I need to get some control

[Lezzles]

I need help to get back on track.
i haven't been taking my insulin, eating right or really giving any thought to my health.
I want some control and I need help.

i have trawled the net and i am armed with some pretty good knowledge but there are some things i just cannot get right.

today is day one, i have woken up with a bg of 18.8 (6.30am) so i have taken some novorapid to try and bring it down when i test again it has come down to 16.6 (7.40am) so i have my breakfast which is just to eggs scrambled with nothing else in it then i test again (9.45am) and it's 12.5 sp i thought i'd take 4 more units to see if that works.
i test at 10.35am and im at 12.0 but i am starving so i have a 14g carb snack and take 7u to cover to see if this makes and odds at all but at 11.25am im at 15.4.

i know i have resistance so i am taking metformin as well and so far i have taken 2. i think i am probably expecting big changes in a short time and maybe not giving the insulin enough time to work but im almost desperate to get back to normal range.

can someone help? i want to succeed this time and not let myself down.

 

[SophiaW]

In our experience Novorapid takes about 15 minutes to half an hour to start working, it works at it's full strength from about 1.5 hours to 2 hours and then it's effect slowly starts to wear off, after 3 hours there is very little drop in blood sugars and by 3.5 to 4 hours it has worn off.

If you inject with Novorapid for a correction it will only be around 2 to 3 hours before you can see the effect it has had on your blood sugars. We find 1 unit of Novorapid brings down blood sugars by around 3mmoL. Everyone is different and if you have insulin resistence then I'm sure it will be different for you.

Are you taking a basal insulin? It sounds like your basal might not be right if you're having such a hard time bringing your readings down even with all those Novorapid injections. Your basal is very important to get right if you want good control.

 

[Lezzles]

I took 8 units of lantus this morning which I think i know already isn't enough for just now so I might try taking a little more tonight and see if that helps.

 

[SophiaW]

If you make adjustments to your night time dose it's very important that you monitor yourself through the night initially to make sure it's not too much which will result in you going hypo whilst you're asleep. Adjustments should also be made in small gradual amounts and then the effects watched for a few days before making further adjustments. Unless you have a good knowledge of your control and how adjustments will affect your blood sugars I'd strongly recommend you have the help of your diabetes team in making any adjustment decisions.

 

[lionrampant]

Next time you're hungry in that situation, nibble some cheese or some cooked meat and wait for things to level out. :mrgreen:

 

[GlucoseKnight]

Hi There

I can fully understand how you are feeling, I have had diabetes for nearly 30 years and I struggle with my BG's on a daily basis. I am on Lantus and Noverapid and I don't think my basal insulin is right for me at the moment even though I have tried adjusting it. I take 26 units at night (normally around 10pm) and my levels in the morning range from 6.2-14.0, if I increase the basal insulin by 2 units to 28 I have early morning hypo's. My Novorapid normally works within 1.5-2 hours of taking it. My levels can be high of 15.0 and on 6 units can drop to 2.3 after a large wholemeal sandwhich and crisps or a piece of fruit.
I have looked into various things I can do including the insulin pump, changing from human insulin to animal insulin and going on a basal insulin that I can split (one in morning and one at night). I am in talks with the Diabetic team and I would recommend that you work with them.
I have sufferd with my Diabetes, missing out insulin and blood tests and I have had to now work really hard to sort out my diabetes. Its tough but I think I am starting to understand my diabetes alittle more and doing whats right for me. The support from this site is fantastic so I would recommend using this for any questions you have, just dont give up hope.
I found that trying to lower my BG's quickly by taking extra insulin only resulted in me having more hypos and what I found is that the day after my hypo's my BG's run high.
It does take time to sort this out but you will get there.
I hope you get the answers you need, living with Diabetes isnt easy but you can make it easier by getting the help you need. Goodluck

 

[nicky noo noo]

hi there,im like u,dont eat right,sometimes dont test sugars 4 weeks at a time,miss docs appointments etc.think im in denial,i guess my bg most of the time,i,like u,really want and need 2 ge things under control but find it so hard.i take glargine(lantus)in the morning,use take at night but had to many hypos,so am suppose take in morn,as ive had nothing to eat yet 2day,havent had any insulin.Just wanted to let u no u arnt the only 1 finding it so hard.good luck,an hope we both get things under control.x

 

[nicky noo noo]

hi there,im like u,dont eat right,sometimes dont test sugars 4 weeks at a time,miss docs appointments etc.think im in denial,i guess my bg most of the time,i,like u,really want and need 2 ge things under control but find it so hard.i take glargine(lantus)in the morning,use take at night but had to many hypos,so am suppose take in morn,as ive had nothing to eat yet 2day,havent had any insulin.Just wanted to let u no u arnt the only 1 finding it so hard.good luck,an hope we both get things under control.x

