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Night hypos....

AlexandraMarnie89

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Anybody else struggle with night hypos? I've had them every night for about 3 weeks now. Nurses advice is to lower my basal insulin - I do this and all that happens is I end up high! I go to bed with my sugars between 7.8 and 9 at around 23:30 and I wake up around 3am with levels usually between 2.2 and 3.1. It takes a LOT of sugar and food to get me out of it and around an hour as well. Tonight is a bit different. Can't sleep. Took long acting at 22:00 haven't had any short acting since 19:00 so that not it. But just tested and at 1.8...was 7.8 at 22:45. Any advice?!!!
 
My guess would be basal still too high but not enough info to say for sure. Can you keep a diary for a week or so ? All foods, carbs, BG levels and insulin.
 
That's what I thought, I've put it down a lot over the last 2 weeks (gone slowly from 12 to 7) and at 8 I'm still hypo-ing and at 7 I was waking up around 19 :/ pretty fed up!
 
Hello Alexandra,

Based only on what you have stated here, I would make a guess that you are using Lantus?

If yes, then this could explain the Hypos . . . (just search my recent Posts - I have mentioned Lantus Hypos many times).

If no, then just ignore this Post.

Regards
Antony
 
Ahhhhh thank you! I am on lantus because none of the other long acting insulins have worked for me, although I have recently been having issues with it stinging and actually hurting to inject. Never would have crossed my mind that it could be my sites causing the problem - I never really pay much attention to them - I just shove it in and that's that!! I think I'll try to use my legs tonight and see if any better 'cause can't cope with another night like last night.
 
Do you inject lantus once or twice a day?

Do you always inject lantus at the same time each night?


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I inject it twice a day. And night time is usually between 10 and 11.
 
Ok, so what time do you do your other lantus injection? As it may well be that you will need to change the timing of one of them.. Ir if hypo's remain contant you may wish to consider a pump as this would be enough reason to get one.


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Again between 10 and 11 in the morning so that there's 12 hours between. That what I was told to do with them,not sure if its right? I am waiting for my pump. I was told that I'd have it within 2 weeks just short of 2 months ago now. Consultant is saying that I need to go for tests to see if there's another reason for my hypos - lack of steroid production apparently? - but I haven't got my appointment through yet. Don't think that the understand that I need something done about it quickly as I'm on my own with a 2 year old and potentially could be dangerous. On top of the fact that, as I think I've already said, I really over eat with night hypos and then spend the day high and feeling awful.
 
Hi

It looks as though your body doesn't need much insulin working in the background between certain hours of the night as you tend to go hypo around the 2-3am mark but around 4am your bg levels start to rise up. What can you do while you wait for a pump? Well, one way is to eat a small carb snack before going to bed as that will deal with preventing the hypo at 2am and wont affect your bg at 4am. As youve found out already, if you reduce the lantus, the hypo stops but the reduced lantus doesnt stop the bg rise at 4am. Another way is to inject the lantus at about 6pm in stead of 10pm and then that would alter your bg levels in that lantus action with the bolus will make your bg go a bit lower before bed unless you alter the bolus ratio but the lantus action will not be as great as leaving it till 10pm and you should be able to avoid the hypo.

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Agree totally. I think timing of your split dose of lantus needs to be moved forward in the evening for a trial few nights..


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I would bring it forward, but I can't as interferes with work if I do and I'm not allowed any more breaks and not allowed to inject infront of people :/
 
Do you usually eat a supper at night?
A while back I was suffering with hypos during the night or highs in the morning. It was discovered that the morning highs were actually being caused by hypos during the night that I wasn't waking up for. My liver was kicking in and taking care of it, and leaving me with high levels the following morning. May or may not be the case with you.

I'd advise asking the diabetic nurse if you could be fitted with a continuous blood glucose monitor for a week to see what's happening in between your tests. I found it very helpful
 
Were you diagnosed fairly recently? if so your body may be producing insulin intermittently, perhaps more so overnight.

As Hooked suggested, eating some supper may help things until your pump is sorted out.
 
Nope 5 years ago and I do eat before bed but still hypo - which I really shouldn't!
 
Can you bring forward at all, say till 9pm? Me, I would try having one weetabic and a small amount of milk if dropping so much by 2-3am.. No insulin


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Do believe that one night you ought to consider doing a check at 1am, 3am and 5am just to see more detail as to the severity of whats happening. It will be good tondo pre pump as well...


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