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Hypos hypos hypos!

Victoria B

Member
Messages
9
Hi everyone
This is my first time using the forum.My name is Vicky and I’ve been type 1 for 32 years.I was wondering if anyone has periods of hypoglycaemia and can’t explain why.I’ve been having hypos after tea and during the night.They use to call it ‘a honey moon period’ when I was under the childrens hospital.I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this and how you deal with daily hypos and any thoughts on what causes this
 

Hi, welcome to the forum. what insulin regime is prescribed.

First thing i would be looking at is if my basal dose is correct? (Things change with life & quite often for me the basal is the first to wave the white flag, keeping up?)
 
Hi @Victoria B and welcome to the forums.

I've got to say that hypos are the thing I hate most about T1 so I feel your pain.

I find that my insulin needs change over time so I would be looking at reducing my insulin if I were getting a lot of hypos (just as I increase it when I keep going high).

What kinds of insulin are you taking and what is your regime? Pump? Basal/bolus?
 
Hi Ellie M
I’m on the accu check a viva pump with bolus and basal.I increased my basal by 10% after my last appointment as they were running high all the time.My diabetes nurse has said to leave the basal as it’s a small dose and use health events to decrease my bolus.I guess this is trial error as so many things can effect blood sugars as we all know!thank you for replying all advice is much appreciated
 
Victoria B said:
I was wondering if anyone has periods of hypoglycaemia and can’t explain why.I’ve been having hypos after tea and during the night.
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For me, I found the amount of insulin I need for the same food fluctuates. So I don't keep the same ratio throughout the month but adjust accordingly to what I see.
 
Hi Jaylee
I’m on accu check aviva insulin pump with programmed basal.My diabetes nurse doesn’t think it’s the basal as I’m on a very low dose.Using the health events to decrease my tea time bolus I’ve done maximum of -30% but still have hypos a few hours after and sometimes early hours.Thank you for replying all advice is appreciated
 

Hmm, I'm not on a pump so probably not the right person to advise on that but some people do genuinely need much less insulin than others, and insulin needs do change,
 
Hello Victoria,
I am on Tandem Basal IQ with Dexcom but was on the Aviva til last Summer.
I have found that getting the basal programmes set up so you have options e.g. sickness and pmt option is useful as its a faff to programme the whole 24 hours in whilst also feeling rough. My new pump is much better and I think you will be offered different pumps once the Aviva warranty runs out as Roche are discontinuing them I believe.
Although you may be on a small dose, I think the effect builds up over the 24 hour period e.g. I am on a higher dose and just adding a couple of hundredths to my dose still leads to lows.
So if you are consistently going hypo I'd revert to the earlier basal pattern and don't panic into increasing it again until there is a pattern of highs that aren't associated with meal times (outside of 4 hours after a meal).
I realise that contradicts what your nurse is saying but just telling you how I find it!
Bolus ratios do have to be set up correctly and ratios do change over time if you are still making a little of your own insulin or you gain weight or your fat/muscle composition changes. It is early days but the health complications you are trying to avoid take a few years to develop so I'd run a little higher if necessary rather than be doing the hypo roller coaster!
I've forgotten what Events does - sorry. I did use temporary basal rates for special occasions like a long walk when I didn't want to be eating lots of extra sugar but other than that have always focussed on keeping basal rates right such that correction doses can be avoided.
 
Hi @Victoria B

If I was in your shoes and going low lots after a basal adjustment then i'd knock my basal back to it's original setting, to me avoiding hypos is essential. As Nicole has said, setting up different patterns for your basal is really useful and I do this if I am either exercising for longer than an hour or if doing a basal adjustment so i've got the original basal rate saved in case I do need to avert back.

You don't say how long you were running high before your nurse advised to adjust your basal ?

Yes our needs do change over time, mine changes with the weather so it's always important to recognise patterns over extended periods of time and make adjustments, doing basal fasting tests are really useful for pump users to help review settings, have you done any fasting tests at all ?
 
My bloods were running high for a long period before this which I think was due to stress.I’ve never done fasting before only carb free meals is this something that your diabetes team have advised you to do?
 
By fasting tests do you mean carb free meals?not sure if I’ve misunderstood.I’ve been advised to test basal by having carb free meals if I haven’t had a hypo in 24 hours
 

Thanks Nicole if it continues I’ll go back to my main basal profile.Can I ask if your pump is tubeless?
 
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