Type 1 High Blood Sugars

[emily deacon]

Hello,

For the last couple nights my sugars have been sky rocketing in the evenings around 10pm to about 16mmol and not coming down.
For the last 2 nights i have set alarms every 3 hours over night to wake up and check them and every time i inject but every time there still within the 13-16 mmol mark and won’t budge. I have tried changing my insulin and changing my injection site but they just won’t come down. Does anyone know what this could be? I’m not sick or anything i feel normal?

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @emily deacon

As you've done insulin change, checked sites, are not feeling unwell. What are you eating in the evening and at what time ?
Could you be due on ? Sometimes we don't feel unwell to be fighting an infection too. I've been having night time highs recently, last night I was 13.7 but had a protein heavy meal, slow digestion, corrected at 4am and am ok this morning, but also feel like I'm fighting a bug too as partner has been unwell.

 

[WuTwo]

Is there any chance any ingredient in your evening meal has changed? Or is your basal not OK?

I agree with @Juicyj about the possibility of brewing some ailment... I go high if there's a bug headed my way.

 

[emily deacon]

I am eating at like 8:30 pm which is late but i am currently moving house so i get in a bit later than usual. But usually when i inject they come down. I don’t feel like i’m fighting off anything at the moment

 

[WuTwo]

Are you stressy at all from the house move? That'd do it for me. Could your ratios have changed - mine change without notice or warning.

 

[Mickyduff]

Hi this might sound odd, but if my blood level is 16 for example, and my pump suggests I need 2.7 units to bring it down, my level will stay the same i.e 15.0-17.0 for the duration of the insulin (4 hours). But, if I were to have insulin on top of the correction, say for a piece of toast, making my total requirement around 5-6 units, then give the insulin and eat the toast after the 20 min window, my levels will drop to what they should be. It’s like my body needs something to kick start it in to using the insulin and that it needs to respond to carbs. Sometimes I really don’t get it, but that’s what works for me. I guess my insulin resistance has changed over the last 30 years.

 

[Juicyj]

I find the time of night I eat affects my overnight readings, so eating late means slower digestion and high glucose levels despite taking te right bolus, I tend to wake around 3am for a correction to land in range by morning.

 

[kitedoc]

I agree with @Mickeyduff, at higher readings insulin resistance tends to build and it may take more units of insulin to get / keep doses down.
Also stress from moving could be affecting bsls and insulin sensitivity as @WuTwo suggests.
I also wonder when you take your long acting insulin and whether under stress etc it is running out in the evening ?
Some people can have a urinary tract infection without symptoms also. And with moving you may be getting dehydrated and not passing urine regularly as possible contributing factors.
I hope it all sorts out soon and please involve your health team in sorting this out.
Best Wishes ¡

 

[Lowndes304]

Hi all, I have been experiencing high sugars during the night. I will have my evenibg meal say 7pm. I will do my sugars then before bed approx 10:30 and they are within range say 8.0mml. Then i will wake up at 2 am very thirsty feel terrible, check my sugars and they are like 19mml. For my evening meal i am eating a normal meal aswel ie no high carbs or hifh sugar.

Any suggestions be great thanks very much.

 

[DanO97]

I've had the exact same problem since returning from uni a couple of weeks ago. Unless my sugars are below 5 upon sleeping they have been skyrocketing to around 14-16 upon awaking mid sleep. Despite giving a correction dose around 4 AM usually this has had not effect upon waking up at around 8.

 

[hodor1234]

Hey guys I also had this problem. I would test before bed and be between 5-8 typically. Then when I woke up in the morning I could be 12-18.

This is known as the dawn phenomenon which the liver releases stored sugar during the night, or something along those lines.

I increased my night time insulin (tresiba) from 12-16 units and I no longer have this problem. Perhaps it’s may be helpful for you guys to adjust your night time doses. Do your own research and consult your diabetic team. Hope this might helps

 

[DanO97]

Hey guys I also had this problem. I would test before bed and be between 5-8 typically. Then when I woke up in the morning I could be 12-18.

This is known as the dawn phenomenon which the liver releases stored sugar during the night, or something along those lines.

I increased my night time insulin (tresiba) from 12-16 units and I no longer have this problem. Perhaps it’s may be helpful for you guys to adjust your night time doses. Do your own research and consult your diabetic team. Hope this might helps

Great advice, slowly starting to remain steady at night after two weeks of increasing my tresiba dose from 15 to 20 units. So strange how much impact the reduced amount of exercise I do since being back from uni can radically alter insulin requirements.

 

[hodor1234]

Great advice, slowly starting to remain steady at night after two weeks of increasing my tresiba dose from 15 to 20 units. So strange how much impact the reduced amount of exercise I do since being back from uni can radically alter insulin requirements.

Agreed I go through various cycles of activity because of uni and work etc. One thing I've learned is that diabetes management is not something you solve. It’s something you have to continuously adjust to adapt to your ever changing routine.