Low blood sugars

[t1d08]

Lately I’ve been eating a lot yet still having low blood sugars,

Take for example today I experienced a low blood sugar after treating a high blood sugar of 14.5

So I ate a granola bar which had 23 carbs and I also had a slice of rye bread (15 carbs) with half an avocado and I also had three dates but my blood sugar persisted and still stayed low for over four hours


The same thing happened yesterday I gave myself 3 units of fasting acting insulin before my meal

I ate one cup qunioa and whole wheat rice with veggies and fruits yet my blood sugar dropped low and stayed low it took forever to get it up


The day prior to that I ate lunch an avocado sandwich on rye bread with tomatoes and 1 cup of halo top ice cream so I took 4 units of fasting acting insulin to avoid a spike but my blood sugar went low

I don’t understand what’s going on with my body

 

[Deleted Account]

Sorry to read about your low BG. I have a few thoughts ...
- if you are experiencing low after treating a high, that suggest you may be taking too much insulin to correct
- when treating a low BG, you need to take fast acting carbs such as jelly babies or lucozade or dextrose tablets. Carbs from things like bread and quinioa will take time for your body to absorb and raise your BG. Bear in mind, any fat will delay the absorption of carbs so the addition of avocado may have slowed it down and this is a reason why chocolate is not a good hypo treatment.
- if you are going low after eating a meal, you may be taking too much insulin for your meals
- have you been doing anything that will be reducing your insulin needs such as exercising more than usual or having a few drinks? Both can cause BG lows for up to 48 hours later.

 

[evilclive]

My insulin requirements go down when it gets warm - whether from the temperature directly, or the nice weather encouraging me to cycle or run faster I don't know (suspect a mix of both), but it means that I don't use the same insulin regime year round.

 

[GJD]

Hi t1d08, here is information from DAFNE. Usually 10g carbohydrate = 1CHO. Take 1 unit of fast acting insulin for each CHO at mealtimes. Take 1 extra unit fast if your BG is 2-3 over target, but only at meal times. Don't try to micro-manage by taking correction doses in between meals. If your BG is low, take 10 ml rapidly absorbed CHO like Lucozade when you notice hypo symptoms etc and check BG again after 1 hour. If very low, repeat this. I assume that your long acting insulin doses are OK. You can check these by the amount BG falls overnight and by missing lunch (and insulin) to see if BG is on target at dinner. You should take a DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) course if available.

 

[evilclive]

Take 1 extra unit fast if your BG is 2-3 over target, but only at meal times. Don't try to micro-manage by taking correction doses in between meals. If your BG is low, take 10 ml rapidly absorbed CHO like Lucozade when you notice hypo symptoms etc and check BG again after 1 hour.

Maybe good advice for beginning, but if you've got libre or another form of CGM, you can do more - correction doses can work well, and checking BG can obviously be done a lot more frequently.

 

[becca59]

I suspect you are going low because of the type of foods eaten. (Healthy ones) They will be raising your levels slowly, whilst insulin is acting much faster ahead. If you do go low please use a small amount of pure sugar to treat. Advice on insulin to carb ratio is obviously very personal, and will not necessarily go along DAPHNE ratios. Perhaps look at injecting after eating rather than prior.
@GJD sorry but since wearing a Libre I have thrown most of previous advice out of the window. I always correct way before my next meal. However, you do need to be wearing a Libre to see your own bodies reactions to foods. It isn’t what I expected nor indeed what the medical profession guide us towards.