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Lowering your basal insulin.

tim2000s said:
Also @nessa1970, these might help you with Type 1 and low carbing:

http://crick-tech-munch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/deconstructing-myths-surrounding-low.html

http://crick-tech-munch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/managing-glycaemic-variability-by.html
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Oh great thank you very much. Have to be honest was a bit of a blow today for my first lchf day. First I forgot to even inject my lantus atall but I'm fine so far just the usual toilet visits an thirst .. but my was I craving sugar and I caved today. So m an ms an 2 litre coke it was. I'll write today off I think. Start again tomorrow. Thank goodness for a new day.. tho I'm starting to think I maybe a tad in denile that I have anything. Am I right in thinking I might be a type 2 and they got it wrong???? I mean my sugars are high 18 to 28 so far yet I'm okay. If I was type one with no insulin I'd be pretty sick from what I've read... an I feel great. Anyway. Thanks
 
I think I agree with you about being a bit in denial. You have GAD antibodies. This means that you are Type 1. There's not really any escaping that I'm afraid. Blood glucose levels of 18 to 28 are also very far from normal and are in the range where you are risking Diabetic Ketoacidosis (and having experienced it once, I have to say, it's really not something you ever want to experience). I'm sorry to say that the doctors don't seem to have got it wrong.
 
Hi @nessa1970
I am in complete agreement with @tim2000s .
with those kind of blood sugar levels you are "playing with fire".
not only for long term complications from Diabetes but in the very short term as you could deteriorate very quickly ( hours ) as ketone levels rise
 
Oh... are you sure gad tests can't be wrong tho..... oh boy. Ok well no I do not want that ketosis thing. I do have a meter for that but used the urine one an I'm fine. Thanks alot I'll have a rethink tonight as to tomorrow going forward.
 
I have checked an keatones are only 1. So I'm pretty good I think. I imagine being type 1 if that's the case that I probably have some I still make do you think?Hence this being a good time to sort out the insulin regime that's best for me. I've been told to do 16 units then back to 10 then 8 then 16 an then 10 again. I'm sort of tired of the play game with it and the weight gain. Hence my decision to start at 4.an go up from there if needed every 5 days . If I'm still high sugars come Tuesday I'll jump to 6. That seems safe of course I will check for ketones. I pick up more testing strips tomorrow at chemist till then I have the urine sticks.
 
The acceptable range for blood ketones is less than 0.6 mmol/L. Between 0.6 and 1.5 mmol/L Recheck blood glucose and ketones in 2-4 hours. Between 1.5 and 3.0 mmol/L May be at risk for developing ketoacidosis. More than 3.0 mmol/L Requires immediate emergency treatment.

Sorry to be a bit blunt -- but you are risking your health if you do not get your blood sugars lowered sooner than next tuesday
 

If you aren't in nutritional ketosis (which you aren't because you are eating carbs) any ketones should be treated as a sign you don't have enough insulin and should be corrected. Ketones of 1 (more than a trace on a urine test) aren't necessarily imminently dangerous, but should be acted upon with corrective insulin - seek advice from your diabetic nurse on how to correct. Also, if you are just getting your ketone reading from a urine test, that might not be that accurate so you could be higher or lower. So keep a very careful check on your blood sugar and ketone levels.

Failure to correct for ketones could very well be dangerous and lead to DKA - a potentially fatal diabetic complication.

If you are in the uk and you don't know how to correct for ketones and can't get hold of your DSN I would suggest ringing 111 for advice this morning.

FYI: the reference range for a GAD test is undetectable - if you have diabetes and are GAD positive, you are type 1.
 
nessa1970 said:
Oh okay. Great thanks alot. Yes I'm sure I'll be a whizz in a year or so. For now I'm taking notes.. thank you very much for all the information. Much appreciated...
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It wont take a year Once you get your head round the idea of carb counting and how to adjust your insulin, then you'll take a massive leap forward.

I think denial is something many Type 1s go through. When I was first diagnosed, I kept thinking that maybe they'd made a mistake. Anything would set that thought off - people being on higher doses of insulin than me, people struggling with control whereas I wasnt, etc, etc. I do think that it takes months to come to terms with.

