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Blood Readings All Over The Place

M

michael88

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

I was diagnosed with type 1 back in May and after a lot of reading from the forum and advice seemed to be able to pick up where I'd left off an live life pretty normally. I was down too 4 units Glargine and 1 unit of Novarapid covering my tea time food. All going well numbers between recommended except occasional lows. Skip to this week, I can barely move due to pressure headaches and the feeling that I am going to faint. I'm factoring in I have quit smoking just over a week ago too - but as this was happening I checked my bloods to see a 13.5! I thought this can't be right, give it 10 mins tested again 14.6. So I thought to take my first ever correction dose - two unit of Novarapid later and 10 minutes later the dreaded shakes, check my blood and it was 3.9. It seems to be happening all week and I've never found something more exhausting I just want to sit and get on with my work but the dizziness and faint feeling just not seem to be disappearing. I think I maybe exiting the honeymoon period but I think now after a few month of finding this period a blessing that I would rather it be over with so I can start to really learn what I'm doing . Any advice on what could be causing the major highs and lows? I was also thinking of asking for a pen that can administrate smaller units as I think this would help with control at the moment is this available? Thank you all in advance for your help and hope you have a great weekend
 
Am I right in understanding you are on 4 basal and 1 bolus only with Tea? So a total daily dose of 5 units?

If that's the case, then a correction of 2 units does seem comparatively very high. That could be the reason for the lows - over correcting. And you might be much better off with a half unit pen. Are you just going hypo after corrections to combat the highs?

As for what's causing the highs:
- when you are getting levels of 13/14 what have you eaten and when? Maybe you need to add in a bolus for that food?
- the symptoms you described could be due to hyperglycaemia. Or, you could just be coming down with something entirely separate and that illnes is pushing your blood sugar up?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi @michael88

Ask your Dr to prescribe the NovoPen Echo for your bolus doses, it dials up in half units and also has a built-in memory function..

As you stopped smoking around the same time these symptoms started they could be related, stopping smoking puts the body under stress which in turn can lead to high bg levels, maybe as the withdrawal symptoms decline your bg levels will begin to normalise again, but in the mean-time maybe reduce your correction dose so that you don't swing from high to low.

But it goes without saying, if at all concerned go see your Dr and discuss.
 
Thanks you for your help. I am only taking 5 units at present but I was about to have my dinner at this point also so had one correction and one to cover my dinner. I had another up and down yesterday too and I do think it could be down to the smoking for sure. I checked my blood 2 hours after dinner yesterday and it was 17mmol. I took one correction dose and checked 10 minutes later and it was down to 5.2. Very odd! I will ask for a smaller unit pen for now I think thanks again for your help!
 
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