More Insulin, New Concerns

[Burmese]

Hello All
It has been awhile since my last post. I was busy with the doctors and specialist trying to get my sugars under control. Still no luck but new hope in the works.

Sugars range from 15 to 29 with an average of 22. To high I know

I am presently taking Detramir 62 units am / 62 units pm. I went to the specialist and he order all new bloodwork, sleep study as I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. He suggested Avantia but my family doctor wants me to take a rapid insulin before each meal (8 units) each time along with my current insulin.

My concerns are as follows

1. How fast does rapid acting insulin take to bring sugars down.

2. I was told that you sometimes don't even know your having a low blood
sugar. Is this true.?

3. If your blood sugar goes to low what happens and can you pull out of it on
your own if left untreated?

4. I feel that as I work on roofs all day, and I travel alot each day, and I am
always on my own I should take some time off work to get this sorted out
as I fear that I could have a low blood sugar while driving or on the roof.
Falling off the roof is not something I am looking forward to and I prefer to
drive when I have full control of my senses.

5. Last concern for now :). I have been fighting this for about three years
now and was wondering if there are any other people here that have had
trouble controling thier blood sugars and what worked for them?

As always, thank you is not enough
Chris

[Aftiel]

Hey Chris,

Going to take these one at a time:

1. How fast does rapid acting insulin take to bring sugars down.

Humilin R took 30 mins to work for me. Novalog takes 15.


2. I was told that you sometimes don't even know your having a low blood
sugar. Is this true.?

It is true that after having diabetes awhile, a low can be a bit more sneaky. However, I have been Type 1 for almost 30 years and I can still tell.





3. If your blood sugar goes to low what happens and can you pull out of it on
your own if left untreated?

There are a myriad of symptoms, sleepy, shaky, sweaty, dizzy. If low enough you "can" black out and fall into a coma.

Yes, you can absolutely treat it and pull out of it. It is a REAL good idea to keep a form of sugar with you at all times.

And by the way - a low that severe just won't pop out of nowhere - you will feel it coming. And when I say shaky, sweaty, dizzy - I don't mean a normal little shake - I mean you will KNOW something is up.

Your body is your best friend - pay close attention to it.

Personally, if you see me, you will find a can of Coca Cola and glucose tabs as well -- always.




4. I feel that as I work on roofs all day, and I travel alot each day, and I am
always on my own I should take some time off work to get this sorted out
as I fear that I could have a low blood sugar while driving or on the roof.
Falling off the roof is not something I am looking forward to and I prefer to
drive when I have full control of my senses.

Taking some time off to get a routine down = great idea.

I worked as a dealership technician for 10 years, and diabetes will not stop you.

Make sure of 2 things:

- test your blood sugar regularly
- keep a form of sugar with you

Physical activity like that is GOOD for diabetics - look at it as exercise.

Lastly, don't let it scare you. You control IT, not the other way around.



5. Last concern for now . I have been fighting this for about three years
now and was wondering if there are any other people here that have had
trouble controling thier blood sugars and what worked for them?


Anyone and everyone who is diabetic has/does have trouble controlling their blood sugar. It is part of the game.

What works? It is an artform/balance of insulin - testing BS - eating properly. The key is to always know where your blood sugar is.

- Aftiel

[Burmese]

Thanks for the speedy reply. That was some interesting and helpful reading on my part. My biggest concern now is having a Low Blood Sugar and what to expect. It also helps wy wife to know what to look for and what to do when and if it does happen.

I have talk to my doctor and the specialist about this but feel the best advice comes from those that have been there, done that, and got the T-Shirt to prove it.

Thanks
Chris

[Aftiel]

For me, a low produces the following:

- dizziness
- confusion (like I am drunk)

Those are the two main things that show up.

Again, I am talking a real low here - just getting down to say 70 won't produce much in the way of effects.

However "I" can feel a 70 easily. It just doesn't show to other people.

- Aftiel

[Cinnabon]

Burmese,

In reality there are lows that you may not feel. As your body gets used to feeling NORMAL BS you will get a better feel. TESTING is the MOST important part of all this. YOu should encourage your wife to joing us here we will most definitely help her understand and what to clook for.

YOU MUST ALWAYS HAVE SUGAR ON YOU!! :)
Coke, candy, Glucose Tabs.. anything. If your BS drops too low, the body has an automated response where the liver automatically dumps the glycogen stores (sugar).

[MarkMunday]

Chris,

With blood sugar levels as high as you have been having, I am sure that Humalog/Novolog before meals is a good idea. But the large amounts of long-acting insulin you are injecting suggests that you are seriously insulin resistant. And what you really need is an insulin sensitizer, like Actos or Avandia.

I would suggest that you take you specialists advice and and try Avandia. It should make all that Detrimir work a lot more effectively, bringing your blood sugars down. It will then be a lot easier to figure out how much quick acting insulin you need before meals.

I find that, the higher my blood sugar goes, the more insulin resistant I become. If the reading goes over 15, it can take 20 - 30 units of Novolog to get my blood sugar down again. And I am not even "insulin resistant" - I am am and underweight T1! Anyway, I do whatever it takes to ensure that my blood sugar never goes over 15, so it isn't a problem.

While these modern insilins are very good, they don't break the insulin resistance cycle. In fact, the more insulin you use, the more insulin resistant you become. Which is why Avandia sounds like a good idea.

Good luck with getting those blood sugars down.

Cheers,

Mark

[David]

[BMy concerns are as follows

1. How fast does rapid acting insulin take to bring sugars down.
It depend on how high they actually are but within a couple of hours is generally what I expect (faster isn't always better though)

2. I was told that you sometimes don't even know your having a low blood
sugar. Is this true.?
It can be. It's called hypoglycemic unawareness and usually happens to those who've used insulin for a long time.

3. If your blood sugar goes to low what happens and can you pull out of it on your own if left untreated?
Your body will usually go into survival mode and cause the liver to release glucose into the blood (Somogyi Effect/liver dump) if a low BG is left untreated. I said "usually" because some thing like drugs and medications, notably alcohol can inhibit the liver from doing this. Repeated low blood glucose levels may also deplete the liver's stores of glucose so it has nothing left to dump into the blood.

4. I feel that as I work on roofs all day, and I travel alot each day, and I am always on my own I should take some time off work to get this sorted out
as I fear that I could have a low blood sugar while driving or on the roof.
Falling off the roof is not something I am looking forward to and I prefer to
drive when I have full control of my senses.
That may be a valid concern. As others have said, always have a source of quick acting sugar with you. It would be better to have a co-worker with you too. I used to often work on roofs and a coworker got me out of trouble once.

5. Last concern for now :). I have been fighting this for about three years
now and was wondering if there are any other people here that have had
trouble controling thier blood sugars and what worked for them?
Frequent testing is a must. I don't know if an insulin pump is on your table yet, you may not have to go that far, but it's worked well for me.

David