activity levels change everything with regard to insulin. i know that when i am swimming a lot, insulin hits my body MUCH faster and i am so sensitive to it, that i cut my dosage in 1/2 post work-out and still maintain a flat line in blood sugars. also, insulin is quicker to get in and out in almost 1/2 the time it usually takes. its almost, for me, IMHO, as speedy as taking an IM injection.
as well, this can last for up to 72 hours post work out, depending on the intensity of your exercise.
the harder i workout, the less insulin i need.
What is confusing is that it’s two different things. Activity can increase your efficiency, meaning less insulin is required. That changes your IC and correction factor and all of that.
But activity also makes it faster. The faster it gets into the blood stream, the faster it leaves. So activity can shorten the duration.
The same reason intramuscular (IM) injections make the insulin work faster. There are more blood vessels that absorb it, so it goes in faster. More blood circulation from exercise also means faster absorption. And faster in means faster out (shorter duration).
And the action of the muscles also works it in faster. Injecting in your legs when riding a bicycle in a race will make the insulin work faster than if you inject it in your arms in the same bicycle race…
So exercise means you can need less insulin. Your body is more efficient at mobilizing the insulin and glucose. But it can also mean the insulin will work quicker.
So I got more assertive with my correction dose today, got myself running nicely at 112 for two hours, got home from work and had some time before dinner so I grabbed a quick shower. Tanked from 112 to 56. My correction dose from 3.5 hours earlier seemed to have gotten energized by that shower! And I never felt the low. I haven’t had lows hardly at all in the last few months, so I guess I just don’t feel them anymore due to disease progression? I.E. It’s not like I’ve had so many lows lately that I’ve exhausted the hormones that trigger the symptoms.
Hot showers increase absorption for us. Sounds like it did the same for you today. It seems a little strange though that your injection was so far from the precipitous drop…
Really? It’s that simple? That’s encouraging and I am prepared to take a ton of notes and I’m being told a local Insulet rep will also be involved.
Yes, I’ve got hypothyroidism and have for about 10 years. I always mix the 2 up but before diagnosis I only had issues with T3 levels but after, T4 levels went crazy so not only do I take 200mcg of Levoxyl every day and 400mcg on Saturday and Sunday my PCP would not continue treating my thyroid because endo added Cytomel (liothyoninine 5mg) per day and last month my TSH level was 1.2 which is well within range.
Although the hypothyroidism morphed into Hasimoto, lucky me, yea
One of the biggest issues with losing weight is my testosterone level or lack there of. Before I was diagnosed I trained hard 6 nights a week and wound up having a conversation with my trainer and had my Dr check testosterone level and it came back low/normal so the urologist had me on Androgel and although level did not come back to high/normal it did climb a bit. Then about 18 months ago my testosterone panel comes back with levels of 81, where the range is 250-1,100 so 81,very bad… Before heading the weekly injection route he put me on Clomiphene Citrate which also happens to be a fertility med but he said it’s been successful in 90% of his patients. I go back for tests in June but since starting the new medication I’m constantly sweating for no reason, all of a sudden I break into a sweat then eventually stop and I’m freezing cold and I also gained a few more pounds, both are possible side effects of the medication. It can only be used short term so hopefully these side effects will go away when I finish the course of medicine.
Too many autoimmune diseases fighting against each other.
Since you all seem to like experiments, I re-did my shower before dinner tonight with no IOB this time (5 hours after lunch bolus). I dropped 15 points in 10 minutes. It kept doing a slow drop for the next 10 minutes (another 5-8 points) but I started eating dinner and it was fine. It wasn’t the 65 point drop that I got yesterday (3 hours after last correction dose).
I’ve never seen that happen with Humalog except when it was pooling at the pod site. Since I’m new to Novolog, I’m paying attention to EVERYTHING right now.
I mean, it makes total sense. But it is striking to see such an anecdotal difference between my experiences with Humalog vs Novolog. Humalog never behaved that potently 3.5 hours after my last bolus, and certainly never 5 hours after my last bolus. Novolog may have better teeth to it for me.
Thank goodness for this thread! EH is in San Francisco, woke up at 190, injected 2 units and dropped to 62 almost immediately. Couldn’t figure out why. Luckily, I had read about the showering! So here’s another data point for you. Apparently it happens with NovoLog!
@TravelingOn, last night with no IOB it dropped me 30 points on just basal…and that’s a good basal rate. Getting used to this new insulin!
So…I am actually (knock on wood) on Day 3 of a pod and it’s working well. I am filling pods conservatively since I’m on my fist vial of Novolog with no spares. I am trying to get the full 3 days out of this pod so I went ahead and injected my lunch bolus with a syringe to conserve what’s in my pod. Funny thing is, in 12 years I’ve never injected with a syringe. I always used insulin pens and pen needles. I verified the dosing size of the syringe at least 6 times before injecting it. I also haven’t taken a single injection since starting the pump…so it’s been a while.
All y’all are rubbing off on me and getting me to try new things. And I love you for it!
@T1Allison we’ve actually switched to getting the NovoLog PenFill Cartridges from the pharmacy. I figure they are smaller, so if they break or are lost/stolen, it’s less to replace. Also, they take up less room in the kit, which is always a plus for EH.
I’m so glad to read you’re having some success! That’s great news!
If you have the PenFills and the proper pen (hummm, I should take my own advice and get one! LOL!) you can use the pen needles to inject into yourself if you want to do a huge bolus. Although, syringes work fine. We’d tossed almost all of ours until FUD and @Eric shared the wisdom of how useful they are. Now we have a few more everywhere (car, bag, suitcase, etc.).
just a question for you, John, i have Graves disease; i had radioactive iodine treatment in 1987. within a year, it killed off my hyperactive thyroid. since then i have been taking Synthroid (Levothyroxin). it has completely controlled the problem.
heres the question: has your doctor ever suggested taking synthroid for your thyroid problem? my endo is on top of it every three months, testing TSH T3/T4 , etc. my dosage needs have changed over the years, but since 1987, i have been on it and it has worked very very well without any bad side-effects. ( and my weight has completely stabilized )
Eric, i promise you that i will ask my endo about that on next visit. i have been on Synthroid for 29 years without any problems, though. what is the difference of what you are suggesting vs. what i am currently taking? i only take a baby dose of 88 micrograms.
Apparently it happens with NovoLog!