Hi everyone - I was diagnosed type 1 and have been on
insulin since Nov 15, 2003. I take 8 units of Lantus and
8-10 units of Novolog (before each meal.) I am 17 years old
and weigh 126 pounds (down from 134 prior to diagnosis.)

I've only had occasional mild hypos until last week. Last
week I had 3 hypos at school, 2 were so severe I had to
leave class and lay down in the nurses office. I watch my
diet real close, and have been eating the same as before. I
use the Novolog Flexpens for the Novolog injections. All of
the injections last week were from a new pen that I started
using last Sunday. Each pen lasts me over a week. I am very
careful to do the airshots, and to dial in the right dose.
After the first bad hypo, I also have been double checking
the dose by looking at the syringe. The doses are always
right. Is it possible the Novolog insulin in this pen is
stronger than usual?
I called my doctor, she said to inject 6-8 units and see if
I still get hypos.

Could my insulin requirement be changing? These hypos come
on while sitting in class, without any prior exercise. The
last time it was real bad, it took a long time to recover,
even after taking many glocose tablets.

KT
Type 1

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eZKdnZ_4H_EP5Z3dRVn-tA@giganews.com...

you eat do you check your blood sugar 2 hours after? It should be falling
down to somewhere between 4 and 7 mmol/l or between 84 and 147 at the two
hour mark, if it is lower than you're going to go hypo. You should also test
before you eat meals to see how much insulin you really need. If you test
before you eat and you're at 84 or lower and then you inject enough food to
cover a meal you will go up to a point and then down back to where you
started out. If your insulin works faster than your food you may go too low,
if you inject a little too much insulin for the food you eat you will also
go too low. Are you taking your lantus does 3 times a day? or does that one
shot of 8 last you the whole day. What time do you take your lantus dose?

I run the following routine;

6.45 am is breakfast.
2 weetabix and 8 to 12u of novorapid depending on what my morning blood
sugar reading is.

I test at 10.00am to see what my blood sugar is. I can then gauge when i
need to eat lunch.

12:00pm is lunchtime
Chicken and salad sandwich with a sausage roll. I inject 10 to 12u of
novorapid depending on what my pre lunch blood sugar is.

I test at 2.00pm to make sure my blood sugar is still where it should be.

6.00pm is tea time
I eat whatever i want here, but usually around 40 to 50g of carb. I'll
inject accordingly between 10 and 12 u of novorapid depending on what my
reading is.

I'll test at 8ish to make sure blood sugar is ok.

I'll test at 11:00pm to see if i need a light snack before i go to bed. A
slice of toast for me is usual.

The point is that i don't inject the same insulin every time because my body
handles the same meal differently each day. First thing i'd do is talk this
through with your nurse or doctor, but if you have a meter and a good supply
of testing strips i'd use that to find out what's going on. Why not test
just before you've been going hypo and see what your blood sugar is doing.
You may find you need a little less insulin at some meal times and more at
others.

No one person will need the same insulin and on one person will ever be able
to predict exactly what a meal and a fixed level of insulin will do because
we just don't know.

What you may find is that because of your age and the fact you're a healthy
active woman that you may actually need less insulin than you're using. But
as i've said, the only way you will know this for sure and with any degree
of accuracy is by testing your blood sugar at regular intervals for a while.
Then you may see a pattern emerging. Once you have a rough pattern you can
start to work to it. Still testing of course, but maybe just not as
frequently as before.

need to test so you can see just how low you're going and when it's
happening. Then and only then can you start to work out why it's happening
and preempt a hypo and also stop them from happening in the first place.

I do hope this is of some help to you, i'm no expert and many have been
diabetic longer than me but these are the things that have helped put me
back in charge of my life and my diabetes.

Patrick
--
T1 Dx'd 1993.
26u Lantus and as much novorapid as my meter says i need

Katie,
Sorry you've had a rather tough time of it lately. It stinks to do the same
thing every day, and still have variations in your numbers. As you age, and
your body changes, and as your rountines change, your insulin requirements
will also change. Currently, my insulin requirements change based on my
cycle. Just before and during my cycle, I am not as sensitive to insulin as
at other times. Just after my cycle, I am extremely sensitive to insulin.
I haven't also been like this. I am sure that at some point in time, this
too will change.

If you keep good records, and test often, you will start to see some
patterns emerge. Be prepared that as you figure out a pattern, it will
change on you : ) About all you can do is test, test, test and be prepared
for hypos.

