Failing

[linda_b]

Hi all,

I'm having a really bad time of it. For the past two weeks I haven't been able to hit one reading under 13. I'm doing everything I can possibly do. I have the Aviva Expert meter and I'm injecting the doses it's telling me and nothing is working.
My diabetic nurse is not returning my calls or email and my consultant appointment has moved from what should have been last October to June.
I've previously suffered Diabulmia and have retinopathy. When I'm constantly told that my eye sight and vision depends on keeping my blood sugars level and this happens it scares me or I feel I could start slipping back into old habits, yet I feel my healthcare team are totally failing me. I get they're understaffed and extremely busy but I feel I have nowhere to turn at the moment.
I'm in the frame of mind that if I'm injecting and my bloods aren't remaining level what's the point.

 

[novorapidboi26]

My clinic is also struggling to keep my appointments, although I don't really need them, apart from getting my bloods done....its been over a year now....

How experienced are you with dose adjustment?

 

[Deleted Account]

In the absence of a healthcare professional, here are a few things which I would do
- have you changed your pen and insulin batch? The reason your dose does not appear to be working could be that one or the other is faulty.
- are you unwell, stressed or exercising less than usual? This could affect your basal insulin needs. If you feel confident to do so, you could carefully increment your basal dose slightly and see if this has an affect.
- I find when my BG gets high, I start to experience insulin resistance and need to increase my correction to bring it down. I assume your Aviva Expert meter has been set up to calculate correction doses when you are not experiencing insulin resistance. You could try to increase your correction dose. I multiple my correction by 1.5 when over 12 and 2 when over 15. We are all different so take care with any increases and keep your hypo treatment close at hand.
- keep trying to contact your diabetic nurse. Or, if you have the phone number for your clinic you could try them. As you say, the are understaffed but, if you explain what is going on, hopefully, they should find time for you.

Try not to panic (yes, I know that is easier said than done) and, please, don't stop injecting. Your insulin is making a difference ; your BG would be much higher if it was not doing anything for two weeks.

 

[JoeT1]

Have you checked for Ketones also? Worth checking to see if there could perhaps be an underlying infection or illness coming on.

Also, what are the types of food that you are eating at the moment? Anything changed recently? Exercise less etc?

I find nothing brings my levels down quicker than taking insulin and immediately getting a 20minute brisk walk in without food (obviously, not enough insulin to send you hypo, but enough that should bring you back into range). I find I am extremely resistant to insulin when I take it but am not active at all.

 

[Twinkle06]

Is there an urgent care where you are? If not, you need to find a way to see a doctor. Maybe your pharmacist can help?

I am type 2, so my diabetes responds to diet and walking. Not sure if yours does.

I went low glycemic index, 15 or less on the Harvard website. It was radical, but it worked short term, but shot up my cortisol for a while. Walked for 15 minutes at one hour after eating. Spaced out meals 3 to 4 hours apart. Tried not to snack in between.

I don't know if that will help you.

Let us know how you are doing

 

[lizdeluz]

I hope you can manage to see your diabetes nurse. As others have said, keep trying their number. You could visit your GP, explain your problem and worries and he/she might be able to speed up the response from the diabetic nurses for you. As @helensaramay suggested, you could increase your doses by very small amounts, but be careful, and do extra checking of your levels. Was your Accuchek Expert meter set up by your diabetes nurse some time ago? It may now need to be adjusted by your nurse so that it gives bolus advice which matches your current requirements! In any case, you do need to see your diabetes nurse team, and I am sure you will get an appointment if you explain to your GP what is happening. Let us know how you get on tomorrow.

 

[EllieM]

In the absence of a healthcare professional, here are a few things which I would do
- have you changed your pen and insulin batch? The reason your dose does not appear to be working could be that one or the other is faulty.
- are you unwell, stressed or exercising less than usual? This could affect your basal insulin needs. If you feel confident to do so, you could carefully increment your basal dose slightly and see if this has an affect.
- I find when my BG gets high, I start to experience insulin resistance and need to increase my correction to bring it down. I assume your Aviva Expert meter has been set up to calculate correction doses when you are not experiencing insulin resistance. You could try to increase your correction dose. I multiple my correction by 1.5 when over 12 and 2 when over 15. We are all different so take care with any increases and keep your hypo treatment close at hand.
- keep trying to contact your diabetic nurse. Or, if you have the phone number for your clinic you could try them. As you say, the are understaffed but, if you explain what is going on, hopefully, they should find time for you.

Try not to panic (yes, I know that is easier said than done) and, please, don't stop injecting. Your insulin is making a difference ; your BG would be much higher if it was not doing anything for two weeks.

This is excellent advice, particularly the insulin correction bit. Also, is there a chance that you've overused your injection sites? When I finally saw a diabetic nurse, after years of just going for checkups and a "your hba1C is x, come back in a year", she got me to use sites further up my stomach and I stopped (or reduced) those times when my blood sugar just climbs and nothing I do seems to get it down...

Good luck, please don't give up.

 

[hh1]

Poor you! Great advice above, not much to add though strongly echo consideringchanging sites - makes a major difference to me. I really hope you manage to bring the numbers down, and please keep trying.