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How can I control my levels?

Hi

Another update.

I tested my levels before dinner last night and it was 9. After dinner was 8.6

During night 7.9

Before breakfast 7. I took 10 units of novorapid instead of 16/18 that I normally take and two hours after it's now 5.8.

Now I can reduce my novorapid further which I'm sure is so much better than having doses of 18-28!

Looks like increasing the levemir has certainly taken a positive effect! I'm so happy! I was diagnosed diabetic 17 years ago and never once have I had levels below 15 sit his is a real positive for me. Just need to keep on top of it

It means I can now look forward to getting the go ahead to try for a baby soon!

I do now find that when my blood sugars are dropping around 5/6 I start to feel really hot and my mouth gets dry. Something which I normally associated with higher levels. Is this normal?
 

@Shazia555

I am so happy to read that you have so successfully started to improve your readings so quickly. That is absolutely fantastic for you and the decrease in novorapid usage is excellent too. Well done you.

The dry mouth at 5/6 levels are probably just a reaction to lower levels and may actually just be your individual hypo warnings.

I wouldn't worry about the dry mouth at 5/6 levels.. Just use the dry mouth as a low warning. The dry mouth feeling may well reduce and stop once your bloods are running lower constantly.
 
Can I just say a great big thank you donnelydogs for your support.

It's still going on the right tracks

Before lunch was 6.0
2 hours after it's 5.8. (Had a pear)
4 hours after it's 6.0

I'm needing to check levels more consistently as I'm working and being a driving instructor cannot afford to hypo when on the road.

My dn mentioned I should feel better once my levels are controlled but to be honest ever since I started insulin I have felt weak. Before when on tablets I could work the whole day till 9pm with little to eat but since on insulin I feel weaker. Is this normal and is it simply the drop in levels making me feel like this.

Another question. How should I adjust my insulin of I am to go abroad?
 
Totally agree that you need to watch your levels closely due to your occupation.

Never had any doubts you could bring down to lower levels. You did this by your planning and dosing. Nothing directly from help here. That is your achievement totally. So lovely to see your last levels posted too.
Just make sure that you gat enough strips to test and look after yourself on a consistent basis. Honest, to see your levels now, within a week is phenomenal success for you.

I can only say keep watching just incase there is a further pattern with say stress, hormones etc. i know cos my levels have gone up in last 5 days from having my parents stay.. I didn't change anything because I knew they would return to normal within hours of them leaving today. Sure enough I'm right... Just watch consistently to see if you have triggers to higher levels or lower levels. They become more apparent when you are consistently achieving good levels.

I am sure that you can stay stabilised to look forward to geeting the go ahead for a baby. I'll dip out then as I have no idea on how the heck to handle hormones during pregnancy.

It may be worthwhile if you are consudering a baby to ensure that you talk to GP's about your vitamin b and folic levels to ensure that are healthy and also vitamin D3. For some reason vit d drops with diabetes. Both b and d levels affect weakness as you describe. Would be worth discussing under the wish to try for a baby rather than a diabetes consideration??

Insulin abroad may be well worth asking in a different post solely because it depends on length of flight or cruise, heat, cold, self catering or fully inclusive etc...but I'm sure otgers may be along here to help. I haven't been abroad recently so feel a bit in the same boat as you!!!!

So well done you. Terrifically proud that you took on board suggestions and tried them but all the credit is yours... Well done...
 

Thank you.

But I do stress it has been a positive help having someone to talk to

It was the maternity diabetes nurse who put me on insulin as I told my gp that I wanted to plan a baby and they forwarded me on to her. She started me on folic acid almost two months ago as it's imperative to start folic acid early before conception if you are diabetic due to possible complications that may arise.

I will mention taking vitamins to her on my next visit as I shall be seeing her on the 16th where she will be doing my bloods.

I will keep an eye out on stress as there are some days students stress me out a lot

(Just checked before dinner 6.5 and two hours after 6.9!! Only took 15 novorapid whereas in the past I was taking 28 units)



Thank you again
 
Hey fantastic!!!!

Did you increase your basal?

I can imagine stress with some pupil. That made me chuckle so much.

The nurse may offer to just do another test on things like thyroid. b12 and folic are normally done together, (vit d3. Tests unlikely) and iron.
Especislly as tiredness etc is really expected when levels are higher, but not when established back at normal for a while.

Incidentally. were youtold you needed an exemption certificate when you went on to insulin?have you got one? Just checking...

Your bloods are so improved, well done. Nurses may sometimes be a bit retucent to hear that you changed the way to sort yourself out.. Rather than using the advice they gave.. Be aware of that.

