Anyone else some days can't raise blood sugar levels? (on lantus)

[staffsmatt]

Hi,

I swapped away from Lantus to Insulatard a few years ago but have recently swapped back in the hope of running at a more stable level which most of the time I do.

Some days however (normally the day after using the gym or being otherwise extra active) I really struggle to not keep going low... This can last most of the morning or sometimes even through the afternoon / early evening and then suddenly I'll shoot up as if everything I've been eating has suddenly gone in..

For example Yesterday I did some gardening in the morning (which always drops my levels anyway) and then put a shelf up in the afternoon (which may not sound like much but with our house walls it's a real struggle!!)

I was 3.4 at half 3, had 4 glucose tablets
3.9 at 5pm had 4 more gluocse then had my tea and normal apidra (4)
went up to 10.4 at 7
then dropped to 6.1 at 8pm when I had 3 small chocolates (I knew I needed something for over night)
I was then 6.2 at 9pm when I had one glucose (I should point out that between tea and bed all I did was watch the TV so nothing that should drop my levels there)
6.7 at 10 0just before bed
3.2 at 1:15am so another 4 gluose
Woke up again at 4:30 when I was 4.3 so had 2 more glucose

This mornig I was 5.2 at 6:30 so had my normal breakfast / insulin of Porridge with soya milk / 4 apidra / 10 lantus
Normally I go higher after breakfast but I was then 3.3 at half 8 (4 more glucose and a cereal biscuit)
8.2 at 9:30
7.4 at 10:30 (another cereal cereal biscuit and 1 small chocolate)

Finally after al that I seem to be holding steady again although I will probably now go high from everything that I've eaten up until now.. Also the main trouble is after running low for a long while feel really drained and pretty much good for nothing which with my wife expecting our first baby is a real worry for me..

Does anyone else get this? I have tried dropping my long acting by one but then if I have a day at work when I don't move from my desk much I run too high...

Apologies for the long post, thanks for reading!!

Matt

 

[totsy]

hi matt,
it does seem your basal is too high,i would try lowering it and seeing what happens

 

[noblehead]

You could reduce your basal insulin on the days you know your going to be extra active, exercise can effect bg levels for up to 24 hours due to the body replenishing it's glycogen stores.

 

[staffsmatt]

Thanks both,

I was under the impression that you couldn't change the Lantus dose from day to day... When I started on it the Dr said to only change every 3 days...

As for changing it permanently I think I would run too high then (I did try it briefly).

Now I've calmed down a bit about it, I think I'm going to try milk with my porridge the morning after strenuous days (which I had already planned to try after the gym) and maybe take some nuts to snack on through the morning... Also looking back on the numbers they're not that bad it's more the mentally wading through treacle feeling that just wouldn't go away that was the problem (I pften get this if I'm continuously low for an amount of time).

I would still be interested to hear if anyone has other things that they eat when they just can't raise their blood sugars though...

Many thanks

Matt