But you need to think positively. You can get a grip on this, and, by controlling your blood sugars, you'll be beating the Type 1

High sugars will cause short term and long term problems. The fact you're feeling ok could just be because your body has got used to high sugars, but they'll still be causing damage.

I know it's not easy, but each tiny step forward you make will help.
 
I'm in new Zealand. My bs is 28.8. And I'm getting the blood ketone strips tomorrow from the chemist. I feel fine I'm fine. Certainly better than a 4 an having a hypo. Tomorrow I'll be drinking water and eating eggs bacon. Having my 4 units of basal an see how go. Thank you for your advice. I'm pretty sure I'm no were near any dka.
 

I'm glad you are feeling ok. But with blood sugar of 28 and ketones I would strongly consider getting in touch with your medical team for some advice.

Look after yourself.
 
catapillar said:
I'm glad you are feeling ok. But with blood sugar of 28 and ketones I would strongly consider getting in touch with your medical team for some advice.

Look after yourself.
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I will ring tomorrow. Too fill them in. Thank you very much... have a great day
 
Yes it is definitely alot to learn and trial for yourself and to accept I think is the hardest part. It's not nice knowing you are stuck with insulin for ever or you die. So it's a bit of a huge adjustment for sure. Thank you
 

I'm glad you're getting the ketone strips

I second the comment to be very careful and look after yourself. When I was diagnosed I had a blood sugar of 25 and some ketones. The doctor called an ambulance and I totally thought he was overreacting. I felt a bit rough but I didn't think I needed an ambulance! I even tried to argue with him!

If you're in any doubt whatsoever, do speak to a doctor.
 
nessa1970 said:
Yes it is definitely alot to learn and trial for yourself and to accept I think is the hardest part. It's not nice knowing you are stuck with insulin for ever or you die. So it's a bit of a huge adjustment for sure. Thank you
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I'm optimistic that a cure is on the way. We're closer now than we've ever been.

Type 1 is an unwanted companion, but if you take care and control it, you can push it back down and get on with your life
 
I definitely feel fine so far. I'm drinking water now too ditched the coke....of course going toilet an thirsty is part n parcel with high sugars. But I feel ok. At least I'll go to bed at least not worried like I do with low sugars.... what should I look out for re symptoms re this dka Azure?
 
azure said:
I'm optimistic that a cure is on the way. We're closer now than we've ever been.

Type 1 is an unwanted companion, but if you take care and control it, you can push it back down and get on with your life
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Yes I look forward to being on that track. Yes I did read something about a pancreas there making. It's so exciting. Just hope it's not a million bucks to get one.
 

The symptoms of DKA are here (scroll down):

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-complications/diabetic-ketoacidosis.html

But - I'd honestly be phoning an out-of-hours doctor service for advice with blood sugars that high. Things can deteriorate quickly.

Regarding the hypos and lows - carb counting will reduce those as you'll be matching your insulin to your food.
 
Oh thank you azure I'll look at that.... really can things deteriorate quickly. Hard to imagine I feel so good. But I totally believe what you are saying... I'll also fill on my endocrinologist this weds too re my new plan I'm trialing and hoping it will work. Tho that's probably my denile at play.
 


Let that picture process in your mind for a second. That's me just before I was diagnosed and a few months after. There's nothing healthy about me in the picture on the left.

With your blood sugar in the 20s your body is LITERALLY eating your muscle trying not to starve to death (look at my arms between those pictures if you don't believe me). Without insulin your body also can't absorb the extra glucose in your blood stream...but it has to go somewhere (otherwise you'll die). Right now, your kidneys are working extremely hard trying to filter out all that extra glucose and over time that process can cause irreparable kidney damage.

As someone who was in your shoes a year ago (September 2015), I'm begging you to get your blood sugar under control and then focus on losing healthy weight. If you're feeding more than yourself at dinner then I'm assuming you have children. Do it for their sake if nothing else.
 
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