Odd highs without change in diet or insulin

[qe5rt]

Hello,

Lately i've been experiencing highs (250 mg/dl - 440mg/dl) without any change in diet, insulin or exercise regime. I've went to the hospital last week to talk to my endocrinologist and she suggested i start taking Toujeo instead of Lantus. This has helped a bit especially with my morning values and now my highs are about 250 to 300 mg/dl with more and more better values below 200 and between 80-150. But still this is annoying the living hell out of me. Just a 1.5 months ago i was joking that i was cured for barely needing any insulin to have perfect values. Now i'm using more and more insulin for worse values. I went from 3-3-6 novorapid basal to 6-5-10. Also have to start taking extra insulin when i drink a protein shake which never effected me to this extent before. Same protein shake that i always take too even still using same bag as with the good values.

In the hospital i had my blood checked and they found no abnormalities my hba1c even went down a bit though that's probably because of previous values and not representative of the last 2-3 weeks.

I've had diabetes for about 17 years and never experienced longer periods where i couldn't eventually pin point the reason why these highs happened. As mentioned i'm getting extremely frustrated by this since i've been on tight control of my carb intake and do make an effort to get plenty of exercise in.

Anyone ever had these longer periods where there were unexplained highs? Did it stop ... did it continue, ... ?

 

[noblehead]

Give your new basal insulin time to work, just continue with some basal testing until you get the dose right @qe5rt, just don't get frustrated and stressed as this will make matters worse.

Hope it all settles down soon.

 

[azure]

I find my basal needs and meal ratios can change a few times throughout the year @qe5rt

My first thought is could it be your injection sites affecting absorption? Even if they feel/look ok, sometimes a change of body place can be useful.

If the highs are happening at specific times, then if you give a little more information about that, then that would help.

I notice you've given 'fixed amounts' for your bolus injections. Are these just averages or do you stick to the same doses each day?

 

[qe5rt]

I find my basal needs and meal ratios can change a few times throughout the year @qe5rt

My first thought is could it be your injection sites affecting absorption? Even if they feel/look ok, sometimes a change of body place can be useful.

If the highs are happening at specific times, then if you give a little more information about that, then that would help.

I notice you've given 'fixed amounts' for your bolus injections. Are these just averages or do you stick to the same doses each day?

I've had my basal needs changed too over the years usually happens during warmer/colder periods but never did i have to double my intake in a single week. Usually the adjustments are 1-2 units and never suddenly double. Injection sites i switch daily though all of them are on the belly region but when i'm having constant highs i do change the injection site somewhere else entirely (usually arm). Also changed my insulin capsule and needle just to make sure .. even changed my injection pen.

Can't say there are specific times it's just high(er) all over the day.

And good point about the fixed amounts, the values given are those i use as a base and i adjust accordingly.

It is however still bothering me, i can't stand not knowing why it's happening. There has to be another side to the equation for me. Bit of a personality flaw i guess.

This all said, today i'm having near perfect values started at 150 did a small peak of 169 (3 hours later) and then all in the 90's until an hour before diner where i dropped extremely low. Being a bit on the high side in the morning isn't that weird for me i've had it nearly the entire time of having diabetes. Just hope this is not a fluke and can continue these values again. At the moment i would consider everything below 175 an improvement since that was the average of the last 3 weeks. I'll see where it takes me the next couple of days.

 

[azure]

This might not be at all relevant to you, but I used my stomach for years. It didn't even occur to me not to. I had zero problems.

Then suddenly my BS started to go high, almost overnight. I tried everything and got quite panicky that my insulin wasn't working or something. Finally, I moved to my thighs - and within in a few days my BS was completely back to normal. Worth a try maybe? My tummy problems came on weirdly quickly and I'd never have thought that was the issue until I saw it proved.

 

[qe5rt]

Might give my upper legs another shot as an injection site though i generally find it a painful place to place my insulin. Ab region is the least painful since i still have a little bodyfat there. Already on 3mm needles since the longer ones bruise the hell out of me.

 

[azure]

Might give my upper legs another shot as an injection site though i generally find it a painful place to place my insulin. Ab region is the least painful since i still have a little bodyfat there. Already on 3mm needles since the longer ones bruise the hell out of me.

I use my thigh and my bum (at the top)

For my thighs, I use the front (least painful for me) and the outer sides.

I hope you get it sorted

 

[mentat]

Just slowly up the insulin till it stabilises. A few months ago I went from ~10 to ~30 units of NovoRapid for lunch over the course of a few weeks. (Actually my lunch ratio went from 1:9 to 1:3.) Breakfast and dinner weren't affected. Now my lunch ratio is 1:8.

I have no idea why. I just blame hormones.

 

[qe5rt]

Just an update but my insulin needs are dropping again. Dropped the basal 1, 2 and 3 in that order, and still flirting with lows 70-80 md/dl highest was 172 but that was after 0.5 L cola (kinda stupid i didn't take my BG before drinking the cola but was in a rush).

Guess i'll stay with the current insulin scheme and see where it takes me for the next couple of days.

 

[gillianwrdl]

I am type 2, and not on insulin, but find odd morning fasting readings of 7 or a little more, when they are usually under 6.1. The liver's release of glycogen can be a bit overdone in attempting to compensate for lowered sugars over night. Oddly enough I have been discovering that a little sugar in the diet seems to help the liver from misjudging, and that the morning readings are back to normal again. Another discovery is that an emotionally stressful or anger inducing incident, combined with little exercise for the day pushes the sugars up to 7 or a bit over. I don't suggest that anyone particularly a type 1 tries this, but wonder if anyone else has noticed the same oddities. G.W. Australia

 

[lloydis]

I am type 2, and not on insulin, but find odd morning fasting readings of 7 or a little more, when they are usually under 6.1. The liver's release of glycogen can be a bit overdone in attempting to compensate for lowered sugars over night. Oddly enough I have been discovering that a little sugar in the diet seems to help the liver from misjudging, and that the morning readings are back to normal again. Another discovery is that an emotionally stressful or anger inducing incident, combined with little exercise for the day pushes the sugars up to 7 or a bit over. I don't suggest that anyone particularly a type 1 tries this, but wonder if anyone else has noticed the same oddities. G.W. Australia

I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and changed my diet, cutting out sugar and bread, My Doctor prescribed Metformin although I do not take it, as I chose rather to change my habits. I have been exercising a lot, raising the intensity every week, dropping my weight from 114 kg to 100 kg, in 1 month. I too have noticed that my morning readings are a little high, around the mid 7's. One thing I have noticed though, is that these readings are higher following a stressful day and lack of good sleep. On easy days I have a more restful, quality sleep and readings around the mid 4's to 5's. I think stress and lack of sleep are a huge contributing factor to high readings. Still early days for me and some days can be a little confusing.