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Physical work and diabetes

I

Ian C

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi there, I am a landscape gardener and have been for 20 years. Suddenly started feeling sick and lethargic and irritable. Does anyone else with a physical job feel like this?! What can I do to manage my diabetes alongside my job?
Many thanks!
 
Hi Ian. Yes, with a little bit of effort it can be done. How is your diabetes ? Do you hypo often ? Diet ? Lastly, suddenly feeling sick, lethargic and irritable may or may not have anything to do with diabetes.
 
I think @donnellysdogs is a gardener so I'll tag her for you.

Do you test your blood sugar often when you're working? What are your results?
 
Hi there, thank you for your replies. I often go hypo in the morning at work and manage it with orange juice. Later on in the afternoon, my sugars are high. I eat to appetite and try taking things like fruit and pasta into work. I haven't had a week off work since Christmas and went to the docs yesterday and was signed off work for 2 weeks. He thinks I've burnt out due to doing too much so am keen to stop this happening again!
 
It sounds to me as if you need to have a chat with your DSN and learn how to manage your diabetes by adjusting your insulin to what you eat.
Having diabetes should not cause problems by doing manual work.
 
Hi Ian

Pleased to meet a fellow gardener.. I have done lanscaping...

From my iphone I can't tell if you are type 1 or 2. So I will assume type 1.

I am not the main bread winner though and only work a max of 26 hours a week.

Are you eating breakfast? And then going low 2-3 hours after..? Or working without breakfast and going low?

If you are on basal insulin - is this a split dose or 1 dose?

I basically go all day without food and only eat at night. If I go low its because my morning basal is wrong. Or because I get wsking phenomenen if its within 2-3 hours of that bolus I need to lower my waking bolus.

I am odd though. I often get berated by people for only eating 1 meal a day in the evening only. It works for me as I am effectively just basal testing all day, except for the 2-3 hour after my correcting bolus to counteact my highs from waking. I also have slow colonic transit which means I have no hunger or appetite. So I find it easy to go without food all day.

My evening meals are lower carb but higher fat from avocados, olive oils, olives and nuts etc. I also have fruit, with chia and flaxseeds.

I also go to the gym.

It really depends on your insulin timings and injections to find the causes of your lows and higher levels. If you could indicate a typical work day regime it would be great.

I also have less basal for mornings when working compared to weekends when I relax.
 
Also. As you have been signed off.. (Are your levels better?)
 
Thank you for your reply. I'm on novorapid and glargine. Is that similar to what you're on?
 
Novorapid and levemir.... Was on pump for 5 years but too lean and muscly for the cannulas to work well. To be honest I won't go back to pump.

From going back to MDI I initially went to 20 units of lantus.... At night.. One dose and it was not good for levels.

Since advice on the forum I asked for an initial switch to levemir and played around with split doses. Currently 6 or 7 units at 11pm (ish-as late as 1am) and 6-8 units about 8am or 9am (ish). All depending whether I am working or off. If off I have a higher dose im morning. If I've worked the day before I will still have a lower amount at night.. Ie

Friday worked and went to gym..
Fri night 6 units

Saturday off
Sat AM 8 levemir 3 novorapid correction for waking...

Saturday night 7 units levemir

Sunday off
Sunday morning same as above
Sunday night 7 units Levemir

Monday working.
Will be 6 units morning and 2.5 correction bolus.
Probably 7 units levemir evening.. But will depend how much work or gym I do Monday...

I base everything on what I've done work wise or gym wise the day before for my night levemir dose.

What I am going to do for the day ahead for my morning dose if levemir and correction of bolus for waking...

It was a pain to work out initially as I had my pump so fine tuned but within 3 months this works pretty good.

I had considered tresiba (deglydec) with consultant but I don't think it would give me the flexibility that I need.
 
I work around 50 hours a week in the summer, I'm just feeling extremely tired at the moment and the doctor has signed me off sick. I eat a lot of carbs throughout the day e.g pasta and bread. But I'm always tired.
 
Has your GP run other tests for iron deficiency and thyroid etc?
 
@Ian C how much fluid do you drink during the day? Hard physical work, long hours + warm weather could add up to dehydration which would cause dizziness, sickness and lethergy. It could also accecebate the symptoms of a pre-existing vitiman deficiency or interfere with your diabetes. Just a thought....
 
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