Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Question

Calling all those wily D-veterans I count as friends... I have a question for you.

This morning we checked Elise's BG at around 4:30. It was 109. We were hesitant to give her anything, because all the insulin should have been out of her system by then (her shot of N was at 7:30 the night before, and NPH is generally gone by 9 hours).

So we checked her at 6:30 am, and she was down to 71. At which point we gave her some carbs. My question is; why did her BG falling with no active insulin?

14 comments:

  1. could her liver be kicking at some times and others not ? I would have her liver function tested . I believe I read somewhere that the drs can do that with a test . Just a thought .

    ReplyDelete
  2. It could be that her basal insulin is just a smidge too high. Did she come down a lot earlier in the night too? They say a drop more than 30 points means you need to adjust the basal insulin.

    However, she could also be honeymooning. For a really long time, Charlotte would always wake up in the 70's. I could guarantee that about 3am, her pancreas kicked in and took over. It seemed like no matter how much juice I'd give her, she'd come right back down. Her body wanted her at 70. She rarely woke up lower than that, so I didn't worry about it.

    We don't see that much anymore, but I still don't consider anything in the 70s as "low," especially if she doesn't have any active insulin on board and/or she's about to eat anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've often wondered that with Jada...sometimes..I think for Jada it's due to lots of exercise and her body continues to metabolize even after the insulin is gone...I don't even know if that makes sense!!

    Or sometimes....maybe that insulin sticks around a little longer than what we think???

    Ugh...sorry...not really any help, huh? Maybe some more experienced moms can give some better answers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Not sure I'm any help but we had the same thing last night...no insulin on board - fell all night. After treating a low at 9, she was 174 at 11, 98 and 2 and 64 at 4. I think it's the basal... and the fact that her pancreas still works when it feels like it. Usually at the most inopportune times. It's so frustrating.
    BTW- saw a NUTELLA commercial today and thought of you! First one I'd ever seen! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Also, sickness can affect bg. With a stomach bug, we notice persistant lows until it's over.

    Or heavy exercise (like swimming) during the day means her body may use the insulin more efficiently for hours afterwards, making her go low at night.

    There are so many variables, it's not funny! Look for patterns, but if you can't find any, just treat it and move on! Sometimes you just never know what the body is doing! Good luck!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my god Joanne I goofed up I meant to say her pancreas not liver . sorry dumb ass me . eww I want to kick my butt . You have to excuse me guys Im on those drugs . LOL !!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Who knows how long the tail of the NPH can last. It might be an absorbtion thing...like if she got a shot in a site that is used a lot, it might take longer to make it's way into the system. My kids have problems with scar tissue buildup in sites we use a lot. That is the only theory I got right now. If something else pops up, I'll let you know.

    But really...it should have been gone...I'm as confused as you are on why their sugars do what they do sometimes. Why does the pancreas have to be so freakin complicated!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree with everyone else. There could be a million reasons why this would happen.

    My first thought though when I saw those numbers is that all meters/readings can be off up to 10%. (I believe it is 10%, it could be 20%, I think it depends on the meter). Anyway, if each reading was slightly off, they are actually pretty close numbers.

    With that said, who knows! Maybe because it was Tuesday. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I should really know better by now than to try and find an explanation... it's just so frustrating that this disease doesn't make any sense sometimes and I don't do well with that.

    She started off at 155 at midnight that night, so maybe she just didn't have enough carbs at snack time.

    I give up!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I hope you got some answers because its questions like these that still have me scratching my head. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Do you give her a bedtime snack that includes protein such as milk or cheese? The protein helps the carbs last longer and can help prevent lows over night.

    Leighann of D-Mom Blog
    http://www.d-mom.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. @ Leighann - We give her bread with soynut butter, which has a healthy amount of protein and some fat. I always pay pretty close attention that she does get enough protein when she eats, especially when it come to her bed time snack.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sorry I can't be more helpful :(

    How were the past couple of nights/mornings??

    ReplyDelete
  14. Joanne,
    Thanks for posting this question, and ladies for all your ideas!

    ReplyDelete

Comment moderation now in effect because of jerky comment spammers.

Now please leave your message after the beep.

Beep.