Type 1 Blood sugar dropping constantly

[Incarnation77]

Hello, I was diagnosed with Diabetes 4 weeks back, though they're treating me a type 1 since my Ketones was 1.7 at the time and I had rapidly lost a lot of weight. My anitbodies have been sent off to Oxford and I'm still waiting, since I seemed to developed it quickly, and the rest of my family are type 2 diabetics.

Anyway, in the first 3 weeks, I could pretty much manage to keep my blood sugar somewhat acceptable for me around 10, by taking 8 Levemir in the morning along with 4 Novarapid. and 6 Levemir and 4 Nova rapid in the evening. And things were fine, I felt okay and had no hypos.

Now this week starts and my sugar is dropping like mad after meals, even without novarapid, and 4 Levemir and another 2 Levemir in the evening. For example my blood sugar could be 6, and then I eat 40g carbs of something which puts it upto 16, and then less than 3 to 4 hours later it's around 8 and dropping. One time I pushed my blood sugar upto 23, and 14 minitues later it was 7.

I can't find a way to control it, and keep things stable. but I tend to wake up with a bg around 7.

The nurses and doctors are just staying, keep taking the rapid, with food, and keep my doses of levemir the same, meaning 8 in the morning 6 at night, which frankly at the moment seems dangerous. Heck I don't fully understand what the levemir even does. Regardless, I feel like I have a constant cloud over my head, since I feel like i'm battle the insulin with food, and not the other way around.

 

[himtoo]

Hi there @Incarnation77
Welcome to the forum !!

in the early days and weeks following diagnosis it is definitely a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of control.
Your care team will be giving you a plan to follow and as time evolves you need to keep speaking with them .

keeping records of everything is really helpful too , as this allows your team to review what you have been doing ( control wise ) and can help with making adjustments as needed,

it is really important to be kind to yourself -- you can only gain knowledge and experience in real time and 4 weeks is a drop in the ocean of time concerning being Diabetic.

do keep posting on progress !!

all the best !

I will also tag the amazing @daisy1 for her fabulous starter pack.

 

[azure]

Hi @Incarnation77

Early in diagnosis, the insulin injections can give your remaining beta cells a rest and they often are able to make a little insulin of their own, but in a late, erratic way. It's known as the honeymoon period.

Have you spoken to your DSN about maybe reducing your doses slightly? Have you got half unit pens? Do you count carbs? If you don't count carbs and are injecting a set amount of insulin but eating varying amounts of carbs, then that could cause erratic sugars. If you're on set doses, you need to eat similar amounts of carbs each time.

If you're going high after eating, then dropping low, you could talk to,your DSN about injecting a little more in advance of your meal.

I had to eat snacks to catch dropping blood sugars when I was newly diagnosed. If you need to do this, then that's an option and should help. You don't have to have a lot - experiment with what works for you.

And if you are Type 1, get Think Like A Pancreas - it's a brilliant book.

 

[Mep]

There is a course you can do which may be of help for you to figure things out too.... it's an online course which helps you work out carb counting, etc. Link is below. I wish you the best.

https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/admLogin.asp

 

[Incarnation77]

Hi @Incarnation77

Early in diagnosis, the insulin injections can give your remaining beta cells a rest and they often are able to make a little insulin of their own, but in a late, erratic way. It's known as the honeymoon period.

Have you spoken to your DSN about maybe reducing your doses slightly? Have you got half unit pens? Do you count carbs? If you don't count carbs and are injecting a set amount of insulin but eating varying amounts of carbs, then that could cause erratic sugars. If you're on set doses, you need to eat similar amounts of carbs each time.

If you're going high after eating, then dropping low, you could talk to,your DSN about injecting a little more in advance of your meal.

I had to eat snacks to catch dropping blood sugars when I was newly diagnosed. If you need to do this, then that's an option and should help. You don't have to have a lot - experiment with what works for you.

And if you are Type 1, get Think Like A Pancreas - it's a brilliant book.

Thanks everyone, I certainly will get that book, probably in a minute. I'm not a big eater, but certainly need to eat more. Seems like two slice of brown toast finally got my bg over 10, sure does take awhile though, which my doctor said to be before I got to sleep, problem was I couldn't stay over it very long, or even get there.

I do carb count, but at the moment, I'm taking less insulin to avoid the hypos (or hypo like effects, which kick in at around 7bg, since my body has to get used to having low blood sugar again, not to mention that weird floaty feeling that comes with it), and I'm generally eating things with low carbs, outside of brown bread now, and a bowl of branflakes in the morning.

Strangely enough only started having this issue when I quit drinking, even though I never had more than 2 pints a day anyway. Before the Diabetes, I drank alot more, but that doesn't seem to have caused any internal damage based on test results and ultrasounds.

