Forever chasing my tail - Any suggestions please

Hi all

Can anybody help me out here? It seems like I'm forever chasing my tail trying to get BGs in target. Above target or below target is easy peasey but on target is nearly impossible!

Can anyone see anything to work with here? The only "typical" thing about any of my results seem to be variety, randomness, high BGs and low BGs

Hopefully you guys will be able to see something that I haven't been able to see.

For background: Insulin is Levemir and Novorapid. I'm 39, have been diabetic for 36 years, trying (so far unsuccessfully) to gain control of my diabetes )

Hi Liz,

You do seem to be having a bit of a problem at the moment. Your results look a bit like mine did pre DAFNE. I know how frustrating it can be.

I think your best bet really is to get in touch with your DAFNE educators and ask them for a bit of advice. I don't know whether everyone has the same systems in place but I usually send a copy of my results by e-mail to the DAFNE educators from my course and they usually reply within about 24 hours. I must say I don't know what I would do without them - it is just so nice to have them there to ask a question when I need to.

A couple of things that I have noted is that you seem to be doing lots of changes all at the same time over the last couple of days. You have decreased/increased both of your BI and changed your ratios all at the same time. I know it is hard to do just one thing at once when you see such fluctuations in your results but from my past experience I think that trying to get your BI correct first is maybe the best. I did a few skipped meals over the course of a couple of weeks to see whether my BI was at the correct level and once I was happy that my BI was keeping me pretty steady (without any food or QA insulin) I then moved onto working on my ratios for each meal (one at a time).

You seem to have the same problem as myself in that a high BG result generally follows a hypo but you seem to be doing OK with that and not correcting the high results. The only thing I did notice was that maybe you are having too much hypo treatment sometimes and this may be some of the cause of the high BG later. I usually just have a carton of pure orange juice which seems to do the trick.

The only other idea I had was maybe if you weighed some of your food for a couple of weeks - just to check whether your CP estimations are correct.

I have lost over 4 stone since I did my DAFNE course and so just when I feel I get sorted with the correct insulin I end up having to reduce everything again and start from scratch!!! Very frustrating!!!

I was surprised how long it took to get there but it is worth it when you get more 'on targets' than 'above' and 'below'.

Hope you manage to sort things out soon.

Karen x

Hi Karen

First, thank you so much for your helpful, understanding and reassuring response.

I have to admit I've been so frustrated with it all that I have been in total "tiz" mode and have been making a lot of changes, as you say. It really hadn't occurred to me to try a longer term approach before making additional or alternative changes (unless hypo of course), I've been expecting results within a day or two!! I will try your suggestions (gradually!!) and also try my DAFNE team if I'm still not making any progress.

Congratulations on your weight loss by the way, that's amazing!

Thanks again.

Liz

Liz

Don't forget to post again to let us know how you got on. It may take a few weeks (or even months) but you will get there eventually.

Good luck!!!

Karen x

Karen
I've just e-mailed my DSN after doing 2 days of no carb breakfasts and being very good about not changing anything except my a.m. BI. I will definitely let you know how I get on - only hope it's weeks rather than months. :-)

Cheers.
Liz

Happy New Year Liz, hope you had a good Christmas.

Just wondering how you are getting on with your results - have you managed to find out the levels of insulin that work for you yet?

Karen x

Hi Karen, Happy New Year to you too.

Thanks for checking in. I haven't totally cracked it yet but I think my BI's are pretty settled now. And I'm working on adjusting the QAs according to whatever it is that makes them change cyclically.

How are you doing? Did you manage to get through Christmas and New Year with a healthy average or did you just throw caution to the wind?!

Liz

Hi Liz,

Glad you seem to have sorted out your BIs now it must make you feel better to be getting in control now.

I did let things go a little at Christmas - not as much as I usually do - don't think I have ever worked out the CP on the Christmas pudding packaging before!! But the DAFNE principles did seem to work even when I was indulging in things I haven't eaten for quite some time. My main downfall was the tin of Hero's. Once the lid is off it is easy to eat more than you meant to but hey its only Christmas once a year and the kids have managed to finish them off now so temptation has been taken away!

How was your Christmas?

Good luck in getting things sorted.

Karen x