Low after work

[Rina84]

I work in a pub and I notice that after I do a late shift (sometimes it’s more likely if I have been a bit anxious or stressed in my shift) my blood sugar drops in the night, I test before bed and am the same and normal sugars so around 6 or 7 and haven’t taken any fast acting insulin for more than 4 hours but I still have a hypo. I have tried taking less slow acting insulin but that doesn’t stop it, any advise or thoughts please

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @Rina84 when are you going low during the night and how often is this happening ? Also what basal insulin are you using and when are you taking it ?

 

[phdiabetic]

Try having a snack about an hour beforehand, maybe 15g carbs, and see if that helps.

 

[Ethanw57]

Try having a snack about an hour beforehand, maybe 15g carbs, and see if that helps.

I used to have a slice of toast before bed (about 15g carb) to keep my sugars up overnight, worked quite well and easy to fit in

 

[Rina84]

Thanks for all the help I’ll try a snack

 

[Deleted Account]

It could have something to do with physical exercise. Working in a bar in physically demanding being on your feet for hours at a time which can drain some of your glucose reserves.
If this is happening, you may need to reduce your basal on the nights you are working in the same way as I reduce mine after I go for a run.

 

[Rina84]

It could have something to do with physical exercise. Working in a bar in physically demanding being on your feet for hours at a time which can drain some of your glucose reserves.
If this is happening, you may need to reduce your basal on the nights you are working in the same way as I reduce mine after I go for a run.

I have tried to reduce it I even forgot to take it one night and still went low, Thankyou though ill give it a try again

 

[Rina84]

Hi @Rina84 when are you going low during the night and how often is this happening ? Also what basal insulin are you using and when are you taking it ?

It depends and varies on a nightly basis, I take levemir I take it just before bed

 

[catapillar]

It depends and varies on a nightly basis, I take levemir I take it just before bed

On what basis are you varying your levemir dose nightly? The job of your basal insulin is to keep you flat-ish when not eating or bolusing. Levemir is very responsive to dose changes so people might change their dose for exercise or at the weekend when they aren't working. But varying it on a nightly basis and not even being able to say what sort of units your dose varies between does suggest you might not understand what your basal insulin is for. Have you basal tested? Here's a guide on how to basal test - https://mysugr.com/basal-rate-testing/ . DAFNE guidance says one nocturnal hypo is too many and recommends immediately reducing basal by 20% to avoid further.

 

[nessals946]

Maybe you could split your levemir dose? I used to take mine at 10am and 10pm before i changed to tresiba.Splitting my levemir helped with night time hypos.