Type 1: I can't get my levels down :(

[donnellysdogs]

If you have a higher level again, it would be worthwhile doing the correction and not eating for 5 hours.... it would test your correction level but it could be used to test. How long your bolus insulin is taking to kick in and how long it lasts.

For the first hour you would need to test every 15 minutes and then hourly for a total of 5 hours. You would see jyst how long it takes for the insulin to be working at its hardest and when your levels stabilis at target level...

My consultant years ago told me to leave 5 hours between eating. Normally I try to do this but over Christmas I haven't and its messed me up as my stomsch not process fast and the bolus insulin does work quicker than my stomach can process food!!

Will look at acting times in a while, but @tim2000s is pretty smart on these....

 

[Lucielu]

Yeah I think once I'm back in work and back in a routine I'll have longer periods between eating. I'll try wake up earlier tomorrow and go from there

 

[donnellysdogs]

You are doing well... quite often peoplle experience changes gor working to their time off.. so that would be worth noting to check at some point.

 

[Lucielu]

Thank you. So my levels over night were
Went to bed being 8.9 took 9 units
12am- 7.4
2am- 5.5
4am- 5.3
8am - 4.9

This is now different to the other night where I was going down then back up I've now stayed down which means is 9 to much?

 

[noblehead]

This is now different to the other night where I was going down then back up I've now stayed down which means is 9 to much?

Have a chat with your DSN and they'll advise, but as your bg is dropping by 1.9mmol/l (12-2am) it does mean you have to careful on what bg levels you go to bed on.

Sanofi do a half unit pen suitable for lantus insulin, it's called the JuniorStar and might be worth asking for from your DSN/GP.

 

[Lucielu]

Yeah I've got the half unit pen, maybe I'll go down to 8.5 and see

 

[Lucielu]

Also would u take insulin for milk in cereal? I never know weather to or not and if the extra will give me a low. I've had weetabix this morning and took 4 units for 40g of carbs but none for the milk I had

 

[catapillar]

Also would u take insulin for milk in cereal? I never know weather to or not and if the extra will give me a low. I've had weetabix this morning and took 4 units for 40g of carbs but none for the milk I had

Milk has carbs in it. So if you are carb counting, but not counting for some things your carb count is going to be inaccurate, which will make your insulin to carb ratio rather hit and miss. Dosing for the milk shouldn't send you low if you ratios are right - but you won't know if you're ratios are right if you aren't accurately carb counting.

What did you have for breakfast to get to 40g of carbs?
2 weatabix biscuits have 26g of carbs. 125ml of semi skimmed milk has about 6g of carbs.

 

[Lucielu]

I have 3 weetabix then just over 150ml of milk which is 7g in the carbs and cals book so say 10g for what I had. I took a extra half unit after eating them incase but prob would've needed another half then

 

[azure]

Yes, definitely count the carbs in the milk with your cereal.

Your doing very well with the testing

 

[donnellysdogs]

To drop from 7 down to 4 overnight is a concern to me. If you had gone to bed at an ideal 6.0 you would have been low... .I would drop basal by 1/2 as you identified yourself.

You definitely need to carb count all milk for breakfast cereal. I dont count for milk in my coffees but know it actually 24g whilst awake in my drinks-which effectively raises my basal quite a lot.. if I need to have operations which are no coffees the day before I must ensure I lower my basal rate a lot less and for the op too.

However, like other OP said to get your carb ratio right and also yohr confidence you need to count everything for eating. Cooffees if they are the costa type!! Some do bolus for coffees as well but I have so many that I just have got used to the higher basal rate to cope.

You are doing brilliantly and your understanding and coping has jumped leaps and bounds in such a short time.fantastic . Well done.

 

[Lucielu]

Thank you very much. Every day is different isn't it. I'm so hungry doing my fasting lunch. Not long to go. Already come down from 8.3 to 6.9 in the last hour. I'll have tea about 5.30ish I think

 

[Lucielu]

So started my fasting and testing at 1.30..
1.30- 8.3
2.30-6.9
3.30 - 6.2
4.30 -5.3

 

[catapillar]

So started my fasting and testing at 1.30..
1.30- 8.3
2.30-6.9
3.30 - 6.2
4.30 -5.3

Did you start fasting at 1:30, or start testing at 1:30 having not had any bolus insulin or any food for 4 hours before starting testing? When was you last food and bolus prior to 1:30? Have you only basal tested for 4 hours for the afternoon - I thought an afternoon portion should be miss lunch and have a late evening dinner so you've got a decent 6 hour period covered?

 

[Lucielu]

So I had breakfast at 8.30 then waited 5 hours then started testing every hour from 1.30 at 5.45 then I was 4.8 so had to eat

 

[Lucielu]

So I haven't had lunch or anything since breakfast

 

[donnellysdogs]

That drop in 5 hours is indicating that you are too much basal. Prob just 1/2 unit...

Very good figures though.

Now when you eat normally.. test after 2 hours and 3 hours ideally and 5 hours (before eating again, no snacks inbetween but normal drinks....

If high low any where in those 2-3 hours it will be your bolus that is incorrect.

However, laugh... going back to work can play havoc, and you may well find that you need to do basal testing at work.you may find that you need different basals for weekends to workdays.


Well done for doing this in festive times!! Admire you!!

 

[Lucielu]

We just had a buffet for my dads bday but I just had a plate of meat haha. Took 1.5 units mind as some meat had glazes on.
So put my background down to 8.5 and then do testing after lunch etc and see how I am? Or do another no lunch?

I always used to go high after having my salad in work, would only have tin of tuna, 1 tomatoe, beetroot and lettace with a yogurt and would only take for the yogurt as I wouldn't know what to take for the salad.

 

[catapillar]

I always used to go high after having my salad in work, would only have tin of tuna, 1 tomatoe, beetroot and lettace with a yogurt and would only take for the yogurt as I wouldn't know what to take for the salad.

That's probably because youre not bolusing to cover the carbs in half of your lunch. It's possible to figure out carbs in stuff without lables - just google "carbs in beetroot" or whatever it is you are eating, it will tell you the carb value for 100g, then you'll have to check the weight of what your eating and then you know the carb content for your lunch. If you eat the same thing, roughly the same size, for lunch every day you'll only have to do this once and you'll always know the correct carb count for your standard lunch.

Myfitnesspal is pretty helpful for working out and storing carb counts.

Carbs and cals is also a good app to help you work out the carb content of meals or individual items.

Have you done DAFNE or a carb counting course? There's a free online course on carb counting that you might find useful - http://www.bertieonline.org.uk

 

[Lucielu]

I feel stressed with this all now. Going back last week and weeks ago I was high all the time and now I'm going down over night which is fine I'll drop it by half and see but now my day time back ground is bringing me down so does that mean I should put it down to 8.5 or 8 and do another fasting lunch?

Well tuna is nothing? Lettace is nothing? I'll have about 3 beetroot which is like 3.1 not even that a medium tomatoe is like 5. So even when I take 1 for yogurt and 1 for salad I still go high. Yeah done dafne but they used to say not to take for the salad I was having