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Better control for the new year

linda321

linda321

Well-Known Member
Messages
118
Location
West Sussex, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'd like some tips on how to get better control of my diabetes. I am officially diagnosed with type 2 with insulin, and am on Novomix30, twice a day. (although I think I might have LADA) I've been injecting for 3.5 months now and am still getting high BS (mostly above 7, often into the teens- but I also get hypos quite often) I eat a moderately low carb diet, avoiding all the big starchy foods all together. Reading about LCHF, I would have thought that I would get a more stable BS than I am getting. I do alter my doses between 8 and 10 units depending on exercise etc.

I really want to get better control for the new year, and to be able to stop worrying about it all the time. I seem to either feel hypo or buzzy from high BS. I feel quite depressed about it, and worry about the long term effects of high BS. I want to learn to control my diabetes, not let it control me!
 
Hi. I've probably been thru a similar path to you. My superb DN tried me on just Basal insulin but after 3 weeks decided I needed to go onto Basal/Bolus regime with carb-counting which gives total control. I would suggest you ask your surgery to move you onto Basal/Bolus rather than mixed. The downisde is more injections and two insulins but you can carb count for each meal and take the right Bolus to match. I only normally do three injections per day i.e. one Basal and two Bolus for lunch and dinner as my breakfast carbs are very low.
 
It would appear you need to review your insulin doses, keep a detailed diary (bg levels, insulin doses, carbs eaten, any exercise/stress) over the next few days and then contact your diabetes team, they will advise you further on the information that you provide to them. Good luck.
 
Amina9191 said:
I thought type 2's couldn't get hypos?
Click to expand...
Anyone taking insulin can get hypo's and some type 2 tablets can as well.

If you are still elevated levels then depending whether you overweight or not, and actually how many carbs you are eating- then you may be able to cut more carbs out. However.... On insulin this is not necessarily the best method for a lifelong of eating.

I would try as previous poster mentioned... A diary of foods and reactions to them. Tests when you wake an hour after waking, pre meals and 2 hours after, pre bed and a few tests at 3am in the morning. With both doses of 8 and 10 units.

It may well be that you need a basal/bolus regime. Depending on your lifestyle. Basal/bolus can give more flexibility to eating than the regime of a mixed insulin that you are on. With mixed insulins you are generally advised to eat at specific times. A basal/bolus gives a little more flexibility with timings and the amount of carbs that you eat.

Personally, I would get a full diary for at least a week and also book an appointment in the interim to have your hba1c checked and to see your DSN and discuss the results that you are getting.
 
Amina9191 said:
I thought type 2's couldn't get hypos?
Click to expand...
:hilarious::hilarious::hilarious:
So your HCP will tell you! Especially if you're on the wonder drug metformin!
Seriously, if you are on metformin, low carb and lose weight then your dose can be too high then you hypo. I am speaking from personal experience here. It was easily resolved by reducing my metformin by 2/3. The doc refused to reduce my meds, the hospital told me to stop everything, the chemist rolled his eyes and just reduced the dose, knowing that I reguarly check my bs with a meter. All fine now! But yes, I did hypo to the point of my hubbie calling 111 who sent a paramedic.
 
linda321 said:
I'd like some tips on how to get better control of my diabetes. I am officially diagnosed with type 2 with insulin, and am on Novomix30, twice a day. (although I think I might have LADA) I've been injecting for 3.5 months now and am still getting high BS (mostly above 7, often into the teens- but I also get hypos quite often) I eat a moderately low carb diet, avoiding all the big starchy foods all together. Reading about LCHF, I would have thought that I would get a more stable BS than I am getting. I do alter my doses between 8 and 10 units depending on exercise etc.

I really want to get better control for the new year, and to be able to stop worrying about it all the time. I seem to either feel hypo or buzzy from high BS. I feel quite depressed about it, and worry about the long term effects of high BS. I want to learn to control my diabetes, not let it control me!
Click to expand...
Www.dietdoctor.com
And a trip to the docs to discuss your insulin!
 
Even a type 2 not on any drugs can hypo. I did last week when I went for a run after having a carb laden meal. In fairness I was doing an experiment as I had a Freestyle Libre sensor going. It's not something I normally would have done, but I wanted to see if having carbs before some aerobic exercise was a good or bad thing. It turned out to be bad as my blood sugar spiked, then dropped rapidly, aided by the running. Fortunately when I hypod I stopped running and my blood sugar immediately started recovering. According to my Freestyle Libre it dropped to less than 3 mmol/L and I had hypo symptoms.

Of course, a type 1 getting a hypo is much more dangerous than what happened to me.
 
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