night time hypos

[Curleous]

Hi all

i see a lot of posts on here concerning night time hypos. Is it possible to have these hypos and not be aware of it. I am waking up regularly with higher readings than i go to bed with.

Thanks
Curleous

 

[phoenix]

Yes, it's certainly possible, I don't think anyone knows the extent of it. One study using continuous monitoring of some diabetic athletes on a training camp (so exercising heavily)found a lot of undedetected hypos, typically occuring at 3.45am when the subjects were asleep. Fortunately if we do go low our liver should respond.
I think I wake up when I go low at night but without a monitor, the only way that we can check is by setting the alarm and testing... unfortunately not an infallible method unless we check every night. It is a good idea though to do some night time checks to find out as far as possible whats going on. It could be that you are having regular hypos but alternatively your basal may not be high enough or it could be that your levels are rising just before you get up (fuel ready for the day)

 

[vic griff]

yes im t1 and my count is always sky high with the reading high on it.

 

[lilibet]

Rebound is a possibility but in all honesty you wont know until you test, so maybe set the alarm for around 3am

If it is too high, and there are no hypos then you need to look at basal in first instance
Maybe too low, or not lasting long enough etc?

 

[tonyrees68]

yes i agree a 3am test will help if you go unaware hypo in the night then the body responds with glucogen and pushes up the blood sugar reading in the morning . your background /insulin dose maybe wrong for you or your taking to much insulin your Diabetic nurse can explain this for you

 

[Curleous]

thanks all

wil have to set the alarm for three for a check i feel.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Insulinman]

Night time Hypo's, A Very sore point I have just seen ONE of my Consultants, He has seen
My Continuouse Glucose Monitor Graph on a Paper read out?
He has asked if I can get another done as this Massive great NHS Hospital cannot do them??
NO MONEY?

Yes I have "4am Hypos" about 5 nights out of 7 every week? And there is NO Answer as to why?
It is called "The Dawn Phenomenon" OR "The Somogyi effect!
And YES seen the Pictures, Read the Book GOT the T-SHIRT (SAME AS I STARTED? 34 YEARs AGO)

Many GPs, Doctors, Consultants, Diabetic Nurses, Pump Nurses and???? No perhaps NOT
think these conditions "DO NOT EXIST"

ON THE HELP Most of the above advise is correct, Have a bed time Biscuit or two (TRY and see)
and/or a drop more Insulin (A Little drop more TRY and see) If when you wake you dont feel well
you have had a Hypo

IF??? your Doc, Nurse, Say NO. Tell EM you know a Bloke, who has got a bit off PAPER

Regards all B

 

[Philip60]

I was getting some night-time hypos even though my moring reading were a bit high. So I changed my Lantus basal insulin from 1st thing in the morning to lunchtime/early afternoon. :idea: I have a fast metabolism and was 'using it up' too quick. Now my morning readings are lower, even though I dropped the dose slightly to avoid the night-time hypos. And because I still produce a bit of my own insulin in the morning, this is the best time to 'run out' of basal.

 

[qrp]

Hi, Curleous, and sympathies to you! Lots of us get this problem. Three comments.
One: juggling the basal did it for me with a split dose - 70% at breakfast, 30% at lunch. Levemir doesn't really last a full 24 hrs so the second dose tops it up through the night when the first dose is weakening.
Two: there's a hypo symptoms alarm you can buy, worn like a wrist watch. It senses temperature and moisture. I've had 2 or 3 warnings over the last year.You get false alarms if you stick your arm outside the duvet for any length of time but a small price to pay for the peace of mind. GiantBiosensor.com
Three: there are some excellent books that will tell you all you need to know about how to manage your insulin (and quite inexpensive, too). There's "Using Insulin" by John Walsh and "Think like a pancreas" by Gary Scheiner which is an easier read whereas Walsh is more detailed and needs more concentration. Amazon has them. Cheers qrp

 

[kegstore]

Hypos at night are just the worst for me, mainly because I no longer wake up for them. As I'm also a very heavy sleeper, even my pump alarm has no chance of waking me to do something about it. After a bad one I might wake in another part of the house many hours later, with a trail of destruction as evidence, and a bg level of 25+ (record was 33) - classic rebound hyperglycaemia and extremely unpleasant in itself.

DP affects everybody (it can be observed in non-diabetics) to different degrees. Before I had my basal profile nailed I would regularly wake to a bg reading of 10-14, now it's more like 4-5 but only because I ramp up the basal rate from about 2am. Still need to keep an eye on it though, as with everything about this lovely condition, nothing stays the same for very long!

 

[qrp]

Kegstore, your post prompts me to add that the wrist alarm I'm using has a vibrator (as well as a bleeper) and that's the thing that wakes me. I guess it would wake most people. qrp

 

[kegstore]

Kegstore, your post prompts me to add that the wrist alarm I'm using has a vibrator (as well as a bleeper) and that's the thing that wakes me. I guess it would wake most people. qrp

I wish! My pump has a vibrating alarm too but to no avail. When I say "heavy sleeper" I can sleep through anything, which has advantages, but with diabetes not so...

Thanks anyway!

 

[Useless Pretty Boy]

Point of interest, a high daily caffeine intake can hae a severe effect on reducing night-time hypoglycaemia.

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_chann ... ryid=11401

There are others around, but I can't be bothered looking right now. Caffeine also increases sensitivity to hypoglycaemia, allowing you to avoid it during the day.

Drink more coffee, people!