Hi wadawabbit, the “running of your insulin”? I am not sure I understand what you mean by that
“crazy town” is exactly right! I thought I finally got my morning number to a good place again and now it is going low instead of high. My mom had a super easy menopause (in her 60’s). She isn’t a diabetic though, but she went from having periods to having none with absolutely no hot flashes or any other menopause symptoms. I thought I was having hot flashes, but I will just start sweating and it will go on for hours instead of just minutes (read that hot flashes only last a few minutes). I check my numbers when breaking out into these sweats and numbers are fine. Been dealing with these “extended” hot flashes for about a year now. I am not even in my 50s yet!
I more than likely won’t be going to a pump now that I see my insurance is hardly even covering the Libre 2. I never wanted to be on a pump anyway, so I will just have to fix this manually. Having the Libre 2 will definitely give me many more data points to analyze in order to get things back to where they were. I will probably have to adjust Lev. according to hormone fluctuations, now I just wish they had a monitor to analyze those too!!!
thanks!
Sorry - that was supposed to be “timing” - my writing is so bad even my swyping is off! Will correct.
I haven’t messed with the timing yet.
Also, it is difficult for me to change my p.m. dosage time (Levemir) during my work week since I go to bed REALLY early (9:30p.m.) because I get up at 5a.m. I already give my p.m. dosage at 8pm, so could only really make it a little later.
I also use a pump with only novolog so can’t exactly speak to what you are dosing. However, I also have been having unexplained highs and I know that my glucose is particularly affected by emotion. I would like to just suggest that with all we are going through in the world today, that could be the reason. Sometimes your brain and body just do not go according to our desired plan.
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Hi 808IUFan, I thought perhaps I was under more stress, but actually, my stress levels have been pretty normal lately. I have become use to the pandemic and my life hasn’t changed that drastically (still go to work like usual except now we all wear masks and socially distance). Other than my blood sugar levels issue lately, everything else has been fairly “normal”. I have noticed in the past that my numbers didn’t really change when I was under a lot of stress (not sure why).
Hi Krit138
Let me congratulate you on your awesome control. I have been type 1 for a long time. Several month back I noticed my lunchtime novolog shot not doing anything so my sugar continued to rise. I would take extra several hours after lunch to bring it down. Just out of curiosity 1 day I switched location from abdomen to arm and novolog seemed to work again. I mentioned this to my endo and she thought no way I could build up and insulinI resistance there but said if it works keep doing it. I did get a dexcom and didn’t like it at 1st because I didn’t trust it it it was the G5 the G6 is way better I think never tried the libre. What I was going to say is had to jump through some hoops with insurance I think it is under durable medical equipment on insurance comes from a different branch of my insurance so look closer at you plan. It is still expensive but after all prescriptions. doctors appts and etc meet deductible relatively quickly so price goes down. Good luck
Hi Glennol!
Thanks!
I was finally getting my morning number down and now I am going low during the night, so things have changed once again. Now my numbers are running low overnight and are 80’s and 90s during the day. Went back down in Levemir
I am still waiting on getting the Libre 2 because the free sample card I got from the manufacturer isn’t working and no one seems to be able to figure out how to fix it. Decided that I will just pay my super high co-pays and nix the sample card because I really need some help getting data overnight. thanks for the info (never tried injecting anywhere other than my abdomen)
Hi again,
Actually, all my other prescriptions are under “condition care” and have a low co-pay and don’t go toward my deductible (which is an astounding $5800 a year), so I will never meet that deductible. Plus my plan is showing that the Libre 2 is falling under medications at a Tier 6, so I believe I pay 50% co-insurance. Sucks because I pay a lot for my premium and I do like that I can get my insulin for the lower co-pay even though it is a Brand name med, but wish the Libre 2 sensors would have better coverage. thanks again!
Hi Krit138,
I have been reading this post on and off, and while I may not have thoroughly read all of them, it certainly seems like you are getting some really good advice. I am 52, and was diagnosed at 49. Like you, I tend toward perfectionism with my numbers, which I have been working on sinceI was diagnosed. The emotional piece of this is so incredibly hard, because we just don’t have control over so much of what is going on with our numbers sometimes. I have also tried eating super low carb, and tried keto for awhile but after two weeks I stopped because I just felt awful. I have read that women, in particular, need some carbs to be healthy. I eat around 100-130 a day now, which is probably not considered low! But, I am getting off track… I have recently been having perimenopausal symptoms as well, and while it seems to be messing with my sugars to some extent, it is also really messing with my thyroid levels (I have hypo-thyroidism). My TSH at one point was up to 41 (average range approx 1-4) for MONTHS. Then with only a small change in my thyroid med, went down to .01. Now back up to 8 (too high still). I wake up sometimes drenched in sweat, but with normal blood sugar. This is all to say that 1. Hormones can wreck havoc! and 2. Please try to be kind to yourself re: your blood sugar numbers. It’s not anything you’ve done “wrong”. That’s the place my mind sometimes goes, “what did I do wrong?” This disease, while extremely trying, is also a very good teacher. Good luck, and please know that you are not alone in this!
