Houston we have a problem

A

Anonymous

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Hello,
i am type 2 and insulin controlled. I use novarapid during the day and lantus overnight. I started on a low ish carb diet about 10 days ago though my regime has been fairly strict for the last 2 months.

For the last few nights I have had the same problem overnight. I tested myself before bed and had a reading of 5.4 - I took 20 units of Lantus and my 850 metformin. I have reduced the Lantus from my prescribed dose of 30 as my waking readings are a bit low. About an hour later I wake up with mild symptoms of a low. I'm used to overnight hypos and can recognise the symptoms - faster heart, breathless, taste in mouth. So I take a reading and it's 6.0 (or 5.8 on previous nights) . On each occasion I've treated it like a hypo and eaten something (usually just a single weetabix) and gone back to sleep.

So what's going on. My waking level its solid at 3.5 which is a bit low. My insulin intake is now minimal since I reduced my carbs to 140 per day (with exercise as I need a banana when I swim). I generally only use 6 units of Novorapid per day. As I said I've already cut the Lantus back.

Any ideas whats waking me up?

Simon
 

noblehead

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swimmer,

As you say your ''used to overnight hypos'' it could be your waking up an hour later with a bg of 6 is due to anxiety, that said breathlessness and a racing heart could be something unrelated to diabetes so it might be worth having a chat with your gp about this.

Waking with a bg of 3.5 does suggest you need to reduce your lantus insulin a little more to bring your levels up to a safe level.