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Work and low blood sugars!

Nicola M

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Messages
1,073
Location
Nottinghamshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
So I've recently started my job as a housekeeper having previously done work experience there. Everyday without fail I have a low blood sugars at approx 2:30pm. My diabetes nurse has lowered my basal rate to 0.225u/h and will more than likely be lowering it again. I have lunch at around 12:30pm and I have 40g of carbs I do 4 units of insulin for that (1:10 ratio for lunch) 2 hours later at 2:30 my sugars have dropped to around 2.5 and it doesn't matter whether at dinner my sugars were 5.0 or 15.0 it still drops to 2.5. Having checked at 2:30pm I still have around 2 units still active and so the inevitable thing that happens is that I go low again. I'm on my feet for 6 hours a day and am constantly running so I know that can affect me but having never done anything like this before I'm not really sure what to do. I can't speak to my diabetes nurse until the end of this week and so though some of you guys could help me as the constant low sugars are driving me crazy and are wearing me out and it's making my work performance suffer.
 
I wonder if due to increased exercise in your new job that you may need to tweak your lunchtime bolus ratio. As this is happening only a couple of hours after lunch it would seem likely that it's more to do with your bolus than your basal. Having said that I wonder if @donnellysdogs as a former pump user may be better placed to answer your question.
 
You could use a TBR 2 hours before your low bg levels or do a 1:20 ratio for lunch, you could even use both and see how it goes.
 
I'd experiment with changing your lunchtime ratio and see how that goes. Because your low is so close to lunch, it looks like you might not need so much insulin for that meal now.

It's annoying having your blood sugar go low like that when you've got work to do. I hope you get it sorted soon
 
Weirdly, that feels like you do not need to get insulin, looking at how less intake you are having. That less amount of insulin and having low bg in couple of hours suggest your body produces enough insulin. Are you sure you are T1?
 
I agree with the others, because of an increase in activity, you probably need to adjust lunchtime ration. Try 1:15 and see how you get on.
 
Perhaps have a small lunch without a bolus and see what happens.
 
Atalay said:
Weirdly, that feels like you do not need to get insulin, looking at how less intake you are having. That less amount of insulin and having low bg in couple of hours suggest your body produces enough insulin. Are you sure you are T1?
Click to expand...

Defiantly am Type 1 and have been for 17 years. My basal rate increases when I'm not at work as well and funnily enough today I had lunch and forgot to take my bolus (forgetful as usual) and ended up going high!


Thank-you to all of you for the great suggestions, will try a different ratio tomorrow with lunch and see how it goes!
 
As noblehead said try a TBR2 of75% of your basal rate for a couple hours.
 
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