Umm....little help here please?

DeusXM · #1 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 12:46 AM

Oh boy, now this one's confusing. For the last two weeks, I've been having hypos, on average, about 3 times A DAY. Yeah, I know. Anyway, I've been drastically dropping my insulin intake to try and sort this out.

Now get this.

I've HALVED my LANTUS intake.

I've had to reduce my bolus doses by THREE QUARTERS.

And the worst part? I'm STILL having hypos every day.

I've been testing my bg on the hour now because of this. I've only ever been above 7mmol/l (126mg/dl) in the last week just after eating a meal. I once reached the lofty heights of 9mmol/l (162mg/dl) after eating a whole pack of glucose tablets and two Snickers bars. Otherwise, it's a very rare day when my bg makes it over 5mmol/l (90mg/dl).

Anyone have any clue what's going on? The fact I've had to halve my Lantus is just plain disturbing for me, and I'm still having hypos every night, no matter how much I eat before I go to bed.

lgvincent · #2 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 06:34 AM

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I was put on 40 units of U-40 NPH each day and had major problems with insulin reactions. My parents took me to another doctor who cut me down to 4 units per day and I didn't have nearly as much trouble.
I know my need for insulin is constantly changing. Thanks to heatherp, I've cut my breakfast and lunch dose of Humalog from 10 to 5 units and I still have problems with low blood sugar although the time of the insulin reactions varies. I still have insulin reactions overnight, in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening but there is no pattern to it that I can see.

Alaska · #3 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 08:37 AM

back when I was on N &R I had that happen a couple of times. It was like all of a sudden my pancreas kicked in. For days I wouldn't have to take any R at all and I kept cutting down my use of the N. Then just as fast as it started it stopped.
I can't explain why it happened

HeatherP · #4 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 08:46 AM

My insulin needs change drastically "out of the blue" every once in a while. Have you been more active lately? It's possible you've hit your "honeymoon" period. It's like, just before giving up totally, the pancreas decides to cough out some insulin once in a while. Sounds like to you need to re-figure your insulin to carb ratios, at the very least, maybe by 2grams each meal, to start with. Sorry I can't give you better advice.

DeusXM · #5 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 09:05 AM

Sadly, the honeymoon period is out of the question since I've had diabetes for five years now.

Here's the scary thing now. Today, I haven't taken any insulin at all. No bolus, no lantus, no nothing. My system is completely clear of insulin.

I've been eating normally today.

This morning my bg was 4.4 (79). At lunch it was 6.8 (122). An hour after lunch it shot up to 11.9 (214). Now, four hours after lunch, with no insulin, it's now 6.4 (115).

Once again, I've been eating normally, and I've had no insulin, and I haven't done any extra physical activity either. Unfortunately I don't have any Ketostix at the moment so I'm not sure what else is going on.

I think tomorrow I'd better phone my diabetes specialist.

HeatherP · #6 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 09:16 AM

I'm not so sure that five years would count that out.

Do you drink? That may have something to do with it, if so.

Definitely talk to your dr.

DeusXM · #7 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 09:22 AM

I do drink, but as I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, if anything alcohol raises my blood sugar rather than lower it.

I last drank alcohol on 3 days ago, when I had two cans of Carling.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, the honeymoon period usually happens fairly soon after diagnosis, and in that case, I've already had mine, because about 2 months after diagnosis, I did experience greatly reduced bg levels, only for them to rocket again about 2 months later.

Alaska · #8 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 09:33 AM

I've had diabetes now 33 years and last year I went through a week period where the same thing happend to me. Sadly, it ended just as quickly as it started

HeatherP · #9 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 09:38 AM

Ok, everybody's different. I find that when I drink wine, the next morning I have to drastically reduce my Humalog dose to avoid severe lows. It depends on what my fasting sugar is. Sometimes, I don't need to take any insulin at all. The alchohol can reduce the ability of the liver to release glucagon in response to low b/s.

Probably best to see the dr, though.

Jon · #10 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 10:37 AM

DeusXM, are you taking any supplements or vitamins, or any medications that might have an effect on your bg? It does sound a lot like a honeymoon period to me. But I always thought that was soon after being diagnosed too. I have never heard of anybody recovering from diabetes, so you should still watch your bg readings. Your doctor will probably tell you to keep taking insulin even if it is a minimal amount.

When you say you are eating normally, do you normally eat a low carb diet? If so, I wonder what would happen if you ate a few slices of pizza, or something like that which normally causes chaos with blood sugar levels.

zookeeper671 · #11 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 04:36 PM

Deus~

I'm so sorry to hear you're having a problem with hypos. I wish I had some decent info to share with you about why this is happening to you. It almost sounds as though you're in a honeymoon phase as stated by others, but I'm so far from knowledgeable in this.

Please let us know how you're doing.

Best wishes from another in hypoland,
Angie

Mick · #12 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 06:39 PM

I believe, after nearly 39 years of type 1, that this type of thing does "just happen" to most of us every so often. It used to confuse the **** out of me for the longest time, and I could never predict or explain it, keep track or anticipate it. It might come and go once or twice a year, last for a day or two, or up to a couple of weeks. Then my insulin needs would once again normalize, and I'd go back to the larger doses I'd started out with. I tried, over the decades, to figure if it was connected to weather, seasons, ANYTHING, but could never pin anything down. When I finally brought it up to my endo of many years, he shrugged and said maybe I was having a "delayed honeymoon period". We both laughed, and never discussed it again, but that comment got me thinking. It has been recently proven (at least in lab animals) that diabetic mice can regrow beta cells if their immune response is properly surpressed. I believe that our beta cells may actually be regenerating from time to time, and giving somewhat of a showing before being attacked and killed once again by our autoimmune reaction. This is really the ONLY possible explaination...

Poor 'lil guys, always trying to come back and help us out, only to be swatted down again...

Michael

Jon · #13 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 11:24 PM

If that's the case, maybe the medication they are using for the Beta Cell transplants could be given without actually getting the transplant. Is it possible that if you supressed the immune system that the cells would come back on their own?

DeusXM · #14 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 03:16 AM

It's funny you should mention the immune system because recently I've been taking large quantities of antibiotics...

Jon · #15 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 07:35 AM

Antibiotics will kill all of the bacteria in your system. Good and bad bacteria. Are you taking them for some kind of bacterial infection? They shouldn't supress your immune system.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system attacking the beta cells in your pancreas. They still don't know what causes the immunes system to go after those cells. I have heard several different theories, but none of them are proven. If you can stop the immune system from attacking the cells, it seems to me that you could grow new cells and not have to take insulin shots anymore.