Really so glad for you. Hope baby trying will be suggested as acceptable with your lower levels. Brilliant.
 
try not eating after 5pm for the overnight basal test, that way there will be no fast acting when you do your before bed test..10pm ?
 

She did a rubella test last month but didn't mention a test for anything else

I'm sure if it's acheived results then she can't complain ( I hope )

Xx
 
Hi I think that in your daily routine you need to bring some exercise into play. I have been a T2 diabetic for about 10 years and I have noticed that whenever I get high levels a good cardio session 3 times a week helps to bring levels under control. Taking out white bread pasta and wheat etc will help you to keep levels lower.
Best of luck
 
I have found that exercising after eating helps to keep them lower so i take a brisk walk with the dogs after each meal weather permitting my dogs hate the rain and instead of them pull me around its reversed to me pulling them
 
although having said that sometimes it does not work and they remain high....never understand it never will
 
Yeah it's up and down. Can't really find a knack as all sorts affects levels. I find sometimes I go gym and when I get home they are around 6 but when I wake up in the morning they go up to 12. Can't be dawn phenomenon as around 4am they are around 5 so unsure why they rise

Sometime after gym they are higher than before going gym and around morning time they are slightly lower
 
Is every single factor around gym the same?
Have you tried same exercise exactly say for 3 days, same food prior to going etc and same food if needed after?
 
Hi

Yes my gym routine is usually the same just the exception being doing abs or not.

I have found that my sugars always rise by three in the morning from the time I check at 3am

For example aftee gym my levels could be 14 at 3am it's around 10 then before breakfast it's 12.

I have spent the last three days missing lunch and taking no novorapid and the levels before breakfast. What should be lunch and before evening meal has been consistent around 9 so this I think means my basal dose is correct.

I'm at a loss here because I really feel like giving up. Sometimes after gym my levels shoot up to 18/20 when before gym was 14
 
Last night before evening meal my level was 11.7. I took 18 units novorapid and ate three fish cakes and three vibes of water melon.

Before bed level was 13.4

At 3am it was 10.1

I took a correction dose of 10 units novorapid

When I awoke at 6:30 level was 6.7

Maybe I need to take correction dose to keep fasting levels in single figures?
 
It shouldn't have to mean waking up at 3am to do this every day though.

To keep fasting levels in single figures still indicates a basal being incorrect...

Are you one basal a day or two? What timings is it or are they?
 
My levels are always around 10-14 at 3am and before breakfast have always risen.

I take 34 units of levemir at 22:30 and 16 units at 10:30. I used to take 50 units just at 22:30 and then I had two weeks where my levels wouldn't go below 15. My nurse changed my basal to human insulin but on injecting it was incredibly painful and left big lumps on injection site so I asked if I could go back to levemir but split the doses and she agreed

Would you suggest increasing the basal more?
I was told if the levels are consistent before meals then basal dose is ok or am I wrong?
 
Consistent yes, but consistently higher levels is a concern.
After your food last night you didn't rise too much so to me going higher at night levels indicates basal needing tweaking.

Has anybody ever discussed U500 strength insulin with you?
This is 5 times stronger than the U100. Perhaps this could be discussed with your health team? As say instead of 50 units you would only need 10??

When levels are above 12.0 exercise can make levels go up higher. My gym has a level of 13.8 set for diabetics not being allowed exercise.. This figure I believe is too high... As I have always been told that levels over 12.0 and no exercise...

To see whats happening at night you really need to do a basal test 5 hours before bed with no food... And so all novorapid should be out of your system by bedtime.

Levels of 9.0 are still too high on a daily basis...

I was also told that if high or low within 2-3 hours of a bolus then its your bolus. (Correction or eating) At all other times its your basal....
 

I went through a period where I was late for my periods and was so high of up to 18 all the time and I ended up taking 80 units of levemir and that reduced it a little but not much

The 500 units seems interesting and I will discuss this as I have an appointment with the consultant on the 23rd of July

I feel useless sometimes especially when I hear some people are on ten units of basal and two units of boils and I think why is my body so resistant??

I've also noticed I get pins and needles a lot now in my arms and feet. Never had this in the 17 years being on tablets. I'm thinking maybe the insulin is doing more bad than good as also my eyes are getting worse
 
Eyes will be from having higher levels...

Are you on metformin?

I think u500 should be discussed. Consultants don't seem to recognise how much 80 units is to inject. Really, how would they like it?

I know how comparisons are made to others but cherish your body for being you.... Don't worry about others.

Have you had your eye screening done recently?

Don't feel useless. There are also others on more insulin. I know of one young lady that is on higher rates and thats just from a few people that I know personally...

Glad you got an appt with consultant soon...make a note of u500.. It maybe that nurses etc are not aware of it as they may well just put everybody on u100....

Catch up later...
 
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