Struggling please help

[Lucyturner]

Hi, I'm new to the forum I have been diagnosed as type one for just over a year but I cannot seem to get my blood sugars under control they are continually up and down I have tried carb counting and it hasn't worked so I'm back on set doses of insulin I inject 5 times a day add I have to split my Lantus and I have novorapid as my fast acting. I am 29 and I also have to take hrt due to going through the menopause at the age of 19 and I am also going through tests for possible epilepsy but they don't know if it could be stress/anxiety. Does anyone have any advice as I am gaining weight and also very tired and my mood can change very quickly which is difficult when I have a 2 and a half year old daughter through the miracles of IVF and an amazing sister and very supportive and understanding husband but this is starting to get me down. Any advice will be great.

Lucy

 

[BADEST WOLF]

DAFNE ! Dose adjustment for normal eating great course but needs your diabetic doctor / nurse to recommend you Helps better control. Understanding. Also my wife has used slimming world & although she isn't diabetic I do most of the cooking from her books and convert her system of diet to my Dafne system we both eat very full plates very healthy food. She lost 4 1/2 stone Ive lost about a stone feel lots fitter and healthier


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[Daibell]

Hi. You talk about carb counting but not about low-carbing. Do you control your carb intake and keep it low-GI and control the portion size. What is a typical set of meals in a day?

 

[Lucyturner]

My usual meals are breakfast at about 7 which is either porridge or weetabix with banana, lunch at about 1 is usually a ham salad sandwich, crisps, yogurt and banana and tea is usually about 6 and is usually something like spaghetti Bolognese, out some type of meat with new potatoes and veg. I take 20 units of novorapid with breakfast and lunch and 15 units with tea. I split my Lantus 6 in the morning and 14 at night. I can go to bed with a bs of about 7.2 and wake up in the high 20's or just HI.

Lucy

 

[daisy1]

Hi again Lucy

Daibell is right to mention low carbing. Have a look at the information I posted for you previously and I think you will find this helpful. Ask more questions if you still need help.

 

[vicky_l]

oh Lucy

Having just read your normal day intake of food my mind went ohh that is so high in carbs

I am type 2 so different I know but was told to avoid bananas as most diabetics find them too high in carbs and you eat complex carbs at every meal which I would also struggle with if I ate your menu I am sure (not willing to test it tho) I would hit hypers all day and esp waking BG would rocket

how about trying some other fruit or breakfast just pick say one meal a day

dont want to nag or tell you how to eat but if it was me I would change all my meals this would be my new menu using yours (if that makes sense)

breakfast ~ porridge or weetabix, no banana, mayb a boiled egg too

lunch ~ sandwich (check the carbs in bread people have recommended some thats low carb pumperknickel is good and brugen?sp) with lots of salad meat or fish or cheese or eggs, natural full fat yogurt with some berries maybe, no crisp or banana for me

dinner ~ could you try say the bolognase on a bed of cauliflower rice instead of pasta (cauliflower rice is just boiled cauliflower which you mash or put through a ricer a handy little tool) or say meat or fish and loads of veggies

If my BG was high in morning on waking I would definately want to start with limiting evening levels of carbs and see if over a few months that helps

but please please know I am new to this too so my reactions might be out of ignorance too

Vicky_l

 

[Lucyturner]

Hi Vicky_l, thank you for the advice it's really helpful. I will try what you have suggested especially cutting out bananas and crisps, I have checked a lot of different breads and now eat granary as it seems to be the lowest in carbs as I eat the smaller loaves. Right now I will try anything to get this under control.

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[vicky_l]

Happy Eating

baby steps will get you there :wink:

Vicky_l

 

[smidge]

Hi Lucy!

I have LADA which is a slow-onset form of Type 1. I take Levemir basal split morning and evening and Apidra rapid-acting with meals. I find that if I eat a carb-rich meal, my BGs are uncontrolable now matter how carefully I count the carbs and work out the insulin doses. The way I control my BG is to keep the carbs very low and certainly cut out or reduce to tiny portions all the major starch carbs - bread, pasta, rice, potato, cereal. Would it help if I give you an idea of a day's meals for me?

Breakfast - 50g raspberries, 75g full-fat natural yoghurt, 15g granola - 2.5 units Apidra to cover
Lunch - whole chicken breast, salad leaves, cucumber, 2 or 3 cherry tomatoes, red pepper, radishes. Half a small orange (about 50g), a tablespoon double cream. 1.5 units Apidra to cover.
Tea - home-made chilli. Sugar-free jelly, cream. 3 units Apidra to cover.

If I need to snack during the day, I'll eat a piece of cheese or a handful of mixed nuts.

Obviously if you cut back on the carbs you will need to reduce your bolus doses, so do it carefully and slowly.

The other thing the struck me with your description of what is happening is that maybe your basal dose is wrong. Your basal dose should hold you BG steady through the night. If your dose is correct, you shouldn't rise or fall more than about 1 mmol. The way you can test this is to fast from early evening so that you don't eat or take any bolus after say 5.00pm, but jab your basal as usual. Test before bed then set your alarm and wake and test every couple of hours through the night. If your BG rises your basal dose needs increasing, if it falls your basal needs reducing. It is almost impossible to get your bolus right until you have got your basal right, so that's where i would start.

Good luck

Smidge

 

[Lucyturner]

Thanks Smidge,

That is amazingly helpful I'm going to start reducing my carb intake slowly and I'm going to take your advice about fasting in the evening and checking my blood in the night and then increase our decrease my doses.

Thank you so much

Lucy

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[vicky_l]

You Are Doing Great Lucy

baby steps thats how to get this one I believe :lol:

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Thanks for posting your meal info. The other posts you have had clarify the good diet approach. Bananas confuse a lot of people as they are a fruit i.e. good but annoyingly they are very high carb (but so nice!). When you do have a yogurt do check the label as so many are stuffed with sugar. If you want a fruit one then I have Irish Yogurts Diet variety which have added sweeteners and no added sugar. I agree with Smidge ref the insulin having recently moved to once-a-day from tablets and having read posts from other insulin user experts. My morning readings after a bedtime Levemir are typically 4 (yes, a bit low) and if I was to add fast-acting in the future I would try to control the basal first to between 4 and 6.