July 24, 2001
Daily Care
Question from County Durham, United Kingdom:
I am 22 years old, was diagnosed with type�1 diabetes four months ago, and I started on a low dose of Humalog Mix 25 gradually adjusting my dose in response to blood sugar readings. My blood glucose levels are well controlled and almost always below 10 mmol/L [180 mg/dl], but when I test after breakfast, I always have a level of about 13 or 14 mmol/L [234 or 252 mg/dl], even when I don’t eat much. This level doesn’t stay high for that long, and if I don’t snack mid morning I will have a hypo. Do you know why these readings are so high?
Answer:
Normally, blood sugars rise after meals. You want to make sure you are taking enough of the rapid acting insulin to cover the glucose excursion after a given meal. Please note that taking a commercially mixed insulin may not be best for you. You can mix your insulin from two different vials, so as to get a more carefully titrated dose.Taking postprandial blood sugars is a good idea. Check with your diabetes care provider to see what level of glycemic control they recommend after meals.
JTL
