T1 LADA on insulin newly diagnosed

Marie 2

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Pump
Sweating like crazy, is pretty common when you drop too low. But people do experience different symptoms. If I drop too low I also get colored spots when I blink. I've had tingling on my tongue, anxiety. And some people get nausea when they drop too. Exercise will cause a drop easier. There are just all sorts of symptoms you can have and you learn to identify them.

Hot showers in the am makes my BG go up 60 points in a half hour with no eating. I now take all my showers in the afternoon or night. But I know people that their sugars drop instead. Things like that can vary person to person.

The problem is the honeymoon phase has some ups and downs, you produce some insulin some of time until you don't. My honeymoon phase probably lasted about 6-8 years?

But it sounds like you need a better handle on your insulin usage. Drops are from too much insulin and the highs are not enough at the right time. It does take constant calculating what you need when, because, exercise, stress, high fats all make you use insulin differently and then you throw in maybe sometimes you are still making some if you are still in any kind of honeymoon phase.

But frankly if you are just using a long acting insulin shot, it's just too easy to drop too much if you are taking enough to deal with your meals since when you're not eating and say exercising, it's still the same amount in your system? So that can cause a person to drop too much. And that means the same amount is in your system when you are sleeping, when you're not exercising or eating. What we call a basal is technically what you need because your liver produces glucose throughout the 24 hour day. The basal insulin, if you use long acting insulin is for about 24 hours. The bolus is what we take with a fast acting insulin (not that fast really) to deal with the food we eat and peaks at about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once you start a meal insulin (bolus) , you shouldn't need as much long acting insulin and will probably need to adjust that. Right now you are not taking that much insulin, but the long acting dose might be what is causing a problem when you are more active and you are dropping.

But as a type 1, LADA, you need insulin to deal with food, your body at some point will not be able to deal with even minimal carbs. Even protein will raise your BG level too. No matter how well you try to eat, it won't make insulin anymore, so even a bowl of broccoli will need insulin..............

The best thing? Get a CGM, a constant glucose monitor, Most of the insurance in the US covers it for a type 1. It's just some insurance companies require you have 3 months of logging 4 times a day numbers to show you've had some lows. Some don't. But it's very easy to do. Ask your endo about that. Instead of finger sticking all day, you can look at your phone or reader to know your BG 50 times a day if you want. It's just the best thing to know what your BG is doing.
 
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NewlyLADA

Active Member
Messages
31
Sweating like crazy, is pretty common when you drop too low. But people do experience different symptoms. If I drop too low I also get colored spots when I blink. I've had tingling on my tongue, anxiety. And some people get nausea when they drop too. Exercise will cause a drop easier. There are just all sorts of symptoms you can have and you learn to identify them.

Hot showers in the am makes my BG go up 60 points in a half hour with no eating. I now take all my showers in the afternoon or night. But I know people that their sugars drop instead. Things like that can vary person to person.

The problem is the honeymoon phase has some ups and downs, you produce some insulin some of time until you don't. My honeymoon phase probably lasted about 6-8 years?

But it sounds like you need a better handle on your insulin usage. Drops are from too much insulin and the highs are not enough at the right time. It does take constant calculating what you need when, because, exercise, stress, high fats all make you use insulin differently and then you throw in maybe sometimes you are still making some if you are still in any kind of honeymoon phase.

But frankly if you are just using a long acting insulin shot, it's just too easy to drop too much if you are taking enough to deal with your meals since when you're not eating and say exercising, it's still the same amount in your system? So that can cause a person to drop too much. And that means the same amount is in your system when you are sleeping, when you're not exercising or eating. What we call a basal is technically what you need because your liver produces glucose throughout the 24 hour day. The basal insulin, if you use long acting insulin is for about 24 hours. The bolus is what we take with a fast acting insulin (not that fast really) to deal with the food we eat and peaks at about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once you start a meal insulin (bolus) , you shouldn't need as much long acting insulin and will probably need to adjust that. Right now you are not taking that much insulin, but the long acting dose might be what is causing a problem when you are more active and you are dropping.

