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Why are my bloods dropping

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Mike0925

Member
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Hi all, my girlfriend is a type 1 diabetic and is having issues with blood sugar levels dropping around bedtime, 9/10pm, after eating dinner at 7pm and taking minimal insulin as it has been happening for a while now. Daytime levels are normal and insulin effectiveness are as expected but in the late evening she is having trouble keeping them up before bed. Does anyone have any ideas/ suggestions or similar experiences? Many thanks
 
Blood sugar dropping 2 to 3 hours after eating suggests the bolus for the meal is too high. Basal testing could be done to make sure the basal level is correct too.
 
Mike0925 said:
Hi all, my girlfriend is a type 1 diabetic and is having issues with blood sugar levels dropping around bedtime, 9/10pm, after eating dinner at 7pm and taking minimal insulin as it has been happening for a while now. Daytime levels are normal and insulin effectiveness are as expected but in the late evening she is having trouble keeping them up before bed. Does anyone have any ideas/ suggestions or similar experiences? Many thanks
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Hi Mike
Small issue and several options you may with to review with your diabetes specialist or nurses..

Could simply be too much background insulin or fast acting before the meal, but correcting in the short term by taking a small amount of measured carbs and monitor (rather than a lot,) will keep her bumping along the bottom, but over a few days you'll learn what works for you.
My ratio 1:2 starts at around 10pm which means a small number of carbs has a bigger impact of increasing my sugars than in the early evening.

Another option (bit drastic) is to change to a faster acting insulin which will cut in faster and drop off faster too.

Would suggest learning her ratio's for breakfast, lunch and evening meal as they usually differ. Speak to your diabetes nurses, study DAFNE course etc it's brilliant... helped me tremendously.
 
Another possibility is that if she is still in her honeymoon period (relatively recently diagnosed) her own pancreas is producing insulin after her evening meal.
 
EllieM said:
Another possibility is that if she is still in her honeymoon period (relatively recently diagnosed) her own pancreas is producing insulin after her evening meal.
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Hi Ellie, she has been diabetic for most of her life, this issue has just been over the past couple of months.
 
Mike0925 said:
Hi all, my girlfriend is a type 1 diabetic and is having issues with blood sugar levels dropping around bedtime, 9/10pm, after eating dinner at 7pm and taking minimal insulin as it has been happening for a while now. Daytime levels are normal and insulin effectiveness are as expected but in the late evening she is having trouble keeping them up before bed. Does anyone have any ideas/ suggestions or similar experiences? Many thanks
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Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

What type of regime/insulin/s is your girlfriend prescribed & directed to use?
If on MDI. What time is the basal injected?
 
She uses lantus for her basal insulin and she takes it at night time/before bed usually at like 9pm and then uses novo rapid for her meals and base the units of injection she takes on the amount of carbs i eat (1 unit : 4g carbs ratio) and take that 30-45 mins before she eats
 
Mike0925 said:
She uses lantus for her basal insulin and she takes it at night time/before bed usually at like 9pm and then uses novo rapid for her meals and base the units of injection she takes on the amount of carbs i eat (1 unit : 4g carbs ratio) and take that 30-45 mins before she eats
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OK.. Now we're getting somewhere. I'm on the same insulins & regime. (Different insulin to carb ratio.) Though I take my lantus a little later.
& oddly, I can be a little more insulin sensitive at the latter end (even half.) of the day when the Lantus should technically be tailing off after 22 hours?
 
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