Good luck.
Steph

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eZKdnZ_4H_EP5Z3dRVn-tA@giganews.com...

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 14:11:24 -0800, "Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Katie, Nice to see you posting again! Not being a T1, I can't give
you any insulin advice, but I was wondering what your BGs have been
like before you inject. About the weight loss, I do know that T1s
often lose weight, but is that weight good for you do you think? Of
course I know all women think they are fat, and own way to many pairs
of shoes...

Sleepy


-----------------------------------------------------------
You can tell those republicans sure do like the poor folks,
They just keep helping create more and more of them!
-----------------------------------------------------------

<xnip>


and own way to many pairs
Probably why we're all diabetic. Too many shoes. Damn!
c



That

I kinda miss the shoe guy, he was great fun!

Sleepy


On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 19:05:23 -0600, "Colleen" <colleen@privacy.net>
wrote:


-----------------------------------------------
Let's Kick the Right Wing, Out of the West Wing
-----------------------------------------------

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 18:33:06 -0600, "Stephanie Kolban"
<noemail@noemail.com> wrote:

often hear about a "honeymoon period". Might that be the problem?

Sleepy

-----------------------------------------------
Let's Kick the Right Wing, Out of the West Wing
-----------------------------------------------

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eZKdnZ_4H_EP5Z3dRVn-tA@giganews.com...
Katie, you really need to learn how to dose adjust, while I understand
and it's great you want to listen to your doctor exactly. Learning to dose
adjust will help you learn "your" insulin sensitivity level. Also yes, your
insulin requirements might be changing, you might becoming more sensitive.

Here is the other thing. Novolog starts working about 15mins, peaking iirc
about 1.5-2hr and is gone within 4hrs. You also need to learn the activity
curve of the insulin you are taking and how "you" react to it.

We are all different, why 6-8u isn't gonna cut it! For me, novolog starts
to work in 20mins, I peak at 1:45mins and i get hit again with it's tail
around
the 4.5hr mark. Like it has to give me that final "humph".

This is why a T1 "should" be close to 180 at the 2hr mark - because by the
time the insulin is done working you'll be back to normal, otherwise at 4hrs
you risk a hypo. Usually about the 2hr mark I hover at 150-160 - 4hr mark
i'm at 110-120.

theres also a little tidbit about the "unused insulin rule" you should look
up
and learn. the more "you" know about your body, the better off you will be.
your doctor isn't the t1 in your body.. you are.
--
RK - t1
In tribute to the United States of America and the State
of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and
terrorism.

"Sleepyman" <eat@moms.com> wrote in message
news:9md1001269tdkj43kv88u4g39dlae641bg@4ax.com...
diagnosed as a T2. I think that it is entirely possible that she may still
be producing some insulin. If her injected insulin has given her possibly
still functioning pancreas a bit of a rest, then perhaps her pancreas is now
producing too much insulin when coupled with her injected insulin. I was
diagnosed at 14, and had little to no honeymoon. So, I know next to nothing
about honeymoons. If she is in a honeymoon phase, then as she grows older
and as her body changes, she will need to adjust her insulin requirements.

Steph

Hey Katie!
Nice to "hear" from you again.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. Hope a T1 here can help you out.
Don't forget about misc.health.diabetes.
--
--
t2_lurking
geabbottATabbottandabbottDOTcom
Do not mail to t2_lurking (auto-delete)
============================
"Off with her head!' the Queen shouted at the top of her voice.
"Who cares for you?' said Alice, "You're nothing but a pack of pixels"!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New to Diabetes? Go to:
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org
************************************************** *******

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eZKdnZ_4H_EP5Z3dRVn-tA@giganews.com...

"Stephanie Kolban" <noemail@noemail.com> wrote in message
news:1001gvcpqavpq64@corp.supernews.com...
Katie
You were diagnosed in November, so you could be getting lucky with a
'honeymoon Period' It would be lucky for you because that would mean
better BG levels for a while with less injected insulin, so less chance of
hypos.
Also gives you a chance to get used to things like adjusting insulin dose to
match exercise or different amounts of food without too much trouble.
Then again maybe the hypo's you experienced were due to hormones,
or freak fluctuations of insulin sensitivity.

Whatever the reasons for the hypo's last week its a good idea to try and
track the activity curve of your insulin and learn to work with it.

I use a small journal to record amounts of food, insulin, exercise
and BG level.


