Depressed

[azure]

3 weeks ago , I started long acting insulin 16 U and short acting 14 U before meals , I suffered from Hypos that's why I gradually decreased the doses , now I'm taking 8U long acting & 4 units before meals. My BG is in acceptable ranges , & now i'm thinking for further decrease in the doses.
I don't know if I'm doing right or not

Thank u & i'll read the book

Ask your medical team about carb counting and adjusting your meal time insulin You'll then be confident in adjusting your doses according to what you're about to eat. It's not uncommon to be on fixed doses to start with, but on fixed meal time doses you need to eat the same amount of carbs to avoid hypos. Even if you can't count carbs yet, you can record your meals and insulin to see what works for each meal. That will reduce the risk of hypos.

 

[azure]

Thanks for these precious informations, what i need now is to follow a low carbs diet , i'll have a look on the provided links

Thanks for ur support

No, not necessarily - and definitely not when you're on fixed doses of insulin. Cutting your carbs could lead to severe hypos.

The Low Carb Program here is aimed at people with Type 2 diabetes.

Most Type 1s eat a moderate amount of carbs. Do not reduce your carbs when you're taking fixed doses of insulin for meals. The above advice is more aimed at people with Type 2, especially those who are controlling their diabetes by diet only.

 

[Scott-C]

having my final exams with BG more than 400 was really difficult:

Too true! I was doing my finals just before dx and went to the toilet about six times in one exam. The invigilator followed me to see if I was cheating with a hidden telephone!

I suffered from Hypos that's why I gradually decreased the doses

Exactly right: it's a self treated condition, take guidance from your doctors to start with, you'll experiment a lot and pretty soon you'll know more about the realities of it than your doctors and will have the confidence to make adjustments without asking. You'll still get messy days, but you'll learn just as much from making mistakes as from getting it right.

If you can get a cgm/fgm like Dexcom, Medtronic or Freestyle Libre, go for that. They're the future: compared to strips which just give you a snapshot, these show you the whole movie happening in real time and make life much easier, you can react to changes a lot quicker and see hypos coming and stop them before they even happen.I actually quite enjoy looking at a flat graph and thinking, yup, did pretty well today.

Don't ever think you're disabled in any way. I'm a bit lazier now I'm older, but when I was your age, I regularly went ski-ing, sailing, cycling without any problems at all.

 

[Juicyj]

Hey @Dod95 welcome to the forum . Being diagnosed type 1 was also very difficult for me to come to terms with, there's a lot to learn and the process is like getting to know your body again and what works and what doesn't. Knowledge helped me hugely so knowing as much as I could and getting involved in research. My best advice apart from knowledge is to simply take one day at a time - otherwise it can be quite over whelming. Have faith though it does get a lot easier and don't be afraid to ask for help

 

[tigerlily72]

Hi and Welcome

You'll see from my profile and info that I'm type 2 so I can't unfortunately offer guidance on managing T1. I was going to tag someone who I know is type 1 who should be able to offer advice (and hopefully make you laugh in the meantime) but he seems to have disappeared and isn't coming up .

Does anyone know if Mist has changed his user name??

 

[genix]

It was there since I was 21 but I didn't know , I had problems with my vision and went for checkups but no one suspect diabetes, on my 22 birthday, I was in a severe pain because of severe infection that suddenly appeared, I underwent a surgery to eradicate abscess from my back , 3 weeks later I was diagnosed with diabetes HbA1C 11.4 :/

Before diagnosis , I passed through a very hard time , having my final exams with BG more than 400 was really difficult:'/

Since am studying pharmacy, I know that insulin is a great discovery that saves people life, but the reality is different from what I reed in books , I knew all the signs ,symptoms and how to diagnose diabetes, but when I experienced it , l failed to diagnose myself .

They teach us how to put ourselves on patient's shoes , sympathy & empathy, but being in the situation is a completely different story , even though doctors know what you are suffering from, they couldn't know your heart or what you really feel.

Thank you for your words and support , it's really nice knowing that someone can feel your true feelings.

I'll google the stories you've mentioned , thank u

That @Dod95 is one of the greatest insights i've read in forty yeas of T1D. Your going to be an excellent healthcare professional.You will feel much better emotionally when your sugars are stable for awhile.

 

[paramedic]

I understand how you feel.
I was diagnosed 3 years ago at 47 years.
Destroyed my life, confidence and mental health.
So sorry for your diagnosis and your suffering.

 

[Dod95]

No, not necessarily - and definitely not when you're on fixed doses of insulin. Cutting your carbs could lead to severe hypos.

The Low Carb Program here is aimed at people with Type 2 diabetes.

Most Type 1s eat a moderate amount of carbs. Do not reduce your carbs when you're taking fixed doses of insulin for meals. The above advice is more aimed at people with Type 2, especially those who are controlling their diabetes by diet only.

Oh , got it .. thank for clarification, right now I'm trying to count my carbs intake , but it seems a bit difficult ..
I feel constant doses are better , yesterday I increased the lunch dose by two units so I can eat Pasta but my BG went to 80 mg/dl , even it's not considered as a hypo i was sweating & shivering

 

[Dod95]

Too true! I was doing my finals just before dx and went to the toilet about six times in one exam. The invigilator followed me to see if I was cheating with a hidden telephone!



Exactly right: it's a self treated condition, take guidance from your doctors to start with, you'll experiment a lot and pretty soon you'll know more about the realities of it than your doctors and will have the confidence to make adjustments without asking. You'll still get messy days, but you'll learn just as much from making mistakes as from getting it right.

