Heat And Bg Levels!

[Jayden2407]

Does the heat make your BG levels rise? My son had exactly the same for his tea as yesterday (carb counting) with the correct units of insulin read 7.2 before bedtime last night but tonight was 13.9??!

 

[Jayden2407]

.

 

[therower]

Does the heat make your BG levels rise? My son had exactly the same for his tea as yesterday (carb counting) with the correct units of insulin read 7.2 before bedtime last night but tonight was 13.9??!

Weather extremes, especially heat can play havoc with BG levels. A lot of people will tell you that the go high in hot weather.
I tend to go the opposite way.
As for the 2 readings, sadly this is diabetes. As much as we try to keep everything the same day in day out it never pans out that way. The times I've had 2 days identical with food , exercise and work only for my BG levels to be totally different.
Are you in a position to do correction doses yet?
If you are then a small correction dose would bring him back down to a more reasonable level.
If you're not familiar with correction doses then I suggest you give him plenty of water and wait until his next meal to get things back on track.
I know this is frustrating for you, but honestly it happens all the time. Things will get easier and better.

 

[Jayden2407]

Weather extremes, especially heat can play havoc with BG levels. A lot of people will tell you that the go high in hot weather.
I tend to go the opposite way.
As for the 2 readings, sadly this is diabetes. As much as we try to keep everything the same day in day out it never pans out that way. The times I've had 2 days identical with food , exercise and work only for my BG levels to be totally different.
Are you in a position to do correction doses yet?
If you are then a small correction dose would bring him back down to a more reasonable level.
If you're not familiar with correction doses then I suggest you give him plenty of water and wait until his next meal to get things back on track.
I know this is frustrating for you, but honestly it happens all the time. Things will get easier and better.

It’s so annoying haha I thought he might have pinched something out of the fridge that he should have had after tea
Hmm funnily enough when his reading popped up on the screen, it also said Bolus 1 U which I’m assuming that’s the metre telling me to give Jayden 1U to bring it down. But no, we’ve not learnt that yet, we are at the clinic in the morning so will discuss it with them then.
Thanks - as always

 

[therower]

It’s so annoying haha I thought he might have pinched something out of the fridge that he should have had after tea
Hmm funnily enough when his reading popped up on the screen, it also said Bolus 1 U which I’m assuming that’s the metre telling me to give Jayden 1U to bring it down. But no, we’ve not learnt that yet, we are at the clinic in the morning so will discuss it with them then.
Thanks - as always

Definitely have a chat about it. It's something that needs a lot of thought beforehand but once you know what to consider it's a very useful tool to have.

 

[Jayden2407]

Definitely have a chat about it. It's something that needs a lot of thought beforehand but once you know what to consider it's a very useful tool to have.

Hey.. so we’re now doing correction doses, if over 11 his expert meter will show up automatically how many units of insulin to give him.. it’s pretty good isn’t it!

How does the pump work - do you know?

 

[therower]

Hey.. so we’re now doing correction doses, if over 11 his expert meter will show up automatically how many units of insulin to give him.. it’s pretty good isn’t it!

How does the pump work - do you know?

Hi @Jayden2407 .
That's great news. Sounds like you've got a good diabetic team with you.
Unfortunately I'm not a pump user, never have been. I'm old school mdi (multiple daily injections)

What I will say to you is that one of the best ways to live with diabetes is to be positive, be proud and embrace it.
If you try to fight your diabetes everyday it will drag you down to its level. Find a way to use diabetes as a form of inspiration and strength. There will be days when diabetes will get the better of your son and things don't go according to plan. These are the days you can learn the most.
I was diagnosed at 27 yrs old , 27 yrs ago. Fortunately I didn't have to go through adolescence with diabetes, I feel it's going to be a challenge for all of you, you have to stay strong and remember you all are far greater than diabetes.
This forum offers great advice from many experienced T1's. My approach is how I do it, others do it differently. You and your son will find what suits you best. Don't be afraid to try different things.
Apologies I'm rambling
Feel free to ask anything.
Have a good evening

 

[micksmixxx]

Does the heat make your BG levels rise? My son had exactly the same for his tea as yesterday (carb counting) with the correct units of insulin read 7.2 before bedtime last night but tonight was 13.9??!

Hi, Jayden2407,

Generally speaking, heat lowers blood glucose levels. This is because heat potentiates the effects of insulin, which means that it makes the insulin work more effectively. (Some diabetics report feeling dizzy/giddy when they've had a hot shower or a hot bath.)

What your son MAY have experienced is called the Somogyi effect. This usually occurs during the night when blood glucose levels fall below the 'normal' range. To counter this, the alpha cells of the pancreas produce a counter-regulatory hormone, called glucagon, which stimulates the liver to 'give up' some of its reserves of glycogen, which is easily converted back into glucose and 'pushed' back into the bloodstream. This, as you can see, MIGHT have the effects that you've noticed in your son.