Remedy for low BG:

1. Take 'less' insulin and keep an eye on BG readings with
your handy dandy BG Monitor.
2. Take your BG Monitor with you and test if you feel you
might be hypo, or are feeling strange or weird.
3. Keep plenty of glucose tabs with you at all times.

Hope this helps you.

David_G

I did just finish my period. Maybe I am more insulin
sensitive because of that, causing the hypos.

The doctor wants me to "dose adjust", but not until I am
ready. Now she has me trying to eat specific amounts of
carbs, and injecting insulin for these amounts. If I am low
before eating or will be exercising a lot, she told me to
inject less. I won't be ready to dose adjust until I get
real good at estimating the carb amounts in my food. I guess
that is the first step, she is taking it one step at a time.

At school, I don't always get a chance to test before
injecting and eating. This has not been a problem until this
past week. I did test before injecting and eating the time I
had the last and worst hypo, I was 115, about right, so I
don't think that was the cause.A During the hypo I tested
42, it took 45 minutes to get back to 100.

I don't know anything about this "honeymoon" effect. Maybe I
am still making a lot of my own insulin, but it should be
decreasing not increasing.

I had the hypos in the same class all 3 times. The teacher
in that class is watching me real close, I don't like being
singled out for any special attention. I hope it don't
happen again.

KT

"RK" <xxx@xxx.net> wrote in message
news:btq4e0$a48vq$1@ID-207632.news.uni-berlin.de...

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:OKednZfDgZVrRJ3dRVn-uA@giganews.com...
As a bloke that's something i'm never going to be able to comment on

It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. Once you've worked out
what foods do what and what your insulin to carb ratio is you can pretty
much eat what you like and inject accordingly. What would be your typical
meal at school and what time do you eat it?

That's a nice low one ... i wonder what you ate and how much you injected
for it, however it may just have been one of those things and unrelated to
anything.

There is a chance it could be fluctuating, i never had much of my own
insulin left although it seemed to take me about 5 years from Dx for my
insulin requirements to change but the change was minimal.

is different or special and you definitely don't want to feel like one of
"THEM" is watching you A most unnerving feeling especially when you're
trying to get away with day dreaming and they insist on watching like a
hawk. However you can't let this put you off, your best course of action as
far as your diabetes care is concerned is to pretend that the only person
there is you. If you feel you need to test then test, if it's fine after
testing then that's ok. If you need to adjust something like eating more
food then you go do just that. Maybe you could go see that teacher and
explain very simply that you're not doing in on purpose, just let him / her
know that you're a new diabetic and you're having some issues adjusting to
your medication and how it works for you. Most people are totally ignorant
of what we need to do and why we do it. However most people are more than
understanding when they understand a little of what's going on.

You're never going to be rid of hypos, but as you get older you'll be able
to spot them coming and take preventative measures before they cause you a
problem. Things will sort themselves out and you won't feel like the odd one
out forever.

Patrick

T1 Dx'd 1993.
26u Lantus and as much novorapid as my meter says i need

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<eZKdnZ_4H_EP5Z3dRVn-tA@giganews.com>...
with regard to the amounts of insulin that you need.
However, any changes should not occur overnight.
Right now, only 8 units of Lantus is a rather small amount,
and may increase over the years, but it is certainly not
causing you to be low.
The lows are a combination of the fast-acting Novolog and
possibly, some insulin still being produced unexpectedly,
from your pancreas. You have only been on insulin for
less than two months.

The big issue is recognizing a low BG and treating it successfully.

Laying down is NOT recommended,
although some nurses don't know squat !

The reason, is that you do feel tired with a low blood sugar,
and if you lay down before you have had enough glucose or
other carbs to bring your BG back up, you could fall asleep
or pass out while the BG gets lower. Don'dodat !
You do need to take a break from other activity, but
stay sitting while you wait for the carbs to take effect.

It is possible, but not likely.
I don't know what size pen-cartridge you use, but with
only 8-10 units of Novolog,(and now less), per injection,
it probably lasts for a while, usually unrefrigerated at
room temperature. The insulin in the older pen might have been
slightly weakened, although this is not supposed to happen.

Consistency in manufacturing of insulin is highly regulated.
Sometimes, a new batch may act a little different, but
most likely this would be due to storage during transport,
if it was exposed to high temperatures. This would not cause
it to be stronger. Chances are, your other insulin may have been
weaker. Do you store the unopened insulin in a refrigerator?
You should do this.

