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Same low carb breakfast, BG now 22.1

Lynnzhealth

Well-Known Member
Good morning, everyone: I am wondering if anyone else with T1 has had this situation. This morning I had the same low-carb breakfast as I usually do, and I dosed the same as I would with my wake-up BG. Now my BG has gone up to 22.1. I even did the finger prick to see if my sensor was on the blink. I get so frustrated when this happens, of if it drops for no reason. Has anyone had this experience, and if so, how did you manage it? Oh, and I also just gave myself 5u to help get it down to the normal range. This is not the first time this has happened, however, it hasn't gone this high before. Scares the heck out of me. Thanks in advance.

***UPDATE*** On Sunday mid-afternoon I decided to have a coffee. I use sugar-free syrup and Premier Protein instead of sugar/cream. After I drank the coffee I got a high glucose alarm. I checked it and nearly passed out. **24.1** WHAT? After a few minutes of disbelief it struck me to check the syrup. It wasn't my normal sugar-free brand, but a different brand and I didn't notice that it was NOT sugar-free. The amount of sugar was horrendous. No wonder my BG went through the roof. So, that bottle has been poured down the sink. Good thing I happened to have another sugar-free bottle in the cupboard. OMG One has to be so very careful with everything. Hopefully I won't do something dumb like that again. Sorry folks.
 
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Can it be you have something brewing?
I currently have a very nasty cold and am needing way more insulin than usual.

Any chance your insulin has been cooked in a hot car or such?
 
I'd try another pen/cartridge from a different box if you have one.
Is there any possibility you forgot to give your insulin for breakfast or long acting insulin? It's easily done.
Could be a faulty pen.
Are you able to check for ketones?

Hope you start to see lower figures soon. High bloods can make you feel rough.
 
Antje77 said:
Can it be you have something brewing?
I currently have a very nasty cold and am needing way more insulin than usual.

Any chance your insulin has been cooked in a hot car or such?
Click to expand...
Well, that might be possible, but I feel perfectly fine at the moment. My insulin is never in the car, unless I go somewhere and have it in a case with a small cold pack.
I wondered if I had forgotten it this morning, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. I leave two covers on the window ledge and in the morning when I dose I throw those two out. It helps me remember. I have forgotten before. The pen worked at lunch. I just checked my ketones and the reading is 0.2 mmol/L. Maybe I did forget. I forget. Thanks for the tips.
 
Insulin is actually pretty hardy with mild heat. Although some have said they think fiasp isn't. I let my humalog sit in the car while I'm out swimming severaltimes and I know someone that experiments with it just for fun out in the car with hotter temps, or expired etc. I have humalog that has expired for 4 years and it works fine. But I included a study about heat. You could have bad insulin, it happens, just not as easy as you think. Watch for a cloudy or discolored look to it. But it is more likely to not like being shaken a lot or freezing/too cold of temps. My problem is with infusion sites. A definite difference in absorption. If you happen upon scar tissue (it's not always obvious) you won't necessarily absorb it well. That can happen with shots too.

Plus there is the honeymoon period, I know you were misdiagnosed as I was, but honeymoon periods can last over 8 years, it's possible that your needs might be going up some days.

Another possibility is FOTF (Foot On The Floor), Sometimes it's when you first put your feet on the floor and get up, but in my case it's about an hour after I am up. But my reaction to any food is magnified with my levels going up and needing 2-3 times the amount of insulin for any food in the am. The hormones released cause insulin resistance for a few hours, and in my case, I know it causes a slower absorption in the am, so some of it hits later. And unfortunately the reaction can be steady or vary day to day. I have an extra 1 1/2 units programmed into my pump with a slight increase at 8:00 am and a significant increase between 9-11am. But some days I am giving myself an 1-2 extra units on top of that. I get DP or both off and on too, right now it's usually FOTF with some random DP.

Of course as some have said before, getting sick or not getting your basal will cause it. Those will probably let you know by continuing to need an increase all day.


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Hi, Lynn, Looking at a few of your posts, i think you may be approx my own age - 74 ??? Though i am not sure you have had Type one for as long as i have -43 plus years - but what you describe is happening to me a lot, whatever i do, sometimes i need 5 extra units, other times i need even more, other times i need over 7 extra in the evening, not the morning. 23.00 has been my highers this week, and i have just had a 16.4. My diabetes team say that i have had Type one a long time, and that i am "older" and that these sudden unexplained rises and other changes in control are known about. But just the last 8 weeks it is getting more and more difficult. I just have to persevere, and keep going, adjusting a lot, and trying not to eat, even if i have little food all day. If you find out more about any reasons for sudden rises in older Type ones, please let me know. I have also developed more carb resistance, but have not yet had time to discuss in detail. Best Wishes, Anne
 
I was just going to update my original post, then I read your post, because I have a question about the FOTF thing. I am forgetting whether I am supposed to go with the BG I get before I get out of bed, or the BG after I'm moving around some. I think that might be the problem with the morning dose. Like this morning, BG was 7.8 before I got up. Then I checked just before breakfast and it was 9.5. I dosed for the 7.8, and it's now still 12.4 after 2 hrs and it's out of range. I must be doing something wrong. Thanks for your help.
 
