Hi there my name is Emily and I have had type 1 diabetes for 15 years. I try to manage it through Dafne and carbohydrate counting but am struggling with constant blood sugar level testing and as my levels are all over the place have to correct it a lot and this stresses me a lot. Did give myself a little break from testing and felt so much more relaxed but know I have to go back to testing. Anybody got any advise to give me on how to be less stressed?
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Mike d
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With your "levels all over the place" I suspect you fear the worst and hence avoid the testing.
I would suggest the stress is linked to a fear of what you might see on your meter rather than analysing the figure and adjusting your diet or your meds (insulin?). I'm not a T1 nor a GP, but if it were me, I'd use those numbers to guide you back to a path where you assume control and work backwards to establish the fluctuation.
Good luck
Mike
I would suggest the stress is linked to a fear of what you might see on your meter rather than analysing the figure and adjusting your diet or your meds (insulin?). I'm not a T1 nor a GP, but if it were me, I'd use those numbers to guide you back to a path where you assume control and work backwards to establish the fluctuation.
Good luck
Mike
daddys1
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Hi Emily & Welcome to the forum, I'm type 2 so not much help for you except to say that I can agree with @Mike D on his suggestions re the carb counting using DAFNE.
I see that you have been type1 for 15 years, I'm going to tag @daisy1 who will come along with a long list of information that we give to all new members, I think it will be early morning now. Most of the info you will probably know but there maybe some useful info there for you.
My other suggestion is there is a TYPE forum on here it maybe a good idea to ask your question there as well.......try the link...and post there as well.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/type-1-diabetes.19/page-270
I have seen these TYPE1 guys give some really great support to many in your position.
Hope this helps....
I'm sure they will give you the support you need to get you balance back with your meds and BG's, please try themNeil
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jack412
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ask your Dr..but my guess
less carbs=less insulin/smaller mistakes=better stability
some T1's here are on 50g CHO a day or less
it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
most here would suggest you start with 'miss a meal' and overnight basal checks
http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120
less carbs=less insulin/smaller mistakes=better stability
some T1's here are on 50g CHO a day or less
it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
most here would suggest you start with 'miss a meal' and overnight basal checks
http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120
donnellysdogs
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People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
As you've done Dafne are you aware that if your levels raise or lower 2-3 hours after a meal that it is more than likely that your bolus ratio is incorrect?
Are you now testing before and after meals? Would you be able to list a days results here and what you have ate?
We're not medically qualified, but we live with diabetes and can suggest ways to get your levels stabilised.
Getting less stressed comes with having improved control and the only way to get that is by doing the tests and making some changes.
A lot of us T1's feel stressed with the constant testing, changing and general frustration at times, so you aren't alone and as we know how it feels we would like to help you.
daisy1
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@emilyb
Hello Emily and welcome to the forum
Although you have had diabetes for 15 years, a little refresher may be useful. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help you to stabilise your levels. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello Emily and welcome to the forum
Although you have had diabetes for 15 years, a little refresher may be useful. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help you to stabilise your levels. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
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What are the problems Emily, have you started with the basics and done some basal testing?
The first of the following explains how to do a basal check and the second is an on-line carb counting course similar to DAFNE, it might refresh your memory on carb counting if you've forgot something:
http://www.salforddiabetescare.co.uk/index2.php?nav_id=1007
http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