Cheers for the advice though people generally thought 80% of my problem might of been ignorance. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Incarnation77]

After speaking with a doctor last night he suggested I take 2 Levemir in the morning and evening.
Thing is I woke up with a bg of 8.7 and had a biscuit, and then it drops to 3.8bg literally a few minutes later. so I had an apple, a Banana, and a bowl of branflakes, and it rises to 15, 2 hours later it is at 11, and will probably drop even futher.

I don't know what is going off. There's no one around to speak too.

 

[catapillar]

I don't think you should worry about a drop from 15 to 11. Both blood sugar values are hyperglycaemic. So it dropping even further down from 11 is probably something to be desired rather than worried about.

You don't need to keep your blood sugar over 10. That is hyperglycaemic.

If you are experiencing hypo symptoms at 7 that is a "false hypo". Your body has been used to being high for so long it now thinks normal blood sugar is too low, you just need to let it get used to the normal numbers.

I would suggest a basal test, but if you are honeymooning it might be of limited value. Your basal insulin (your levemir) should be keeping your levels steady in the absence of carbs and bolus insulin (quick acting insulin with meals, your novorapid). We take basal insulin because throught the day and night when we aren't eating our liver lets out a trickle of glucose to keep us going, without background insulin we can't use the glucose released by our liver for energy it will just stack up in the blood pushing blood sugar up.

If you're new to insulin and still trying to get your blood sugar in normal ranges (for reference, a normal blood sugar range is probably more like 5-7 rather than over 10) it might be a bit too soon to be doing basal testing. But if you are finding you are having to eat to avoid hypos (ie values under 4) even when you arent taking any bolus insulin that does suggest you might need to discuss your basal doses with your DSN.

 

[Incarnation77]

Had a mixed grill with chips an hour ago and my blood sugar is 6.5. No rapid either.

Does the honeymoon period do that?

Can you go seriously hypo during that period?

Not sure what else to do other than stop insulin altogether.

 

[Incarnation77]

Just seen another Doctor, who is also a diabetic. That's two different ones on the bounce now, and he recognises my problem, and he says that I'm a type 2 diabetic now, so I should just take one unit of basel in the morning, until they move me onto tablets. I just started off with type 1 symptoms, plus I'm quite slim, which lead the doctors in the hospital to rush to judgement.

 

[daisy1]

@Incarnation77
Here is the Basic 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 come along and 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 well over 147,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[Incarnation77]

Cheers for the above. I'm still having issues only taking 1 unit of levermir in the morning. Constantly fighting to get my blood sugar up. It was 12 an hour ago, and now 3.9. Same pattern throughout the day after eating. Thought this stuff was supposed to keep your bg level, as it stands it working like Novarapid. If I had listened to the Diabetic Nurse I'd be dead by now.

Can't keep taking the stuff if i'm going low every other hour.

They couldn't figure out what I was in hospital, so they sent my antibodies down to Oxford. And now another Doctors say I'm type 2. Buy hey keep taking 1 unit of insulin in the morning. Driving me mad.

The first three weeks were okay, taking 8 units and another 6 units in the evening. Along with around 4 units of rapid to cover my meals. The 4 week starts and it's me having to constantly eat brown bread to keep things even. Hopefully its peaked now so my bg drops lower more slowly.

 

[Incarnation77]

Just typing progress, to see if it helps anyone else in the future going through something similar.

Still up in the air, what type I am after the talking with Doctor and Diabetic nurse.

Not talking any Insulin currently, and my blood gluclose has been in the 6's all day so far, other than breakfast where I had an apple and it went up to 10 briefly, and down again 2 hours later. If stays over 10 then I'm to take 1 unit of levemir for now.

Just been told to monitor everything daily for now, since I could be type 2, or I could be honeymooning with type 1, which seems less likely. Certainly have it though since my blood sugars have been high for awhile.

 

[azure]

@Incarnation77 Some late onset Type 1s can stop insulin during their honeymoon. I hope you get an answer about your type soon. Testing and recording everything will help whatever type you are

 

[steven128]

hi I've had type 1 for over 1 year and I'm having the same issue as u. No matter how much I eat I can't get my levels up at all I'm having 1 shot of Levemir in a morning and it's same as u please can u tell me what's happening to us as I can't see hospital till after Christmas and I have pain's in my left side and right side it's so upsetting as every day I'm waking up feeling sick and I can't keep my levels up I've started to not have 1 shot in a morning as it's so upsetting

 

[Knikki]

Hello @steven128 this thread is over a year old and Incarnation77 has not been seen for over a year as well.

Your best off starting a new thread you will certainly get seen by more and get more advise that way.