S.o.s

[shiftzor]

Right I am fighting lows from ****. I can't tell you how frustrating this is. At 5 o clock for the past few days I have suddenly started to drop, fine this isn't so radical and easily solved with a snack. So today at about that time I had 5 small snacks. The problem is straight after dinner I start dropping like a stone for no apparently reason.

4:57pm 5.7mmol
5:16pm 5g (1.8g) Bread (judgement call) I wouldn’t normally treat without testing but trying to save strips before I run out.
5:56pm 5g (1.8g) Bread (felt low)
6:14pm 6g (2.2g) Bread (felt low)
6:56pm 5.6mmol/L 2.5units of Novorapid and 7 units of Lantus
6:58pm Had meal Soup + pasta 105.5g of carbs (up from 75g)
9:42pm 8.9mmol/L (expected)
10:48pm 5.9mmol/L (no intervention)
11:47pm 3.7mmol/L (wtf) 30g of bread (11g of carbs)

I increased my I:C ratio from 1:30 to 1:42 based on snacks I was forced to have the last few nights. Maybe I need to increase it to 1:53 but I’m hesitant because this is crazy. Comparatively my breakfast 1:15 and lunch 1:25 seem totally fine. The only thing in my diet that has changed is this soup and vitamin tablets called sugar balance that contain Vit C/B1/B6, niacin, magnesium, zinc and chromium. I didn’t think they would do anything and Sunday I stopped taking them because I attributed them to these lows. I really need my sleep and these lows are causing me trouble. The only other thing I can attribute this to be a random honey moon thing or stress magically raising and lowering my bgs. Why can't the D play ball :D, its typical as well since i have an exam on thursday.

[note] I am doing a static 1.5units breakfast/2.5 units lunch/2.5units dinner, just to stabilise my bg for my exams with a 7unit Lantus (yes that’s a 46%/53% split which i don't want to go below, this wouldn’t work for me normally)

[davef]

shiftzor,

I can't help you with the specific issue, however if my memory serves, you were having problems getting enough strips to test as you need so could I suggest you print this post and bring it to your Doctor, especially the part where you wrote "but trying to save strips before I run out". There is no justifiable reason for you running out of strips and having to guess based on how you feel, sometimes I have felt low but tested high.

[Tattoo azz]

yo shift
ok i wouldn't treat a low with bread it takes too long i'd have a small glass of fresh orange juice and poss two digestives. I would also go to your Dr and get him/her to increase your strips, if they say no then change your Dr asap. Trying to stave off a low and worrying abt running out of strips at the same time is not good as ideally you should retest abt 15-20 mins after having something to eat and then again 15 mins after that. Also do you have any gluco tabs? cos 3-4 of these sort out a low no prob then you just have something more slow releasing like a couple of digestive biscuits so that your levels don't drop so fast
keep us informed and i hope this helps
Azz

[amy4041]

I had the same problem for a long time (normal readings immediately after dinner, then steadily dropping). I ended up reducing (after a period of trial & error) my dinner fast acting insulin by half - from 10 units to 5. I don't really know what started my problem of lows after dinner, but I think age (I had been taking 10 units for maybe 7 years) and trying to eat healthier were factors.

[parrotletzoo]

Perhaps your basal rate is too high mid to late afternoon? Have you done basal testing recently?

[Alice]

Continual lows normally mean your basal is too high (dose). But watch overdosing at meals also. I have just cut my basal back this week. I do this about once a month and find I have to ease back up due to hormones...don't be afraid to cut back on insulin until the lows disappear. You can reassess what brings highs back if needed.

I'm not a believer in supplements in relation to glucose levels. But, to each their own. I do not believe they are causing the lows.

[shiftzor]

Ye i agree it must be basal, well after throwing common sense out the window, I am going to try 6units of Lantus and 1:50 carb ratio. I snacked 11g of carbs last night and still woke up low. I believe my liver was masking my morning bgs, however I did do a basal test a couple of days ago and dropped my basal, but apparently not far enough ;). I have dropped my carbs in the evening to 80 (1.5units of novo), hopefully that will improve the spike mid meal. 50% split is not something I have ever done before. I am beating my record of 12.5 TDD to 12 TDD, don't really know what to make of it :eek:. Last time it was this low i was doing a ton of exercise, currently I’m sitting on my bum doing f all.

Glucose tablets usually give me a spike and don't last long in my system. Bread however has a slower GI and lingers a bit longer ;). I don't have any orange juice to hand and it’s harder to measure out comparatively to chopping bread up. Bread is just my weapon of choice for the moment as it is readily available.

[Phonelady61]

Right I am fighting lows from ****. I can't tell you how frustrating this is. At 5 o clock for the past few days I have suddenly started to drop, fine this isn't so radical and easily solved with a snack. So today at about that time I had 5 small snacks. The problem is straight after dinner I start dropping like a stone for no apparently reason.

4:57pm 5.7mmol
5:16pm 5g (1.8g) Bread (judgement call) I wouldn’t normally treat without testing but trying to save strips before I run out.
5:56pm 5g (1.8g) Bread (felt low)
6:14pm 6g (2.2g) Bread (felt low)
6:56pm 5.6mmol/L 2.5units of Novorapid and 7 units of Lantus
6:58pm Had meal Soup + pasta 105.5g of carbs (up from 75g)
9:42pm 8.9mmol/L (expected)
10:48pm 5.9mmol/L (no intervention)
11:47pm 3.7mmol/L (wtf) 30g of bread (11g of carbs)

I increased my I:C ratio from 1:30 to 1:42 based on snacks I was forced to have the last few nights. Maybe I need to increase it to 1:53 but I’m hesitant because this is crazy. Comparatively my breakfast 1:15 and lunch 1:25 seem totally fine. The only thing in my diet that has changed is this soup and vitamin tablets called sugar balance that contain Vit C/B1/B6, niacin, magnesium, zinc and chromium. I didn’t think they would do anything and Sunday I stopped taking them because I attributed them to these lows. I really need my sleep and these lows are causing me trouble. The only other thing I can attribute this to be a random honey moon thing or stress magically raising and lowering my bgs. Why can't the D play ball :D, its typical as well since i have an exam on thursday.

[note] I am doing a static 1.5units breakfast/2.5 units lunch/2.5units dinner, just to stabilise my bg for my exams with a 7unit Lantus (yes that’s a 46%/53% split which i don't want to go below, this wouldn’t work for me normally)I know how you feel i used to cut mine in half because we never had enough to test and the insurance companies can be such jerks when you try to explain to them .Well now it has gotten so bad that my husband can no longer afford to keep me on the insurance so we have to cancel me off the plan . it sucks i cannot imagine what I am going to do now . But knowing my hubby we will come up with something . so I feel your pain and realize i am not the only one in this boat and neither are you .