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BG levels overnight

M

Mad76

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all you helpfull people,
This is probably a silly question but

Are blood glucose levels supposed to drop overnight??
I find that whatever my night reading is, by morning it drops a couple of points at least.
Should this be happening or is there an issue with my amount of inulin??

The nurse at my initial gp app seemed to think so and encouraged me to snack before sleep. Which i hate doing. But i do as im petrified of a hypo at night

Thanks in advance !
 
Hi again @Mad76,
If you look up ' pictures of Lantus profiles and of Novorapid ( i think thst us your short-acting insulin?
fFirst: the graphs are about the amount of insulin present or otherwise the strength of blood-sugar lowering effect over time.
They are produced by the manufactures of the insulin in question and so are an average of the effects - we all may have slightly different graphs to these individually.
Second: see how long Novorapid lasts ? 6 hours maybe, so it is going to influence the bsls during that time and may or may not leave you with a normal, high, or liw bsls at the end of its 'reign'.
Third: Lantus supposedly lasts 24 hours in most people. And from the graph will be active overnight.
Four: so the combo ofvNivorapud til say ? Midnight ( plus some background Lantus along the way ). and Lantus alone from 12 mn til ? at least til say 6 am. Is what will mainly influence bsls overnight. If course some fiod eaten near bedtime ciukd up the blood sugar fir 2 hours or so and this sounds like the quick fix solution from your nurse. And a hypo at night will change bsls either by the liver releasing stired glucose in repomnse to a low bsls and also uf any food is eaten due to rhe hypo.
Fifth: what do you see as your options? I could list them now, or would like the opportunity to list them yourself for discussion in the next minutes, hours etc? Problem solving is part of what we learn to do, so that we gain some independence, and confidence although we touch base with our DSNS, doctor about it. There are no absolutely right answers, it is not a test, just a chance to think about it and then see what us 'mistake- makers' have found and learned from.
 
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Im pretty clueless to be honest. Im thinking maybe my lantus needs to be reduced ? But my nurse at the Gp said i cannot reduce this unless consultant tells me to. I can, and do reduce novorapid according to ehat i eat. Im reluctant to go against the nurses advice BUT i am not going to see a consultant for a few months. Just to add to everything, when i was diagnosed after my DKA my family was moving abroad!! My dh has work here in north africa for 3 months. All our stuff had been shipped, my son taken out of school etc. So the gp, consultant, and nurse all said i can still go. This should not stop me. So we delayed for a few weeks then left. So my options are limited. Wont see my gp or consultant till we get back !!!(this js part of why i feel so overwhelmed)
 
Gosh! You have an added wrinkle to the challenge if managing your diabetes. One if the important things about diabetes mangement is having ready access to advice which can help solve problems and nighttime hyos cannot wait in a queue.
Lowering Lantus was one option, the other i did personally was change long-acting insulins. Of course that requires advice and a script and a bit if problem solving on your nurse and GPs part. Why cannot the nurse or GP ring the specialist to get an answer?
You need something done and thus 'cannot change the dose stuff ' is obstructive and potentially dangerous in your particular case.
 
Thanl you, we have already moved ! Already here in north Africa !!!
 
Im going to try get hold of my gp on the phone next week i think. ...
 
On the topic of hypos, ive not had one yet. My sugar has dropped to.3.5 during the day but as i scan the libre often i realise and have some thing to rectify. I did want to ask though - i didnt get any symptoms at all. If i hadnt scanned the libre i would not have realised. Is this normal????
 
Did you check your hypo with a finger prick?
I find Libre is less accurate especially around lower or higher BG or if you apply pressure to the sensor.
Therefore, I always check anything under 4 or over 7.

I would be surprised if, as a recently diagnosed you have no hypo symptoms at 3.5.
 
To be honest no i don't. When i start a new patch i check with finger prick to see that its the same. And dont bother after that. Thanks for your great advice. Next time it goes below 4 ill do that. Thanks !
 
Mad76 said:
To be honest no i don't. When i start a new patch i check with finger prick to see that its the same. And dont bother after that. Thanks for your great advice. Next time it goes below 4 ill do that. Thanks !
Click to expand...
The advice I was given was to always test with at least one finger prick per day.
Over time the Libre can become slightly detached so veer off as it ages so one finger prick every two weeks is unlikely to be enough.
 
helensaramay said:
The advice I was given was to always test with at least one finger prick per day.
Over time the Libre can become slightly detached so veer off as it ages so one finger prick every two weeks is unlikely to be enough.
Click to expand...
Wow. You were right. Thanks so much. Libre read 3.8 but fonger prick read 4.4

I will certainly check if its below 4.

This forum amd you guys are a godsend !!
 
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