But people who are not diabetic do not have frequent hypos, if they have them at all. When I have one, I feel pretty awful even after my bg comes back to normal. Even if it won’t kill you to have mild ones now and then, do you really have to get your bg that low that you get into the danger zone?
Also, I am curious. Where do they get these numbers of “normal” from? It’s an average based on tests on what and on whom? Sorry to be a little skeptical, but as a woman I’ve noticed that many standards for normal are based on tests done on men. Is what is a normal average bg the same for me as it would be for someone else? I guess what I’m getting at is hypos don’t feel right, I never had them before diagnosis, and I’m reluctant to get close to what would constitute one for me because of statistics based on people whose “normal” bg may not be my normal.
In some ways I wish I had known what my “normal” was before I was diagnosed, but too late for that now…
I get these from Dr. Richard K Bernstein. Also studying at what BS levels damage occurs Here is the link. http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/
And no, you do not have to go mild hypo if you are precise enough to balance everything that is involved in keeping normal bloodsugars. Nobody, even Dr. B is that precise. He takes 2 glucose tabs on average per day. However, I would rather experience the occational low, feel off for a few minutes, than risk doing permanent damage to my organs with chronically high blood sugars because I don’t want to experience the discomfort of a mild hypo. High or Low…I vote low. I want to live with no complications.
I had gestational diabetes for both my pregnancies. I’ll have to double check my old log books but I do not remember having hypos during that time, nor ever having such a low range and my doctors considered my bg well under control for both pregnancies.
An occasional low is expected when on insulin. What I want to avoid is lows that occur daily, weekly. I certainly don’t want to be high either. I just want to be comfortable and functioning the way I did before diagnosis as much as possible.
Ultimately it is difficult to mimic a healthy pancreas…
I keep very thorough records and after looking at the previous seven days, I had three numbers in the 60’s and one in the 50’s. There are some weeks I have as many as seven per week if I am especially active. I started pumping in 2007 and have experienced fewer lows and highs. Pumping certainly enables me to have more stable numbers. There is no more roller coaster type of control. My Dexcom CGM is also helping me very much. I can see an oncoming low or high and take the appropriate action before things get much worse. If I did not have a pump and CGM, I would be having many more highs and lows, some below 50 and some above 160. I have not seen a low below 50 for many months because of my CGM. I have not needed help from my wife during a hypo for over three years. I can feel my lows developing when in the mid 70’s. I have been type 1 for 65 years and I still have hypos, but they are easy to control now. I am very grateful for that.
That is great news! I’m really sensitive to lows (right now, hopefully that will stay for a while) and can feel them coming on in the '70s too, sometimes even before that.
I’ve heard that the pump stabilizes things and will definitely consider at least trying one once I get the OK from my doctors. I’ve only been type 1 since June of this year. Hypos are becoming much less common than they used to be now that I have a pen that gives 1/2 doses and a good instinct about what food tends to do what to me at what time of the month (female hormones!). I am also being helped by the continued existence of endogenous insulin, but I know that eventually that will fade to nothing and I’ll be “on my own.”
I haven’t yet had an episode where a hypo has rendered me helpless. I’m hoping to avoid that as much as possible for as long as possible…
You are very likely to avoid ever being rendered helpless. Most T1’s retain the ability to feel lows so long as they maintain good control (as you are). Knock on wood, I’m 5 years in and way past the honeymoon and I’ve never had a low render me helpless and require help from someone. My ability to feel a low varies a little bit depending on fast my bg is dropping but I notice them anywhere from 80 to 60. Every once in a while my bg will drop to the 50’s during the night and the drop happens so gradually that I don’t feel it but looking back I always have a light bulb moment where I realize Oh, that’s why I didn’t sleep well and was so restless all night.
When I was swinging getting highs and lows about 10 years ago, I had a low daily. And I was eating what they said to eat.
Now I haven’t been down to 65 for a month or so. And before that, maybe 2-3 months.
I set my target at 90 to 110; one gram raises me 6.5 mg/dl since I’m 104 lbs. (For every weight there is a grams & raise amount.) I take 2 grams if I’m even at 75 so I get to 88.
I think that unless I start eating high carb again, I probably won’t have any lows because I’ll be able to gauge small amounts of insulin for small amounts of carb. I have never used a food scale. I eat an unrounded diet that suits me.
I take glucose tablets for exercise, and i have divided my exercise into 10 minute increments so that every 10 min. I pop one. That works for me. It’s all individual. I have an alarm watch.
I have definitely been obsessive about recording, but it’s paid off! I’m also obsessive about saying out loud what I’m doing so if there are guests in the house, they know where I am in my glucose reading and what I’m doing! This helps me stay in line. The neighbors all help keep me in line, too, when I’m out walking the dog - as I’ve educated them to do! Make others help prevent lows!
I used to test constantly but lately I have been so depressed over my diabetes and haven’t been doing well. Can someone give me tips on how to get back on track? I started out with A1C of 11 and got it down to an 8 with no problems. Now I’m back to a 10 or possibly higher an the nerve damage in my lower legs is painful again. I’m back to eating wrong foods and lack of exercise with no support from family. I guess I’m just tired of carrying the load by myself
The frustration & burden becomes a vicious cycle. We give up, BG goes way high & we feel so crappy & tired from high numbers that it’s hard to find the motivation to get on track again. Even more difficult when you feel alone in the struggle without family support.
Try setting a small goal & move on from there. Start by getting back into the routine of testing. Soon, you’ll be doing it again without even thinking. Tackle the pieces of eating, exercise one step at a time. Thinking about it all at once is overwhelming.
You know what you have to do, so give yourself a pep talk. You can do it. You owe it to yourself. Imagine feeling better with no leg pain & more energy. Focus on all the positive outcomes & move forward.
I have about 2-3 mild hypos a week mostly in the 60’s and a rare 50. When on MDI I had more and more severe hypos (30-40’s). My targets on my pump are 70-100 in the early AM and 80-100 after 8 AM.