Lots of Love and Light.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'. It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for the past 40-odd years.

 

[micksmixxx]

Hey.. so we’re now doing correction doses, if over 11 his expert meter will show up automatically how many units of insulin to give him.. it’s pretty good isn’t it!

How does the pump work - do you know?

Hi Jayden2407,

Please forgive me, ma'am, I should have continued to read the other questions that you have, and the responses given to you.

There are several different brands of pump available. I use the Medtronic/MiniMed 640G, which is one of the 'newer' ones on the market. (I've been using pumps since November 1988, all of them have been Medtronic/MiniMed pumps. In fact, I was the first person, in the area that I live ... Sandwell, in the West Midlands ... to be issued with a pump on the NHS.)

Unfortunately, ma'am, pumps don't make adjustments to insulin doses UNLESS they are part of an 'artificial pancreas'/closed loop system. I'm not sure whether these are available ... yet ... on the NHS.

There is another system, called a CGMS (Continuous Glucose Monitoring System), which can keep a check on what blood glucose levels are doing 24 hours a day, but you would still then need to 'dial in' how many units of insulin you wish the pump to infuse into your son's body. (CGMS is expensive, so it depends on where you live in the country as to whether it would be made available for your son. The sensors, one of which would be 'implanted' into your son's body, lasts about 7 days ... though some people have found a way to 'cheat' the system to make it last twice as long ... and they presently cost about £75 each ... that's apart from the receiver, which would cost an additional amount. Many PCGs (Primary Care Groups) don't feel that the cost is 'justified' so don't allow many people to have them on NHS prescription.)

I don't know how many injections a day your son is receiving, but one of the reasons I was selected to 'trial' pump usage was because I was injecting anywhere between 7 and 10 times a day in a deliberate attempt to keep my blood glucose levels anywhere near the 'normal' range. (I was also spending as much time as a hospital in-patient as I was at home.) The pump, for me, has been miraculous. I rarely now have to be admitted to hospital, even though I've developed a number of different diabetes-related complications over the years.

There are pros and cons to pump usage, some of which deter some people from trying them. For instance, some of the advantages of pump usage include: not having to stick to set times for eating meals; not having to stick to a set amount of carbohydrates for each meal; being able to infuse minute quantities of insulin at any given time (my pump can infuse 0.05 of a unit of insulin (that's 1/20th of a unit) at a time though, I must admit, I've never infused such a small quantity. Some of the cons of using a pump include: having it connected 24 hours a day, every day, though many can be removed with a quick release set for such times as showering/bathing, going swimming, etc.; SOME people find it difficult setting up the pump so that it infuses the correct amount of insulin at the right times of day or night (I've presently got my pump set up so that it infuses insulin at 10 different rates for different times of day and/or night); most pumps are not waterproof, so they would need to be removed for bathing/showering/swimming, etc.; the infusion site needs to be changed every 2 to 3 days ... (this, of course, means that it's like having one injection every 2 or 3 days, rather than the number of injections that your son presently has to have); you still need to count the amount of carbohydrates being eaten/drunk AND enter the amount of insulin you wish to infuse (the pump that I use connects via a connecting infusion tube, but there are others, such as the OmniPod that doesn't have a connecting infusion tube. i.e. the pump is connected directly to the infusion tube, and fits tightly against the body).

What's the betting that, as soon as I've logged off, I'll remember other things that I should have mentioned?

Be well, ma'am.

Lots of Love and Light to both yourself and your son.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

 

[Jayden2407]

Hi @Jayden2407 .
That's great news. Sounds like you've got a good diabetic team with you.
Unfortunately I'm not a pump user, never have been. I'm old school mdi (multiple daily injections)

What I will say to you is that one of the best ways to live with diabetes is to be positive, be proud and embrace it.
If you try to fight your diabetes everyday it will drag you down to its level. Find a way to use diabetes as a form of inspiration and strength. There will be days when diabetes will get the better of your son and things don't go according to plan. These are the days you can learn the most.
I was diagnosed at 27 yrs old , 27 yrs ago. Fortunately I didn't have to go through adolescence with diabetes, I feel it's going to be a challenge for all of you, you have to stay strong and remember you all are far greater than diabetes.
This forum offers great advice from many experienced T1's. My approach is how I do it, others do it differently. You and your son will find what suits you best. Don't be afraid to try different things.
Apologies I'm rambling
Feel free to ask anything.
Have a good evening

Thank you for those great words of advice
Yes now Jayden is doing his injections he’s happier. It’s hard some days - for me! Jayden is just getting on with things, even cutting out all chocolates and sweets that he could eat whenever he wanted before diagnosed.
The best thing is seeing the colour back in his cheeks as we went really pale and very thin, he’s even put a couple of lbs back on.

