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Blood sugars getting lower

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cuillie

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Hi to all,

Don't know if this is the right place for this topic, so forgive if it's not.

I have now been LC for 5 weeks and getting on fine. My BS have come right away down into the 4s and 5s, previously they would be up in the 9s and sometimes beyond.

I am now shocked as to the amount of carbs I previously comsumed and now realise how damaging it all is and so pleased that I'v managed to change my eating habits, although I do miss some foods. My breakfast cereal especially, but health is more important.

Now I have a question I hope some of you experts might manage to answer for me, I take insulin, so all this low carbing has been a bit tricky, what I am wondering is if I need to reduce the amount of insulin I take. At present the dose is 10 units of novorapid at breakfast, 10 at lunch time, 9 befor dinner and 27 units of Lantus befor bed. I also take 2x 500mg of metformin twice daily.

Now I realise that you are not Doctors,but I just wondered if anyone might have similar experience of this. I don't want to be taking too much insulin now that my BS is down.

My own Dr. is not all that approachful as she wasn't pleased I was low carbing and my own head be it sort of thing.

But I'm pleased with what I've achieved so far as I feel better, sleeping better, and I think I've lost some weight, although wary of jumping on the scales as in previous years and former diets from Weightwatchers to Scottish slimmers my weght loss was always disappointing.

Hope someone can advise,

Thanks Kate :thumbup:
 
I am also on Novorapid and Lantus. I first came off the Novorapid and then reduced the dosage on Lantus in 5 unit increments (waiting a few days between changes). I was taking 6-10 units of Novorapid with meals and was on 30u of Lantus. I'm now able to do without the Novorapid and use 10u of Lantus, split mornings and evenings.

I have made all of these adjustments myself by testing testing testing and keeping the carbs low. I have told my doctor what I'm doing, but not sought his advice beforehand. As my numbers have been good he's been supportive after the event.

Your aim is level numbers that never stray into danger figures - I used to regard 7.8 as too high but now I can usually stay below 7 at the most. I found that my numbers stabilised significantly once I got off the Novorapid, because it gave me too much fluctuation.

It sounds like you're doing well. You can make minor adjustments, then test and reverse them if your numbers go up. It's your body after all.
 
Hi Swimmer and thanks for your reply.

I have now reduced my novorapid by 2 units at all meal times and lantus by 1unit at bed time. It's all trial and error isn't it? I'll see how I get on with this, so far today BS has been in good ranges all 5s and I would be happy to keep to that. Still finding out what food spikes my though, so as you say keep testing.

Thanks Kate
 
Yep, all trial and error - and often error, but you'll soon get into a rhythm.
Make sure you wait a few days for the new dose to settle before making any more changes.
 
cuillie said:
Now I have a question I hope some of you experts might manage to answer for me, I take insulin, so all this low carbing has been a bit tricky, what I am wondering is if I need to reduce the amount of insulin I take. At present the dose is 10 units of novorapid at breakfast, 10 at lunch time, 9 befor dinner and 27 units of Lantus befor bed. I also take 2x 500mg of metformin twice daily.
Click to expand...


You would reduce in response to your bg readings, have you not been experiencing a lot of hypo's since adopting low-carb and not cutting back on your insulin?
 
It's all bit chicken and egg (I realise you're type 1 and I'm type 2 but our medication is similar)..
If you low carb you might hypo, but if you want to reduce the amount of insulin you take then you have to make a move. If you were to just watch your readings then you'd never change your diet. You have to balance your insulin with your carb intake - but for me I'd rather balance at a lower level of insulin if it were possible, as this gives less room for swings in your BG level.

(this is, basically, Dr Bernstein's advice for type 1's - as I read it).
 
Hi thanks for the replies,

Yes I have been quite low sometimes, once 2.9. Now that scared me as I had no warning that I was so low, so it was a good job I was at home and not driving. I'v also had a few 3 somethings. I am aiming to be around the 5 mark and steady there.

however, I am experiencing strange tingling around my mouth and cheek area, not sure if this is a sign of hypo. When I test my BS is ok, so I don't know.

Today, though I am feeling pretty crook, my limbs are aching stomache feels dodgy sore head and I am wondering if it is anything to do with the reducing of the insulin yesterday. In fact I felt so awful I didn't go into work. Of course I might be coming down with something else not related at all, but at this point I'm going back to bed.

Just another point before I go-- i seem to have lost my appitite since starting LC, does that make sense?

Thanks Kate
 
cuillie said:
however, I am experiencing strange tingling around my mouth and cheek area, not sure if this is a sign of hypo. When I test my BS is ok, so I don't know.

Just another point before I go-- i seem to have lost my appitite since starting LC, does that make sense?
Click to expand...

I have experience that strange tingling - it was around top lip and sometimes my chin - I assumed it was something missing in my diet and so I started taking Flaxseed tablets (Omega 3) - it's gone now and I don't know if it was the Flaxseed that sorted it, but I suspect it's due to a deficiency in the LC diet.

Yes, your appetite should drop, as you take on proportionally more fat and protein. Just make sure you're eating enough to keep your levels right.
 
I'm LADA, so slow onset Type 1 and I seem to have some insulin resistance also.

I've reduced my Levemir from 24 units to now 16.

My NovoRapid is down from about 5 units with meals to somewhere around 0-3 depending on what I eat.

I used to be on 42 units of Premixed (30/70), so it's quite a reduction.

On average this past week, my insulin need as been in the area of 20 units total.

I have some basal reductions also sometimes as I tend to go a bit nuts and do long (10+ mile walks), so I will need to reduce for those too. I omit or much reduce my NovoRapid when I know I have exercise coming up after lunch, for instance.

I do have a bit of my own insulin left, so not sure you can be entirely that radical, but you should probably aim for 5 +/- 1 mmol/l before and after meals or that area so some reduction seems sensible.

-M
 
cuillie said:
Hi thanks for the replies,

Yes I have been quite low sometimes, once 2.9. Now that scared me as I had no warning that I was so low, so it was a good job I was at home and not driving. I'v also had a few 3 somethings. I am aiming to be around the 5 mark and steady there.

however, I am experiencing strange tingling around my mouth and cheek area, not sure if this is a sign of hypo. When I test my BS is ok, so I don't know.

Today, though I am feeling pretty crook, my limbs are aching stomache feels dodgy sore head and I am wondering if it is anything to do with the reducing of the insulin yesterday. In fact I felt so awful I didn't go into work. Of course I might be coming down with something else not related at all, but at this point I'm going back to bed.

Just another point before I go-- i seem to have lost my appitite since starting LC, does that make sense?

Thanks Kate
Click to expand...


Yes it does look like you need to reduce your insulin requirements if you are getting postprandial readings of 2.9 and 3's, try adjusting it by 1 unit at a time and record everything you eat and inject so you can look back on and make amendments to your insulin doses.

I don't low-carb as such but eat them in moderation, 5 years ago my TDD was 60-70 units a day but now my TDD is 34 units, the tingling around the mouth might just be your body getting use to the lower levels, if in doubt then do see your gp immediately.
 
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