 

[heypapatooni]

I'm having the same problems!
I'm a type 1 for 32 years
I'm taking porcine isophane and just last week started porcine neutral instead of novorapid, which I found too severe!
I take 2000mg metaformin each day to try and help my insulin resistance.
My bloods are all over the place!
I haven't eaten any starchy carbs for 9 weeks, I have slowly lost a stone in weight, though have another 5 to go!
here are this weeks readings-similar food eaten each day!
before breakfast b. lunch--------b eve. meal---- before bed------ thru night
4.1-------------------hypo-----------4.8
10---------------------12.4----------9.4--------------------------------hypo
12.1(16.1 2hours after!)3.4-------8.6----------------4.7
8-------------------------3.9---------10.3
9.7---then 4.8---------8.9 ----------------------------15.4
17.1------------------------------------12----------------- 7------------ hypo
7.9-----------------------17.4--------14.9
Crazy isn't it?
I've eaten salads most of the week, a bit of fruit-apple a day 2 clementines 1 small banana each morn before a brisk 3/4 hour walk! I ate 4 jelly babies at each hypo. Today i have been sky high all day! driving me potty!
I've stuck to 10/4 units am,4 units neutral lunch and 10/4 dinnertime, until I get used to my new regime!
I have nevr had stable blood sugars!

 

[GlucoseKnight]

Hi There
I just wondered how you were getting on and whether you have found ways in which to improve your control and try and accept your diabetes? I know it has been really hard, I too was in denial and hated the fact I was the only Diabetic in our family. I couldnt accept it, i hated blood tests and still struggle with it but I am getting better at checking my control doing 3 - 4 tests a day now. My HbA1c is getting lower, in 3 months my hbA1c went from 13.4 down to 11.2 and I am trying to aim for 7.0 or under.

I am 34 this year and concerns about having a family in the near future are playing heavily on my mind. I am also undergoing tests for Crohns disease so its important I am healthy.
I have started exercising, dance classes in the week, Just dance on Wii and generally seeing what else I can enjoy. It is tough but if you have friends and family that can support you then it does get easier. My Consultant has been fantastic... she understands that its hard for me but they are doing what they can to support me and I am going on an Insulin adjustment course to allow me to use my insulin correctly depending on my diet.

hang in there, I am really trying at the moment and there are days I get frustrated and upset but I am not giving up hope.
Goodluck xx

 

[Lezzles]

Hi,

I have only just remember i posted this a couple of months ago now and found it really good to see all you replies.

After i posted that i went back to my normal ways, ignore the diabetes and pretend it's not happening, but in the last couple of weeks i seemed to have turned a corner, things are working.

i think the problem with me was my head, i didnt want to accept this and i wasn't mentally ready to make some massive changes but for some reason i want to do this now.

i started off by just taking my insulin without testing, i have a pretty good grasp of carb counting and what my body needs so i was just guessing, this week i have gone low carb and im starting to get numbers that are making me a little happier.

it doesnt help that i have come down with the cold :lol: so things are just a little more unpredicatable than normal, but do you know what? im coping.

i think my biggest reason for my denial was my love of food and by low carbing i have to cut out everything i love but im doing that and exercising more to increase my insulin sensitivity and then maybe i will be able to loosen the reins a little.

evenings are the worst for me and i admit i tend to eat something thats less than good for me but i don't feel guilty about it cos i know i can get my numbers back to what they should be.

im 26 next sunday and i think i need to grow up a little and im glad im now in that mentality cos i want to live a lot longer.

I think it's a difficult thing to live with and it's great we can support each other, so if anyone wants to PM it's be great im the only diabetic i know!! :lol:

Lesli

xx

 

[annamillhouse]

Hi... If you can get yourself on to a course like DAFNE or GATTO (at St Thomas in London) where they teach you how to work out what insulin to take with what food suddenly so much stuff will make sense...

I used to think I was going crazy trying to keep blood sugars under control, and was guessing at them most of the time with massive swings between bloods of 1.7 - 28! But just a bit of education about how sugar and carbs work with the body & some practise at getting dosage right for you personally, can really make the difference.

I can't say I've got things properly under control all the time but at least knowing the science bit gives you a good framework to try & get things right. It's so worth that extra effort and few minutes her & there during the day because you can potentially be almost as well as someone without diabetes.

Good luck!

Anna