No consistency

Looking at your previous posts I can see that you are not new to this 'game' so let's forget about the handwashing stuff.

Do you ever do a repeat test when you have an unexpected reading?
Could your strips be damaged? Try a different pot?
Any difference in activity levels in that 2 hours?
Could the efficacy of your insulin be comprimised ?
Did you inject at the same / similar sites?

Tagging a couple of T1's for input @Jaylee , @Antje77 , @LooperCat , @therower , @Juicyj

rubyanne22 said:

Good morning,
I am a type 1 diabetic.

I am finding it very difficult get consistency with my bloodsugars.

Two days ago when I woke up, I was 6.5.
I injected 6 units ten minutes before eating two slices of brown toast.
Two hours later I was 8.5

Today when I woke I was 6.8
Again, I injected 6 units ten minutes before eating two slices of the same brown toast.
Two hours later and I am 15.3

I am not unwell and nothing has changed.
How can this be?

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Hi, @rubyanne22 ,

Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried changing the timing of your bolus? Rule of thumb is around 20 minutes before food.

What were your numbers like 4 hours later?

Thaks for the tag @urbanracer
I'm afraid my experiences won't be of much help:

For me, I find my insulin need fluctuates. A week ago I needed 9 units for exactly the same food, similar time of day, similar activity level as I ate today. Today I took 5 units and it sent me hypo, last week it sent me higher than I started out with with 9 units. Next week I'll probably be back at 7 or 8 units for this particular food.
I have no clue why this happens and I don't know how it works for others.

Welcome to my world. My solution was to not eat carbohydrates. Well, almost. I do eat some green leafy vegetables.

rubyanne22 said:

Thank you for your reply. 4 hours later it was back to a good level. Yes, maybe I didn't leave long enough between injecting and eating.

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Hi,

Sometimes it's a fine balance getting the timing right on a bolus & metabolism of food may not be the same on any given day, either.?
Novorapid for me, can sometimes have a little "flick in the tail" 4 or 5 hours later?

Antje77 said:

Thaks for the tag @urbanracer
I'm afraid my experiences won't be of much help:

For me, I find my insulin need fluctuates. A week ago I needed 9 units for exactly the same food, similar time of day, similar activity level as I ate today. Today I took 5 units and it sent me hypo, last week it sent me higher than I started out with with 9 units. Next week I'll probably be back at 7 or 8 units for this particular food.
I have no clue why this happens and I don't know how it works for others.

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I am exactly the same. I have tested and tested this so I know it to be true, there is no rhyme nor reason for it and it means I end up 'guessing' whether to take 2 units or 4 units or 6 units for the same meal at the same time on a similar day! I am wondering whether for me it is because I may still be producing some insulin (3 years since diagnosis but still on small amounts). So if I take too few units, my own insulin or what's left of it kicks in and if I take too much for the meal I go low. Arrrg. x

rubyanne22 said:

Again, I injected 6 units ten minutes before eating two slices of the same brown toast.
Two hours later and I am 15.3

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Hi there, I know jumping 6 points is puzzling but sometimes I wonder whether that's just the way it is and as long as it's not a sustained high, you may never get an answer why!! Our bodies are wonderous things and are usually massively fine tuned to produce whatever it needs at exactly the right time and in the right amount, things fluctuate all day long and every second of the day and here WE are trying to emulate the job of a pancreas which is one of those organs that never stops working in a normal person and can adjust immediately to work with whatever else is on the move. x

Hi, if I've read it correctly you did come back down to within your desired range without correction? Perhaps timings will help as suggested above.

I've noticed since lockdown I've had to bolus novorapid up to 30 mins before a meal. This depends on the complexity of the meal, but also exercise over the past few days. I find my insulin sensitivity really increases with just a bit of exercise, for up to 4 days later. So while you might have had a similar day on both occasions, your body might still be responding to previous days?

Before lockdown I'd inject novorapid 10-15 mins before meals, but have been monitoring my libre spikes since lockdown and found I sometimes need to bring it as much as 30mins before the meal. I queried this with my consultant this week (had routine annual clinic via phone) and he pointed out this is usual if I've been even just marginally less active than before. If your blood isn't circulating as quickly as before as you're less active, then the bolus injection will take longer to be broken down and transported around the body from where it has been injected.

Something which can help even more is even more careful injection site rotation, he also recommended.

I've tried to continue exercise every day, and so am a little surprised by how large an impact what I think is only a small decrease in activity is having. Perhaps this would help you? I realise I had more confidence in bringing my bolus earlier as I have an unlimited number of libre scans, so don't want you to risk hypos or subjecting your poor fingers to more tests of course! Best of luck!