Kind of afraid to go to sleep tonight, but I'm tired...

[woodsprite]

Feel like a dufus. My kid was chattering away at me (beating a dead horse on the subject of bedframes and headboards) and I just accidentally took a second dose of my Januvia 100mg, about 10 hrs after my original dose. I'm also on Trulicity 1.5 (taken Sunday night) and 1000mg Metformin 2x/day. Blue Cross helpline said to monitor my blood sugar and make sure I have glucose tabs or a regular soda/juice at the ready if need be. If I develop a headache or feel dizzy, I should check my glucose reading. If it's low, I'm supposed to take 15g of fast acting carbs then check again in 15 min. (so normal protocol, but I've never had to worry about a low before).

[MontanaMama]

1. That's a lot, woodsprite. I wish

you didn’t have to worry…seems so unfair when sleep during this current nightmare is our only respite. Thinking of you. ❤️

[mzmolly]

2. I'm sorry. I would eat something before bed.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324881#best-snacks

I would also worry more about the low sugar than being high before sleeping when you've taken extra medication. (Spouse is T1 and I've dealt with many 'lows' through the years.) And yes, have juice or soda near by.

Can you look into a CGM? My husband has one and they're such a comfort.

[TommyT139]

3. And if you don't have a CGM

....does it make sense to set an alarm for a couple hours and do a check then?

[woodsprite]

5. That's exactly what I'm doing. Figured I'd check every couple of hours.

Just testing out that the alarm on my apple watch will just wake me up and not my hubby.

I have an "uncrustable" with grape jelly that I was going to cut in half and take them up to bed with me. Half is almost 15 carbs and I don't think there's enough PB in it to really hinder the sugar absorption from the white bread and jelly. I'm at 176 right now (had a birthday cupcake after dinner tonight) so hopefully I won't need to do anything other than just monitor.

[TommyT139]

7. Oh, those look good!

My partner keep Welch's Fruit Snacks on hand -- standardized tiny packages.

[woodsprite]

8. At 4am I'm at 128

So I think I’ll be good!

[calimary]

4. Sounds like at least you know what to do.

Take care and go easy on yourself.

And please do check in and let us know how you’re doing. Cuz otherwise, we’re gonna worry.

[AverageOldGuy]

6. Very low blood sugar can kill you in a matter of minutes

I've been an EMT for 15 years, though at age 80 I've all but stop running rescue.

When blood glucose levels drop below 70, it's time to worry and do something about it. At around 45, you'll get drowsy and below 40 you likely will pass out. If there is no one around to get some form of glucose in you, you are dead.

High blood glucose is not dangerous except over the very long term -- months to years. Low blood glucose, if nor quickly reversed, can kill you in a few minutes.

If you injected or swallowed that much insulin, you need to be VERY careful.

In addition to orange juice, you should have a stock of glucagon -- it's the same thing we carry on the ambulance, a sugary goop, some manufacturers flavor it, comes in 15 mg packets. My insulin-dependent wife carries it in her purses, we carry a dozen or so packs in the car, and have a couple of dozen at home. Search Amazon for 15 mg packets of glucose.

For right now, drink 8oz of OJ, wait a few minutes, take a glucose tab with soda. Wait a few more minutes and do a finger stick. If you are at or above 100, even up to 150-200, it's not a problem, in fact that's a good thing because you now have a glucose level that will keep you safe until you can get back on schedule.

I have done this four times: If the patient is unconscious from low blood glucose, we cannot give you anything orally because you do not have a gag reflex and can strangle on it. So -- we roll you over, pull down your trousers and underwear, spread out your butt cheeks, and using a wooden tongue depressor, we wipe glucagon into you anus where the blood vessels in the bowel will absorb the sugar. It works, takes a few minutes and we usually wipe 2 or 3 15 mg tubes of glucagon.

My wife sees the endocrinologist every 90 days. I have the software that pulls the BG readings from here meter. She stays around 130 - 170, occasionally going above 200. Doc says he is not at all worried about the seemingly high levels because it's not going to hurt her -- just don't let it get below 70 and if it does, start OJ or glucagon until you are back over 100.

[mzmolly]

9. Exactly

right. Better to run a bit high in the short run than run too low.

[mzmolly]

10. How are you doing woodsprite?

Check in when you can.

[woodsprite]

11. Thank you, everyone, for your support. I checked through the night and by 4am I was down to 128

so I figured I didn't need to worry beyond that point. It seems like my body does it's own thing despite my meds, but I keep an eye on it. Exercise seems to have the strongest effect despite my meds, which I guess is a good thing. The onl thing is that I'm not fond of it I'm a web developer working from home so not much movement in my job, but no excuse not to exercise. I spent 3 years going to a gym 2x/wk but they changed the hours to only be open during work. I recently set up an exercise plan on the NetDiary app, and have starting easing into that. Six months away from regular exercise because I slacked off from a home program and I can really tell a huge difference in mobility, range of motion, and numbers.

AverageOldGuy, I have a future DIL who has a hard time keeping her numbers in line even with a CGM and insulin pump. Her alarm goes off frequently and she has to make sure she has something with her at all times. She also has it set so her alarm notifies both my son and her mother as well.

We were down at Disney last year and I received a call from our county police dept saying my brother had been in an accident on I-95 (single car into the guardrail, car damage and some bruises/scratches). The officer was calling me to see if he had any medical conditions that could have affected him because he seemed to be slurring his speech. He has T2 diabetes and COPD. When the paramedics got there, they tested him and found his glucose was down to 38 so he had a few nights stay in the hospital. He was overmedicating. He had lost over 60 lbs and hadn't been back to the dr. to have his meds adjusted in over a year. He was still taking 2 types of insulin and metformin and not testing his glucose levels. At his last drs appointment, he's totally off all of his diabetes meds and just being monitored. I bought him a tester and am keeping him supplied with strips. His dr. wouldn't prescribe anything other than a CGM and my brother totally refused that so he hadn't been testing at all.