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What am I doing wrong? Hypos!

Butterflykeri

Butterflykeri

Well-Known Member
Messages
63
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi
So I've been following lchf pretty much since beginning of year and find it so much easier to keep blood glucose stable. I only take a total of 4 units of apidra across the day and 7 units Lantus.

So because I thought I was sorted I wanted to introduce running again (I used to run about 20 miles a week a couple of years ago before I was diagnosed). Started with some interval training a week ago and had no idea really what to expect in terms of impact on levels- I had been warned they could drop or could rise! Tested before and after first session and had increase of 4.3, second session increase of 3.2 and since then the increase has been about 2 after each session.
After the early sessions I reduced my basal insulin as I was experiencing some low readings first thing in the morning and since the reduction they have sorted themselves out.
However the last few days I have been experiencing drops in the evening after my dinner. I run about 4.30pm, then have soak in bath, dinner at 6 which I normally would take 2 units for. I then have cup of tea and dark choc but last 2 nights have dropped to 2.6 and 2.8 and struggled to keep it above 4.
Tonight I just took 1 unit and within an hour was at 3.4.
Should I try taking no insulin if I run before dinner?
Could it be a combination of the warmer weather, the run and a bath?
It was fine at the start if the week so I'm struggling to understand! I really don't want to increase carbs as I need to shift this weight and I feel so much more energetic on this way of eating!
Thanks in advance!!
 
What time do you have your Lantus? It may be that it's activity is peaking during the evening which is coinciding with the after effects of the run? Your bath will also speed up the absorption of the insulin.
Your insulin dosages are small which limits what you can do - if you take 1 less unit of Apidra that would be a reduction of 25%, a big proportion of your total.
Consider changing the time of your Lantus dose. Splitting the dose is another possibility.
 
Take it at 7.30pm so 2 hours after run and after I've started seeing the low numbers....I could delay it?
 
Hot baths are known to lower blood sugars and also exercise can catch up with you a few hours later.
There's a website called run sweet, which might be well worth your while having a look at.
Apidra is also a short acting analogue with a shorter duration than most others so again might be worth looking into this and if it's the right bolus for LCHF.
Others with more knowledge of insulin's and lchf hopefully will be able to help you out.
 
In that case I don't think it is the Lantus timing as the peak would be late evening. I imagine it is the delayed effect of the exercise.

If I understand correctly, you are hypoing pretty soon after eating? If so you probably haven't yet started absorbing the carbs from your food.
Do you take your Apidra a while before you eat? Perhaps delaying it until you eat, or even just after,would help?

CarbsRok's advice (which has just popped up) makes sense as well.
 
I take it pretty much as my plate is on the table, usually in 4s or 5s before eating so maybe I should try no insulin with my evening meal tomorrow, if 1 unit today is enough to push it from 5.3 before eating to 3.4 within the hour! Will take a look at run sweet website too! Thanks!
 
Haven't done a basal test on purpose, but other night I was worried I had injected too much so tested every 90 mins throughout night and they were pretty level. Since then I've dropped basal by 1 unit on instruction from dsn.
Will try a proper basal test, but as I take it at 7.30pm does that mean I can't eat or have a cuppa after that time?
 
I'm T2 and not on insulin, I'd follow the instructions on the link, but I think you have your last bolus, 5hr before bed, so it's out of your system when you take your before bed and night reading,
another would be to 'miss a meal' and test
 
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