Suger levels high

Maybe worth changing your cartridges/pens if you feel fine and not coming down with a cold or something else.

You can use the 100 Rule to work out a correction dose, you basically divide 100 by your TDD (total daily insulin doses including both basal and bolus), the figure you are left with is the amount 1 unit of insulin should bring your bg levels down by, however when bg levels are high like yours you may need more insulin to bring your levels down as some of us find we become more insulin resistant when our bg levels are in double figures.

Unless you've been advised to do different, it's best to inject your meal insulin before eating so it has a chance to get working. Injecting it after meals could mean more spikes and highs.

I am on NovoRapid, and find about 15 minutes before eating is the best time to inject.
If you are struggling and too unsure about using correction doses, make an appointment to see you Diabetes nurse and take their advice. If you do try a correction dose, make sure you test frequently to observe the effect it is having and to avoid any nasty shocks.

Samwar said:

Hi all need some advice please I was diagnosed t 1 in November I started to get a hold of my sugars but since Thursday they have been very high up to 18s, I've read about a correction dose to bring them down how do u do that and also do u do inselin before food or after I've been doing it after could this be my problem, because I can't have sugars to high as my back is starting to hurt again it was pain in the back that took me to docs when they found my sugars were high thank you in advance. Sam

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Hi before food I was told I tried it after food didn't work for me!

Please ask your nurse for 1/2 unit pens. On small doses of insulin increases are better when changed by 1/2 a unit.....

Regarding your back pain... This in all honesty is unlikely to be anything to do with your blood glucose levels and therefore you should still aim to keep them between 4.5 and 7.5.....

Baths or showers should not be a problem either... You may wish to have a bath pre eating if you are worried about hypo's after you have ate... However you would still be hypo whether it was bath or shower... The thing is to stop the hypo's.

Are you carb counting your meals?

Hi @Samwar

Try to adjust your bolus doses to achieve a reasonably good target bg of 5-6mmol before eating a meal and allow for the bolus dose with food to be around 8-8.5mmol about 2.5hrs later. If you are higher than your target levels, then use a correction dose to get bg back to the target. The 100 rule is fairly good at working out the correction factor but is based around the total daily dose of insulin (bolus and basal added together) being roughly accurate. If lots of corrections are done then those should also be added to the TDD so that the 100 rule can be used again to work out the new correction factor. The same also goes if less insulin becomes the new TDD. If bg levels go too low then eat some small amount of carb to get bg back to the correct target. Afterwards, make note of carb eaten, bolus used, correction bolus (if any) and basal dose and adjust the bolus downwards if bg is below target 2.5hrs later or adjust it upwards if bg is above. Adjust to the targets so if bg is 4mmol before meal, then eat about 5-10g carb to get bg upto 6mmol target and then adjust the bolus given so that the next day, less bolus is used. If bg is 8mmol before a meal (example) and target is 6mmol, correct bg with bolus to cover the 2mmol difference. If your TDD was about 25u per day, then the 100 rule would give you a correction factor of 1u for 4mmol so the 2mmol difference would be a correction dose of 0.5u.

Once you start writing everything down in a logbook or whatever, it all starts to make sense and you will control your bg levels a lot better.

Hi @Samwar
Based on the TDD that your nurse gave you, your correction factor worked out at 100/17 works out at 1 unit to bring down by 6mmols or 0.5 for 3mmols.
If you use this as a base for calculating with mealtime insulin and aim, initially to correct to achieve a level of 8 prior to your next meal. Once you are a bit more confident aim for 6. A half unit pen is essential and not just for kids.
Are you carb counting? It does appear you are on fixed doses which is not really acceptable nowadays. It is really difficult to get anywhere near good levels if you are not matching your insulin dose to carbs. Not your fault, however you should have access to a dietician from your team.
You may also be coming out of your honeymoon and need to up your doses.
Also, there is no reason NOT to give your insulin before eating. really bad practice and if you have been told to by your nurse, that is dreadful

Samwar said:

Hi all need some advice please I was diagnosed t 1 in November I started to get a hold of my sugars but since Thursday they have been very high up to 18s, I've read about a correction dose to bring them down how do u do that and also do u do inselin before food or after I've been doing it after could this be my problem, because I can't have sugars to high as my back is starting to hurt again it was pain in the back that took me to docs when they found my sugars were high thank you in advance. Sam

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Corrective doses are for when you didn't take enough fast acting insulin. Fast acting insulin like NovoRapid act within 15 mins approx and should be taken before you eat. I have taken it after I eat but usually because my pre meal BG was low and a couple times I forgot it at home.

This all sounds like double Dutch to me .....I've been on insulin for just over 1 year. I take 38mg at night before bed(humility I) I take 4 slow release gliclazide on a morning and my sugars are totally out of control. Usually in the upper teens. Doesn't matter what I do they don't come down.

WendyWinter said:

This all sounds like double Dutch to me .....I've been on insulin for just over 1 year. I take 38mg at night before bed(humility I) I take 4 slow release gliclazide on a morning and my sugars are totally out of control. Usually in the upper teens. Doesn't matter what I do they don't come down.

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Have you spoken to your diabetes nurse or doctor about your high levels? It could be that your meds need adjusting.

WendyWinter said:

This all sounds like double Dutch to me .....I've been on insulin for just over 1 year. I take 38mg at night before bed(humility I) I take 4 slow release gliclazide on a morning and my sugars are totally out of control. Usually in the upper teens. Doesn't matter what I do they don't come down.

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Sounds like you need more insulin.

donnellysdogs said:

Please ask your nurse for 1/2 unit pens. On small doses of insulin increases are better when changed by 1/2 a unit.....

Regarding your back pain... This in all honesty is unlikely to be anything to do with your blood glucose levels and therefore you should still aim to keep them between 4.5 and 7.5.....

Baths or showers should not be a problem either... You may wish to have a bath pre eating if you are worried about hypo's after you have ate... However you would still be hypo whether it was bath or shower... The thing is to stop the hypo's.

Are you carb counting your meals?

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I just wanted to add that I have had a problem with baths too and was told to be careful. They tend to lower my levels faster than normal. Much faster than a shower, it seems weird, but true.

Susan1991 said:

I just wanted to add that I have had a problem with baths too and was told to be careful. They tend to lower my levels faster than normal. Much faster than a shower, it seems weird, but true.

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Good point... I've never been told that in 30 + years but I can see the reasoning...