i cant get my levels right my doctor said he wanted my sugars at around 5 after 2 hours of eating which if i get that right by 4 hours later my sugars are below 4 and im a mess i really dont know how to get round this saying that sometimes even if my sugars are not at 5 after 2 hours by 4 hours after my insulin im having a hypo ive had to leave work again today as i had a hypo i did tell them that i needed to go eat as soon as i started to feel my sugars droping but it took them half an hour to get my break so by then i was having a hypo sugars were down to 3 so basically im asking if any one has any ideas on how i can get this 4 hour period between eating and insulin with out having a hypo or my sugars still being to high
hypos
- Thread starter meggit13
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Esther1411
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Hi Meggit,
Wow, I'm no expert (diagnosed type 1 and using insulin June 2011) but 5 two hours after eating seems low to me I'm ususally around 9 if i'm good and I've got it right. What insulin are you using? I find that if I keep a snack on me, something like a few almonds or half a bananna or a digestive biscuit then if I feel myself getting low it usually stops a hypo. When I was first trying to get myself sorted out I came on here a lot and there are a lot of nice people with a lot of helpful advice. But you should probably be working with your diabetic nurse as well.
Esther
Wow, I'm no expert (diagnosed type 1 and using insulin June 2011) but 5 two hours after eating seems low to me I'm ususally around 9 if i'm good and I've got it right. What insulin are you using? I find that if I keep a snack on me, something like a few almonds or half a bananna or a digestive biscuit then if I feel myself getting low it usually stops a hypo. When I was first trying to get myself sorted out I came on here a lot and there are a lot of nice people with a lot of helpful advice. But you should probably be working with your diabetic nurse as well.
Esther
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5 would be too low for me 2 hours after eating as 20-30% of my bolus would still be active, like you come the 3-4 hour mark my levels would be guaranteed to drop below 4 if I didn't have a snack.
oh this is so confusing im really having lots of problems comming to grips with all this and just cant seem to get my insulin and food to balance properly during the day and all the doctor tells me is increase the novarapid and glagine makes me want to scream somedays
Obviously I don't know how you are are managing you diabetes, but I would adjust my insulin to carb ratio a little, hypo's 4 hours after eating is a little extreme. Reducing the insulin a tad should stop the hypos while still ensuring your BG is controlled. I would speak to your DN though.
Hi
Blimey 5 seems a bit ambitious!! Bit like resting on a knife edge... Not to say that doctors don't know best?but your the one with diabetes and the more you stress about it the worse it will get. Just aim a little higher, I would aim for the 7 to 8 mark? You won't always get it right, your not a machine. Next time you see your doctor tell them that 5 is not practical for you and your working life. I work for myself and can stop whenever I like but I wouldn't want to be that low when working? Just try little tweaks to your insulin regime and see how it goes?
Good luck and remember jelly babies are great to lift you up, there always smiling? Till you bite there heads off!!
Blimey 5 seems a bit ambitious!! Bit like resting on a knife edge... Not to say that doctors don't know best?but your the one with diabetes and the more you stress about it the worse it will get. Just aim a little higher, I would aim for the 7 to 8 mark? You won't always get it right, your not a machine. Next time you see your doctor tell them that 5 is not practical for you and your working life. I work for myself and can stop whenever I like but I wouldn't want to be that low when working? Just try little tweaks to your insulin regime and see how it goes?
Good luck and remember jelly babies are great to lift you up, there always smiling? Till you bite there heads off!!
Hello Meggit
I've just read this thread and I think that your doctor (GP ?) has got their wires crossed somehow. The only way you could get a bg reading of 5mmol 2hrs after eating carb would be by injecting a lot of bolus insulin before you eat some food especially if your bg level was at 5mmol anyway, which will more like also send you towards being hypo by the time 2.5-3hrs had gone by and you will find yourself starting to lose some of your awareness in recogonising low bg levels. If you are not under a diabetes consultant or dsn at a hospital then ask to be referred as they will be able to advise you a bit better I think.
If you don't know about calculating your insulin using an insulin to carb ratio then ask your doctor to explain how to do it or to refer you to see a dietician who has some knowledge of DAFNE using the NICE blood glucose guidelines (this forum also has the details of the bg levels people should try to aim for).
Insulin to carb ratios is also explained a fair bit on the forum but if you dont get it, then please just ask and someone will help
I've just read this thread and I think that your doctor (GP ?) has got their wires crossed somehow. The only way you could get a bg reading of 5mmol 2hrs after eating carb would be by injecting a lot of bolus insulin before you eat some food especially if your bg level was at 5mmol anyway, which will more like also send you towards being hypo by the time 2.5-3hrs had gone by and you will find yourself starting to lose some of your awareness in recogonising low bg levels. If you are not under a diabetes consultant or dsn at a hospital then ask to be referred as they will be able to advise you a bit better I think.
If you don't know about calculating your insulin using an insulin to carb ratio then ask your doctor to explain how to do it or to refer you to see a dietician who has some knowledge of DAFNE using the NICE blood glucose guidelines (this forum also has the details of the bg levels people should try to aim for).
Insulin to carb ratios is also explained a fair bit on the forum but if you dont get it, then please just ask and someone will help
Is there any specific reason for this target? Because it's way lower than the usual ones - recommendation is < 7.8 mmol/l 2h after meals (1h pp during pregnancy).
If there's a good reason for that target, the best solution is to have a snack after 2h.
again i am no expert but at no time in my life of being diabetic have i ever been told to aim for my bloods to be 5. I have always been told between 6 and 8. I would have thought aiming for 5 puts you in danger over going even lower
