sensitivity

Can anyone tell me what insulin sensitivity is, for the past month I have had hypos nearly everyday even just walking the dog and it goes low, I have just started to halve my doses so hope this works, I've been told I may be sensitive to insulin, don't understand it after 20 years, has anyone else experienced this problem.

Not sure why you would suddenly become more sensitive? Has anything changed? Maybe someone else can shed some light on this?

I have become a lot more sensitive to insulin since I have taken up cycling in a big way, the increase in exercise means I need a lot less insulin anyway, but ratios have also halved.

Phil

I always been insulin sensitive and used to hypo loads too, essentially sensitivity is that a small amount of insulin will drop your sugars by a significant amount. I do still drop but generally catch it before gets to hypo stage. This was one of the reasons I went on the pump, so much easier to control insulin delivery and can get tiny doses not possible with injections.

Not sure why suddenly it would happen, unless exercise regime has increased or weight has decreased? Try half doses but remember to give it a few days after a change to see pattern and don't make too many changes at once (ie maybe change breakfast ratio. But no others, then reassess 3 days later etc)

Nothing has really changed, dont understand it myself, i have changed to half doses and see how i get on. Thanks for replys

I am the same as Phil. When i exercise i need a lot less insulin.

I suppose insulin sensitivity can be described as how well/efficiently the cells of your body take up the glucose in the blood stream..........

it has been illustrated somewhere that each cell in the body has a door on it which takes in the glucose, on the door is a key hole, the key is the insulin.

As the body increases its activity and the muscles start to become more active, the number of doors which let in the glucose are increased in order to get more fuel in quicker.......

its a crude picture I am painting but over time at least, extra activity will mean that your body will need less insulin to get the same amount of glucose in a previously needed, this means you will have extra insulin swimming about which will send you low......

this effect though is different from a short term increase in activity, like a walk where the increased activity means the stores of fuel in your muscles are used up, and then the muscles try to replenish their stores, which again, takes glucose from the blood and send you low, then and possibly later in the day.....

it sound to me though, that you may need to adjust your insulin, do a basal check as your basal needs can change and will change all the time.....if that dose is good, you can change your bolus doses.......

The season/temperature can change your insulin sensitivity. Your level of hydration too. Have you only just started walking the dog or is this something that you have been doing a long time? Often an increase in activity will lead to lows if basal insulin is not adjusted for that.