• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Morning levels and basal dose questions

F

franimal

Member
Messages
11
Hi,
I've been T1 diabetic for about 7 months now, last HBA1C was 5.8 and levels have been mostly pretty stable. I take 7 units of lantus at night and until recently have bed going to bed 6-7 and waking up 4-5. The last week I've been finding if I go to bed with levels around 7 I wake up almost the same, however if I go to bed with higher levels, i.e around 9, I wake up 4-5. It's quite frustrating and I'm not sure whether this is a case of adjusting my basal dose or eating differently in the evening?
The other reason I'm unsure whether my basal is right is that today I tested my BG just after breakfast as I was planning to walk to a meeting (about an hour's walk). I was pretty surprised to see it was 12.4 as my post prandial readings are normally under 8. However 2 hours - and a walk - later it had dropped down to 4.9. So I'm wondering, should I be lowering my basal and increasing my bolus for meals or is this just perhaps the end of my honeymoon period?
Any suggestions would be great,
Thanks, Fran
 
Hi Fran,

I'm also on Lantus - I take 5 units every evening. I have noticed the same as you recently - I went to bed last night at 10.2 (misjudged my Novo Rapid I think) and woke up at 4.1. When I have a normal after dinner reading of around 6 - 7, I wake up at 5 - 6. Don't gettit?!

It takes a long time (and a lot of help form the people here) to perfect your basal/bolus, I was having lots of problems with high after meal readings and hypos before meals, but I have now figured out it was my Lantus - I've dropped it by 1 unit a day which has really helped. I'm waiting for a half unit pen as I really need to be taking 5.5 units a day. Those half units can make a HUGE difference. So, like you said, I would try dropping your Lantus ever so slightly, keep an eye on your post prandial readings and if necessary increase your bolus.

It does make it more difficult when you're a newbie with your pancreas still being slightly active as things are changing all the time. I find that low carbing helps here, I eat a lot of low / no carb meals so I don't have to take any Novo Rapid - less margin for error!

Good luck :wink:

Jessie. x
 
Well if you tested right after you'd eaten breakfast, then your blood sugar will fo course be higher. Even your rapid insulin takes about two hours to fully absorb, so if it hasn't had that long to take effect, then your sugar levels will be up, depending on what you had for breakfast.
 
I find I need more bolus insulin in the morning (as compared to the same amount of carb eaten later in the day); however if you test just after your breakfast has hit your blood stream things will inevitably be higher.

In general your control looks very good though; if you are really worried about the 'peaks' then the thing to do is to drop the carbs said Dillinger just like a scratched record... :roll: :D

All the best

Dillinger
 
thanks for the answers, I dropeed my lantus dose last night to 6 which seemed to do the trick as I went to bed at 6.6 and woke up at 3.9 (bit too low but i'll have a snack tonight). guess i will try increasing my bolus for meals too if i need too, am reluctant to go any lower carb ( i eat about 100-150g) as I find I lost too much weight last time I low carbed.
Thanks!
 
Hi

For those of you that want to use Lantus, Apidra or Wokhardt animal insulins in half unit increments, the cartridges can be put in a Lilly Humapen. All that is needed is to attach a needle with the cover off when screwing the pen together. A small stream of insulin will shoot out as the rubber bung in the end of the cartridge locates but once the pen is screwed together, just prime as usual and you're away. :mrgreen:
 
As I understand it the after meal readings need correcting with Bolus. It is the pre meal and morning readings you need to be checking to determine if the Basal is right.
 
you could try doing a no carb meal one lunch time check sugars before meal and then before your evening meal if they stay pretty similar that would suggest your background is correct, if they drop you're on too much, if they are higher you need to increae the dose.
 
Back
Top