Treating the high after the low

Dear all,

I was told by my Diabetes Nurse that you don't treat the high after the low-- her words, "never, ever, treat the high after the low". I'm not really sure what to think of this, especially when I've had a slight low before bedtime. I don't think it's a good idea to leave a high untreated for my usual eight hours sleep, so I like to take a bit of Novorapid and then I go to bed, and usually wake up fine.

I'd like to know what others do when they treat a low, and when they get a high as a result? Do you just let it happen, or take an extra couple of units at your next meal (which I sometimes do)?

By the by I am Type One,

Thank you,

Izzy.

Hi all,

I'm sorry I didn't clarify, when I'm around 3 I would have two dextrose tablets and two Rich Tea biscuits, and and extra tablet depending on how low I am below that, so three tablets for a 2 reading and so on. If it's not the Rich Teas I may have a slice of toast or a piece of fruit, like an apple, banana, or orange. Sometimes I'm out and about around an hour before my next meal and I deal with the low then, then come back and take maybe an extra 1-2 units at my next mealtime. In essence, I don't overeat (even though the temptation is very much there :wink: ). There are certain times of the day where I'm more insulin resistant-- like the morning. So if I have a low before bed I will most definitely wake up around 15-17 mmol/l, hence why I think I should take an extra couple of units if novorapid if it's been two hours after that low.

During the day I might go up to around 10-13 mmol/l after treating the low. Such a vicious circle!

Hi there Little Wolf, it's refreshing to meet somebody who's in the same pickle as me!

As for not being diagnosed as diabetic, I think you should get that checked out... if you were non-diabetic you would not be going so high afterward. Perhaps, though, the Doritos were a bad idea, being a fatty food, but I suppose it was the first food you saw and I know the way it is sometimes.

I remember one time I had a low of 3.8 mmol/l. I had a small chocolate bar and a Rich Tea biscuit. Did a blood test a couple of hours later to find I was 22 mmol/l!! :O Of course this was when I was approaching my period so there were probably many things against me, but still! That was just uncalled for! And it took ages for me to go down as well.

I suppose there are certain foods that suit certain people better than others. Little Wolf, I'd see the doctor first about the low and especially the high, because that's not normal. Then I'd see about experimenting with treating lows with different food-- maybe try something a little plainer? I know someone who is also type one like myself who carries around a Snickers bar with him in case he goes low, but that would probably send my sugars through the roof. I suppose try and find a method that suits you, and half expect a little high.

I guess the best way is to avoid them in the first place.

Best wishes,
Izzy

Hi again Little Wolf,

For the past week I have had these dips in blood sugar at night, around 9 p.m. And they're the most annoying lows. I would deal with one and then have to deal with another one hour later. Now I have managed to curb it by keeping a close eye on things in the evening, that is, doing a blood test at the slightest sense of oddness. They wouldn't be bad lows, around 3.4- 3.8 mmol/l, but still they'd make you feel hungry enough to want to eat a horse sometimes.

And it's so strange because once I deal with one I have another... I have reduced my insulin, eaten more carbs, and still feel like I'm heading down around 9 in the evening.

This evening I could feel myself going down and did a blood test and was 7.2. I had some Snack a Jacks, and just two hours later my BS was 6.7. So good thing I had those!

The best way you can avoid lows is to try and notice the symptoms and be as vigilant as you can. I know that when I get low I feel a pressure behind my eyes and could eat a biscuit whole . Occasionally I can also see bright lights that get in the way of my vision, but that's only when it's really bad. Passing out on public transport is a serious issue though. If the doctors aren't going to help you, at least try and figure out the warning signs, for your own sake, and carry dextrose with you and maybe a couple of biscuits.

Best wishes,

Izzy.

Hi Little Wolf,

I have no idea what's happening in the evenings with me with these lows as I am a type one diabetic i.e I don't produce any insulin, whatsoever. Or at least I'm not supposed to. It really does feel like there's some kind of insulin surge in the evenings with me and I'm not sure where I'm getting this insulin from, exactly... :shock:

Perhaps it could be a build-up of insulin throughout the day? I don't know...

Anyway, keep us posted with your low issues! Can't be fun! By the by, my aunt had the same problem as you, as in, she's not diagnosed as diabetic but had hypoglycaemia on a couple of occasions. She went to the doctor and was told to treat it by taking a couple of dextrose tablets and then having something substantial after it like maybe a slice of toast. Of course my aunt had to be told to do this because the first thing she did was reach for a chocolate bar

She was told that if she didn't deal with the lows properly (i.e eating loads of sugary things) that she would eventually become a type two diabetic.

I did look up on the Net about this, and discovered this thing called "autosomal dominant diabetes". It's when a non-diabetic has lows and develops diabetes as the pancreas has over-produced insulin and becomes exhausted as a result. So if you have too much sugary stuff in response to a low, you're making your pancreas over-work after it has been overworked already. So really be careful about what you eat and how much you eat after a low.

You don't sound like a diabetic, but those highs don't sound too good. You shouldn't really be having highs if you're not diabetic, but then you went down afterward, so I'm not sure... I would definitely watch out. I'd recommend doing a blood test an hour after treating the low (if you have one again), just to see where you're at, and then an hour after that again.

Best of luck, and I hope you don't have another low!
Izzy.

I'm sorry to hear that you had anorexia, Little Wolf, that must have been awful, with hypos on top of that. Though I've never been anorexic myself, I'm glad to hear you talk of it in the past tense. I got type one at the age of six due to congenital hypothyroidism (born with most of my thyroid gland missing). Apparently diabetes and hypothyroidism are related, I suppose it has something to do with metabolism, and then metabolism has a lot to do with weight, so there are a lot of things interconnected, unfortunately, with different causes in different people leading to diabetes.

Yeah, at 19 mmol/l you wouldn't feel right... are you on medication yet? I know that one time I was having a particularly rough day (time of month and dealt with a low with chocolate-- NEVER AGAIN) and I was in Tesco with my mother and I felt absolutely rotten. I had an awful taste in my mouth and my sides were beginning to hurt. That's the only time I've felt that way with a high. It's really not worth the trouble. I think I was up around 17 mmol/l? Thought I was going to explode.

I miss chocolate cake

Izzy.