Hoping to get some advise on the recent behavior of my blood sugars. It seems like no matter what i do i can't get the reading to stay below 10 at the moment. To the point where taking over double the amount of insulin i normally do with a meal doesn't have an impact.
I've had a recent bereavement in my family and i'm wondering if this is all to do with the stress of that and when i can expect it to settle down again.
Before this I've not had any troubles maintaining a good blood sugar reading and have been (according to my consultant) a non diabetic level for over 3 years. I've recently started using the Freestyle Libre monitoring gadget. I've previously be advised against frequent testing
Just a little worried that with the excess insulin i'm taking i'm at risk of a hypo at an unexpected time.
Any advise from someone that has experienced the same would be welcome
First thing I would do is change your insulin, possibility it may of gone off, but it is an easy one to rule out. Next check your sites for lumps.
Stress is the most probable cause as it can elevate your BG levels, however it may be that you are coming down with something, so say dental infection, possible cold/illness.
Continue to monitor, there is no definite time line as to when things will settle down again, but keep watching it on your libre and contact your DSN to update them on your changes, they will be able to run through your correction doses and readings and see if any further adjustments need to be made, hope it sorts itself out soon for you
Hi @dankelly84 Stress can certainly throw your blood sugar off kilter.
I second @Juicyj 's advice to change your insulin and check your injection sites too. It's always best to rule out obvious things first.
I understand why you're concerned about hypos. All I can suggest is to proceed with caution and test frequently so you can see if you're going too low after a meal and then top up with some carbs. If you're uncertain about a bolus dose then you could err on the side of caution and then do a small correction dose later if needed.
Firstly I am sorry for your loss. Its a really hard time and I am sorry you are having diabetic problems on top of everything.
Secondly, absolutely stress can cause elevated sugars. I lost my grandma a couple of years ago whilst I was doing my PhD and my sugars were all over the place! I would literally be high as a kite one minute and sitting on the floor crying with a low blood sugar the next! Try not to worry about it too much (it'll add to the stress!) and remember that you are doing the best you can! My sugars took a few months to calm down, but they did calm down in the end.
I would suggest trying a new insulin cartridge (maybe just get rid of that packet of insulin if you can!) and also rotate your injection sites. If you take a long acting insulin (I am on Glargine) then try and take it at the same time each day religiously. Testing (although a pain) is your friend at this stage - you need to really keep an eye on everything as closely as you can, take notes on what you eat when and the affect it has on your sugars... This can be really helpful for your diabetic team to look for changes to make. Have you actually had any hypos or are you just worried about them? Even the best controlled diabetics may have the odd unexpected hypo - just make sure you have glucose or whatever you take to bring it up again close to hand at all times.
I had already swapped out my Novorapid and Levemir insulin pens and regularly check injection sites. I'm also religiously testing my sugars with the Freestyle Libre getting a good measure of how my sugars are acting over the course of the last 8 hours each time i test. (as you suggested @beckysalvage i'm creating my own blood sugar rollercoaster at the moment.)
I've got a pretty good sense of when i'm going too low, and am able to correct in time, Just trying to get to a point where i'm not fluctuating from 6mmol - 18mmol without rhyme or reason.
Again thanks all for your help, i think its just going to take sometime to sort itself out.
