Just started on novolog about 7-months ago and curious as to how many hypoglycemic episodes is considered normal/average. Even with weighing and measuring my food and using a food scale, still end up having mild hypo’s (50’s and 60’s) any where’s from 3-7x a week. Would most still consider that to be well controlled or poorly controlled? I know part of it is that my exercise routine fluctuates, so my insulin:carb ratio is constantly fluctuating, but some days things just feel totally out of my control (I’ve read Think Like a Pancreas, which has helped some, but it’s hard to find the time to always obsessively document every single blood glucose reading and life events surrounding that number).
I have a hypo and a hyper every day. 
She has a hypo almost every day. Even though we try to factor for exercise. She drops like a rock with even moderate exercise. So if she is just walking around we do a minus 20 temp basal and still she can have them. I can always factor planned exercise; just can’t be with her when she is away from home. Her basals fluctuate quite a bit. I am defining a hypo as in the 60s and mid-fifties. And she is hyper for a part of the day, just after eating, or she can just rise (growth spurt; basal related). Insulin is a difficult drug to manage. Yes, we very obsessively chart BGs, food, exercise on her written log sheets still. Very helpful.
I have a hypo or two a day. Lately, I’ve also had some spikes that were significant. I seem to have a couple of points in the day where I seem to trend down naturally. I also think I need to fiddle with my morning carb ratio. Sometimes I seem to have very stubborn lows. They are pretty much unavoidable if you work for tight control.
I used a handheld to track my information, doses, blood checks. It helped me notice when certain things were happening and what had gone on before. If you get something that shows you some charts, it can help you get the hang of what’s going on. It takes a little practice and some experience. You’ll get it pretty quick.
Even your current rate is much better than mine. And I’ve got a CGM that has helped me avoid a number of lows.
I have a mild hypo ( low 60’s high 50’s) about every other day or so…often when I am suddenly busy, or have to do an extra trot up and down the stairs at work. I generally do not turn down the basal for this unexpected exercise,( temporary basal). I think I may need to slightly lower my workday basals.
God Bless,
Brunetta
my endo said to me once that with tight control you will have lows.
I think the only way to avoid extreme highs and lows is to low carb, either that or don’t eat or move. 
I don’t know what “normal” is, but I can have a hypo every day. Sometimes 2x a day. Many times I get up with a 50. I ALWAYS carry some form of glucose with me in my purse. I do document every BS test that I take. been doing it since day one `11 years ago.
I have always had lows (from 30 -50) 7 times or more a week on MDI. I also found exercise plays a huge role in it, trying to compensate, not too much but enough, is tough. Just started on the Omnipod for that very reason. I’m tired of eating every time I want to exercise. I’ve always been considered in good control and have had excellent A1c’s. We’ll see if this makes a difference. They’re right, tight control usually means having some lows.
I thought I was the only one. At my 2 hour mark I am about 100 and then at 3 hours I am like 65 literally almost everyday. I am now trying to give less of a bolus in the hopes of not going low, but my 2 hour mark has been like 120 instead.
Over the last 6 months I’ve been working to keep myself at a lower target (70-100) than I was before (80-120), and as a result will be in the mid/high 60’s several times per day. I’m comfortable with that and will only treat with a 1/2 or single glucose tab depending on the circumstances. I’m trying to decrease the frequency but it’s manageable so far.
I’ve also had a slight increase in the # of times I’m in the 50s, especially after exercise and overnight. But my # of bad lows (30-50) is way down since I started on CGMS. Actually, I don’t think I’d be as aggressive with my target without CGM.
Meghan, I hope you look at yourself and decide not to be normal/average. The normal/average diabetic is poorly controlled and has many hyper and hypo readings. Please determine to have "normal/average bloodsugars for a normal/average healthy young adult. Fasting at 83 and never over 120 after meals. Are you using glucose tabs to bring you back up. They are precise and the best for getting right back to normal ASAP. The recommended BS for pregnant women is 60-90. If it’s ok for the baby, 60 is ok for you too. I just did my latest post on www.tribaldiabetics.com on this. Congrats on getting mild hypos, that shows you are on the right track. Even Dr. Bernstein checks his BS every hour till bedtime after exercise to make sure he doesn’t go to low.
I don’t consider a hypo as normal but I do get them occasional. Most are due to my carelessness or miscalculation. When I eat out I always shoot on the low side to avoid hypos. When I do my 2 hour test, I make corrections then, it is safer that way.
yeah, around 5x a week for me, most are “mild” lows that suck but aren’t the really bad ones that drag me deep under the waves. some are due to the Lantus peak and some are due to mis-timing between Humalog and food digestion.
I am glad to hear Dr. Bernstein tests every hour, I am starting to as well due to many factors and thought I was nuts for testing so much. Thanks for posting that info.
I would have about 2-3 a week when I was on MDI. I had issues mostly with a specific time (5-7pm) and even eating a snack at 4ish was not a reliable way for me to prevent those lows. When I went on the pump, I was able to lower my basal rates for the afternoon only and have reduced my lows to about 2-4 a month. I know that pumping is not for everyone, but if the hypos are really bothering you, the pump can really help. When I started pumping, my A1c went down, despite reduction in lows, so I was also able to prevent some spikes with it as well. My a1cs have been under 6 since I was diagnosed, so I’d consider myself well-controlled.
My exercise routine fluctuates a lot as well as my reaction to it. Some days, a hour of running/walking, will drop me 100 points. Other days, I go down 40. Some times I’ll have a low a few hours later, sometimes 23 hours later, sometimes not at all. Exercise reactions are just very difficult to figure out.
Some months it is just about every day; sometimes I go a week without a hypo.
If they are above 50, I merely consider it a sign that I am being adequately aggressive.
I’m having trouble understanding why hypos would be considered “good” if they’re mild. They kill brain cells. I think there is a bit of an obsession with “normal” numbers if the regimen you’re following, termed “tight control,” leads you to have more hypos. It does not sound like a way to get healthier at all.
Where is your evidence thst hypos kill brain cells. Post that and we will continue the discussion.
Which is right?
http://www.diabetescaretips.com/diabetes-myths.html
or
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Articles/Low-Blood-Glucose/take_a_bite_out_of_hypoglycemia/1/
The second article’s point is that “severe” hypoglycemia causes brain cell death, not mild hypos. The author provides no citations for this claim.
After reviewing Pub Med I came across these articles
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15975714
Here it states that a ketogenic diet helps mitigate any brain damage from hypos. It doesnt state how low or severe were the hypos and they are all done on rats. Still, if you are goin to go low get on the fat.
Here recurrent “mild” hypos actually PROTECT against brain damage.
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/59/4/1055.long
CONCLUSIONS: Antecedent recurrent moderate hypoglycemia preconditioned the brain and markedly limited both the extent of severe hypoglycemia-induced neuronal damage and associated cognitive impairment. In conclusion, changes brought about by recurrent moderate hypoglycemia can be viewed, paradoxically, as providing a beneficial adaptive response in that there is mitigation against severe hypoglycemia-induced brain damage and cognitive dysfunction.