BS suddenly all over the place

I guess maybe you need to increase your insulin.... Maybe 1 unit of fast acting evening time, if your BG readings are high..... But hopefully someone with more insulin experience can advise better.


Diagnosed T2 in sept 2013, BS levels 20+. BMI 22, age 59. Then diagnosed T1 / LADA in December. On a LcHf diet taking no insulin or medication, and striving to keep my BS readings to dr Bernstein's recommended 4.6 pre breakfast and 5.6 2hr after eating in order to keep as many insulin making pancreas beta cells as possible for as long as I can.
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Have you ruled out the usual culprits such as additional stress, hot weather, or coming down with some bug or other?

Hi Lucy,

The wild swings in BG are pretty typical of LADA. I go through patches of them really.

Intermediate insulin is great for early stage LADA in my opinion. You need to learn to time the doses so that the peak catches that post meal spike. I used to use Insuman Basal which is very similar to insulatard. It has a very pronounced peak at about 4 -6 hours. I found splitting the dose morning and night was best - even splitting a small dose helps. Try half or two thirds your dose when you wake - if you're lucky, it will help smooth the lunch spike. The rest of your dose could be before bed to stop the dreaded DP if you suffer from it - or you could use it with your tea to catch the post tea spike.

I think intermediate insulin is pretty good for low carbers as the spike hits quite a bit later than high carb, so the peak in insulin can really smooth that out. I'm on Levemir now, because once I started to use a bolus, the Insuman clashed with it, but I definitely think the Insuman suited low carb LADA control better than Levemir. Or maybe that was just me!

Smidge

Hi. As you are LADA you will need insulin at some point and your profile indicates you aren't yet on insulin? If not, then whilst Metformin won't help, meds such as Gliclazide and Sitagliptin can help for a while before insulin. I often had big swings and went thru Glic & Sitagliptin as well as Metformin i.e. all three for a while and now on insulin. Sounds like you should possibly be on more tablets or insulin? When you need it you need it and I was offered it 1 to 2 years too late as I was told it was 'a last resort'; rubbish. I was started on just Basal insulin but the DN and I agreed to add Bolus as well after a few weeks; great decision.

Yes, Metformin does witch-off some of the liver's glucose dumping so probably does reduce the Dawn Phenomenon; interesting. I've often wondered whether having Metformin, as I still do 'cos it keeps the DN happy, increases the chance of a hypo as the liver can't do emergency dumps when needed?

Interesting theory re the metformin @Daibell ! No idea if it's possible - but on face value sounds it...