Wk8 Run1 type1 diabetes...further experiments...

[jem154]

Tricky. Starting bloodsugar: 8.4mmols had 15units of lantus, 1unit novorapid and half a banana. Ran for 28mins slowly and SO unenjoyably that I kept laughing out loud. Just about avoided being sick in a park bin once I’d stopped, and made it home. Am now on the sofa. Blood test: 15mmols.

Ah diabetes what a enormous pain in the arse you are! I’ve got no further ideas...is this the end of my running career? Let’s see how we feel on Saturday...at the moment all running gear is in a pile, next to a box of matches...

[Boabphil]

Hi jem154

Difficult to know what is going on there. I also have had similar difficulties before finding what works for me. It sounds like you would benefit from either continuous blood monitoring or stopping mid-exercise to check what your sugar is doing.

I had great benefit from a 2 week trial of the Freestyle Libre - the great thing about it is how easy it is to stop and check blood glucose and also it keeps a graph of the trend over a period of time so you can see in the morning if sugar has dipped or risen while asleep or in your case - what is happening while you are exercising.

The easiest way is to stop and check sugar mid-exercise, but I would encourage you to investigate these other methods even if only for a short trial - you should discuss with your diabetic clinic.

The Freestyle Libre will be available to some diabetics on prescription if recommended by your diabetic team.

[Boabphil]

PS - Apologies, with regard to availability and potential prescription of Freestyle Libre, I have assumed you are in the UK - if not still worth checking out. A single sensor will last 2 weeks and this alone can give a great insight in to what is happening with blood sugars.

[jem154 in reply to Boabphil]

Many thanks for your replies Boabphil - I’ve been wondering about the freestyle libre too - when I was sitting on the sofa trying to figure out what was going on, I dimly remembered reading that it could be useful for illness/or greater insight into exercise. I also think you’re right - it is going to take a while to find out what works for me. I hope it was clear from my post that I’ve found a bit of humour in it despite the frustrations - I want proper exercise to be a habit, so I feel determined to get to some sort of workable arrangement. Your posts have definitely helped - so thank you again.

[Hidden]

Hi jem

Haven’t read any of your posts before so sorry if I’m being thick! But why did you have half a banana when, I presume, you were trying to bring your BSL down? I have banana if I need to bring my BSL up.

Miles

[jem154 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Miles - as I’m finding out, the effect of exercise and the interaction of insulin/food can be pretty difficult to manage - mostly because it seems to vary from person to person and the advice seems to be trial and error until you find what works for you - I’ve found that exercising when I was twenty is completely different to exercising now (I’m 52). The advice I had was to reduce or omit the novorapid, but not run on an empty stomach - hence half a banana, which would increase bsugar a little, hopefully enough to cushion the drop in blood sugar you might expect from the exercise and avoid a hypo. Hope that makes sense - like I said I’m still learning what works for me.

[Hidden in reply to jem154]

Jem

Well to stop my hypos they stopped my novo completely. But I still had the slow release humuli i.

Fortunately I’m now off that as well and just 2000mg of metformin a day. It was such a relief since, as you probably know,you should make sure that if you are driving, then at any time it can’t be more than 2 hours since you tested your BSL, so sayeth DVLA. INF294..

Miles