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1/16/12 1:40 A

That fritata sounds good--though one egg is plenty for this kid! LOL

It sounds like you're beginning to get a handle on things, too.--just be sure your doctor knows what you've done so if you're in an accident or something, your current doses will be on file and they won't "over-treat" you, okay?

It's important!...

I'm SO glad you're here!...

Kathy

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1/15/12 2:29 P

Have been splitting my Lantus shot for a couple of days now and it seems to be working well. Today will only be a day of 2 meals as late as I slept, so I know I will have to be careful. Big brunch of a Fritatta made with 2 cups fresh spinach wilted, 2 large eggs, 1 oz of crumbled pork sausage measured after I cooked and drained it dry on a paper towel, and 1 oz finely shredded sharp cheddar. Topped with a little diced tomato for color and an english muffin with a light spreading of butter on the side. Added an orange and had a fantastic meal.

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1/13/12 5:28 P

I think I will try splitting the Lantus and see how it works. I am currently only seeing a PA (due to no insurance and no income) who really doesn't know as much as I do about diabetes and insulin. In the past though I did a full week in hospital stay when I was put on insulin and have usually been able to make my own adjustments without consulting a Dr each time.I am also prescribed Novolog prior to meals on a sliding scale and have been finding myself not needing this or a very small amount. Hope to be done with it completely soon.

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1/13/12 3:34 P

at present i have quit using the long acting on a regular basis..just when i wake in the morning sometimes and it is high i am currently adjusting the short acting and even having a hard time..going to talk again with the endo and see about what we should do next as this morning down at 77 and yesterday 90 and no insulin either day of any kind lol
the lady mary

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1/13/12 1:44 P

that is so true. i have gone from 90 units of lantus at night to 45 in the am. but think i wil try splitting it like your husband does. also have gone from 4 shots a day of quickin acting insulin to maybe 2/3 a week. the only reason i am having these highs is the steriods that i am temp taking. i think if she does that, splitting the lantus it will help. i def am going to try it also.

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1/13/12 1:41 P

Consistent change in diet can absolutely affect your insulin use that quickly. The fact that you're having too many lows still means you've got too much insulin on board.

Continue to log, test and reduce your Lantus until you find you aren't having lows. My type 2 husband has been losing weight and restricting his carbs since April. He's down 48 pounds and his meal-time insulin has been eliminated. His Lantus has been cut to about 30% of what it was.

He found that by splitting his dose of Lantus into two injections--one at bed and one in the morning--he avoids lows. Many people who complain of lows with Lantus have success with this method, so you might want to check with your doctor.

I forget, are you using fast-acting insulin for meals too? If so, you'll want to revisit your insulin-to-carb ratio since it may need to be lowered a little too.

Good luck!

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1/13/12 1:39 P

i also have problems with lows and ighs. yesterday morning i was in the 300s, by lunch i was 45 and about 2 hrs later i was 54 and by bedtime i was back up to 210. i am on steriods 4 times a day for a month so that is why it is going up so much.

as to the suger tabs. i buy a lg jar and a friend gave me one of the smaller tubes and i transfer from the lg jar to the rube and keep in my pocket book. i also try to keep a pb sandwich around esp at night so when i get a low i usually take 1/2 tabs and 15 mins later eat the pb sand and drink about 4/6 oz of skim milk. i come back a lot faster that way and count it as a snack. in my mind at least, it makes me feel better than i didn't waste the calories. good luck.

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1/13/12 12:39 P

IMMAGIC Thanks I have been carrying my Glucose tabs with me in an empty Test strip container. I always have them in my car glove compartment just in case there is a problem while driving and In DH car too but when i walk the rail trail I would like to have a smaller container so i am off to Walmart to see if our Walmart has them. I always carry Nitroglyerin in my purse just in case DH forgets to put his in his pocket. I might be able to find a tiny Nitro container there too. The Nitro does not get opened so it might not fit in, it is always a small Vial. Thanks again . This is always a learning place (((((HUGS)))))Pat in Maine

ABOUTIME4ME1 I am so happy you are beginning to really take care of your condition
happy also you are learning for us. we are all in this together, it's an amazing place to be. Pat in Snowy Maine.

