Fixing the Low to High Rollercoaster

RachelMaraii
Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:38:57 +0000
Type 1 & LADA

I’ve been reading Think Like a Pancreas and realized it’s not normal to go low multiple times a day, every day… Haha. We convince ourselves of silly things, huh? (Still only 20% of the way through, so I’m sure I’ll learn more good things!)

I’m stoked for my next endo appointment. CGM data is changing my life!! My brain was like, “yeah, I don’t go low that often”… I was wrong. I just didn’t always check, because I can almost always feel my lows. A really bad habit that left me with no solid record. How much can my endo help me without info? I’m excited to discuss possible pump basal issues with her.

In the meantime, I still need to fix my approach to lows.

My brain feels lows intensely and hates it. I feel like I’m dying every time, even though I know from experience that I will be fine. As a result, I often overtreat… putting me on the low / high / low / high rollercoaster.

Here’s how I’m working to improve so far. Other tips are always appreciated!

Treat early. Avoid lows if possible.

For example, treat a CGM downward trend at 100 instead of at 70.

Treat small. Eat 5-10 g. at a time. I can always eat more if needed.

This amount may not apply to severe lows or to different bodies. Play it safe, just avoid devouring everything in sight for no reason.

Test often. The CGM lags 5-10 minutes.

My CGM may still show BG dropping. My brain might still feel like it’s “dying,” because glucose takes time to get into body tissues (thus the CGM lag). But a test might confirm that my BG is stabilizing or rising.

Be patient. Carbs may be faster than insulin, but they still take time.

It’s hardest to be patient when I’m going low and need to drive to work, to an appointment, etc. But more carbs doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll rise faster, just that I’ll rise more.

Set a timer if needed. Today I set a 5 minute timer when I had already treated small once. I told my “dying” brain that if I still felt so bad when it went off, I could check and treat small again. By the time it went off, I felt fine, and my blood sugar was rising. Rollercoaster avoided!

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