If you can get a cgm/fgm like Dexcom, Medtronic or Freestyle Libre, go for that. They're the future: compared to strips which just give you a snapshot, these show you the whole movie happening in real time and make life much easier, you can react to changes a lot quicker and see hypos coming and stop them before they even happen.I actually quite enjoy looking at a flat graph and thinking, yup, did pretty well today.

Don't ever think you're disabled in any way. I'm a bit lazier now I'm older, but when I was your age, I regularly went ski-ing, sailing, cycling without any problems at all.

Thanks for sharing your story , it's really helping & encouraging me

I'll get free style libre sensor , it seems very helpful & much better than pricking my fingers at least 3 times daily

 

[Dod95]

That @Dod95 is one of the greatest insights i've read in forty yeas of T1D. Your going to be an excellent healthcare professional.You will feel much better emotionally when your sugars are stable for awhile.

Your words made me smile
Lot of thanks

 

[Dod95]

You ARE already that better person because you communicated your needs

i appreciate your kindness

 

[Dod95]

I understand how you feel.
I was diagnosed 3 years ago at 47 years.
Destroyed my life, confidence and mental health.
So sorry for your diagnosis and your suffering.

I wish one day diabetes become a curable condition ,, just like common cold

 

[Dod95]

Hi and Welcome

You'll see from my profile and info that I'm type 2 so I can't unfortunately offer guidance on managing T1. I was going to tag someone who I know is type 1 who should be able to offer advice (and hopefully make you laugh in the meantime) but he seems to have disappeared and isn't coming up .

Does anyone know if Mist has changed his user name??

I'm really thankful
I can feel Your support

 

[azure]

Oh , got it .. thank for clarification, right now I'm trying to count my carbs intake , but it seems a bit difficult ..
I feel constant doses are better , yesterday I increased the lunch dose by two units so I can eat Pasta but my BG went to 80 mg/dl , even it's not considered as a hypo i was sweating & shivering

You'll get better at carb counting I kept a notebook when I was first diagnosed. I recorded what I ate and how much of the carbs I had eg 100g pasta, 60g cereal, 6 tablespoons of rice. Then the next time I ate it, I had the same amount if it had worked for me. If you increased your insulin by 2 units to have pasta just have a little more pasta next time if you went too low.

A set of good quality digital scales help a lot.

 

[genix]

@Dod95 Often hypo symptoms show up when your blood glucose drops fast. If you gradually get to and stay at 3.2 you may have no symptoms and conversely dropping quickly from 13 to 7 can cause you to feel them.

 

[Dod95]

You'll get better at carb counting I kept a notebook when Imwas first diagnosed. I recorded what I ate and how much of the carbs I had eg 100g pasta, 60g cereal, 6 tablespoons of rice. Then the next time I ate it, I had the same amount if it had worked for me. If you increased your insulin by 2 units to have pasta just have a little more pasta next time if you went too low.

A set of good quality digital scales help a lot.

I find it difficult to record what I eat , also I noticed that even I had exactly the same amount the outcomes will be different, for eg. I always take toast for breakfast, 3 days ago 6 units were suitable, now after decreasing the dose to 4 units while eating the same food , my BG readings didn't change (it's within the acceptable range avg 110 mg/dl = ~6.1) :/

Another weird thing , I've a very low carb in breakfast comparing to lunch , but still the same dose works the same way for different types of food , which irrational

(nB: when i started insulin 3 weeks ago , I was taking 14 U before meals, my meals are almost the same but i keep decreasing the dose )

I still have a days when my BG above ~200mg/dl about 11 mmol/mol

 

[Dod95]

@Dod95 Often hypo symptoms show up when your blood glucose drops fast. If you gradually get to and stay at 3.2 you may have no symptoms and conversely dropping quickly from 13 to 7 can cause you to feel them.

is there a specific drinks that can cause the?
Bc i think green tea has high impact on BG

 

[azure]

I find it difficult to record what I eat , also I noticed that even I had exactly the same amount the outcomes will be different, for eg. I always take toast for breakfast, 3 days ago 6 units were suitable, now after decreasing the dose to 4 units while eating the same food , my BG readings didn't change (it's within the acceptable range avg 110 mg/dl = ~6.1) :/

Another weird thing , I've a very low carb in breakfast comparing to lunch , but still the same dose works the same way for different types of food , which irrational

(nB: when i started insulin 3 weeks ago , I was taking 14 U before meals, my meals are almost the same but i keep decreasing the dose )

I still have a days when my BG above ~200mg/dl about 11 mmol/mol

That's probably because you're going through the honeymoon period when your pancreas is 'rested' by the insulin injections and can make a little insulin of its own. That can cause erratic sugars and surprising lows.

Your breakfast and lunch discovery is normal. It's very common to be more insulin resistant in the morning - ie to have to eat less carbs for the same amount of insulin. My insulin to carbs ratios are different for breakfast, lunch and evening meal

You don't necessarily have to record every single mouthful that passes your lips, but knowing that if you're going to have your usual insulin dose and eat pasta that your blood sugar is more likely to be in range if you have 150g cooked weight pasta (just as an example) will save you a lot of time and trouble.

Carb counting and thinking about food and insulin is very tedious and irritating, but it's crucial for good control.

 

[Dodo]

Thanks for sharing this , i'll try my best to become a better person

You will become a better person. Diabetes will change your life but only if you let it. Coming up to 51 years but I'm not giving in.

 

[Sharon14448]

Things get better as you understand more until you control the diabetes and not the other way round. Take care x