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Hit a real low.

P

philly1991

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Location
Scunthorpe
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm really embarrassed to write this as I've reached out on here for help many times before but I just can't seem to help myself.

My levels are so high, constantly. This is because I either don't take my insulin or because I eat whatever I want and will either take a guess at the amount of insulin I need or take none and spend hours correcting at a later time.

I see my DSN fortnightly and she is great. She gives me simple instructions to follow and simple tasks but at the minute I can't even get through a day. It's literally three meals, three doses of insulin, and I can't even do that!

I'm really starting to lose hope and can't see a positive outcome. I feel so ashamed of myself. Has anybody else been here? If anybody has any advice it would be massively appreciated. Where do I start?

Thanks for reading. Hope everyone is well.
 
the best peice of advice can give is don't beat yourself up. regards high levels ask the dsn for advice with correctional dosages... the other thing you could ask for is perhaps mention your struggling sometimes to do injections, that may open up the possibiliy of being an ideal candiate of using an inslin pump which you may find easier?

you can with a basal & bolus routine skip some meals.... could try switching to that to see if that helps your general control. another thing to consider is with exercise its possible to reduce the amount of insulin needing to inject you'd need to ask your dsn for advice on that as not allowed to give dosage advice.
 
My aim is a pump but right now they will not consider me for it due to me not engaging with my regime. I have cried tears during my appointments with the consultant as I truly believe a pump is the way forward for me but until I start to do something to help myself they have ruled it out. I know that should be enough motivation for me but I am really struggling.
 
what is it about injections is the causing the issue with skipping some of them?

I'm presuming your not on basal & bolus regime if 3 injections 1 each meal? otherwise would be 4? or perhaps mixed intermediate insulin?

sounds like a bit of burnout which cant be good. perhaps you could ask the diabetic team for a referral to mental health dept. I've had referal done that way as needlephobic makes treatment hard ... exceptionally bad at getting blood samples.. i've found the libre sensor app very useful for logging what foods work and for which to avoid, it showing low enocurages to fingerprick (which also have issues doing) and takes a good while to pluck up the courage for that.

Have you tried a low carb diet or been on dafne course or simular? removing some of the temptations around the house may assist in trying to stop snacking. have you tried daily trips for your food shopping less aorund the house, less likely to eat more?
 
Yes basal/bolus, I am prescribed Tresiba and NovoRapid. I honestly don't know what the issue is, I don't think it's the injections themselves. There seems to be some kind of mental block. My DSN has put in a referral for some mental health support and I have been asked to contact one of the services in my area but I'm still to pluck up the courage to make the call.

I completed the DAFNE course a while back and found it so useful but I let things slip and I'm really worried I can't bring it back. Daily shopping trips is a great idea though. I'm sat writing a shopping list at this unearthly hour but will shop for two days due to being at work. I have a lot of bad habits surrounding food though, I guess I just need to find some willpower and accept that it's going to be hard for a while.
 
philly1991 said:
My DSN has put in a referral for some mental health support and I have been asked to contact one of the services in my area but I'm still to pluck up the courage to make the call.
Click to expand...
Would it help you if we send you a reminder to make that call on monday?

philly1991 said:
I honestly don't know what the issue is, I don't think it's the injections themselves. There seems to be some kind of mental block.
Click to expand...
Care to explain a bit more, how does this work?
You're about to eat, think about taking your insulin and then you don't for some reason, but you do take corrections afterwards?

Please don't be embarrased about struggling with your diabetes. Diabetes burnout is very common!
 
It would be absolutely wonderful if somebody could remind me/give me that extra push I needed

Usually when I'm about to eat I don't even think about taking my insulin. And then feel guilty afterwards and sometimes check and correct but often don't. I have a really really unhealthy diet, I don't know if I feel guilty about that because I know it's terrible for my diabetes. Or if I'm embarrassed about the sheer amount of rubbish in about to eat and don't want to track that.

I do know I can't carry on like this though, I know I need help. I want to say I'm trying but when I can't follow the simple instructions from my DSN am I really trying? It just feels like such a mess right now.
 
philly1991 said:
It would be absolutely wonderful if somebody could remind me/give me that extra push I needed
Click to expand...
Will do!
I have a friend who I sometimes ask to give me that little push if i need to do something but keep postponing. It can be a real help sometimes.
Would it make you feel less guilty about the rubbish food if you could manage to inject for it? Even with rubbish food, there is no need to have constant high blood glucose, and actually injecting for it could be something to feel proud of instead of embarrassed.

If you forget about injecting before eating (happened to me yesterday), the best moment to inject for it is right when you remember. Can it be you are punishing yourself in a way with high bg because you feel guilty about your food choices or forgetting to inject?