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Hi Jsich,
Thank you for your reply. I finally got the Libre 2 and I am definitely liking the fact that I am able to get a lot more data.
Problem is that with 10 units Levemir at night, I was getting low sugar alarms all night, so I went to 9 units the next night and I was getting high sugar alarms all night. There is nothing in between dosage-wise, so frustrating!
I have been low carbing for many years; long before I was diagnosed with type 1 and I feel great. Some people don’t feel well initially going low carb, but I never had that issue.
I have the night sweats and am hot all day long too. Thyroid was checked last September and was fine.
I am trying to be less of a perfectionist with my numbers, but I think the Libre 2 is making me be MORE of one because I can constantly scan and adjust easier to keep my numbers “perfect”. It may have created more of “a monster” (hahaha).
Thank you for the advice!
Hi @krit13. I just wanted to remind you - as you’re adjusting for perfection remember not to stack insulin - if you keep adding white you’re waiting for response you may end up low later.
Hi wadawabbit, yes, I am aware of insulin stacking and I am being careful. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Krit138,
I hear what you are saying re: the constant scanning. I had tried both the Dexcom and Libre (the first edition), and while I think I preferred the Libre, I finally got rid of it, partly because of just what you are talking about. I was checking ALL the time. So for the last several months I just do finger sticks. I do use a lot of strips, like you, but honestly between hormones, exercise, and stress, I feel like my numbers change quite a bit, even with the same foods, so I am fine with using so many strips. With the Dexcom I was bothered by false alarms at night, from “compression lows” (I think there is a while thread on that topic somewhere). My alarm would wake me several times a night because of low BS but it was just because I was sleeping on the sensor. To each her own, I suppose - I know most people love them (or really rely on them for safety). Hang in there…
Compression lows? I will have to read about that because I do sleep on my side. The alarm is annoying and I spent most of the weekend getting woken up by the alarm (going high all night Friday night and then going low Saturday night, Sunday night, Monday night). I just might shut the alarm off or change the numbers that I set for high and low. I still test with strips, but less than I was before getting the Libre 2. I think once I see what is going on with my numbers while doing different things (and eating different things), I possibly won’t scan so much. Always wanted to do that with the strips, but never had enough strips prescribed to test that many times a day (prescribed 10 strips a day, but I am scanning quite a bit more times than that). I also still don’t trust the Libre 2 since some times when I take a reading with the Libre 2 and then with my regular strips, the numbers a quite far apart. I read about the differences in blood glucose readings and interstitial fluid readings so I do understand that they will be different, but I am just more used to blood glucose readings and how to use that data for insulin dosing. thanks Jsich!
Hi Krit138,
Just wondering how you are feeling about the Libre-2 now that you have had it awhile. I tried one about a year ago but had to stop because I had a bad rash on both arms. I wasn’t thinking of trying again, but then my endo offered me a free one to try. How is it going for you, and would you recommend it?
Thanks,
Jess
Hi Jsich, I really like the Libre 2 sensor. Getting a lot of good data and it has been surprisingly accurate. Has really helped me get a better handle on my recently wacked out blood sugar ups and downs. Hopefully you can try it again without the rash! Also, customer service with Abbott has been wonderful. They called me to get feedback and I told them all was well except that sometimes the reader would show my blood sugar spiking whenever I took a shower (even when the water wasn’t hot) and they sent me a free sensor even though I didn’t need one. Have you told them about the rash issue?
Hi krit138,
I may have mentioned the rash, it was a long time ago. I noticed that in the instruction booklet I got this time there is a whole section on different products you can use if you get a rash. I also noticed on this forum that other people have gotten a rash as well from the Libre. I think one of the posts suggested they use a different adhesive that the Dexcom. Hopefully it won’t be a problem because having tried both, I did prefer the Libre last time. I just put my free on one my arm. I am guessing it is still in the 24 warm up phase because so far the readings are way off. I went for a run and stopped to check my blood sugar and it was 34, and the reader said 95! If I remember from last time, the first 24 hours are not as accurate. Plus I took 1000 mg of Vit C this morning (before I realized I was going to put it on today) which I know can mess with the readings. So hoping tomorrow that is out of my system and I get some more accurate readings. I am so glad to hear that it is working for you, and that you are getting some good data to figure out those highs and lows you were having! I agree about the customer service, last time I used it they were wonderful.
Jess