Base insulin? Help!

[elaine77]

Hi I just wondered if any type 1s on insulin could help me try and understand my diabetes a bit more?

I'm slow-onset and so not on insulin yet but I have to keep checking for ketones and for a deterioration as my consultant won't put me onto insulin until my BS levels go higher and harder to control as he doesn't want me to have to worry about hypos on top of everything else...

I'm a bit confused about the whole base insulin etc... and most people I speak to with slow-onset say that their fasting levels are the best as you hold onto your base insulin production longer? That's never been the case with me.

Basically, my morning fasting levels after sleeping all night are between 7 and 8 mmol and no matter what I do I can never get them below 7 mmol and have had a few between 8 and 9 mmol.

My fasting levels throughout the day though (pre meal tests) are always between 4 and 5 mmol and have even had a few between 3.5 and 4 mmol....

Does anyone have any idea what these numbers might mean about my insulin production? I suggested to my consultant that maybe I need insulin before bed or something due to the high morning level but, again, he said no due to the risk of hypo with the night time hypos being the ones to mostly worry about?

I just thought u guys would be the best to ask about this!




Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[paul-1976]

Hi Elaine!

I just typed a long reply to your post but when I hit the submit button it dissapeared!! :evil:

I'll try again later and copy it first before submitting it just in case! :wink:

 

[DanielBail]

Your levels arent much to worry about tbh between 4 and 8 is ok. personally anything bellow 5 and I start to shake but everyone's different. Im type 1 have been for around 3 weeks and when I was first tested my bg was around 40. I have ok control now butnwas at the cinima last night and was a lil naughty and had a sluah puppy woke up at 2am with a hypo of bg of 2.8 and woke up with bg of 14 but back to the point atm youe levwls are ok and managable without insulin and the longer thats the case the better and im no doctor but would sujjest a low carb diet as this will make it alot lot easier

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[elaine77]

Hi Daniel,

I'm not a fan of very low carb per se, I don't find it sustainable but I have already cut them back and changed all of my carbs to low GI as I have enough insulin at the moment to deal with low GI carbs but if I have anything even remotely high GI my body can't cope at all! I can also cope with sugar quite well but high GI carbs are a no no :-(

An example.. 2 hours after eating ice cream = 5.6 mmol but 2 hours after eating a small amount of chips = 14.4 mmol!

Im high fat diet too as it also helps me cope with any carbs but as chips and ice cream are both high in fat i dont understand the difference between the two with regard to my levels! It baffles me.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[iHs]

Hi

Most chips bought from a chip shop or from supermarket are coated in wheat flour before they are sprayed with oil in order to make them taste nice and crunchy. The wheat flour will make bg levels go up.......

 

[anna29]

Hi

Most chips bought from a chip shop or from supermarket are coated in wheat flour before they are sprayed with oil in order to make them taste nice and crunchy. The wheat flour will make bg levels go up.......

True fact this one :thumbup:
Chips play havoc with me as I am wheat intolerant .

So I always have a rare beer battered 'small fish' [ask for!]
With a small portion of mushy peas .
I leave the chips out completely
Only have this about 3 times a YEAR as a rare treat :thumbup:

Anna .

 

[DanielBail]

Yup chips are an enimy but ya know if you make them yourself using new potatoes half boil then cook them in the oven in olive oil till crisp I find they dont spike my levels

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[mrman]

Have you tested through the night to see what happens to your levels. theres a few possible scenarios really :~
1. You stay the same from bed till morning. (that good)

2. You stay the same till 4am and only rise in the the early hours before waking. (ok, and basal insulin would cause hypo)

3. You rise till early hours and only then start coming down to 7~8 before waking. Not good depending on how high they go.

Also what happens if you miss a meal in the day to your base level?



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[mrman]

Will add at diagnosis started on both qa and long acting. After a few weeks long acting was causing regular hypos determined by basal testing. For nearly 12 months managed with no basal but being qa.

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[elaine77]

Hi Brett,

If I skip a meal (I usually skip lunch - not deliberately just usually busy) and I end up between 3.5 and 4.5 mmol.

I have tested through the night a couple of times and I'm only ever the same or slightly higher so it looks like a gradual increase? Or maybe I am getting a glucose burst late on, very soon before I wake up... I tested at 3am and 4am respectively so if anything is happening its happening after 4am....

I totally didnt know that about chips!! I've only ate chip shop chips a handful of times since diagnosis and I've always had a ridiculously huge spike afterwards hence why I try to avoid....I've eaten ice cream even less! Maybe twice since diagnosis (8 months ago) although it would seem the chips are way worse.....


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[mrman]

You may be going the way I did lol. Not needing base but having big spikes after food unless low carbing (not for me). Keep an eye on those spikes and if getting more regular and higher see ur consultant a.s.a.p
Even now on a pump I'm only having 6 units base over a 24 hour period most of which between 3am & 9am. Bolusing an average of 25~30 units to allow me to eat normally.

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