Hypo's

[emmasanders]

Hello,

I have been a Type 1 diabetic for some time now. I have got my sugars under control but have started getting hypos more often. I was wondering if anyonep on going e could tell me how they treat them. I ketoo far the other way and getting high readings.
Its mainly during the night.
Any help would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks

 

[paulliljeros]

Welcome to the forum @emmasanders The best way I have found is to take a set amount of carbs and wait, as it takes 5-10 mins for your body to process the carbs. Sugary drinks and fruit juice are generally easiest and quickest, but different people prefer different things ... 4 Jelly Babies (sadly, you don't need a full bag, or 3-4 gluco tabs or a bottle of gluco juice all do the job). Personally, I know that a 200ml carton of orange juice will raise my blood sugars 3 or 4 mmol, and so I will drink one of those, and wait. The skill is to wait, and have confidence that they will normalise shortly. The text books then say that once they rise, you should then take 10-20 g of slow release carbs, like bread or digestives.
Once you have corrected a hypo, bear in mind that you may get a false high (your liver dump) some time later and at some point after this (up to 18 hrs), your liver will want that glucose back, and so any insulin correction you take, may need to be lowered to protect against a further hypo.
Its a balancing act, but not complex and patience and experience are the secret.

 

[azure]

I use Lucozade if I need a fast lift, or glucose tablets. I take varying amounts depending on how low I am. I then test to see the result. Taking set amounts avoids over treating, I've found.

Same with additional carbs. I go for something boring and have a set amount.

If you're getting lots of hypos at similar times, you may want to speak to your DSN and/or do a basal test to make sure your insulin doses don't need adjusting.

Welcome to the forum