One of the more sneaky nasty side effects from high bg is the mental effect. It can make us feel depressed and worthless, not only from guilt or frustration with diabetes management, but purely physical as well: High bg causes feelings of depression and worthlessness in many, even if we don't know we have high numbers.
After my diagnosis, when my numbers started to improve, I felt better mentally than I had in a long time. Which in turn made it easier to care for my diabetes.

So it may be that taking your insulin a bit more regularly will make you feel a lot better.

What about taking small steps?
Do you think you can inject before your evening meal tonight?
 
I really don't know. This is maybe where some mental health support would come in useful and help me get to the bottom of it.

I think one of my issues is weight. I'm 12 and a half stone approximately, so I am overweight but not drastically. I have always found if I eat the rubbish I want to eat and inject the insulin for that I gain weight very easily.

Background: I was 10 stone 4lbs back in April of this year, I started seeing my DSN regularly and began injecting again but continuing to eat what I wanted and I've gained over 2 stone.

I feel very depressed and very ashamed. I know the key is just a complete overhaul of my life. It's just knowing where to start and the feeling of being so overwhelmed.

I am currently trying to decide what to have for my evening meal. I've been correcting all night and through the day today and haven't eaten yet (I have been asleep most of the day). My BG is at 11.6 so I'm trying to think of something low carb I can take with me to work.
 

have a look at app carbs and cals, its pretty handy. to lose weight you will require to do enough exercise to burn off more than you eat, insulin works by helping reduce blood sugars - helps to convert a lot into fat which still require burned off to lose weight.

If you have a fitbit watch or simular, it can estimate the amount of carbs that you burn. I've found fitbit to be pretty good at encouraging me to keep activity levels up

hopefully you can be reassured that feeling hungry with lower than 'normal' sugar levels can get better over time and when your body adapts to a new normal things will get a lot easier so much faster .

There is nothing to be ashamed about. being ashamed is likely having the knock on effect of adding to feeling depressed. Worry about things you have direct control over.

Focus on positive rather than dwell on negatives.
eg: "if i exercise a little more it can help me to lose some weight and will also help with glucose control" , "if i make X small change it will have Y benefit.".

It could be worth asking for a refresher course for dafne. "if i do light/moderate excercise for X time... i will require a lesser dose of insulin"

I managed to lose over 15Kg whilst injecting insulin over several months so its possible to lose weight


best wishes.

etc etc
 
Hi @philly1991 ,

It very easy to feel negative emotions when having high BGs.
It’s also easy to suggest not beating yourself up.

You posted recently about having issues with your sensors?
This can be a factor in letting things slip with how one can manage diabetes.
Am I correct in thinking you work night shift patterns?? (Carer? Unsung hero’s in my book.)
One can slip into a pattern of “easy options” & dodgy food choices when sacrificing life for work..
Night shifts can throw thing askew for the injecting diabetic.. (I’ve done warehouse work.)

Starting from the beginning & working on the foundations.
Are you certain your basal insulin dose is correct?
The cracks can show in the “house” if it’s built on clay..

Best wishes.
 
I am a carer yes, but I work days. 12 hour shifts. I'm not sure if my ratios are correct but my DSN needs some readings to be able to make changes if needed so right now that's the focus.
 
philly1991 said:
I'm not sure if my ratios are correct but my DSN needs some readings to be able to make changes if needed so right now that's the focus.
Click to expand...
do you have a cgm? if not can ask to be prescibed one. there is options for dexcom and libre sensors to automatically share data with your team that is treating you (if you choose to share that info, you don't have to but would advise u do).
 
grantg said:
do you have a cgm? if not can ask to be prescibed one. there is options for dexcom and libre sensors to automatically share data with your team that is treating you (if you choose to share that info, you don't have to but would advise u do).
Click to expand...
I have the Libre 2 Plus which is set to share information with my GP and my consultant at the hospital
 
philly1991 said:
I have the Libre 2 Plus which is set to share information with my GP and my consultant at the hospital
Click to expand...

awesome they'll have some readings to go by then when changed levels they did slowly toujeo was a unit or two change every 2-3 days.. as apparently thats how long it can last in body for..

if your graph is relatively flat - fasting levels then likely dosage decent. if goes up through day (without eating) maybe needing a little more ask your dsn for advice for that. some people appear to do better with twice a day long acting as you can have differing needs depending on what doing.
 
philly1991 said:
I have the Libre 2 Plus which is set to share information with my GP and my consultant at the hospital
Click to expand...
Does your DSN have access to “libreview?”
What info are they going on…?
 
grantg said:
when changed levels they did slowly toujeo was a unit or two change every 2-3 days.. as apparently thats how long it can last in body for..
Click to expand...

I was told by my endo that Toujeo is like steering a tanker with daily adjustments.?

I can at least adjust my Lantus “predicting” what my workload is likely to be the following day..
I strike a “happy medium” with the recently prescribed half unit pen now for the basal. (Because I was either chasing lows or correcting highs, prior. Taking meals out of the equation over just one unit either way.)
But I’m still angling for a pump with my lot..
 
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