You see, I knew it was diabetes for a while but when I went to the docs and he referred us the nearest appointment for his blood test was 3 months away, this was March - his bloods were done on 8th June @ 12:30pm and at 5pm the doctor called me and told me to bring Jayden straight down, he had a reading of 27!! Plus ketones in his blood, I was told he was very lucky to be still standing!! I was so annoyed it took so long to get him an appointment. So I had to watch him deteriorate over the 3 months knowing he had type 1. I pre warned him and told him “if you do have it we just deal with it” and he kept saying “yes mum but I won’t have it will I” it used to break my heart knowing the outcome.

Being diagnosed with diabetes at any age I can imagine is tough. You’ve lived with it for a long time and I appreciate your wise words and advice we’ll find our way I’m sure, thank you.

 

[therower]

Hi @Jayden2407 . Just messaged you on your other thread.

 

[Jayden2407]

Hi Jayden2407,

Please forgive me, ma'am, I should have continued to read the other questions that you have, and the responses given to you.

There are several different brands of pump available. I use the Medtronic/MiniMed 640G, which is one of the 'newer' ones on the market. (I've been using pumps since November 1988, all of them have been Medtronic/MiniMed pumps. In fact, I was the first person, in the area that I live ... Sandwell, in the West Midlands ... to be issued with a pump on the NHS.)

Unfortunately, ma'am, pumps don't make adjustments to insulin doses UNLESS they are part of an 'artificial pancreas'/closed loop system. I'm not sure whether these are available ... yet ... on the NHS.

There is another system, called a CGMS (Continuous Glucose Monitoring System), which can keep a check on what blood glucose levels are doing 24 hours a day, but you would still then need to 'dial in' how many units of insulin you wish the pump to infuse into your son's body. (CGMS is expensive, so it depends on where you live in the country as to whether it would be made available for your son. The sensors, one of which would be 'implanted' into your son's body, lasts about 7 days ... though some people have found a way to 'cheat' the system to make it last twice as long ... and they presently cost about £75 each ... that's apart from the receiver, which would cost an additional amount. Many PCGs (Primary Care Groups) don't feel that the cost is 'justified' so don't allow many people to have them on NHS prescription.)

I don't know how many injections a day your son is receiving, but one of the reasons I was selected to 'trial' pump usage was because I was injecting anywhere between 7 and 10 times a day in a deliberate attempt to keep my blood glucose levels anywhere near the 'normal' range. (I was also spending as much time as a hospital in-patient as I was at home.) The pump, for me, has been miraculous. I rarely now have to be admitted to hospital, even though I've developed a number of different diabetes-related complications over the years.

There are pros and cons to pump usage, some of which deter some people from trying them. For instance, some of the advantages of pump usage include: not having to stick to set times for eating meals; not having to stick to a set amount of carbohydrates for each meal; being able to infuse minute quantities of insulin at any given time (my pump can infuse 0.05 of a unit of insulin (that's 1/20th of a unit) at a time though, I must admit, I've never infused such a small quantity. Some of the cons of using a pump include: having it connected 24 hours a day, every day, though many can be removed with a quick release set for such times as showering/bathing, going swimming, etc.; SOME people find it difficult setting up the pump so that it infuses the correct amount of insulin at the right times of day or night (I've presently got my pump set up so that it infuses insulin at 10 different rates for different times of day and/or night); most pumps are not waterproof, so they would need to be removed for bathing/showering/swimming, etc.; the infusion site needs to be changed every 2 to 3 days ... (this, of course, means that it's like having one injection every 2 or 3 days, rather than the number of injections that your son presently has to have); you still need to count the amount of carbohydrates being eaten/drunk AND enter the amount of insulin you wish to infuse (the pump that I use connects via a connecting infusion tube, but there are others, such as the OmniPod that doesn't have a connecting infusion tube. i.e. the pump is connected directly to the infusion tube, and fits tightly against the body).

What's the betting that, as soon as I've logged off, I'll remember other things that I should have mentioned?

Be well, ma'am.

Lots of Love and Light to both yourself and your son.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

Hi Mick!

Wow okay so that’s a lot of info on the pumps - thank you.. and after reading it I’m quite happy Jayden being on the injections (4 a day) novorapid for meal times and lantus over night. I was curious as if heard about the pumps and wondered if Jayden would benefit better using one but to be honest he’s so comfortable doing his own injections only after almost 4 weeks I think I’ll leave things as they are

Thanks again for your reply and info