But as a type 1, LADA, you need insulin to deal with food, your body at some point will not be able to deal with even minimal carbs. Even protein will raise your BG level too. No matter how well you try to eat, it won't make insulin anymore, so even a bowl of broccoli will need insulin..............

The best thing? Get a CGM, a constant glucose monitor, Most of the insurance in the US covers it for a type 1. It's just some insurance companies require you have 3 months of logging 4 times a day numbers to show you've had some lows. Some don't. But it's very easy to do. Ask your endo about that. Instead of finger sticking all day, you can look at your phone or reader to know your BG 50 times a day if you want. It's just the best thing to know what your BG is doing.

Thank you very much, this was very helpful. My constant meter the Dexicom G6 is in its way, it took me a month of calls endo/insurance but I got approved. I can’t wait to get it. This will help me so much in public places as even slow walking drops me fast. I do always have sugar with me and check myself prior to driving or going in a large store. I love to shop so my mind is elsewhere once inside. I lose track.

I was diagnosed December 23, March 23 (yesterday) was my 3 month anniversary... I’m so thankful to know what caused years of stomach issues, feeling like I was gonna passout, or feeling outside my body. Now it’s just a big science project to know what I can/can’t do.

Thank you again.
 

cireland

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You'll love the Dexcom it really is a great bit of kit. I had gone about 3 years of LADA without having to use insulin but that started to change a few months back I went from being 5.4% hA1bc to 8% in my 6 monthly checks in February. Now I just decided to bite the bullet and inject. I don't take long acting insulin at the moment only NovoRapid at meal times, so far it is working with me, Dexcom reports my hA1bc at 5.9% since I have been using it which is just a little over a month. I haven't finger tested at all in the last 3 weeks I have total trust in the readings from the G6.

My only symptoms when high is a bit of a headache and my face feels hot, however, I do get hypo signs, as I will sweat, I will shake and just feel bleh but after sorting out the low the symptoms go after 10 mins or so. I am still figuring out my insulin doses, during the morning and lunch I bolus fine but in the evening no matter what I do 80% of the time I will go low. Which I think is telling me I should not do the standard 1:10 ratio in the evening.

Anyway hope you are getting on with your G6 and your new life with Diabetes!
 
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Winnie53

BANNED
Messages
2,374
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@NewlyLADA I live in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for your descriptions of your diagnosis of LADA. It's reassuring to have an idea of what to expect if that ever happens to me. I do have one question. What part of the country do you live? Is your city large, average, or small? I'm so impressed that you were told at diagnosis (of what was initially thought to be T2DM) to start the low carb diet. That's so encouraging!

Welcome to the forum. :)
 

NewlyLADA

Active Member
Messages
31
You'll love the Dexcom it really is a great bit of kit. I had gone about 3 years of LADA without having to use insulin but that started to change a few months back I went from being 5.4% hA1bc to 8% in my 6 monthly checks in February. Now I just decided to bite the bullet and inject. I don't take long acting insulin at the moment only NovoRapid at meal times, so far it is working with me, Dexcom reports my hA1bc at 5.9% since I have been using it which is just a little over a month. I haven't finger tested at all in the last 3 weeks I have total trust in the readings from the G6.

My only symptoms when high is a bit of a headache and my face feels hot, however, I do get hypo signs, as I will sweat, I will shake and just feel bleh but after sorting out the low the symptoms go after 10 mins or so. I am still figuring out my insulin doses, during the morning and lunch I bolus fine but in the evening no matter what I do 80% of the time I will go low. Which I think is telling me I should not do the standard 1:10 ratio in the evening.

Anyway hope you are getting on with your G6 and your new life with Diabetes!

I love the G6 it has really helped show me what I’m eating effects me in different ways and to take small bits over time. I’m down to 5 units per day of lantus and I’m averaging 131 (7.2) I know that number will need to go down but for now it works.

