one thing. The sat nav and feeling are quite another. As an aside, the variation on strips also tends to be normally distributed so whilst it could have a 15% variance, the likelihood of varying by 15% on every single test is actually quite low.

Injections sites were already assessed before posting the topic. Various different locations on my bum all doing as expected. I'm also aware of insulin stacking.

The key for me is that by reducing the doses it solved the problem. That's enough evidence for me!

 

[richyb]

Must be a week for it Tim. My BS went haywire after the PWDC16 last week. Fasting BS of 10+ and rising. Didn't change anything except correction doses to get it down and then , Thursday, Friday and Saturday was fighting off hypo all day??? Must be something in that Nottingham water

strangely a workmate i used to have had a Type 1 wife. He noticed that when his wife was haveing a hard time of her sugar levels so was I. This happened every time. I have also been haveing a bad time of it lately to the extent that my insulin has now been changed to Toujeo from Leveimer. I wonder if a lot of type1s are haveing a bad time of it lately

 

[ann34+]

strangely a workmate i used to have had a Type 1 wife. He noticed that when his wife was haveing a hard time of her sugar levels so was I. This happened every time. I have also been haveing a bad time of it lately to the extent that my insulin has now been changed to Toujeo from Leveimer. I wonder if a lot of type1s are haveing a bad time of it lately

I was wondering along the same lines. A type one friend has had an even more difficult time than i have for the last 6 weeks.

 

[tim2000s]

How bizarre. Aligned circadian cycles in T1s....