Other factors, such as your monthly period, which someone else
mentioned, can play a role in insulin requirements, as well as
differences in foods consumed each day. Keeping a diet record
for a week or two, with estimated amounts of each food item
that you have at school, may help to point out any possible
reasons for getting low. If it is possible to take your lunch
in a bag from home, only for a week or so, that would allow
a consistent diet without changes. Then, you would know if the
cafeteria food is a problem. When I was in school, there were
some days that I preferred to avoid the cafeteria food, and
others when I could tolerate it. You need to learn what works
for you. School cafeterias are notorious for doing things that
one does not expect. Possibly, you could talk to the dietitian
at school to learn more about the carbs, fats, & proteins that
come with each meal, or get a weekly menu if you do not already
have access to one. That will make planning easier.

normal part of diabetes management, but not if you are unsure
of what to do. After you have diabetes for a longer period of time,
your doctor will probably want you to be more in control of
fine-tuning needed adjustments to meal/activity schedules.
Even one unit will make a difference for you, especially
because you are not taking a large number of units.
Each unit is very powerful, and doing a lot of work for you.
Always test before and after meals with any changes in
insulin dosage, to see if you made the correct change, or
to put it another way, to see if your doctor guessed right !


I am not a big enthusiast of glucose tablets because
each one does not have enough glucose, and if your BG
is very low, you may need to eat too many before it
gets back up. As they are about as soft as rocks, the
possibility of biting your tongue or chipping a tooth,
especially when one is very low, can be a problem.
Maybe you can keep some juice in your locker, which
they have to allow you to do, and/or at the nurse's office.
The problem with the nurse's office, is that they will
want to make that a pattern that can get to be a bit annoying.
If you can manage on your own, the nurse will just be
there for extra insurance when and if needed.

I suggest carrying one small 6 oz. can of OJ or
pineapple juice with you in your purse, along with
the glucose tablets. The juice will act quicker, and
if you need more, you will still have the glucose tabs.
Extra juice can be kept in your locker.
The plastic bottles or cardboard boxes with fruit juice
or punch may leak or get punctured in your purse.
The cans are a little more expensive, but more durable.

Check your BG before class to be sure that your blood
is not at the low end of normal. If you start class
with it in the lower 70's or even in the 80's, it may
drop too low during class. This could be especially true
when the fast-acting Novolog is reaching its peak.
If problems continue, you could try Humalog to see if
the slight differences help. If you also use syringes,
you could get one vial, (your doctor should have
free-samples---ask if he doesn't offer it), and try
it on the weekend at home, and then in school with
the syringes, before getting a pen. Some people
prefer Novolog, and some prefer Humalog.

Always do an extra test with you meter when in doubt.

"RK" <xxx@xxx.net> wrote in message news:<btq4e0$a48vq$1@ID-207632.news.uni-berlin.de>...

I can't believe what you wrote, especially for someone
who was promoting the use of insulin pumps in another thread.

Once, when I suggested that 140 to 180 was normal after a meal,
many people put down the idea of having a BG between
140-180. While that is normal and acceptable, on occasion,
180 should not be the goal to strive for, and
is not a solution to low blood sugars.
Even you said, "usually about the 2hr mark I hover at 150-160."
So, why would you tell her that she should be
close to 180?

If one gets low from the peak of their fast-acting insulin,
then they are taking too much, or not eating enough food.
Simple as that !
It is NOT normal to be low from the peak action of
Humalog or Novolog.

What she needs to do is to take less pre-meal Novolog, or
or eat more food. The insulin adjustment is probably
preferable, although some additional non-high carb foods
may also be helpful. The biggest problem is
consistency at a school cafeteria.
Of course, she can always have some extra ketchup
for a vegetable serving !!

I know that when I was in school, and even now,
if my BG gets too high, even within the so-called
"safe-limits" of 160-180, I get tired and find it
difficult to stay awake. Sleeping for 40 minutes
during class is hardly a solution. During one semester,
I had a study hall during first period, and if I had
too big of a breakfast, I slept rather than study.
Not only was it a waste of time, but it didn't help
when I had an English class during first period the
following semester. This was in the days before
Humalog or Novolog, and taking more Regular insulin
would have necessitated a mid-morning snack, which
was also impractical at the time. I solved the problem
by having a fourth period phys-ed class, which was
just before lunch, switched with the first period
English class. One advantage to having diabetes is
that one can manipulate their own class schedules,
to suit their medical needs, if other classes
meet at the needed times.