Edited by: NORASPAT at: 1/13/2012 (14:38)

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1/13/12 12:08 P

I have made some rather drastic although much needed changes in my diet. Being very diligent about eating 6-10 servings of veggies, 8 cups of water, and limiting myself to 1-12 oz diet soda daily. I have never meet a vegetable I didn't like so this is more of a treat than I thought it would be. The distressing part is that my system is having major issues adjusting to my new ways. I have had at least one low blood sugar incident daily and yesterday I went so low I was almost passed out. I am trying to refrain myself from eating when I get a low, but to try to only treat with glucose tabs. I found out one difference in the way I treat a low is the time it takes me to get back to a point where I can function normally. When I only treat with glucose tabs my reading will come up OK but it takes a longer time for me to have the weakness, sweating and shakiness subside. In the past I have went through these problems and it has caused me to give up and go back to my unhealthy ways. I am determined to stay on track this time and thank the stars for SparkPeople. I finally have others to talk to that understand and can offer me support and advice. I have already lowered my bedtime Lantus injection from 100u down to 90u and that seems to have helped. It is hard to believe that there has been that much of a change in just One Week!!! Amazing.... Outstanding.... Phenomenal

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1/13/12 3:39 A

When I'm at home, the glucose bottle sits on a shelf next to my dining table--easy access is key!... and speaking of keys...

...I have a key chain that I got from Walmart, that is kind of like a plastic contact lens holder--only it's for glucose tablets! It holds four of them, which is about perfect for the AVERAGE diabetic and it goes wherever my keys do! Crashes can happen ANYWHERE, y'know?

...wouldn't work for you, Mary, you just keep that whole bottle handy, you hear? LOL

Kathy

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1/10/12 7:44 P

i know valerie but i also know and remember that you subscribe to the low carb method and that was to what i was referring for sure
hugs
the lady mary

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1/10/12 4:24 P

Believe me, I know how it feels to find yourself in front of the pantry or refrigerator with your blood sugar in a tailspin. Personally, I think that's why I've gained so much weight over the years. That's why now I treat with glucose only.

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1/10/12 4:21 P

you got your answer for sure i also use the glucose tabs but restraining yourself when your brain is screaming at you is sometimes hard..i have been down at 26 for the test and who knows how much further it went in that 15 to 20 minutes but i pass out and awake to find myself with glucose tabs bottle in hand and half of them gone and my blood sugars still in the 60's and now we are working on getting back the symptoms as i no longer have any notice of the drop if you get the 50 tab glucose tabs (5.98 from walmart) get a small vial also to refill for the purse and being out when you buy it take the inner seal off and close it tight..i didn't do that once and there was no way to get it open when the blood sugars are dropping out as i said you brain screams for carbs at that point and you become wild with hunger..it's true i discussed it with my endo and we both got a great laugh out of it but it's true as the brain runs on carbs..(i know valerie lol) anyway have the glucose tabs handy and kknow the signs sometimes they are even momre subtle than you ones you get with the obvious going on
the lady mary

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1/10/12 10:17 A

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-blood-glucose/MY01267

I was taught "the rule of 15" many years ago when I believe my old glucose tablets were 5 grams each. As many of us know, diabetes education is slow to catch up.

I don't use use or other methods of treating a low because I don't want to gain weight due to treating lows with food. Glucose tablets are fat free and very low calorie. In fact, these days I'm treating with Smarties candies which are portable and easy to chew.

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1/10/12 9:04 A

Hi I use ReliOn glucose tablets. I buy them at WalMart They have 15 calories and 4 grams carbs. I am sending you this link so you can read about them. They taste delicious but they are NOT CANDY they are a great emergency medicine you must treat them that way.

www.relion.com/diabetes/glucose-products/g
lucose-tablets

Have you had any Diabetic counselling. Eating too much fruit or any candies especially too fast because you want a quick solution to your Hypo will most likely cause a Spike and then you will often go too low again. This should be explained to you by your Dr or a diabetic counselor or dietician. It is very important that you learn how to properly handle the lows you are experiencing.
This link has a place for frequently asked questions. I hope you go there to learn about the way this should be used. Take care Pat in Maine. I have been there done that and I know the feeling. I am down 50 pounds using the diabetic tracker and my own menus. I no longer take any diabetic medications. I am a TYPE 2 I know little about Type I it is important to tell people what type you are. It helps us answer the questions. I do hope this helps Pat in Maine. www.relion.com/diabetes/glucose-products/g
lucose-tablets

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1/9/12 10:21 P

Thank you so much for all the great advice and support friends. I just get so freaked out when I get to low I always seem to over compensate. That rule of 15 sounds awesome and I am going to try it next time. I may vary from 3-4 glucose tabs just depending on how low I am. Once I got down to 38 and couldn't even lift my arms to put a tab ot anything else in my mouth..... I was so scared. Since I will be living alone within a few months I have to get used to coping with these things better....... Wish me luck!!

