Help!

Type 1 and LADA
1

so for the past week I have been running SCARY high. Majority of #s in the 200's.. some in the 300's.

I am correcting, taking insulin as normal (actually taking extra units) & I still can't seem to get my BS down.

For example, last night before bed I was 250, so I took my corrective units and woke up @ 266! Again, I corrected and now, 2 hrs later, I am 311.

I ate eggs & spinach for breakfast.

I have changed out my insulin to brand new pens, I am correcting, I am exercising(yesterday I did P90x cardio & went to a 1 hr long Pilates class & i was 114 before Pilates), and I'm drinking lots of water..So I feel completely at a loss & defeated.

Suggestions, please?!

2

Are you confident of your ISF? You might need more insulin to correct, especially if you get up close to or over 300. Could you be coming down with something? Even in the incubation period when you don't feel ill, you might be incubating something that raises your blood sugar. Have you started or taken a new medication? I would just keep correcting, perhaps upping your ISF a tad, drink lots of water. You are not supposed to exercise over 300. Also try switching up the area you inject. If you take more insulin, it will come down, just increase the ISF gradually so you don't go low.

3

Hi, I had the same thing going on for about a week. I couldn't keep my numbers down without continually taking more bolus. I think that I had a bad batch of insulin. I changed bottles, but it was from the same batch I had sent from the VA and same issue. Once I switched to a bottle from the new shipment, things got much better. The other problem is that once you start stressing out about the high bg, the stress hormones make your bg higher! Good luck and God bless!

4

thanks for the response! I am definitely slowly but surely increasing for my ISF & checking frequently.

I have been really stuffy (possible allergies or head cold) for probably 4 days, so I should take that into consideration.

No new meds or anything. I have been careful to exercise at a safe level, but even so I am probably at times working out a bit higher than I should be.

thanks again. will keep all in mind!

5

thanks! that crossed my mind too being that both pens have come from the same box.
I am definitely stressing about it now, so I know that won't help.

i'll just keep at it. have a great one!

6

I don't know how long you've had diabetes. But you learn that change is unfortunately one of the constants of T1.

Most likely causes from the top of my head - 1. you are getting sick (sometimes the first sign I get that I'm sick is that my insulin needs increase - only later do other symptoms show up). 2. seasonal change (a lot of T1s need more insulin in the winter). 3. change due to your body producing less insulin (i.e. waning of honeymoon assuming you have some insulin production). 4. you've gained weight or are exercising less than you were before (both increase insulin resistance). 5. hormonal changes.

Just roll with it and increase the amount of insulin you take. It sounds like your fasting numbers are too high, so if this lasts more than a few days increase basal as well as bolus. Watch for it to go back down (it often will depending on the cause) by testing more.

7

t1 for 8 years.

thank you for the feedback. I'm starting to think seasonal changes along w/ the allergies they bring with it is playing a roll.
I also worked out a few days less than normal last week due to being super busy.

I will keep the increases going and frequent checking up. "roll with it" is what i'll do and just keep focusing on getting it back down.

thanks again!

8

As Zoe asked, are you moving around your injection sites enough?

Also, I find that cardio can get me into an anaerobic state, which tells my body that I need MORE energy, resulting in higher BG levels. Aerobic exercise will typically lead me to lower numbers.

You might want to add a few carbs to your diet and less fat and protein while trying to get things straightened out (aka, go for what a non-diabetic might consider balanced)

Keep working on figuring it out. Sad to say, but we all have these mysteries.

9

You're welcome! Just as a sign of how T1 always changes, one of the most reliable things I used to be able to predict was this seasonal change, needing less basal in the summer and more in the winter. But for some reason my basal was constant all last winter through the summer this year and seems to be holding steady through this fall. This is the first time I remember seeing this and I don't have a good explanation. So even the changes I thought I could predict have changed!

10

Nicole ...my thought too : bad batch insulin ( expired or ...?? ) ???

11

Hello Nicole:

Have not read all the posts for your thread yet, however physical exercise CAN trigger adrenaline into your system... something as intense as the PX programs, regardless of your personal fitness, could buy you a higher number once/if the adrenaline kicks in.

Sometimes where you injected could cause excessively rapid absorption too. Working your legs, having injected/connected to your upper thigh for example, can get the insulin absorbed excessively fast, that being the body part you are working extra hard. End up starting to crash, then get the double whammy, and end up high(er) instead as your body compensates for its nose dive? Counter intuitive, but possible...

If you exercise at a higher number, textbook protocols say that your body potentially could go higher, because it gets confused and starts breaking down fats for glucose. A proverbial brain fart, a mess up if you will. The end result in either case, cut back on the exercise routine just for a day or two so you can clear this mess up a little bit, try and get a handle on it at some level?

Keep exercising, at that intensity, chances are pretty good, the pattern will not stop... So stop and break the cycle, see if stopping a day, or two helps any?

Any chance you are menstruating? About to begin so? That is pretty common as well... the hormones kick your butt and blood sugar at the same time.

For the record, I know there are many who are terrified out of their minds by "spooky numbers" anything over 200 (8 O ... there is ZERO spooky about such numbers. Sure higher than desired, higher than wanted, but NOTHING remotely to worry about at all.... Z-E-R-O, nada... nothing.

There is a pattern(s) causing it, you're just not catching it yet is all. Are all the numbers CONSISTENTLY all over 200, or just some readings??? Betting its just some... if so, lets go down the list(s) see what can be eliminated as a cause for them...

12

thanks, stuart! I usually remember about not taking my shots where it can be rapidly absorbed. I need to start watching out for that more.

The past few days have been great BS control, so I think this "high" pattern is gone. If it does come back I will be sure to try to get in under control faster than this week long one.

thanks for the reassurance & advice!

13

I'd put money down you're fighting some low-grade virus.

I came down with something really mild beginning of the week, and my BG shot up. Grazed 200 a few times, something that hasn't happened in months.

Also, I'm having symptoms that are fooling me into thinking I'm going hypo, then when I check, I'm just fine (e.g. 120).

Getting BG corrected has been a struggle, when normally everything works according to formula.

Try this: Inject your basal before bed (what are you using?), and increase it by 25%. Also eat a beef stick and some string cheese, to guard against hypo, then see how it comes out in the morning. If you're worried about the increased basal and hypo, set your alarm around 3am and check.

You probably need to adjust your basal dosage AND short-acting bolus doses until this passes.

Also, are you particularly stressed right now about anything? "Stress" can be quite a few more things than just anxiety... even just really busy, hectic life can push stress hormones up, when you don't feel "stressed" but just tired.

14

Dave,

Thanks! I did increase my Lantus a couple of nights and I corrected a bit more than usual. I think allergies or sometime of head cold played a huge roll.. This week has been really good. My BS has been pretty ideal.

Aside from getting a kitten this week,I haven't been stressed. When she discovered my curtains and couch, you can bet my BS shot up (:

thanks again.

15

Oh, and it's just beginning... :-)

16

haha wow, that is spot on!!