Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #6 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. The hemoglobin A1C reflects the average glucose levels over 3 months. Target blood sugar levels 2-3 hours after a meal should be under 180 mg/dl. Check blood sugars 15 minutes after treating a low to make sure it’s coming back up. Nightmares may be a symptom of overnight low blood sugars in young children. Bedwetting may be a symptom of high blood sugars in children with diabetes. For 30 minut
Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #5 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. Research has proven that it’s best to review your own blood sugar records every 4 to 7 days for abnormal patterns. Less frequent reviews are significantly less effective overall. Toddlers are usually extremely sensitive to small amounts of insulin. The dose of glucagon by injection for children under 4 years old is 0.5 mg. Nausea and vomiting are possible side effects of glucagon use. After in
Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #4 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. Glargine (Lantus) and Detemir (Levemir) are also called basal insulins. Lispro (Humalog), aspart (Novolog) and glulisine (Apidra) are also called bolus insulins. Adults with diabetes should try to keep their hemoglobin A1C level under 7% and ideally below 6.5%. Blood pressure of adults with diabetes should ideally be under 115/75. Persons with diabetes should have their lipid levels checked ye

Reflections on inflections
Sugar Surfers reflect on inflections. What does that mean?
It means that keeping an eye on changes in the direction of your blood sugar trend line. Whenever the trend line changes direction (inflects), it's wise to think about what might be causing this shift to occur. The only person who will best know this is you. This ability to reflect and respond is vital to learning how to control the line's direction of flow. When a glycemic trend changes direction and it is NOT beca
Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #3 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. Beta-hydroxybutyrate is the primary ketone found in diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is caused by lack of insulin more than by overeating. Nausea or vomiting suggests the need to check blood sugar and ketones. Ketones can be checked in urine (about a 2 hour lag time) or blood (several minutes lag time). Fat and protein slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugar. Sugar spil
Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #2 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. Lipohypertrophy happens when insulin shots are always given in the same location. It takes 2 to 4 hours before NPH insulin starts to work. Lispro insulin (Humalog) works best at 60 to 90 minutes after injection. Lower doses of insulin detemir (Levemir) may require a split dosing schedule. For example, half at breakfast and half 12 hours later although there variations on the split. If you inse
Quick Tips for Type 1 Diabetes
Installment #1 What follows is a quick and dirty list of my top of mind quick tips. At diagnosis, most persons with type 1 diabetes have lost 85-90% of their ability to produce insulin. An open bottle of insulin should be discarded after 1 month. Rapid-acting insulin starts working about 20 minutes after injection. The honeymoon phase is defined by a total daily insulin dose of less than 0.5 units/kg/day. A bottle of NPH insulin should be gently rolled at least 20-25 times be