I got away from work and went on a short trip to Palm Springs, I had a flat line all day on my meter, even when I ate I had no large ups/downs which really tells me my workload stresses me out and I need to work on stress relief.... yoga, exercise, riding horses

I did give myself a big scare and took insulin on a empty belly took both my 5 units of Lantus and my 1 units of bolus in morning before food and I barely made it to neighbors house to call 911, thankfully my neighbor is a type 2 and know what was happening gave my OJ and cookie before ambulance arrived. I was sweaty, shaking, could not talk real clear and very nauseous.... after about a 1/2 hour and food I felt better, it took a day to feel normal again. And lots of water. My Specialist told me as LADA never take short acting on empty tummy no matter what my number is when waking up. As I’m still making insulin I basically gave myself a insulin overdose. Dr now says only take long lasting and start to learn to carb count. Not ready for meal time doses.

It was so scary, then I felt anxiety just giving myself a shot of lantus the next day, and so much that I wait until I’m around others to give my shot.

Thank you for your words
 

NewlyLADA

Active Member
Messages
31
@NewlyLADA I live in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for your descriptions of your diagnosis of LADA. It's reassuring to have an idea of what to expect if that ever happens to me. I do have one question. What part of the country do you live? Is your city large, average, or small? I'm so impressed that you were told at diagnosis (of what was initially thought to be T2DM) to start the low carb diet. That's so encouraging!

Welcome to the forum. :)

I do live in the Pacific Northwest in Spokane, it is a medium size city however I do have a very smart Dr’s office with 7 or 8 different drs. So when I kept going back with my symptoms it was actually a nurse practitioner that put the notes together and thought I was actually a T1.

The first diagnosis T2 was done by a awesome doctor at a urgent care office, she closely monitored me until Monday when I got in to my regular Dr.

Now I see the specialist, I am very lucky that they did the math in less than two months and I was able to get on insulin, as this made my ketones significantly decrease and I did not feel ill and nauseous 24/7. I was feeling like I should be in a hospital bed, and I was going to go sit at the dr office every day until they had a answer or go to the hospital...
 

Winnie53

BANNED
Messages
2,374
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Oh wow! I live north of Seattle. We're practically neighbors AND we're in the same time zone! [giggle]

I facilitate a diabetes group here. Twice we've had someone new come into the group with a really, really high blood glucose level. After reading about your journey to get correctly diagnosed, I think I'm going to have a ketone meter on hand so I can check their ketone level on the spot. Your experience has been eye opening for me. You're tough to have pushed through those symptoms the way you did and equally smart for forcing them to recognize the seriousness of your situation. You're off to a great start in this new chapter in your life. Thank you. :)
 
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NewlyLADA

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Oh wow! I live north of Seattle. We're practically neighbors AND we're in the same time zone! [giggle]

I facilitate a diabetes group here. Twice we've had someone new come into the group with a really, really high blood glucose level. After reading about your journey to get correctly diagnosed, I think I'm going to have a ketone meter on hand so I can check their ketone level on the spot. Your experience has been eye opening for me. You're tough to have pushed through those symptoms the way you did and equally smart for forcing them to recognize the seriousness of your situation. You're off to a great start in this new chapter in your life. Thank you. :)

Thank you, and the pee sticks are very cheap at Walmart you get 100 sticks for like $15. And note my BG was low lower like 100-120 after I went on the low carb diet, my AC1 even dropped from 8.7 to 6.5 in 30 days the problem was I had “the Keto flu” I felt very ill like I belonged in a hospital, super sick to my stomach and nauseous. And I was losing weight like crazy, I’m pretty small so I didn’t want to get too skinny. I also feel like I have been fighting the disease for years... undiagnosed like 7-10 years to be exact. I hope this helps!
 

Winnie53

BANNED
Messages
2,374
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
So it was nausea, upset stomach, and weight loss despite having good glucose levels that led you to test your ketones. Thanks for clarifying that. :)
 
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NewlyLADA

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Messages
31
So it was nausea, upset stomach, and weight loss despite having good glucose levels that led you to test your ketones. Thanks for clarifying that. :)

Yes exactly!! It’s so nice to have this forum as we learn others struggle like us, Unfortunately most do not camp at the Dr office until they are seen as I did and continue to suffer as a type two diagnosis and get put on meds meant for type 2 when they are actually LADA type 1, I see some go 8-9 years struggling.
I’m glad my experience and story helped you.
 
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