Quick change in insulin type causes very high BG?

slikk66 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-21-2009, 10:32 AM

Hi everyone, this is my first post here.. I'm 31 and have been type 1 diabetic since around 1990. I got my first insulin pump in around 1995.

Since 1995 I have used Humalog and Novalog. I may have been using something before Humalog but I don't recall, and I have been on Novalog for probably 5 years now.

This last week I was on vacation, went swimming in the ocean, and had a complete pump failure... totally dead.

I called my Dr. as I didn't have any backup insulin on me, and he sent over a prescription for Levemir for me to take for 24 hours until my new pump arrived at the hotel.

That 24 hours went fine, I took the levemir and checked my BGs, everything seemed fine.

Since I got back a couple days after that, It's almost like I can't take enough insulin.

My basal is up currently to 1.8/hr, from around 1.2 before, and it looks like that wasn't enough.. my night time BG was 152, and this morning I woke up to 325. I took 10u of insulin when I had breakfast this morning.. (which is alot for breakfast), and an hour later at work my BG is 311. I just took another 6u of bolus.

I changed area of my pump site, checked my new pump is working properly, primed, etc.. I just wonder what else besides the change of insulin could suddenly throw my BGs off so bad..

Has anyone expierenced anything like this before? If by tonite it doesn't stabalize at least a little, I'll head to the doctor. I'm also going to try to eat very little carbs etc for the next couple days.

Thanks everyone =)

sarahspins · #2 (**permalink**) 10-21-2009, 11:31 AM

That is weird.. I was going to say that Levemir just does NOT work for some people and that could have made a difference.. but once you go back to pumping that should have been completely resolved... so that doesn't make sense at all.

Hopefully it clears up for you soon!

DCaplinger · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-2009, 03:12 PM

It could be the pump. I could understand it if you went off the pump for several weeks and got reacclimated to the basal/bolus routine, but not if it was for a very short duration. I'd contact the pump manufacturer and see about getting yet another pump, and explain the issue.

Best of luck!

Regards,

D