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Fasting blood tests .

D

deb8ken

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Pump
Hey all , newbie here and wondering if anyone had any tips for NOT bottoming out while fasting for a blood test .
I was suppose to have one monday morning and its now thursday , every night I have tried to make it overnight but kept hypo early hours of the morning .
I am on a pump , I did try to go higher to make it overnight , luckily I stayed high last night and made it to pathology but I feel it has not been good on my body as Im so thirsty and tired today ..
 
deb8ken said:
Hey all , newbie here and wondering if anyone had any tips for NOT bottoming out while fasting for a blood test .
I was suppose to have one monday morning and its now thursday , every night I have tried to make it overnight but kept hypo early hours of the morning .
I am on a pump , I did try to go higher to make it overnight , luckily I stayed high last night and made it to pathology but I feel it has not been good on my body as Im so thirsty and tired today ..
Click to expand...
Hi @deb8ken, if you're going hypo because you're not eating it sounds like your basal is too high as that shouldn't be happening. Do you have a DSN you can speak to for help with making adjustments?
 
deb8ken said:
Hey all , newbie here and wondering if anyone had any tips for NOT bottoming out while fasting for a blood test .
I was suppose to have one monday morning and its now thursday , every night I have tried to make it overnight but kept hypo early hours of the morning .
I am on a pump , I did try to go higher to make it overnight , luckily I stayed high last night and made it to pathology but I feel it has not been good on my body as Im so thirsty and tired today ..
Click to expand...
Apart from your pump settings likely needing an adjusting, what was the fasting test for?
Many fasting tests allow for treating a hypo, worth asking next time, and also ask wht you can and cannot use to treat with.

Having to aim for such high blood glucose that it makes you all thirsty and tired doesn't sound good.

The basal from your pump should keep you more or less level when you don't eat, if you need to eat to prevent hypos all the time the settings don't seem right for you.
Can you contact your diabetes nurse about this?
 
deb8ken said:
Hey all , newbie here and wondering if anyone had any tips for NOT bottoming out while fasting for a blood test .
Click to expand...

Is it for something other than diabetes? I've never been asked for a fasting one, just because I'm T1....

I'm on MDI so not the best person to ask if you are a pump use though. Let me tag @Juicyj and @In Response who are both experienced pump users.
 
If you hypo at the same (or similar) times, why don't you find increase your basal about 30 minutes beforehand?
This has nothing to do with a fasting blood test - just something to avoid at any time. And something which should be easier with a pump.
I find there are things to loo out for. Such as only experiencing Fotf when I have not exercised the previous day. Or needing less basal for 24 hours after exercise. So I need a few different basal patterns to allow for this
Which reminds me of something else to consider if you are concerned about going low before a fasting blood test - don't exercise.
Another technique, if you are using a Libre or CGM is to set your low alert higher (maybe at 6mmol/l) and suspend your basal for 15 minutes when you get an alarm you are at this level.

But overall, you should be avoiding hypos all the time.
 
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