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If you’re a person with T1D, after having a rollercoaster day with multiple highs and lows, how affected do you most often feel - physically and emotionally - once your blood glucose levels are stable?
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I feel pretty bad and tired if my bg goes above 160. Luckily this doesn’t happen too often. Once I get back to my normal 85-95 range, it doesn’t take too long to feel “normal”.
I’m hypo unaware so my lows are easy to treat and I don’t really feel any different. I don’t go high often but recently I had a faulty pump reservoir that leaked and my BG went over 350 and I felt horrible. It took me a little while to recover even after I was back in range.
Not at all. I’ve been on this roller coaster or merry go round — pick your ride — all my life. Control IQ tried its best ot get the ride slowed down. Then gastroparesis shows up and says, “I’ll show you!”, throws in a monkey wrench, and we’re all back on the ride. Just for the fun of it. Do we ever stop having fun? (￣个￣)
Physically fine. Just pissed at myself because usually my fault. Although FSL has been giving me false lows for a couple of days. Going back to Dexcom G6 and am happy. Don’t remember this problem when was on before. FSL likes to say I am always 57.
Since when does having T1 not give you rollercoaster days? It’s something I’ve learned to live with over 55 years with this disease.
Seriously, as the years have passed, it’s taking me longer to recover from lows. I have to sit and wait even after my bg has returned to normal to resume activities.
I feel very very tired. I don’t always have the luxury of stopping and taking a break so I try to keep going especially at work. I usually manage okay but feel horrible for about a day.
I feel awful with unexpected highs. Lows I usually handle fine. I feel a little shameful, like I shouldn’t have had that ice cream or extra helping. I absolutely hate it when I forget to bolus! HOW can I forget when I have to take insulin every time I eat? SMH! Fall off the wagon. Get back on.
Doesn’t happen that often but when it does the lows make me feel tired and depressed. The highs make me feel quite upset, so a real swing of emotions to say the least.
I sometimes feel awful while I’m having a low, and sometimes a high. But, I’m usually fine after I’ve stabilized. There are many reason for my highs and lows, but I don’t beat myself up about it.
I don’t think it affects me physically too much unless I have had a very low number which is not really a problem with a CGM, but mentally I just am aggravated as I like to be in range as much as possible. I feel relieved once my sugars seem to be on an even keel.
Wiped, physically and emotionally. I soldier on, but inside, I want to sit on the floor and cry.
Amen, Mary. Same here.
How I feel depends on how high or how BG was. Really low, 40s, is hard to recover from and can take the rest of the day; 42 is my crash point. Otherwise roller coaster days are annoying, but I’ve handled them by necessity.
Sometimes I end up feeling very tired and need a nap. Of course other times, without the rollercoaster ride, I just feel like taking a nap.
To me, this is more than one question. After a roller coaster day, sometimes more than one day in a row, I feel wiped out. But, taking a break is rarely an option and even if it is an option, I don’t.
I agree with you. I don’t physically recover as quickly as I have in the past. Lows below 50 are exhausting and may take the rest of the day to recover, but taking a break is not an option.
There’s both physical and mental components. Physically, recovery from a low is fairly quick, highs for me take longer, though I feel a low recovery well before it shows up on CGM. Mentally, its just tiring to go through. Moving to Loop and getting accurate Basal Rate(s), Carb Ratio(s), Correction Factor(s), greatly reduces both the number of lows, highs, and roller-coastering plus the levels of them. Experience helps you realize how much of either insulin or carb is needed so as not to overtreat either one.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. 100% agree with Tom’s feelings.
There is no formula or pattern. You get what you get and learn to not throw a fit. Roll with the punches & take it as it comes. Tomorrow is always a new day – thank the Lord!!!!
I have been low carb for 22 years and I don’t have rollercoaster days. It is unusual for me to get as high as 125 and not swinging high means no lows from overcompensating.
Hi. Could you share exactly the number of carbs you aim for each meal or in a day? I have rollercoasters and eat a max of 40-45 per meal, no snacks. I also exercise every day at least an hour, but may need to lower carbs. Thanks if you can help. Woke up to 140 this am and not happy about it. Ugh.
I physically recover fast, but I cannot fully revert to my routine activities, because I am overwhelmed by analyzing the causes and my faults, and planning how to prevent it next time.
Roller-coaster BG days affect me a lot more now than they have in 56 yrs of T1D. Stress now has a huge effect on my BGs. I am caregiving a very elderly relative and dealing with increasing health issues with my husband. I’m needing cataract surgery too, so the ups and downs drive me nuts and I feel exhausted. It’s harder to bounce back now with everyone else’s health issues taking priority.
Hey Cheryl ! That is an amazing reality you have shared: managing your own T1D of such long duration and being a caregiver for TWO others. Best wishes for your stout heart and iron will, also for upcoming cataract surgery. I am scheduled for that in July and with vision in only that eye I am worried for sure.
A day in the life of a T1 diabetic….. Do your best snd move on, can’t change the past……
I chose very little. Who knows, if I had a clone, I could test it and see for real!
It depends on the severity and length of the rollercoaster ride.
I can end up feeling emotionally irritated once more that I haven’t found the causes for theses ups and downs.
Rarely I feel physically affected, usually tired.
I answered somewhat as I rarely spend a day on the glucoaster. As with everything else T1D related, how I feel just depends on the day. Sometimes it’s no big deal and sometimes it takes me out for the rest of the day.
I said somewhat, but it really depends on the day – each rollercoaster event is different. Sometimes I can get back to normal like nothing happened, other times I’m nursing a headache or feel completely drained (physically), other times I’m so irritated that it happened that I can’t focus on anything else (this usually goes hand-in-hand with feeling physical symptoms though).
I feel very tired. Probably it’s more of “I’m tired of trying to understand what my body is doing with the insulin I’m giving it and WHY CHANGE WHAT IT NEEDS!!!” I’m tired of the rollercoaster that I/we live with.
Some time ago I read something about “smart” insulin? Is there anything that?
Ach, the emotional stress of roller coaster BG levels is more distressing for me than the physical aspects by themselves. Although the physical body reactions & results are quite a pain in the ass when and after I have a series of BG lows and subsequent rollercoaster highs, it is just plain frustrating and emotionally draining to be going through roller coaster swings especially with smart pump algorithms set to regulate and prevent the swings from happening in the first place. Diabetes self-care vigilance never lets you let your guard down.
I get frustrated
Low BG makes me feel wiped out, and so does high BG. I’m on the Tandem tx2 slim pump now, as well as Dexcom G6, so it’s nice to have them communicating. It makes it a little easier to stabilize my blood sugars now. I have to watch where I place the insulin cannula though. I’ve had Type 1 for 62 years, and have given myself many, many injections. I think I have developed some scar tissue, because in some areas my insulin just doesn’t seem to absorb as well.
I chose ” Very little – I feel a little affected but I can easily get back to what I need to do.” I usually am able to push through and do what I need to do, but “very little” and “easily” are not adjectives I would have chosen. Truth is the rollercoasters are exhausting, but I get back to what I need to do anyway.
Our T1D tween daughter is somewhat affected by a rollercoaster day. But I – as the primary caretaker – am very strongly affected by rollercoaster days or even high events (especially “sticky” highs). It is extremely stressful and overwhelming to be dealing with it and significantly affects all other areas of my day and wellbeing.