New & confused Type 1

[kim_russell14]

Hi everyone!

I just got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a few weeks ago, after experiencing symptoms for almost a year. I already feel back to my normal self though, and have finally managed to gain weight after being underweight for so long! I'm still in the 'overwhelmed & trying to take everything in' phase, but I did have a few questions, which would be great if any of you could help me out with!

Firstly, how long should it take for my blood sugar levels to go down to normal? When I was diagnosed my blood sugar was around 30, but I wasn't kept overnight in hospital or anything to stabilise my levels & my blood sugar levels are still not quite where they should be. The diabetic nurse I met with suggested insulin doses for me, but also said i can adjust them if i need to, but I'm a bit confused on how to do this... my blood sugar levels have been around 14-18 throughout the day, and I'm currently taking 20 long-acting units at night, and 2 units with every 10g of carbs at meals. I don't really know which one I'm meant to adjust to lower my blood sugar levels to where they should be?

Also, is it normal to feel a bit all over the place in the first few weeks? I think my body is just so not used to having insulin, like some days I feel amazing and have so much energy, but other days I'm literally so tired and out of energy!

Any help would be really appreciated!

 

[azure]

Welcome @kim_russell14

Let me tag @daisy1 for some basic info.

How high is your blood sugar? Were you shown how to count carbs?

Your insulin might need adjusting of you're constantly running high, but if you've not been told how to do that or how to match it to the carbs you eat, then it would probably be best to speak to a DSN and get advice.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

It was a good 2-3 weeks after my initial diagnosis before I saw my first "Normal" blood sugar reading. At diagnosis, I was around 30 mmol/l like you, and until I started bolus insulin (novorapid) my levels were in the 20 mmol/l range on just basal insulin (Levemir).

As far as if it's normal to feel all over the place? I felt that way both mentally and physically, and I didn't have a freaking clue what the next step was. I was also waiting for my c-peptide and GAD test results to come back which caused even more anxiety.

As far as which one of your insulin types lower your blood sugar? The answer is that they both do, but in different ways.

Basal insulin (long-acting) when set perfectly, would keep your readings completely level if you never ate a single bite of food. Generally, if your blood sugar rises very slowly over several hours (again, without food) it would suggest that your basal is set too low. If it drops very slowly, it would suggest it may be set too high.

Bolus insulin (short-acting)- is your correction insulin. Your doctors/nurses should have you on a set insulin dose where one unit of insulin will drop your levels X mmol/L, and 1 unit of insulin will correct for X grams of carbohydrates you consume. It sounds like they have you on a set ratio of 2units:10g of carbs, but that may be too low. In the short-term, that MAY be okay. Most doctors don't want you to immediately get your levels to normal because that can be dangerous (hypos/low blood sugar) and physically uncomfortable (many of us have unpleasant symptoms when our blood sugar drops below a certain point or drops too quickly.

Before you change anything, the important question is to ask when your next doctor's/nurse's appointment is? Try to schedule one soon if possible to see if they're intentionally trying to lower your blood sugar slowly.

 

[kzlorenz]

Hi Kim, don't worry, it's going to get better.
I think you should speak with a doctor/specialist nurse soon,
anyway I might just give you some advice (but do seek specialist help) just as "rule of thumb".

So first one should consider your age, weight, gender and daily physical exercise (female hormones might be a *****).

Adults usually take between 0.2 to 0.4 long acting insulin units (IU) per kilogram of body weight.
Be very careful when you change the dose, Which kind of long acting insulin are you on ?
You do not want to adjust dosage too often, maybe wait a couple of days.
Make sure you are injecting right, wait some 10 seconds before removing the needle (I do say the alphabet 3 times), keep good notes on you book! (this avoids double injections!)

My advice is for you to start a moderate exercise; maybe 30 minute walk every day for the first few days and then increase if you feel it right. Exercise helps with insulin sensitivity, do not overdo it, at least until you manage to get glucose on more physiological range and learn your response to exercise

Usually people take one IU of rapid acting insulin every 10-15g of carbs, this may vary especially after exercise.
Bring always with you some dextrose tablets (Boots or Sainsbury's, they are cheap) and a meter (do not guess, test!).

Do you live with someone ? Can they use a glucagon kit ? (no mean to scare you, just better safe than sorry)

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. I suspect as the weeks go by things will get calmer and you will feel less stressed. To balance the insulins you normally start with the Basal. My DN told me to adjust it bit by bit until my morning fasting level was between 5-7 mmol. Sounds sensible and I still go by that. Make any changes 1 unit at a time and wait 2 to 3 days before adjusting further. Once that is adjusted you can check that your Bolus ratio (2 units to 10gm carbs) is right for you. Test just before and 2-3 hours after typical meals and check that the readings are similar. Make small changes to the Bolus if not. BTW are you having a low-carb diet as well to avoid weight gain?

 

[daisy1]

@kim_russell14

Hello Kim and welcome to the forum To add to the useful advice you have received above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[bevellar]

My husband was diagnosed type 1 4 months ago approx
He is now carb counting after seeing dietician and is finding this so much easier .
his blood sugar levels have now stabilised with perfect readings however it's taken this long .
Consultant said it takes a couple of months .
It is very overwhelming but there's a lot to learn so don't be too hard on yourself .
We are still finding out new things daily .

 

[wiserkurtious]

Hi everyone!

I just got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a few weeks ago, after experiencing symptoms for almost a year. I already feel back to my normal self though, and have finally managed to gain weight after being underweight for so long! I'm still in the 'overwhelmed & trying to take everything in' phase, but I did have a few questions, which would be great if any of you could help me out with!

Firstly, how long should it take for my blood sugar levels to go down to normal? When I was diagnosed my blood sugar was around 30, but I wasn't kept overnight in hospital or anything to stabilise my levels & my blood sugar levels are still not quite where they should be. The diabetic nurse I met with suggested insulin doses for me, but also said i can adjust them if i need to, but I'm a bit confused on how to do this... my blood sugar levels have been around 14-18 throughout the day, and I'm currently taking 20 long-acting units at night, and 2 units with every 10g of carbs at meals. I don't really know which one I'm meant to adjust to lower my blood sugar levels to where they should be?

Also, is it normal to feel a bit all over the place in the first few weeks? I think my body is just so not used to having insulin, like some days I feel amazing and have so much energy, but other days I'm literally so tired and out of energy!

Any help would be really appreciated!

Hi and welcome to the club no1 really wanted to join ya its amazing on here we have so many brilliant people on here that are willing to help so you've done right joining

I was diagnosed last year,and for the first few weeks my sugars we're a little erratic but with experience in testing blood sugars,exercise and foods it soon becomes second nature.Don t think of diabetes of been the end of the world I think of it as
it makes you more aware of things you wouldn't even of thought about if you wasn't diabetic,plus weirdly enough diabetes as actually given me the motivation to take better care of myself.