So this happens to me A LOT! but for example today my BS was 230, so i took a correction dose of 1 unit to bring it down, then i check an hour and a half later and it was 260. WHATT? does anyone know why this happens, or if this happens to anyone? P.S. I’m on the medtronic paradigm 722 insulin pump
are you doing corrections with the pump or by syringe. If you have 2 highs in a row, you should do it by syringe and change the set out.
I notice that too, but I wait another 15 minutes and if it still hasn’t come down then I will either do a corrective bolus via the pump or the shot.
Another possibility is that your basal rate isn’t right at that time of day. Because your liver is constantly delivering glucose to your bloodstream 24 hours a day, if your basal rate were too low then it will rise and a correction may not be enough to counter it. Once basal is correct, then a small correction makes a big difference. When basal is very low compared to what’s required, then it seems like no amount of insulin will bring it down.
If it’s a pattern happening at the same time each day, then basal rates really should be checked by fasting and seeing if your BG is rising or falling (a basal test).
- Jeff
As the others said, your BG was climbing due to something else (type of food, insulin not being delivered, basal rate), so that one unit didn’t have much of an effect.
Since your BG was 230, what’s your correction ratio (ISF)? One unit isn’t very much to lower 230.
Perhaps your basal rates need to be increased. Have you tried doing basal rate tests? Your blood sugar might be always rising at that time of the day.
Let me know if you need good instructions on basal rate testing. I know that someone posted a long description on TuD and I can find it. It’s a royal pain in the butt, but it’s well worth doing it every once in a while. Good basal rates make ALL the difference.
I couldn’t find the discussion that I was thinking of on TuD, but here are some other links that might be helpful:
The basic idea of a basal test is that if you don’t eat and you don’t give any boluses, your blood sugars should stay the same on the pump. So you want to not eat and not give boluses for a few hours and see if you see any rise. When I do basal testing, I usually test every hour (instead of every 2 hours) to get a better idea about when my blood sugars are changing.
I have have had the same thing happen the last few days. Was fasting 12 hours and my sugar was 155 on waking at 6;30 AM. I took my dose of long acting levemir and decided not to eat. My blood sugar went up to 230 BY 8 am. I ate then (24 grams carbohydrate) and took my usual dose of short acting Humalog. My blood sugar rose to 295 and then started to go down and was 155 by noon. This is very puzzling and I am going to try the basel testing worksheets that Kristin provided.
Deb - As you suspect, your basal insulin may not match your actual basal needs well. Some people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, experience a need for a greater basal insulin in the early morning hours. It's called dawn phenomena.
Do you split your Levemir dose between morning and night? If you take it all in the morning, perhaps taking some at night will help you counteract these morning highs.
Does this happen every day? Is it a trend? It's best not to act on this kind of thing until it appears to be a trend. For me, if it happens three days in a row, then it's a trend.
This is a problem you can fix. In doing so you'll learn a valuable skill in toruble-shooting.
Also, do you allow your Humalog some time to start working? Many people find allowing 15 minutes between injecting and eating will give the Humalog some time to work before the meal starts digesting. Good luck.