Hello, I'm not totally sure how to work this forums or where to post an Into.
My name is John, about 5 days ago I went into DKA, and learned I had type 1 Diabetes.
I'm pretty new to it all, my brother has been type 1 since he was 2<now 23> but I never
really was that close..
Everything is pretty new to me, the Doctors want me to take 30units of Lantus every morning and novolog as per sliding scale at all my meals and before bed.
so far my blood sugar has been pretty steady going up from around 180-280ish before/after meals and such...whats a normal range to try and keep it, and how do i lower it, and keep it there???
Hi John,
I’ve been T1 for 10 months so am no expert. Sounds like you need a Certified Diabetic Educator to work out your insulin to carb ratio for meals. Sliding scale usually isn’t used anymore. My Insulin to carb ratio is 1 unit Humalog per 15 grams of carb. But everyone is different. 30 units of Lantus is a pretty big dose and may need adjusting when you are less Insulin resistant. There are people on this site who know a lot more than me. But your best bet is an Educator and an Endocrinologist working with you. Good luck John.
Hey, welcome to the club. I’m 24.I have been type 1 since I was 2. I agree that you should see a diabetes educator as well.Also make sure you get set up with an endocrinologist. Sliding scale is actually used still.and the 15 grams of carbs to one unit of insulin is considered sliding scale. I would talk to your brother. I know you said you guys weren’t close, but he would probably be a good person to talk to ,and who knows, it may bring the two of you closer.The best thing I can advise is to educate your self as much as possible, and ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to question your doctors either.if something they say doesn’t sound right or you’re confused be sure to tell them.They are human and can make mistakes. It’s a tough condition to control,but it can be done.Remember you will have ups and downs over the years,but don’t let it get you bummed. Diabetes is not a death sentence. Sorry to hear you got diagnosed, It’s never something you want to throw a party over, but there are a lot of great support groups out there, like this one, and there have been great improvements on how to treat it. Good luck.
Welcome! Glad you’re here. Wonderful people here to learn from & share with.
When BG has been really high from DKA, doctors want to lower it slowly. As it starts coming down you’ll feel like you’re low (shaky, sweaty, brain fog) as your body adjusts to more normal glucose levels.
180-280 is rather high. Please call your doctor to make adjustments to your doses. Keep logs of all your readings (morning fasting, before meals, two hours after meals & before bed) & doses. Tracking what you eat will help.
A range many people aim for is under 100 for fasting & not over 140 two hours after meals. Doesn’t mean we can achieve this, but that’s the goal.
Tell your doctor that you want to learn to count carbs & to take insulin according to your meals. A sliding scale is outdated & not the way to control BG. Get a referral to an endo. It can often take a while to get an appointment so the sooner you do this,the better.
Welcome John! I was diagnosed 7 years and 1 day before you. I was in DKA at the age of 21.
I remember very clearly what I was feeling 5 days after diagnosis: overwhelmed, confused, … When I had to give my first insulin injections , I worried what would happen if I gave too much or too little. I worried what would happen if I made a mistake.
The best thing that you can do now is to check your blood sugar often and write it down (or get a meter that you can download and show to your doctor). For the first month, I kept a very detailed log and wrote down everything that I ate, all insulin that I took and any exercise. I HATE keep these types of logs – so I don’t do it all the time, but when I need to make changes to my insulin this is the best way, I find.
If you keep this log of all food, insulin, and activity, then you can take it into the endocrinologist or diabetes educator and can get help adjusting your insulin regime.
The second thing that you can do is start reading about “carbohyrate counting”. I was also started on a sliding scale and that it OK for the beginning, but it is very useful to learn how to adjust your insulin doses based on your current blood sugar and the amount of carbs that you want to eat.
I would highly recommend getting a book either:
Think like a pancreas
or
Using Insulin (by John Walsh)
Reading through one of these gradually will make you an expert!
Most importantly, remember that though your life has changed dramatically, you will find a “new normal life” with type 1 diabetes. Please feel free to ask ANYTHING in this community. There are tons of years of experience at your finger tips!
Oh geez you have alot to learn, whenever you have questions just ask here Just remember that every diabetic is different, so what might work for one might not work for the other. I went to library and just read every book i could find, after a while the books will seem the same. Logging will help alot, good luck!
Just wanted to say Welcome to Club 1. Try not to worry your numbers will come down. OK real quick, me. Dx’ed aug./08 in ICU, DKA and at 52. I am also on Lantus and Novolog. When I was first dx’ed my bs was all over the place. The normal range for me is 80 - 120 . Your next question is going to be fun as we are all the same and different. At first I kept my carbs low to get a grip on things. After about a month or 2, I checked my base (Lantus) by fasting for 12 hrs. and testing every 2 hrs. My goal was + or - 20, I got it to + or - 10 with ta da 30 units of Lantus in the morning. Some people split their dose. The sliding scale took a little more effort. I started by eating the same carbs, yes it was boring. For me because I eat a lot of sandwiches, I used bread as a start. After trying I found my carb ratio of 2 units Novolog for every 15 grams carbs. One other thing I try to do to keep post meal numbers down is inject about half to an hour before I eat. Eat small carbs at first to make control easier. Oh, beware of the honeymoon. LOL Let’s see anything else??? Oh, yea I also use the total carbs on package lables, no corrections for fiber and such. Sugar Free is not carb free, so on sugar alcohols I use half. I find the only sugar free stuff I consume is soda. If you have any questions feel free to ask. At dx. my a1c was 13.8 and my last was 5.7
Hi John,
Im 22 and was diagnosed with Type 1 in April and was in DKA. It seems like other people have stressed this, but find an endocrinologist and diabetes educator. My diabetes educator and nutritionist are through the hospital and when I was released they referred me to an endocrinologist.
My endocrinologist put me on a sliding scale at first and I slowly reduced my blood sugar levels. I just looked at my readings and I was exactly where you were (in the 200s) a week after diagnosis. Now my levels are basically normal.
Someone else mentioned it, but watch for the honeymoon effect. This is when the part of the pancreas that is still functioning (if there is any) starts to produce insulin again. Im in my honeymoon right now, which started about a month after diagnoses. The key to the honeymoon is to extend it because it will mean more time at normal levels. This is done through continuing to take insulin. Sometimes I feel like I dont need to take insulin because Im levels are always normal, but I have to remind myself that Im in my honeymoon.
Pick up “Think Like a Pancreas, a practical guide to managing diabetes with insulin”. It is a great start to learning about diabetes. I only which I could have had it available years ago when I made the transition to T1D.
I was diagnosed in 1984. Think Like a Pancreas changed my life when I got it a year and a half ago. It was good for me because it helped me realize that I shouldn’t feel like I had to get everythign in order at once. There is so much to figure out. You have to break it up and figure it out one piece at a time. Most people cannot figure their insuiln and diet and exercize and stress and caffeine all at once. You will probably feel overwhelmed, and that is totally normal.
Also, if you take allergy medicines, they may raise your bg also.
About the carb counting, I use one unit of humalog (same as novalog) for about 28 carbs for breakfast and 1 unit for 12 carbs at dinner. You tend to need more novalog per carb in the mornings. Most people do, if not all.
Just remember that every diabetic is different, so what might work for one might not work for the other. I went to library and just read every book i could find, after a while the books will seem the same. Logging will help alot, good luck!