this is different than the post from April 2009. I exercised. Had like 5 cherries and one fig bar. It went from like 48 to 214. I am wondering do I treat the 214, or just fast until it evens out. Supposed to eat in like an hour. I have had diabetes 53 years, you’d think i’d be better at this by now. I just panicked when I saw the 48 number, which I did not do a glucose stick to verify…
Thanks
I would treat. But it’s your choice. Just bolus carefully for your meal to follow.
I ended up taking the extra unit and waiting a while before I ate. Thanks for your input!
Ame
I’ve done that before- and I’ve been diabetic 52+ years. I find it is best to test- I may start to treat the low, but test to make sure how low I am. Quite often the CGM has me at a lower number than I really am. But then like another said, carb carefully for the next meal.
Thanks Linda!
a.
Whenever my blood sugar is too high I first test it with my contour next meter. I always take it down with a bolus and never wait for CIQ to take it down with a basil change. Actually I give myself more than I need to to get it down faster and then if everything goes right I will have a snack at the end. To me that’s a double benefit.
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Funny you should post this right now.
I would definitely correct a 212
I also really try to not over correct lows, there is a monster inside us and it’s hard to contain when we go low.
I also notice that I need a higher correction for a higher sugar.
So correcting a 212 requires 2 units to get back in range, but a250 can take as much as 6 units.
It’s not linear for me anyway.
Same for me, except I don’t use automation. My insulin sensitivity doesn’t seems to be different for treating highs and lows.
Short periods of exercise (under 30 minutes) cause my liver to release glucose and raise my BGs. I need to use less insulin to treat exercised induced hypos than I do food induced hypos.
Very true about the less insulin. I have one of those in-pens that’s on a fixed dose. I have to remind myself that I am smarter than the pen!
A.
The best way to avoid the high is to avoid the low. And treat ASAP with glucose, giving it time to take effect. In theory, treating a post-hypo high is not a good idea. During a hypo, there are counter-regulatory hormones, adrenaline, cortisol, glucagon and growth hormone. They kick in a different times and can be active for as long as 24 hrs. Treating the high can lead to a rollercoster, especially if it is persistent. The sooner you treat the low, the more likely you are to mitigate the rebound. Using a set dose of glucose make it less likely to over treat.
Having said that, I do treat rebounds. I just can’t help myself. I try to be conservitive and sometimes get on the rollercoster. My endo notices it in my pump/CGM records, and admonishes me. But 1-2 rolls of Smarties right away and I almost never rebound. I get in touble if I hyper focus during a low and delay treatment, which I am likely to do.
Perhaps you over-ate your low? I use the Dex4 glucose tabs or gel so I don’t overdo it. They’re very fast and nothing needs to be digested before the glucose is absorbed. I take it you got the low after exercising? I have to lower my basal rate and my before exercise meal bolus before I can exercise safely and even then, it doesn’t always work out. I’d treat the 214 very conservatively, as other people pointed out. I’ve gotten myself into horribly bouncing loops by overcorrecting highs after lows. Diabetes: for me unknowable and unpredictable after 47 years. Good luck.
Thanks.
I found that, after I turned 65, food and insulin started working differently. And the difference between what happened when I was 59 and what is happening now keeps getting larger. Humalog takes much longer and longer to lower my BG, and I started needing more and more of it until an endocrinologist told me to add Metformin (I use MDI). With Metformin, I now need much less insulin (but my C-peptide is still 0, so the insulin is essential, the Metformin is optional, but it saves on the cost of Humalog).
When I finish all my Humalog, I plan to try the new insulin Lyumjev.
Type 2 DM here, I have been on Metformin for about 20 years. I am currently on a pump after a short stint with MDI. Metformin is a good addition for some type 1 DMs. It works in 3 ways,
Metformin does not stimulate Beta cell secretion in type 2 DMs. There are some type 2 drugs that do. Those drugs wouldn’t have much affect on some long time T2DMs like me. I still secrete a bit of insulin, but my Beta cells are pretty much crapped out from overwork.
Treat and move on. And welcome to diabetes. We all have overtreated lows and highs.