Rant and any advice welcome!

Claire007

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Type of diabetes
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Rant alert!
My BG Just doesn’t seem to be behaving itself at all! Just when I think I’ve cracked it, it all goes pear shaped again.
My basal has gone from 8 units a day ish to 13 units a day (I’ve been increasing by 10% ish a day) and it’s still climbing over night and through the day. I’m so fed up of having to basal test every 10 days to a fortnight, i can guarantee by next week I’ll be hypo city and have to start the basal testing all over again.
Pretty sure it’s hormonal, (I’m 47) but it’s so had to try and work out the pattern due to an irregular cycle. I can’t seem to get in single figures this time.
I’ve not got too many time blocks through out the day otherwise it’s impossible to see which block needs adjusting, I think I’ve got 4.
I’ve also increased my bolus ratio.
I’ve a bit of a sore throat, had a UTI two weeks ago, but I don’t feel ill.
Just a rant really!
How often is normal to have to start from scratch with the basal testing? Is everyone like this?
 

himtoo

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why can't everyone get on........
wow !! hi claire -- your topic / post has sort of defined what things can be like when they don't go to plan.

you have mentioned a lot of variables there .........

you mention time blocks --- to me that means when you change your basal rate ( hope I'm right )

I have 13 time blocks in my 24 hour period ranging from a low of .65 per hour at 3 pm to a high of 1.7 at 3am

reading your post I am somewhat inclined to think it is the sore throat and UTI that are playing the biggest part for you.

hugs
xx
 

leahkian

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With illness comes unstable BS but if this has been going on before this then you do have a problem. I was at my local hospital for 6 months and they could not get my BS under control which made me throw the pump back at them. I did some research and found a doctor at Newcastle who was not only in charge of insulin pumps but also a part of the transplant team, so i went to see him and with in 3 weeks he had my BS under control and also got me on the transplant list asap. This consultant gave me hope and was one of a very few consultant who would let you and him come to a joint plan of the way forward, there are doctors out there who are more willing to take advice off the person who knows there body better than anyone. If you are feeling that you are not getting the correct treatment you can go to your GP's and ask to see someone at a different hospital for a different point of view. You will know your own body better than anyone else and as all diabetics are different sometimes you have to to go to some where new to get a different choice.
 
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Juicyj

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Hi @Claire007 - am feeling your pain right now as in a similar position, I am veering on the side of low at the moment, with no patterns substantial enough to warrant changes, also have a very sore throat too, just wanted to say hang on in there keep checking and don’t let it get you down - for me I get this about twice a year so persevere and trust it will work itself out x
 

Claire007

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166
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Thanks all for your replies. Today has been a little better bar starting to climb again from 10pm, but I’ve corrected and will see what happens over night i think as last night it did hold pretty steady my dinner was late.
Could be illness, hormones or of course the beginning of the end of my pancreas producing its own insulin, just frustrating when I know I’m going to be dialling it all down again.
Thanks for listening :)
 
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himtoo

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why can't everyone get on........
hey @Claire007
gave you a like but sending a big hug to you too

big hugs lovely [[[[[[hugs]]]]]]

xx
 
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CarbsRok

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It just sounds to me as if you haven't set your basal correctly to your body needs.
If you haven't done so invest in the book pumping insulin by John Walsh.
Bottom line is the pump only does what you tell it.
 

iHs

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I sometimes have to tweak my basal rates leading up to a change in bg levels but I usually wait about 2 days to make sure that the change isn't due to incorrect carb count etc. Sometimes I need more insulin in the day but sometimes the change can happen during the night. I now use Dexcom so I can see from looking at my data, the hours when I go above my target bg levels or below them and then change the basal rates.
 

leahkian

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claire007 it could be all those things but do not forget that stress can also cause BS to misbehave as well so just take things easy and get better and there is always tomorrow and please keep ranting it's been ages since i had a woman rant at me ( except my mother and daughters) lol
 

ronialive

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Hi, I have 4 different basal rates. I am 48 and just starting reaching the menopause so syscle is irregaulr. I don't set my basal by days but by blood sugar responses. It took several months to get it right and I invested in a freestyle libre to get this right. Maybe your ccg is doing on prescription since nov 1st. I have to self fund mine still but would not be without it. I would strongly recommend you try for a few months - my hbaic has come down to 64 with it.
 

MinaRotter

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I am 49 and male - so hormones shouldn't be as much of a problem to me :) - but I am exactly the same as you. I have had a pump for 10 years and initially spent more time adjusting the basal rate than not. I ended up setting 5 different basal patterns that I can now switch to as soon as things go pear shaped (they do - often!). My patterns range from 23u/day to 27.925u/day. So for example if I start getting a lot of lows, I will reduce to a lower daily basal pattern and vice versa. Despite this I still often find that I need to tweak the basal but sometimes I can go several weeks on the same basal. I have stage 4 CKD and my eGFR is quite variable. My previous consultant in Liverpool thought this may be the cause. I am not so sure as I think my insulin requirements have always been variable - at least I find it much more controllable on the pump than on daily injections (where it was impossible).

Obviously intercurrent infections will significantly affect your insulin requirements - symptomatic or not. This was one of the first things I was checked for when I first started pump therapy and my frequent basal rate adjustments became apparent. UTI's are a classical cause of increased insulin requirements despite being a "silent" infection.