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Basal needs dropping / basal testing

C

char87

Active Member
Messages
39
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I have had type 1 for 20years and am on Novorapid and Levemir. Recently (last month or so) I have been having a lot more hypos with no apparent cause- no increase in exercise/ diet change or weight loss. I have been doing some basal testing to try and work out why the hypos are happening and have dropped my daytime from 10units to 8 after testing last week showed my morning Levemir dose was too high. Today, I have been fasting again and was steady until lunch but it is now dropping. I know I need to repeat the basal testing again, but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas on why my basal needs are dropping so much and advice on whether if I did drop it further, that would lead to higher levels in the morning?

Thanks!
charlotte
 
Levemir etc are 'sold' to us on the basis that they are steady release and don't have real peaks so will keep us nice and steady BUT our basal need can vary throughout the day/night and the idea of a level release of glucose from the liver is just not realistic.
Changing the time of your doses may help if you can match the drop in need with the time the Levemir is starting to run-out, but the ideal solution for the fluctuation is an insulin pump so you can have different basal rates at different times of the day.
 
Thanks for the reply. The hypos start from around 1 - I will chat through with my diabetes nurse but not sure how I could move the time to avoid the hypo? I currently inject around 7.30am and 10,30 at night.
Not very keen on an insulin pump as am so used to injections and don't like the idea of being attached to something and starting over. I know they would solve a lot though so suppose its something I need to consider! Thanks :)
 
char87 said:
Not very keen on an insulin pump as am so used to injections and don't like the idea of being attached to something and starting over.
Click to expand...

Maybe enquire about Tresiba, it's a newish basal insulin and lasts up to 42 hours after injecting (you still need to inject it daily), there's a few members on the forum who use this insulin including @robert72 who have say its a great basal insulin.
 
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