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Type 1.5 BS suddenly dropping

J

JMcB

Well-Known Member
Messages
125
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. I have LADA and am on glargine for basal. Have been taking 17u each morning and doing fine staying in range but suddenly yesterday I started dropping for no reason. Had to take glucose tabs in the night to keep from going low and am up the morn in g early as it was happening again. Usually have a sharp rise after getting up but not so this morning. Had to take more glucose to keep from going low. As soon as s that wears off I’ll dive again. What is happening? Clearly suddenly have too much basal. But why? Planning to lower it to 16 u today but maybe should go to 15? So confused as to why this is happening. Anybody else have this happen? No extra exercise or anything else obvious as a direct cause.
 
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Hi,

We can't advise on dosage. But if it was I? I'd do a basal test..

What I do find with basal hypos when the dose need ajustments, is there will be a follow up hypos when treated by fast acting sugars alone. Something like a biscuit or milk helps prevent this for me..

Hope this helps.

(Edit for dodgy typo.)
 
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Thanks. Of course now I’m spiking like mad. So glucose kicked in along with my usual morning spike. Deep sigh.
 
JMcB said:
Thanks. Of course now I’m spiking like mad. So glucose kicked in along with my usual morning spike. Deep sigh.
Click to expand...

Has it been your usual routine, or had you been more active?
 
Jaylee said:
Has it been your usual routine, or had you been more active?
Click to expand...

Usual routine. Working from home on the computer. Not active at all as it’s too hot outside so have to stay inside. My BS drops fast in the heat.

I can’t point to anything as a cause. Just started drifting down yesterday. Have a Libre and MM so can watch constantly. Bit nervy about doing a basal test given how I was dropping so fast yesterday and over night.

Have phone appt w nurse this morning so hopefully they will be of help.
 

OK, that's great news with the CGM set up. It helps.

I'm going to stick my neck out & ask "hormones?" (TotM?)
I'll tag in @Antje77 on that one.
 
Jaylee said:
OK, that's great news with the CGM set up. It helps.

I'm going to stick my neck out & ask "hormones?" (TotM?)
I'll tag in @Antje77 on that one.
Click to expand...

Not familiar w TotM? No idea if hormones can be a cause as I had a hysterectomy 15 years ago. Still have ovaries but no clue as to whether they are functioning. Would think not, but who knows. Hope that’s not TMI for everyone!
 
JMcB said:
Not familiar w TotM? No idea if hormones can be a cause as I had a hysterectomy 15 years ago. Still have ovaries but no clue as to whether they are functioning. Would think not, but who knows. Hope that’s not TMI for everyone!
Click to expand...
My apologies, "Time of the month." It has been mentioned by @Antje77 that insulin sensitivity changes during that "time.."

Another thought came to me. you hadn't started a new basal cartridge prior to this issue?
 
Jaylee said:
My apologies, "Time of the month." It has been mentioned by @Antje77 that insulin sensitivity changes during that "time.."

Another thought came to me. you hadn't started a new basal cartridge prior to this issue?
Click to expand...

I did start a new basal cartridge yesterday, actually.
 
Thanks for the tag @Jaylee .

Hi @JMcB , not TMI at all! (At a guess, Jaylee meant Time of the Month, but it took me a while to puzzle that one out ) (edit: Ha, got it right! )
I think I've read a hysterectomy doesn't affect your monthly cycle, as it's the ovaries doing that. But I don't know enough about it to be sure.

I found I usually suddenly need a lot less insulin around the start of my period and still have to watch out for hypo's around that time. It might be you have something like that going on.
I'm not sure how old you are but if you are of the right age for premenopause you could have all kinds of hormonal stuff going on, affecting your blood glucose. I have no experience with that yet though.

A simpler possibility might be you're still 'honeymooning'. From your other thread I understand you haven't been on insulin all that long so perhaps your pancreas still splutters out insulin at unpredictable times.
For myself, at over 3 years in, I find I constantly need to adjust the amount of insulin I take. I have no clue if it's due to still producing some insulin, monthly hormones or something else altogether. Doesn't matter really what the cause is though, I'll just have to deal with the effects I guess.

I think almost all T1's have dealt with occasional inexplicable numbers and changes, somtimes it seems diabetes just likes to play around with us!

They say there are 42 factors in play when it comes to blood glucose, I'm pretty sure there are more!

 
JMcB said:
I did start a new basal cartridge yesterday, actually.
Click to expand...

You may notice this more using the Libre. Has there been any increase in fasting level BGs prior to finishing the last cartridge?
I use Lantus & sometimes the potency seems to wear off halfway to two thirds down the barrel..?

(For me anyway.)
 

Thanks for the chart. Gotta love how some factors have both up and down arrows! Ha.

I’m 51 so would guess I’m already past menopause, but no real way to tell except to watch over time to see if this becomes more regular.

Now also wondering if it’s the new pen. I didn’t notice a change in fasting BS before I changed to the new pen.

Or it could be moon dust, or aliens. JK, but sometimes it feels like that!
 
Jaylee said:
You may notice this more using the Libre. Has there been any increase in fasting level BGs prior to finishing the last cartridge?
I use Lantus & sometimes the potency seems to wear off halfway to two thirds down the barrel..?

(For me anyway.)
Click to expand...

After you mentioned the change in pens, I did an experiment where I visually compared the output of the new pen to another pen from the same lot. Injected 17 u into syringe caps lined up side by side. Repeated 3x and see that the new pen is delivering more than the second pen tested. Hmmm. Now wondering about the error in these pens.

 
Basal insulin is supposed to be slow acting, but if you happen to inject directly into a blood vessel, it can act fast and your blood sugar can start dropping very quickly.

Has happened to me once or twice.

Not much you can do to avoid it.
 
Update: DB nurse said to back off to 16 and switch pens. Will see what happens. Also told me not to follow low carb diet! What? Said I “need” carbs. Also said I don’t need to control as tightly as I’m trying to.
Uh, no.
 

Food for thought, 20u test should take you upto the line..?

Sorry about my fuzzy photo.

 
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