If possible I would highly recommend seeing an allergist to get tested, as they can tell you exactly what you are allergic to. It might not help in all cases (for example, kind of hard to do anything about outdoor pollens), but for stuff like dust mites and pet dander, there's definitely something you can do to help. (I second the mattress and pillow covers. I still have allergies in the morning but nowhere near as bad as before I had the covers!)
Also, I went from having NO allergies (other than to one or two foods) to suddenly developing a ton of seasonal and indoor allergies all at once when I was 24. I thought I had the worst, longest-lasting cold ever until I saw an allergist and found I had developed allergies (to 17 out of the 23 things he tested for!). They have gotten worse over the years, and I've developed some new ones as well. I consider it a sort of autoimmune problem, it's just my immune system is going crazy attacking harmless particles I touch/inhale/ingest rather than one of my bodily systems.
Stupid "reply buttons" - never where you need them. Replying to Shawnmarie, not myself: I had 13 years recovery from an eating disorder when I got diagnosed and it definitely brought up a lot of issues around food. I'm much better in that area, but I had gotten quite overweight and lost 40 pounds at diagnosis, and I would say, "it was a gift but I'm not giving it back!". Awhile later I did start to slowly inch up and I got really anxious. I tried Symlin but it didn't work at all. I'm also 63 which makes it hard to lose weight and easy to gain. Long story short I gained back 10 of the 40 I lost and have been holding steady. My brother said I look better and that I was too thin before. I would still prefer to be less, but as long as I hold steady I'm fine. I think the key with weight and insulin is to keep your carbs as low as you can which means you take as little insulin as possible. The people who "eat whatever they want and bolus for it" are more likely to gain.
Since so many of you helped me along through my saga of lows and highs since Sunday, I just thought I'd update. I'm pretty much back to normal not only from the extremes of that day but from the 2 week episode of continually spiking on my usual doses.
I made 3 small tweaks (increases) to basal, but think it wasn't just that, but the absorption issue - I switched from hip to stomach for awhile. And that ineffable something or other that says, "The D gods are done #*@)%-ing with you....for now." Gracias a todo.
