Diabetic Recipes
There is a number that I won't go to bed below. Typically it's 100 depending on what I've eaten. I havent' figured out what my upper limits are, though.
Two nights ago, for example, I was 198 somewhere close to bedtime. I bolused and went to bed. I woke up at 110. I would have liked to have been lower, but again I haven't figured out where I need to be prior to bedtime to get a good fasting.
Part of the problem of late is that I'm having trouble being aggressive. Remember when I first threw my back out earlier this year? I couldn't move without excruciating pain, so my PCP put me on muscle relaxers, pain killers and steroids. All of which did a number on my blood sugar. I was unexplainably high for way too long. Typical boluses barely touched the highs. Realizing that I needed to do something other than serial bolusing, I consulted with a diabetic friend who suggested doubling my basals temporarily. I complied and it worked. And then I went low and got scared, so I un-doubled my basals.
I talked to Dr. C about this and he nodded and said he thought I had done the right thing. I'm not afraid of lows, but I don't understand why I seem to be OK to live with a slight high for a couple of hours instead of overriding Toohey's suggestion to not bolus due to active insulin. I know some people who don't even account for the margin of error and will correct for a 10-point "high". That one I'd leave alone, but being close to 200 needs some attention.
So how aggressive are you? Do you take on highs immediately and head on or do you take a wait-and-see approach?
It depends how how I am versus where I should be. If it's 2 hours post-prandial and I'm at or under 150, chances are I'll leave it alone for at least another two hours, just until I know the NovoLog is gone, and check again and correct if necessary.
I am an "overcorrecter" at times, and I have run into problems with lows if I rush right in an correct every high over 150. That just starts a(what seems to be) never ending swinging back and forth cycle. There are pros and cons to using basals versus bolus for corrections: I was told by a diabetes nurse (maybe a CDE) years ago NEVER to change basals to correct, my current endo says "DO what WORKS for you". I recall that when I was on corticosteroid therapy several years ago, prior to pump usage, I upped my lantus ( akin to raising basal levels) for the period I was on the medication in order to avoid spinning into the 300's and 400's...I 'serial bolus" in small increments every 2 1/2 hours or so if I am high post-buffet post-picnic( where it is so hard to count carbs accurately)