Hi Anne, I am 75 yr & 4 mo. I have only been dealing with T1 since 2019. I was misdiagnosed with T2 in 2017. Trust me, T2 was a lot easier to control than this roller coaster ride. Sundays fiasco was my own doing. DUH! However, my diabetic educator told me that being older does affect it. Everything seems to affect mine and it's very frustrating. My team doesn't like the low-carb thing, but my blood work results since 2017 have been great. I am going to research and see what I can find. I like Dr. Bernstein's book (he's had T1 since 1946?) and he just turned 89. That's why I like him, because he is very experienced with T1 and has tons of good advice. I also like the Diet Drs. I'll have to update myself because I forget most of it. Age, I guess. If I find anything about we "older" folks, I'll let you know. (See my update on my original post-DUH). Take care, Lynn
 
@Lynnzhealth I do a correction dose for whatever my BG level is when I first wake (if it's higher than I like). Then I add a dose when I first start to trend up for the difference. I know I am on a higher FOTF trend right now so I pretty much give myself extra when I notice I start climbing and take another dose or two if I look like I am even trending higher than expected, because the amount of a rise can vary some each day. And because of the insulin resistance in the am it can cause some of that to hit 3-4 hours later and I just eat something then. It's pretty close to when I eat my major meal anyways or I have my favorite pineapple snack..

I am on a pump and CGM though, so I know my pattern variability or trends and when I climb the most and smaller extra doses along the way are easy.

I don't low carb, although half the time I do intermittent fasting from evening to noon. Stopping evening dosing lets me make sure my levels are stable for bedtime and my reaction to food is just over the top in the am. I do eat in the mornings when I go snorkeling or when I haven't slept well and decide I want coffee which I put soymilk into.

It's when it really varies day to day that drives you nuts.
 
It might be stress. This has a massive effect. Been type 1 for 35 years and it has a major impact I am sorry to say.
 
My BGs do this if I bolus and then eat straight away but more happens when I'm having a bowl of cereal or other high carb..I need to prebolus at least 15 mins prior

Also some sugar free stuff can be heavy carb still, I noticed that once with a coffee syrup so u gotta watch that
 
Omg
I did not know about foot on the floor

I often go high after I get up always seems to be the second I jab levimir in my bum

I don’t understand why it does what it does. I am very insulin sensitive I can’t just inject a correction my sdn told me not to inject corrections without food as it confuses my body so I only correct at meal time

It’s all crazy. Frustrating. I just want to be 6 and have a straight line. But come to accept this in never gona happen even though I try to keep cabs per meal about 30 or less. Just this crazy diabetic life
 
I’m always afraid to order a diet coke in a mcdonalds or restaurant for this reason

One time i also drank a Monster Energy Nitro, which jas the same lay out as Monster zero, but contains maximum sugar. Only discovered after hours that my bg had sky rocketed..
 
I never drink diet drinks which aren't in a branded can or bottle, been ccaught out like that in a pub so id they have none I'd prefer to drink water to be safe (if I'm not drinking alcohol of course! )
 
@Blueduck FOTF is because of hormone releases that people make to get ready for the day. DP does the same thing it's just before you wake. In a "normal" your body releases insulin to utilize that glucose released by the liver, unfortunately we don't. We have to take an outside source of insulin. That hormone response seems to just vary per person.

I do not low carb. I eat what I want as long as it's vegan for me. For me it's about figuring out the timing and amount of insulin I need. I always prebolus unless it's a higher fat meal. I prefer prebolusing half 30 minutes before I eat and the rest when I eat. That way I can adjust the second dose to what I actually eat. That will vary of course to what I am eating. That won't work for a lot of people. I have a friend that same timing won't work for her, she does high carb low fat and she is insulin sensitive and she takes a third 10 minutes before she eats. Timing and how food effects you is just something you learn as time goes on.

Just a note in case you are not aware. Sugar alcohols still have some carbs. The different ones have different amounts. The idea is they process so fast they don't boost your BG level if you are "normal". But even though type 2's still make insulin, they can't always process the carbs and it can effect them. Type 1's don't make insulin to process them at all. Sometimes if it's a small amount it can be blended in with the insulin we take along the way. But sugar free sugar alcohols aren't really carb free.
 
We are all so different if I injected 30 mins before food I’d be hypo I have to adjust depending on my bs maybe 10 mins before if I’m higher that 6, but if I’m 5ish I need to inject half way through eating. Everyday is an experiment
 
Hi Lynn
welcome to the oldies club, I was diagnosed type 1 at 5 and am now 71 so a few years experience I have noticed over the last couple of years some odd occurrences with my bg and especially since I have started using dexcom 1+ and can monitor more closely. I think one big issue with me is the CGM. I see highs that maybe I wouldn’t have before and react to them (I have diabetic retinopathy, have lost sight in one eye and my ophthalmologist says keep bg low) By maybe correcting too soon (my DSN says don’t correct till bg above 17 but I ignore that) I have ended up on the renowned roller coaster
Getting older is a problem for many but for diabetics I think it certainly adds many issues which can be challengin.
Good luck to us all, Iain
 
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