an all new low

lazydaizy · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 07:24 PM

For the very first time since I have been keeping track of my bs levels, I actually got an a.m. reading of 189. WHOPPEE!
First I thought, naw...it's a mistake...so I took did another
test and the second read 167. The tests were done 4 minutes apart. Which reading do I believe?
Now all you people who are tightly in range, don't faint.
Yah, I know it's still high, but my dr. would be proud that I almost reached his goal of 150-after it being so high for so long.
Zippity do dah, zippity yah....(yes I know it will rise again...)
my oh my what a wonderful day
:p Lazydaizy

duck · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 07:29 PM

Any progress is progress...Keep it up!

lgvincent · #3 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 07:39 PM

Sounds like great news!

Welcome back duck! Where ya' been fer so long?

am1977 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 07:59 PM

Hey...that's great news!

Don't downplay it...you should be happy about it! Good for you...I hope your fasting levels keep getting better and better

lazydaizy · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 08:21 PM

"I hope your fasting levels keep getting better and better"

Thank you for the kind post.
...I have read here about the "dawn do hickey"-phemnomimon(phonectically spelled-terrible spelling)-where folks have high readings in the morning. My highest levels have been before I
take my insulin at night. Is that the reason for the low levels?
Lazydaizy

duck · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lazydaizy
"I hope your fasting levels keep getting better and better"

Thank you for the kind post.
...I have read here about the "dawn do hickey"-phemnomimon(phonectically spelled-terrible spelling)-where folks have high readings in the morning. My highest levels have been before I
take my insulin at night. Is that the reason for the low levels?
Lazydaizy

Keeping in mind that (as far as I know) none of us here are doctors, I think we'd need more info to give better advice...ie, when is your last meal, what is it, and what time do you go to bed? What is your insulin regimen and when do you take shots and how much insulin?

When I was preparing to get my pump, I had to perform multiple fasting regimens: Four hours after eating, if my sugars were between 120 and 160, I fasted for at least two more hours (and as many as I could after that) and took Blood Sugar Level readings every 30 minutes--We got a rough estimate on how my basal levels needed to be set. Have you ever done anything similar overnight? (and can you?)

You can get there...It takes perserverence and patience.

Quote:

Originally posted by lgvincent
Sounds like great news!

Welcome back duck! Where ya' been fer so long?

Long story, lg. Nothing that no one else has ever been through before, but enough to keep me busy for the better part of the last year. But I'm back!

HeatherP · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2004, 11:26 PM

Don't you dare diminish your accomplishments, Daizy! The important thing is that your numbers are going in the right direction, and that's what counts!

Yay for you!

HeatherP

lazydaizy · #8 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 03:38 AM

"Keeping in mind that (as far as I know) none of us here are doctors, I think we'd need more info to give better advice...ie, when is your last meal, what is it, and what time do you go to bed? What is your insulin regimen and when do you take shots and how much insulin?"

~Last full meal is dinner-between 6 & 6:30. I had 6 saltine crackers as a snack last night-normally I have peanut butter on them and some fruit. This morning at 3:40 am the level is 176...UT OH...even my husband queried what did I do wrong? ha ha

~We try to retire at 8-9 pm each night. Yah, that's early, but we are up before the rooster too(3:00am) I now take 14 units of Lantus at 8 pm. No oral meds during the day-just the Lantus. I have subtracted one starch from the lunch and dinner meal.(suppose to have 3 starches lunch & dinner) I have been physically active each day too.But I have been re-cooperating from being sick(surgery & pneumonia & heavy anti-biotics).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"When I was preparing to get my pump, I had to perform multiple fasting regimens: Four hours after eating, if my sugars were between 120 and 160, I fasted for at least two more hours (and as many as I could after that) and took Blood Sugar Level readings every 30 minutes--We got a rough estimate on how my basal levels needed to be set. Have you ever done anything similar overnight? (and can you?)"

~Pardon the question...what is a basal level? Does that have something to do with how much insulin one takes? Like a sliding scale?

~The only basil I know of is the herb, you cook with...parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme...(bad joke) Forgive please!
Lazydaizy

archimeech · #9 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 04:55 AM

I was going to ask you if you had a pump yet, but I think your last post answered that. I had a really hard time getting my morning numbers down too, but then I and my doctor played with the basal rate until my sugars began to drop. Something about that twilight effect would have my numbers in the 300s. Now I wake up with anything from a 180 to a 60. My typical morning is between 120-180 though. I think it's a great accomplishment to get your sugar where it is. I think that baby steps are much better than trying to bring it all down at once. I usually wind up rollercoasting up and down if I do that.
Good job on the numbers, and by the way about that other basil, I have a great recipe for grilled chicken.
Take a chicken breast, butterfly it open, rub it with a couple of garlic cloves then stuff it with basil leaves, and tomato slices. Toothpic it together and grill it unitl done.
(I know this isn't the recipe section but I couldn't resist kidding you, Lazy) but the recipe is for real and very good

duck · #10 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lazydaizy

~Pardon the question...what is a basal level? Does that have something to do with how much insulin one takes? Like a sliding scale?

