Night time hypos...type 1

[GavinG]

Hi all...ive been type 1 for nearly 3years now. I haven't been sleeping properly for the past month. For the past couple of weeks ive been having night time hypos for the first time....some really scary. Ive cut back on both my bolus and basal doses of insulin, but it's still happening. Im just wondering if anyone else has had this experience and how they coped with it?. Still learning here....thanks ;-)

 

[Engineer88]

have you been recording and looking for patterns? have you done the DAFNE course?

Most of us have had night time issues at some point or another

 

[GavinG]

Ive been keeping an eye on my levels since this started....I only seem to be low at night...slightly higher tgan I should during the day....everything seems yo be out of whack!!!... I have a hospital appointment this week so ill ask about the DAFNE course...heard its really helpful. Its the frequency that's worrying me...and that its stared all of a sudden! My control is usually quite good.

 

[Engineer88]

ok so what time(s) are you hypoing? is it the same time every night? What are your levels before bed and when do you last eat/ take insulin (plus which insulin and how much?

 

[GavinG]

Between 1 and 1:30....my levels before bed are between 10 and 14....I was on 20 units of lantus but reduced it to 16 units when this started. U had been on 20 units of lantus for over a year and a half...I have reduced my Novorapid by a couple of units each meal to see if that helped too....its a mystery to me. Hoping its just a blip :O

 

[Engineer88]

Right so, I would recommend doing some basal testing (it sucks, dont shoot the messenger) and what time are you doing Lantus? what time are you eating? do you know exactly how long novorapid works for you? ( for example novorapid doesn't work in me for 2 hours. then starts working. other people have the same reaction.) Novorapid should be working for up to 4 hours post injection.
Insulin needs change frequently, you'll get used to this.

 

[GavinG]

Thanks for your help :-D .....id try anything at the minute...ive never felt this run down....again...thanks ;-)

 

[noblehead]

Between 1 and 1:30....my levels before bed are between 10 and 14....I was on 20 units of lantus but reduced it to 16 units when this started. U had been on 20 units of lantus for over a year and a half...I have reduced my Novorapid by a couple of units each meal to see if that helped too....its a mystery to me. Hoping its just a blip :O

Unless you have active insulin on board from a previous meal then there's no way your bg levels should be dropping 6 or 10mmol overnight, if our basal insulin is correct bg levels shouldn't fluctuate by more than 1.6mmol.

Do as Engineer suggests and do some basal testing, however if your going low during the night and high during the day you might have to consider split-dosing your basal insulin to give a better 24 hour coverage, but the bg results will say either way, if you do then ask for guidance from your DSN.