I'm a T1D (for 14ish years) - the last few days have been brutal; I have woken up between 4-5 am for 5 days now with BGs in the 2s...needless to say, it has left me feeling incredibly zapped of energy (which makes keeping up with my toddler and everything else!) because it seems to perpetuate a weirdo roller-coaster ride of lows and highs for hours after (if not the whole entire day)...nothing in my life (or life style) has changed recently (the only thing I could think of was it seems to been coinciding with a strange stretch unusually hot and humid weather)...any thoughts?
I know that, personally, high heat and humidity effect me adversely, much like stress, but I have not been a dx'ed diabetic long enough to know exactly how it affects my BG numbers.
I also have discovered that, again for me, eating the "standard" 15g of sugar-laden food to correct a low is just too much and will cause me to rocket up higher than I want. If I'm in the mid 40's (2.4 ish), I stop at 10g or less and usually try to use something with a bit more than just palin sugar/glucose...like the little baby Snickers bars as they seem to bring me up quickly but level off better than just empty sugar.
DizGrizz - I do have a snack before bedtime (I have to or I wake up between 3-4am low), I even 'upped' it a bit and cut back ever so slightly on my Lantus at bedtime too (last night) and this morning was the lowest and worst of my 'crashes' in recent times. Heat/humidity, and stress, drastically effect me and my BGs, so we have been (or thought so) extra cautious (turned the AC on early, limited activity, extra water, etc.). I appreciate the advice about the 'standard' 15g, that is sometimes the perfect trick and then other times (possibly when I'm in the 2s) when it doesn't work - I am going to try cutting it back to 10g and see how that goes...maybe I'll even pick up some of those baby Snickers (that'll please the nonD hubby of mine as they're his fav)! Cheers for the reply :)
Do you check your BG before meals and, if so, have you found that those numbers are also lower when it's hot and humid? If so, it would, I think, lend credence to your idea of lowering your basal (Lantus) a bit during the hot / humid whether but I wouldn't go too far without discussing it with your Endo.
One last thought...forgive me if I am stating the obvious, but you might consider increasing the fiber and/or protein in your bedtime snack so that it breaks down more slowly to make its effect on your BG flatter and longer-lasting. A bit of fat is also helpful in slowing metabolism of carbs. Good old peanut butter contains a nice amount of fat and proteins...assuming your not allergic to nuts. You might also consider a bit of string cheese or pepperoni slices...which kind of sounds like pizza for a snack :).
I was always told by my Doctors as I was growing up that insulin is absorbed a bit easier if it’s hot, so would possibly need a bit less in the ‘hotter’ summer months. Hope that helps!
OK, one more thunk. Have you considered splitting your Lantus dose into two injections 12 hours apart? See this article and read the Long Acting Insulins section.
Cut down more on the Lantus! The amount of Lantus I've needed has varied from about 6 units to 12 units in the last year alone; since I was diagnosed it has varied from about 4 units to about 35 units.
Diz - appreciate all the advice (I've been on the same bedtime snacks for almost a decade now, similar to the ones you've mentioned - had to switch to more protein recently though I've noticed) - THANK YOU for the article link! When I was pregnant they had me split my Humalin N doses (had to switch back bc apparently you should not take Lantus while pregnant/nursing) but that was mostly bc the dose was so large...I have considered splitting it (though I'm not thrilled about adding an extra needle to my daily injections!), but after reading that article I might try tinkering with the time I'm taking it...cheers for all the thoughts!! :)
Jonah - cheers for that - my Lantus doses have fluctuated over the years too; here's hoping a few more adjustments will do the trick...guess nothing lasts forever...even your dosages! LOL!
Dear Bec, I am even today lowering my basal yet again after lowering it two weeks ago. The only way for me to greet warm weather. I do this year after year. In the fall I have to raise it.
I lower a unit and wait for 3 days to see if it's ok, and during the day I give a bit more bolus at meals, and then it all flattens out again.
Cheers.
I figure my cells shiver in winter and so need more basal then, and they sweat and shrink in summer and so need less basal.
Leo - thanks for that - really helps being apart of this community (it is my first connection with other diabetics) and finally connecting with others who share my plight! I lowered my basal last night and woke up with slightly higher BGs (8.2) which wasn't great, but certainly better than 2.4 at 4 am ;) I am certainly going to try it for the next two nights and see how it goes...makes sense (your shivering cells!) to adjust seasonally...just wasn't expecting high humidity in southern Ontario in May :P Cheers!