~The only basil I know of is the herb, you cook with...parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme...(bad joke) Forgive please!
Lazydaizy

LOL! Basal rates, here's some background: If you were a non-diabetic, your body would produce blood-glucose from a number of natural processes (liver glycogen release, pituitary/thyroid hormone release, etc.)--But a non-diabetic automatically corrects for these changes. As a diabetic, your body STILL releases agents that will increase your blood sugar levels, but obviously you don't have the ability to compensate for it. The factors vary from hour to hour, so you need to establish a "basal" rate of insulin to keep your naturally-produced sugars in check...Does that make any sense? I feel I don't explain things correctly at times.

To further expound on this--Your "long lasting" insulin should be being used mainly to provide a basal rate. As far as I know, Lantus basically releases 1/24 of your shot for the next 24 hours. So, if you took a 24 unit shot at 8AM, you would get 1 unit of lantus released every hour for the next 24 hours...a 12 unit shot at 8AM, .5 units every hour (Someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, I don't use Lantus since I have a pump).

Since I am pumping, I calculated my daily basal and overnight basals by doing the fasting tests I described above. For the most part, I've been very consistent for the last three years. My basal rates never exceed 1.1 units an hour, and are never less than .7 an hour. My waking sugars this AM were 123, the last meal I had was at 11PM. For the 11PM meal, I took a bolus (I had my pump give me a shot) to accomodate the number of carbs in that meal.

NOW, I am NOT a doctor, but I'm thinking you need to establish your basal rate--That is, how much insuling you would need average an hour every hour to keep your sugars stable all day long if you did not eat. If you did not take a shot today, and took a reading right now, in 24 hours you would be MUCH higher. We need to establish what level of Lantus/basal insulin you need to keep your sugars consistent overy 24 hours if you did not eat a thing or take another shot. You should talk this over with your endo/care team.

Even if you are not on a pump, you should read one of the Pumping Insulin books--If you are like me, it will open your eyes to how things really work inside that complex body of yours!

rzrbks · #11 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 04:19 PM

DOOD,

duck, I'm not making fun but I Do believe that you're created a new word for us.

insuling

The act of injecting insulin, via a syringe, an injection device, or a pump.

Excusing me, I can't take that call right now, I'm insuling.

buzzborne · #12 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rzrbks

Excusing me, I can't take that call right now, I'm insuling.

LOL i love your ickle comments!!

duck · #13 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rzrbks

DOOD,

duck, I'm not making fun but I Do believe that you're created a new word for us.

insuling

The act of injecting insulin, via a syringe, an injection device, or a pump.

Excusing me, I can't take that call right now, I'm insuling.

LOL. Woohoo! I've created a word! Now I can be like the creator of "foshizzle", "aight" and "ain't"!

MarkMunday · #14 (**permalink**) 10-05-2004, 06:44 PM

Lazydaizy,

Duck is right about the theory. One injection of Lantus is supposed to satisfy your phisiological (or basal ) need for insulin over a 24 hour period. But many of us find that Lantus does in fact have a peak and it doesn't last a full 24 hours. The only way you can find out how your body responds to Lantus is to have your evening shot, skip breakfast the next morning and test every hour. If you can keep it up, skip lunch too and keep on testing.

If your blood sugar rises steadily, you need more Lantus. And from your comments, it sounds like this could be the case. You say that your blood sugar is high before going to bed. This could be because Lantus is not lasting a full 24 hours for you. You get around this by splitting the dose between morning and evening shots.

Cheers,

Mark

lazydaizy · #15 (**permalink**) 10-06-2004, 03:46 AM

"You say that your blood sugar is high before going to bed. This could be because Lantus is not lasting a full 24 hours for you. You get around this by splitting the dose between morning and evening shots."

~Before I do this, maybe I should talk to my doctor and see what he thinks. Not that I can't make decisions on my own, but the dr. will probaly wonder where I am getting my info from.

~Other than the sensations of having high bs, what else will I experience by not eating & testing? Can this test bring on a seizure? Is this test normally done in a controlled enviroment?

~If I chart this,I am looking for the two highest bs numbers? and this should tell me when I should shoot the insulin...
oh the questions so early in the morning....
LazyDaizy