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2nd Honeymoon?

shedges

Well-Known Member
Messages
432
Location
Hampshire, Uk
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi All,

Have been getting a bit annoyed this week. Firstly from the dull headache I've been experiencing every day. Have been well hydrated, not too stressed, eating the normal healthy diet but can't shake it off. Have no other symptoms.

Decided to look back at my bg levels for the week and found something interesting:

7 day average = 12.6
14 day average = 9.5
30 day average = 9.3

Normally I'm around an average of 9.

Over the last couple of days I've been dosing to the correct ratios and always do an air-shot before injecting. I've been correcting at the prescribed dose too and it seems I can't get rid of my pre-meal high bg readings.

I know I honeymooned for a year, at which point my insulin requirement went up seriously, but another 3 years on, I wasn't expecting it to happen again. I guess one can develop insulin resistance? And I could be coming down with something. If that's the case, I wish it'd just get on with it.

Has anyone else experienced increasing insulin requirements over time?... and over such a timescale... I know some of you have lived with diabetes for decades!

Just need some reassurance really but it'd be good to hear what anyone thinks.

Cheers,
Sam.
 
I don't need to tell you those averages are high and need to be brought down, but high bg's over a long period will ultimately lead to headaches and lathargy. You say your ratios are fine, I would imagine that you still have some work to do here, as a average of 9 even is still to high.

I don't know if you have already done a DAFNE course or similar, but if not you will gain some great knowledge from the DAFNE course should you enroll. Most people, including myself have benefited enormously from this course, and improved our bg's and hba1c's.

To avoid the post-meal highs, weigh, measure and record food eaten and insulin dose given, don't forget to test beforehand and should your bg be elevated, include a correction dose with your insulin working on the bases of 1 unit will bring down your bg by 2 mmol. Record 1, 2 and 4 hours after, and should your ratio be incorrect, make appropriate adjustments the following meal and next day. In keeping a full account of food, insulin and bg readings, you can look back and learn from past experiences. Good luck!

Nigel
 
I know the average readings on the meter don't equate to hba1c results, but is there a direct relationship? Does anyone know a conversion factor?

Nigel - I do all the stuff you recommended meticulously, which is why I'm at a loss as to why my levels have suddenly gone up. And my ratios were checked a few weeks ago with the diabetes care team, so they should be correct.
 
I think insulin levels need to be periodically adjusted all the time. I know being a parent is different and my son is growing as well as all the other factors that cause change. Even the Seasons are cause for insulin adjustments. I'd doubt a second honeymoon is the reason and it is just a case of adjusting up and down as required. I'm more of a fan of keeping levels even and not having huge swings rather than running low levels.

Hope you're not coming down with something. Khaleb's been so sick of late I wouldn't even be able to tell anybody what his normal insulin dose is at the moment.
 
It could be the warmer weather causing an increase in insulin, I use less insulin over winter than I do when it gets warm..

It's not unusal over a period of time to tweak everything to maintain control, there are many factors, such as you'll a year older, change in enviroment a bit more stress or even a lightening of stress etc, many factors, hence our need to be constantly monitoring our control and noting it all day, so that we can see patterns where we might need to tweak something... And somethimes diabetes just likes to keep us on our toes, and changes for the shear hell of it :roll:

LIfe would be too easy for us, if it was the case that once you sussed out carb-insulin ratio's, correction doses etc and once sorted you, your diabetic life was sorted...
 
Hi shedges,


I agree with jopar that some things can affect your control. I don't think that an average of 9 is bad, my target bs before meals is 8 but sometimes it's a bit higher.

Insulin levels do need to be tweaked more times than you think but so long as they are not major increases/decreases I would not be worried. May be you could to talk to the care team again (thats what they are there for). Over the years there has been times when ive seen my consultant and everything is fine but then 2 weeks later its all going wrong, so have had to ring my dsn for more advice.

As jopar says it does like to keep you on your toes....

Good luck with everything and try not to worry too much, it could be just a blip. :wink:
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Seems that those few days were a blip and levels are back to normal now :?
 
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