Katie,

I suggest that you pay close attention to the time just after you finish
your period next month. See if you have the same tendency to drop. Then
you will be prepared to lower your insulin dosages, and know that you will
be more susceptible to hypos.

I saw another poster's suggestion to carry the canned orange or pineapple
juice with you in your purse. I have done this for years. My mother never
let me out of the house without OJ in my purse! For me, OJ works very well.
Although warm canned OJ may not taste great, it is effective.

Once you begin to adjust your own insulin, it will help you to avoid some of
these hypos. Don't worry, you will eventually become proficient at
eyeballing your plate and adjusting accordingly. (However, you will always
make mistakes. I've been doing this for 21 years, and still mess up.)
Another poster mentioned taking your lunch to school as a way to have some
consistency in your diet. This is a good idea. Also, be wary of cafeteria
food. Sometimes it can be laden with fat. The fat will delay the
absorption of the carbs. This can also cause hypos. I've lost count of the
times when I have misjudged the fat content, and taken too much insulin.
There is nothing more disgusting than eating a good, satisfying meal and
then having to eat more (or drink OJ) because your sugars have dropped. It
is very frustrating and makes you VERY full!

Steph

"Katie" <kt0387@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:OKednZfDgZVrRJ3dRVn-uA@giganews.com...

Are you a T1 on insulin?

Do you understand and have experienced
insulin activity curves?

Are you an active teen?

NO! so STFU! you have NO wise words.

--
RK - t1
In tribute to the United States of America and the State
of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and
terrorism.

"*~*WiseWords - WiseWords4Diabetics"
<WiseWords_for_Diabetics@EmailAccount.com> wrote in message
news:5153de90.0401110321.f4f3933@posting.google.co m...

"RK" <xxx@xxx.net> wrote in message news:<btrlcn$a6p5f$1@ID-207632.news.uni-berlin.de>...
My medical history is not the topic of discussion,
and I take great exception to those who feel it
is necessary to list one's medical history on a
discussion group where anyone who has read a few
posts knows a little about the person making the posts.
One's medical details generally come out, as needed,
during the course of discussion.
Google also has a group search engine that can be
searched by the poster's UserName.

Not only am I a Type 1 Diabetic, but I have had this
medical condition since the age of 12, and have a
great deal of knowledge about what it is like to go
through Jr. High or Middle School, High School, & College,
as well as making one's way through the real world.
I think the answers I gave katie were right on target.

So sorry that you felt the need to sink to the level of
nasty comments.

"Stephanie Kolban" <noemail@noemail.com> wrote in message news:<1002u2h1mdp6g4c@corp.supernews.com>...
Pineapple or apple juice isn't as bad, and
the Pineapple juice has a 2-3 more gms of carbs than the other juices.

Some people prefer flavored punch because it has less acid than
the orange juice. The carbs are about the same, but the fruit
juice is more nutritious.

Also, the fruit punch seems to only be available in plastic bottles,
or those cardboard boxes. When I have safe storage space available,
I prefer the apple juice in the box. It is less expensive than the
canned juice, and the container holds more than 6 oz. I usually need
the larger amount.

The liquid glucose in the tube is also absorbed very fast,
but the tubes have a break-away or twist-off cap that may
break off in her purse. It is quite a mess to have glucose
all over the inside of a purse or briefcase, or backpack.
They are good to have around, however.
I keep a couple of tubes in a glass candy jar in the kitchen
at my house, where they are easily available if needed.
I learned my lesson about keeping them in the over-stuffed
compartment of my car !
My local diabetes organization used to sell them as a
fund-raiser, in a short, easy to carry tube, with a screw on
cap,---best design ever, but they stopped doing it after
over 40 years. And, it cost less than the commercial stuff.
Could be a real money-maker for someone who could finance it.
For now, you have to use what is available.

Lastly, I always pick up a few sugar packets when I am in
a fast-food restaurant. They are also easy to carry, and
the price is right !

katie, don't adjust your dosages or timing based on what ANYONE here
says. Call your endo and tell them what is happening. YOu should
report severe hypos to your doc and have them explain how to correct for
that. I could go on and on with suggestions, but that's falling into the
realm of giving medical advice. CALL YOUR DOCTOR, instead of relying on
the advice of strangers.

I don't really give a flying crap about being flamed, as the flamers are
the idiots who give out medical advice.

dave

Katie wrote: