Started insulin yesterday, couple questions....

[Tfqleeds]

I had acute symptoms of type one in July that came on pretty quickly: extreme thirst, 2.5 stone weight loss, blurry vision, weak and tired etc. The specialist is treating as type one due to this and my very high blood sugar readings.

Started insulin injections yesterday, 3 x fast acting and 1 x slow release. My blood sugar readings so far are ranging between 10.5- 19.6 depending on when I'm eating.

Question one, when will the insulin kick in and bring these down?

Question two, I've never had a hypo (not that I'm aware of) and feel really well. Having done lots of reading and looking at the posts on here type one sounds grim, why do I not feel unwell?

 

[bickmops]

How did you treat your sugar levels since July ? Insulin should bring your levels down quite quickly , are you carb counting ?

 

[Tfqleeds]

When I researched the symptoms and suspected diabetes I immediately stopped eating sugary foods and kept carbs under 100g. The GP prescribed metformin as he thought it was type 2. The diabetes nurse said we will look at carb counting at my next appointment in two months although as I said I'm eating under 100g generally.

 

[urbanracer]

I had acute symptoms of type one in July that came on pretty quickly: extreme thirst, 2.5 stone weight loss, blurry vision, weak and tired etc. The specialist is treating as type one due to this and my very high blood sugar readings.

Started insulin injections yesterday, 3 x fast acting and 1 x slow release. My blood sugar readings so far are ranging between 10.5- 19.6 depending on when I'm eating.

Question one, when will the insulin kick in and bring these down?

Question two, I've never had a hypo (not that I'm aware of) and feel really well. Having done lots of reading and looking at the posts on here type one sounds grim, why do I not feel unwell?

We all react differently. It is also likely that your body has simply become used to high blood sugars and that you may feel bad when you start to get your levels down.

Don't try to bring your levels down too fast, talk to your medical people for advice, they may ask you to increase your insulin dosage, it can take a few weeks to get things under control for some people.

 

[Tfqleeds]

Thank you for both of your replies. Would you expect hypos to become a feature of my life when the levels come down? Is that almost a side effect of insulin?

 

[donnellysdogs]

Depends upon the understanding you take on board of managing the disease.

Hypo's will happen. 30+!years ago they used to try and induce hypos before leaving hospital.. But things are different nowadays.. Better information, internetand drugs etc.

You will get stabilised but it isn't an instant fix. One size doesn't fit all with amy medicines....

Its not a grim prospect for T1's. There are a lot worse diseases such as cancer etc.. T1 does not have to rule your life. Its just gaining as much info as you can.

The best place for me in 30+ years for info has been this forum. So much help.

 

[urbanracer]

Thank you for both of your replies. Would you expect hypos to become a feature of my life when the levels come down? Is that almost a side effect of insulin?

Most T1's suffer from hypo's at some point. Technically any blood glucose level of 3.9 or lower is a hypo, but you will most probably notice some symptoms before you get that low, this is called 'hypo awareness'. I get these symptoms 2 or 3 times a week and can correct by eating something before it gets out of hand. I've only had to resort to Lucozade a few times - usually when it happens at 3am!

Some people lose hypo awareness by keeping thier blood sugars too low for too long and that's not a good place to be.

It is also likely that you will experience 'false hypo's ' as you bring your glucose levels down to more normal levels. They can feel bad, but don't worry about it too much.

 

[bickmops]

A hypo normally can be felt very quickly , there not as scarey as they sound , if you have limited yourself to 100 carbs you have some real self control !! You will be put on a carb to insulin ratio ( when your team think your ready ) please don't be scared of the things you read on this forum , generally people talk about the bad side of type 1 ! Remember sir Steve Redgrave is type 1 and lots of others you will be fine , it takes time and you will have good and bad times , but your on the right track !! Hypos are treated with a simple orange juice or glucose tablet , do you carry these ?

 

[Tfqleeds]

A hypo normally can be felt very quickly , there not as scarey as they sound , if you have limited yourself to 100 carbs you have some real self control !! You will be put on a carb to insulin ratio ( when your team think your ready ) please don't be scared of the things you read on this forum , generally people talk about the bad side of type 1 ! Remember sir Steve Redgrave is type 1 and lots of others you will be fine , it takes time and you will have good and bad times , but your on the right track !! Hypos are treated with a simple orange juice or glucose tablet , do you carry these ?

Thanks for the words of wisdom, it's appreciated. I am carrying a pack of glucose tablets when I leave the house just in case. This forum certainly is a great help/ resource. All the best.

 

[donnellysdogs]

If ever you forget the glucotabs there are other choices that many others use.. 3 jelly babies, 3 sugar cubes, swigs of orange juice etc.. You can fix a hypo if shopping or at work just by buying something you like and having 15g of quick acting glucose... A few swigs coke/lucozade etc.

Just saying you don't have to stick to glucotabs.

For me the best hypo treatment is something I like and willing to eat at anytime......

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. When Hyper as opposed to Hypo, most people are unaware of any symptoms unless the blood sugar is really high. You will need to start carb-counting to minimise the risk of hypos. Carb counting means varying the fast insulin at meal times to match the carbs in that meal. Most people start at 1 unit of rapid to 10gm of carb. You will need to adjust your Basal (slow) insulin over time to balance it to match your liver's background glycogen output. A rough guide is to keep your morning blood sugar level between 5- 7 mmol. Your DN should guide you. I've been on insulin for 2 years with no hypo, but nearly a few times, whereas others have had many. A lot depends on how much of your own insulin production you have left and obviously measurement and experience.

 

[Emma158]

Hi,

My symptoms came on pretty quickly too and am also being treated as type 1 whilst waiting for antibody blood test results. I am on a slightly different insulin regime than you but I started insulin 2 weeks ago straight after being diagnosed. My fasting BG is still little high (around 8) but the rest are generally at the high end of normal now after 2 weeks. (At diagnosis they were around 17 when fasting and went up to over 20 after food)

I hope things start to settle down for you soon and it shouldn't take too long for the BG levels to start coming down. I actually find I have to eat more carbs than I thought as my levels have begun to drop mid afternoon if I don't. It seems to be a lot of experimenting for me at the moment but it sounds like you already have it covered

 

[Daibell]

Hi,

My symptoms came on pretty quickly too and am also being treated as type 1 whilst waiting for antibody blood test results. I am on a slightly different insulin regime than you but I started insulin 2 weeks ago straight after being diagnosed. My fasting BG is still little high (around 8) but the rest are generally at the high end of normal now after 2 weeks. (At diagnosis they were around 17 when fasting and went up to over 20 after food)

I hope things start to settle down for you soon and it shouldn't take too long for the BG levels to start coming down. I actually find I have to eat more carbs than I thought as my levels have begun to drop mid afternoon if I don't. It seems to be a lot of experimenting for me at the moment but it sounds like you already have it covered

Hi. It may be you are on twice-a-day mixed insulin? This can be a good start point but it you are a T1 then the Basal/Bolus regime is the way to go for good control and avoiding hypos much of the time.

 

[Emma158]

Hi. It may be you are on twice-a-day mixed insulin? This can be a good start point but it you are a T1 then the Basal/Bolus regime is the way to go for good control and avoiding hypos much of the time.

Ah yes I'm on Insulatard and gliclazide tablets. It's early days so perhaps they will introduce a routine like the one you suggested. It's all quite confusing at first!