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1/9/12 9:25 P

I have heard of he rule of 15 before, and when I heard that the glucose tabs only had 4 grams, I was confused. But I have not had any lows for a couple of years, (I am always on the high side)

the couple of times I did have lows, I started eating and didn't quite for 2 days. I was neither treating or treatsing, I just couldn't stop.

If you try a smaller dose tomorrow, don't forget to test, Test, TEST. And remember that once you get it all sorted out, it will change and you will have to do it all over again, lol

Good luck to you.

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1/9/12 9:10 P

I agree with Valerie, there IS such a thing as too much, even of a good thing...

If you look at the "OTHER GOALS" tracker's list, SP recommends 2-5 servings of fruits and veggies daily for the average person. Ten may just be too much for your system. I am on a high fiber diet, so it isn't too unusual for me to go over that by a bit (and I take a fiber supplement too) BUT... no more than four fruits a day. The rest has to be low carb veggies. Corn is a grain, it doesn't count as a veggie, but as a starch--like potatoes and bread. And Valerie is right about the waiting thing with blood glucose crashes too. Although... Val, I've never heard of the "rule of 15"... glucose tablets where I get them only come in the 4 grams each size, which makes doing 15 a bit problematic! LOL The point is well taken though. I use one to three of them... and it IS tough to wait for that 15 or 20 minutes--especially when you feel like your insides are creating their own earthquake!-- but that's how long it takes the average person for HALF of it to get into your intestines where it's absorbed into your system. If you test again at that point, you can figure out approximately how much higher it will go, and add more if needed, or stop before you overshoot the mark. That's the point where you decide whether to make yourself a mini-meal (like half a sandwich) with some kind of protein to sustain it, and, if on insulin, to take a bolus for anything that's going to put you over your ideal reading. Tricky but not impossible...

Maybe too long winded, but I hope that helps a bit...

Just like everything else, this takes time and experience to figure out, y'know.
Be kind to yourself, okay? Patience is a virtue, I hear... I know I know, "and I want it NOW" too! LOL

Kathy

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1/9/12 8:31 P

If I were you, I'd cut back on the fruit, which is probably doing nothing more than elevating your blood sugar and/or requiring more meds and/or insulin, which results in more lows. Quite a vicious cycle.

When I'm low, I remind myself, "it's time for a treatment, not a treat." When we eat to treat a low we can get in big trouble since it takes 20 minutes for your food to hit your bloodstream. You can do an awful lot of damage in 20 minutes; trust me, I've been there!

Best choice to treat a low is the Rule of 15: 15 grams of carbohydrates (glucose tablets are the quickest way to get your sugar up without the extra calories), wait 15 minutes and test again. If you're still low, add another 15 grams of glucose tablets.

Like I say, glucose tablets are the best bet but some people use Smarties candies. You can also buy toddler-size juice boxes which are 15 grams of carbs but they're more caloric than tablets.

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1/9/12 8:30 P

Sorry but I can not help but I do know the feeling. I stopped taking glyburide for that same reason. My cravings for food has all but gone. Besides I think I am allergic to the sulfa salt in it.

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1/9/12 7:59 P

Sweating, shaking, dizzy and it just turned midnight to start a new day.... Low blood sugar (60) What a way to wake up!
My calories are way over today and it is easy to figure out why... 2 low blood sugar episodes in less than 24 hours really caused me to eat a lot of snacks, and also had to supplement with glucose tabs. Have to try adjusting my Lantus down by 10 and see how tomorrow goes. There has to be a magic combination that will keep my calories where they should be and also keep my blood sugars level.
I have been eating 10 fruit and veggie servings daily for a few days and even though I know it is good for me it seems to be backfiring. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me with this?

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