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Hypos

Marfmama

Marfmama

Well-Known Member
Messages
110
Hello I'm new! I'm a 26 year old diabetic, diagnosed about 18 months ago. I feel awful today - have had a couple of nasty hypos, after dinner I went to 1.9, hate it when it happens when I'm on my own with my young son - his dad is away tonight! Had to eat one of my little boy's Easter eggs (I find coke is the most effective remedy but my other half always drinks my stash) and now I feel sick because I'm not used to so much chocolate anymore. I think my son has had the proper flu this week, he has been so ill since last Saturday, could hypos mean I'm getting ill too? Iv always had high sugars when ill. I'm a bit nervous as I haven't had the flu jab. Anyway sorry for the rambling post, it's hard sometimes havin no one to talk to who understands how you feel! Feels very similar to when I was a new mum and all I talked about was my baby and I could just see my child less friends getting g more and more bored with me ha!!!
 
Hi and welcome, hope your feeling better. If you are having alot if hypos you will need to reduce your insulin. Usually if ill most would have high sugars, but, some may go low, all individuals and all different. Also chocolate, as nice as it is, is not the best thing for hypos as if you were dropping rapidly it would not raise your levels quick enough as the fat content would slow the absorption of the sugar. Always use high sugar low fat content things usually about 15g carb which is nearly all sugar. The quicker you have the sugar, the quicker you will recover and feel better.

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Hi thanks for your reply! I know chocolate is not the best but we barely had anything in the house so didn't have much choice. I'm having a frustrating week - my sugars have been really high during the week (one day they were at 18 and I'd followed my usual low carb diet) and then today I've had three quite bad hypos despite eating a good amount and taking my normal amount of insulin - it's hard after 18 months still not having perfect control, I did so well at first and thought it was easy, but I realise now I was in the honeymoon phase. I guess you never stop learning!
 
I'm sure you'll get there, it is a total change from normal eating and having to learn what effect all kinds of food, excercise and alot more have on our levels. Are you on mdi and do you carb count?

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Hi Marfmama!

Welcome aboard, and be assured nobody here will get bored with you talking about your diabetes! It is such an individual condition, different things work for different people!

It might be worth having some glucotabs or similar handy, and with the number of hypos it's probably worth talking to your DSN about them!

I'm almost 3 years in, and still have unpredictable days!

:)

Bob
 
I take novo rapid 3 times a day and Levimir at night. I'm trying to teach myself to carb count - I was on the list to do the course in Liverpool but we moved to Yorkshire at Christmas and my new practice has been rubbish so far - I was meant to have my 6 month check in January and explained this to the surgery when I registered an they assured me I would soon be called for a full new diabetic patient check - but here we are almost in April! They were also useless at helping me sort out my prescriptions, I miss the team in Liverpool, I lived 5 minutes from a large hospital with its own diabetic centre ! I would really like to do a carb counting course as I think it would help so much!
 
Yes, definitely insist on a course (if you can see anyone). It is stupid that diabetics are not offered a course as soon as they are on mdi. the first thing I was taught on it was to ensure my basal was correct as if that is out everything else would be.

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I have been on a carb counting course, but as someone who had a balanced diet to begin with I have to say it was a waste of my morning. I would consider it an intro to what carbs are rather than carb counting. I don't need a dietician to tell me that there is carbs in potatoes.

I'm on the waiting list for DAFNE. I'm hopeful to get on the November one. That sounds like the level that you're at too. The "carb counting" class I had just told me to read the label which is no use to people who cook from scratch and didnt even touch on how to dose adjust. Not ideal!
 
Yes It was the dafne course I did. I would advise to get the carbs and cals book from amazon. It had pretty much everything in there and if cooking from scratch you can weigh your food and work out how many carbs per gram from the book and x it by the number of grams you have to give total carbs. I totally enjoyed the course and learnt alot

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Oh I see, what's dafne then? I make all my meals from scratch - one positive thing that has come out of this is I have learnt to cook and really enjoy it! I have been reading 'how to think like a pancreas' but I think I was naive in expecting to be given a magic formula for how to matc my insulin to my meals but its kind of a guessing g game still, I am very sensitive to the stuff so even one extra unit really affects me - iv worked out if I have a sandwich for lunch I need about 4 and for my. Evening meal about 5 or 6, but I still have days when I get it so wrong and have crazy sugars. So frustrating.
 
Aha Brett it sounds like that book contains the magic formula I am after! I shall have to order it and some scales!!
 
Dafne ~ dose adjustment for normal eating. Teaches how to work out carbs in all types of food and will educate how to find correct ratios. Also some people will have different ratios different times of the day.

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Marfmama said:
Aha Brett it sounds like that book contains the magic formula I am after! I shall have to order it and some scales!!
Click to expand...

It will tell you how many carbs per portion of things with weights. Simply divide the amount of carbs by the weight of the food listed to find how many carbs per gram. Then times the amount per gram by the weight of your food. A calculator is very handy for this. Also has a quick visual guide for reference handy when eating out. I can even work out carbs on take aways by weighing them. As you say 1 unit out causes highs/lows.

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I'm very sensitive to insulin, I really want a half unit pen! In 24 hours I use 10 - 12 units which includes my levemir. I use a different ratio for breakfast and lunch compared to dinner

DAFNE also helps you get your basal sorted, is that right Brett? That is where I struggle. I think you should phone your DSN tomorrow and get yourself signed up for the course! It's 5 days so means a lot of time off work but I've given my work a heads up that it will be happening and they're fine with me taking the extra time off. I'm excited for when the time actually comes!
 
Yes it will teach you how to do your basal and basal tests throughout the day to make sure that is correct

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I don't even have a diabetic support team here, so far iv met a nurse who registered me at the surgery and a gp who I went to to beg for needles as I had lost my old prescription in the move from Liverpool but he couldn't find them on the system despite me bringing him the packaging they came in, he promised to sort it out bad get back to me but never did, luckily I found the old prescription and was able to sort things out myself (I still haven't heard from him, I had told him I was reduced to re using needles and it was really hurting) so anyway I need to get myself booked in for a diabetic check as they appear to have forgotten about me, in the meantime I'm going to ring my old nurse from back in Liverpool as at least she knows me and she was very kind.
 
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