Hi I'm new here and a new T1 diabetic. Just wondering about a couple of things like why is my sugars in the low 40's at 2am even with me eating my diet correctly? And why like today, my sugars were up in the mid 200's I felt like crap- sweating, extremely moody, not able to see clearly? What can I do to make it stop? Lucky for me, my boss has diabetes so she has been watching out for me, but I don't want to feel like I have to have people always watching over my shoulder... Any imput would be helpful...
Thanks
L.
Try not to be discouraged, it is so hard to get good control, especially if you're newly diagnosed. Your pancreas is probably still producing some insulin and at times you'll find you're numbers are right in range and other times they will seem to be way too high.
If you are going low in the middle of the night then that is a concern. Are you eating something before going to bed? For now you probably shouldn't be going to bed with a blood sugar number lower than 140. You'll need to eat a snack that has fat and carbohydrates in it to carry you through the night. A peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread may be a good choice. Better to be a little high during the night rather than going too low.
Are you on a bolus, basal regimine? Are you using a shot of a 24 hour acting insulin and then having a shot with each meal? It could be that you are using too much of the long acting insulin.
Do you have a doctor that you are in contact with? You need to keep a good record of all your numbers and fax that or call it in to the office. They can help you adjust your insulins.
Also, please read as much as you can and try to learn how the insulins that you are taking work.
It sounds like you need a little more insulin with your meals during the daytime. What is your current ratio? If you are using a ratio of 1 unit of insulin to 35 carbs (for example) then maybe you need to change that a little to maybe 1 unit to 30 carbs, that will help bring your numbers down during the day. But only make a small change at a time and only if you continue to test your blood sugar often.
If I were you I would make sure to eat before going to bed, get that number higher than 140 and keep testing at 2 am for awhile to make sure it's not dropping. If it continues to drop then call your doctor.
Also, if you are testing 2 hours after your meal and your numbers are in the 200's then increase your insulin at your next meal and see if that helps. Also, you could lower the amount of carbs you eat at meals, that will help too.
It all seems very overwhelming when you are first diagnosed but if you read up on it and learn as much as you can then you will be able to handle most situations on your own. However, I'm here to tell you (and not trying to sound 'doom and gloom') that type 1 diabetes is unpredictable. You'll get your numbers under control and then 2 weeks later they'll run high again. It's a trial and error kind of thing and it's best if you try not to get too discouraged. The more you learn, the easier it will be.
Let us know what kind of insulin regime you are on, that will help a lot.
Linda 1629 has given you some fantastic advice. Diabetes is so unique to the individual that it only makes sense that it takes a bit of time to figure out what works best for you.
To do this, you have to learn and to measure. "What's not measured is not managed" (a common quote :-)
Try to take a priority interest in understanding what things affect your blood glucose numbers. It may seem burdensome at times but seriously, write down EVERYTHING you do/eat/inject/feel in a day. It will give you and your diabetic team the information and patterns you need to understand and manage your unique situation. A log would also confirm that you count your carbs right (you are subtracting fibre, right? :-) and are injecting accordingly and testing appropriately (timing is important).
For example: Note what time you tested, how and how much you counted for a meal (specifically what and how much you ate), how much Rapid insulin (at what ratio) and what time (5-15 minutes makes a difference), what your BGL is 2 hrs. after you started eating. Include exercise - and not just the structured kind - include shovelling snow, moving furniture, washing windows, etc. Exercise makes a BIG difference in many folk's BGLs so, watch for things that elevate your heart rate. That includes emotions as well. Did you have a confrontation? A stressfull day in traffic? Emotional rollercoasters also can play havoc with your BGLs. Make note of these things and their times.
It's all in the details. You need to write it all down 'cause, just like in a horseshoe game...'close' doesn't count. You won't always have to be so detailed, but it particularly helps in the begining when it's easiest to get overwhelmed and frustrated. I've been newly diagnosed Type1 seven month now and I'm still trying to figure some things out. I continue to log and continue to learn; gaining more confidence as I gain more knowledge.
Just a couple more things....
- If you're sweating....it PROBABLY means you're going "low". Test! And know how to properly remedy the situation (it's easy to go way overboard)
- Sincerely...having someone you work closely with who "understands" diabetes, truly makes you lucky. You don't say if she's Type1 as well, but understand that Type1 and 2 are very different indeed (in their requirements, mangement, lifestlyes, etc.).
- You NEED to eat a bedtime snack (Typical Type1 requirement) - it MUST include protein or fat! - especially if you are going hypo at 2:00am. Your dietician should have the how much and when to eat it included in your meal plan.
All my support and encouragement to ya, what_to_do_next. This is a fantastic board for support and information; everyone's been very helpful to me. You can do it. Grab the bull by the horns :-)
Thanks you guys for responding to my questions, it's still all real confusing especially when classes are starting- I'm in a honor's program in college. My mom's trying to help, but that can be frustrating at times. I don't seem to think that my dr. really knows what he's talking about and don't even get me started with the nurses! I am looking for another dr. to see if I can be put on the pump. Linda, I do take four shots a day and my current ratio, I think is one unit of insulin to every 25-30 carbs???- still not sure. I think where a lot of my issue is deals with counting the carbs correctly, but thankfully I go on Monday to my CDE. I just feel like I am poking myself to dealt with needles- is testing more than six times a day too much? My dr. told me that I didn't need to test but two or three times a day along with a bunch of other totally useless information- I learned more from different websites than him! Oh, and vikingirl, I think the reason that I was swearing was because I live in Florida and it's been REALLY hot lately- you can break a sweat just thinking about going outside! Thanks again for the info! Maybe one day I'll have at least part of this disease figured out!
I would recommend that you get a copy of the "Diabetes for Dummies" book. It is very clear and down-to-earth and is a very good presentation of a complicated subject (not like many of the other dummy-type books). It has a companion cookbook, too, if you want that.
On the web, the best site is ( removed - no websites - please read and follow the posting rules section titled "how to share information" ) If you want to educate yourself, the book is the place to look. And, of course, come back here often. I've learned a lot more than I've contributed by reading the threads here.
Last edited by moderator2; 08-19-2005 at 08:13 PM.
Reason: book titles/author's names are allowed - please do not post websites
Linear Mode
