I'm a terrible diabetic

H

HirvioAlg

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hello, I think it's time I admit I need help. I have had type 1 diabetes for nearly 6 years now and things are not looking up. Through these years, I have had roughly 16 episodes of severe nightly hypoglycemia - bad enough to have the ambulance called, as I lose consciousness when I'm asleep. I do use a meter to manage my diabetes; however things get pretty bad at night, especially when I'm tired. Often, I wake up if my BG drops too low, but sometimes I am not so fortunate...
It has gotten so bad recently that I am strongly considering a CGM system to prevent sever episodes; however due to my current situation, I am not able to self-fund such a system. I am aware of NICE guidelines for NHS funding, but I would like to hear about people who have gone through something like this and perhaps receive some advice. I am going to see a GP ASAP, but any information or support would be extremely appreciated, as I am at my wit's end. Thank you for reading, and have a nice day.
 
GrantGam

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Sorry to hear about this, hypos are a nightmare.

Are you having hypos regularly during the day as well as evening?

Are your hypos strongly linked to when you've been drinking?

Do you eat a lot of carbs daily and close to bed time?

Although CGM's can prove handy, they themselves cannot prevent hypoglycemic episodes. It will take a lot of work, a lot of careful adjustments of basal and bolus doses and a good expansion of your knowledge base to correctly use the info gathered from a CGM.

Have you read "Think Like A Pancreas"? If not, I'd strongly recommend you do. It helped me a lot with dosing adjustments and also my general understanding of the condition.
 
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Snapsy

Snapsy

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Messages
2,552
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi @Incredebil and welcome - you're in the right place! Sorry to hear it's been so difficult - such severe hypos must be really scary.

And you're not 'terrible' - having problems with diabetes doesn't make you 'bad' - it's not a judgment call.

You're not terrible, you're @Incredebil. And it's nice to meet you!

:)
 
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Juicyj

Juicyj

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
9,029
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
Dislikes
Hypos, rude people, ignorance and grey days.
Hey there - not surprised you are at your wits end I would be too if I was you. Ok asking the obvious but do you know what's causing them ? You can do a basal check by setting your alarm for 3am which is the lowest your bg will be during the night. Also try to ensure you have eaten and injected your quick acting at least 3-4 hours before bed. The libre is a good way to get an overnight picture of your BG levels.

It's vital to get on top of this asap as night time hypos really should be avoided at all costs and they can be avoided so don't worry it's just knowing why and then making adjustments.
 
steve_p6

steve_p6

Well-Known Member
Messages
418
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
£50 plus postage for a libre sensor and a compatible android phone will give you two weeks of graphs to figure out what is happening and you can then show those to the Dr/Consultant for professional advice.

It might be useful to describe the regime you follow pump or mdi, carb counting, high/med/low cafb etc so those who have faced similar issues can advise.

To echo @Snapsy we have all been there at some point and the help here is fantastic.
 
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donnellysdogs

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Type of diabetes
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To get better control and help you need help from a consultant and hospital.

Ie a libre at some hospitals is being given to some patients to trial free of charge for two weeks. Your GP cannot organise this gor you. They haven't got specialist knowlege ref pumps/cgms or even different insulins.

Best thing - get to see a consultant..
 
tim2000s

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
@Incredebil - I wholeheartedly agree with @donnellysdogs - Get your GP to refer you to a diabetes clinic and be completely open with them about the issues you are facing with managing your diabetes and how you feel about it. They will be able to help you and you should be able to get both advice in how better to use your insulin and also with some technology for a temporary period to help you understand what is happening.

We are also here to help yo on your journey to getting the issues you face resolved, but as a starter, get that call in to the medics. It will start you off in the right place.
 
tigger

tigger

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Messages
558
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
Dislikes
registrars asking silly questions
I second all the advice above. Get under a consultant so you can get acces to cgms and better advice. If you can't pinpoint the hypos to a specific management issue and you have hypo unawareness at other points of the day also discuss changing insulin type. Not everyone reacts well to every insulin. IDDT is a great organisation to talk to about all the options.

Good luck. This is no way to live and don't put up with it any longer.
 
Snapsy

Snapsy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,552
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi @Incredebil just dropped in to see how you're feeling - hope you have a nice weekend. Hope the GP was helpful, if you've already seen him or her.

:)
 
azure

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@Incredebil Youre definitely not a terrible diabetic. It must be awful for you to have so many severe hypos and my heart goes out to you.

Have you tried a change of basal? And what are your thoughts about a pump?
 
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