I have been T1 for about 14 years, but have really been struggling the last 2 years keeping my blood sugar levels under control. I have been wearing my CGM a little under 2 months and have already seen improvement in my A1C levels. My A1C is currently at 7.7 which is down from the previous reading of 8.1. I was able to keep it under 7 for years, and it didnt seem as difficult as it is now. I do not wear a pump, and I’m not sure that I want to make that change yet. (1 thing at a time!). I do give myself correction doses and that seems to be helping. Any advice from pro-CGM users out there?
hi natalie,
I like my CGM but I don’t wear it all the time. When I do wear it it is helpful for monitoring “trends” such as overnight sugar. I think it’s great that you are trying to keep your a1c down but if it’s okay to ask - what do you think changed that last couple years? for me if I can keep my overnights good and keep my meals on the smaller side, or add a little more exercise when I see a higher trend, my a1cs usually behave themselves. for me, external stress is a big “wild card” that can make control very hard for me.
the cgm is a great tool, the hardest part is the calibration. if I can get a good long period of time when my sugar is not changing, I can get a good calibration and it’s pretty accurate for me.
good luck!
I eat very well most of the time. I eat paleo 80%-90% of the time. Gotta have an occasional bowl of cereal! Stress and exercise are probably the culprits now that I think about it. My boys are now teens and that in itself has added stress :). My exercising has dropped since I have become their taxi. I think I will start making some changes in the exercise department and see if that helps. My highs are mainly over night, but usually don’t start until 1-2AM. Then I have a hard time until a couple of hours after breakfast. I then usually crash. After that my levels stay pretty normal throughout the rest of the day. Last night I had extreme lows before bedtime and majorly over compensated and my levels paid for it dearly! Lows dont happen often at bedtime. I am afraid of nightime lows. Any advice on the highs besides the obvious don’t overcompensate?
I use a pump and a cgm. I wear my cgm for 6 days skip a day then a new sensor for 6 days. I have 4 kids and know the stress can affect my bs levels. I think all diabetics have trouble with over correcting for lows. I found I do best if I use glocose tablets (they work fast and don’t taste as good as food).
I would not give up my pump or cgm. They have made a huge differnce in my a1c.
If you have any specific questions? Please ask!
hi natalie,
so part of the reason I pump is to tame the “witching hour” highs (3 AM) and my dawn phenomenon (somogyi). I found both really miserable to control with long actin insulin shots because if I took enough long actin to cover those highs, then I would be low all day. You can try different exercise in the evening/morning but to tell the truth, I gave up and use a pump to deal with it.
do you split your long acting shots? some people split the long acting into multiple smaller shots - the resulting overlapping peaks can be timed to help your 3A and 8A highs. just a thought. you might want to check in with a good CDE to see what other tricks are available to you.
hey don’t be down about overcompensating, cant tell you how many times I “revenge bolused” to bring down a bad high, or ate 100 grams of carbs because I couldn’t shake a low for 2 hours…comes with the territory.
stress increases my insulin resistance, a lot. Yoga does amazing things and I saw a lot of benefits right away when I can practice. watch that stress factor!
I do split lantus morning and night. It’s so nice to talk to people who deal with the same issues as me. I am going to have to really consider the pump. I have all of those same nighttime problems, and then crash around lunch.
Thank you for all of your advice. Its good to know I’m not the only one who over compensates for a low that won’t go away! I just wanted to go to sleep without worrying!