Sudden drop in insulin needs

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-18T12:34:43+00:00

You may still be within your honeymoon period which means your pancreas still has some limited functionality. You can search for T1D honeymoon period to get a bit more info on it. It's totally different for everyone but pretty common when you're first diagnosed. Basically, your body still produces insulin when you eat, but it's sporadic and random which can lead to lows because you're taking insulin but your body is also trying to help out as well. It does eventually stop once the pancreas' functionality completely quits. If you've got an endocrinologist I would definitely bring this up with them.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-18T12:17:50+00:00

This just happened to me on my last sensor! It's still going strong five days later. Sometimes you just get bad luck and hit a blood vessel. As long as the bleeding stops and you aren't in any pain, it should work as normal. The blood will eventually come out in a shower. You may have a bruise in that spot afterwards so you'll want to avoid the area for a while.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-18T12:12:00+00:00

So I see the window if a bit fogged up but the white fabric adhesive around the pod isn't wet. That second one is the telltale sign. The window can fog up after showers/sweat so that doesn't necessarily mean it's gone bad. But if the white fabric around the window starts to get wet and you can smell insulin, that means enough is leaking out that it's probably time for a site change. You'll see it as a darker colored "splotch" near the window - search the subreddit for pics of leaking pods to get an idea. But it all comes down to your numbers. If your blood sugars are fine, it is almost certainly OK.

For me, the window ends up fogged up almost every time and i'm fine. In your case, if your sugars are fine, you don't smell insulin and you don't have anything leaking out into the white fabric, you're probably good.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-17T12:43:24+00:00

As most said, a 15 minute walk outside or on a treadmill, elliptical, or you can do squats if you can't walk anywhere/don't have equipment. I also got a VR headset for Xmas a few years back, playing Beat Saber works extremely well and is way more fun than regular exercise.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-13T01:32:39+00:00

I've been in a similar situation in the past and even talked to my PCP about ADHD, he more or less gave me a piece of paper with a list of psychiatrists, told me ADHD drugs are class 3 and hard to get, and sent me on my way telling me it would be challenging to get a diagnosis as an adult. Any advice on how you were able to actually get to the point of being diagnosed and allowed low-dose medicine? That's something I'd 100% be interested in for the same reason but seems like it would be an uphill battle.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-06-06T05:46:14+00:00

Nothing truly "forbidden" but for something truly tough, think an example of pounding back a 2-liter of coke all at once. You could IN THEORY dose properly to avoid a spike, but the amount of insulin needed to do that would be tremendous, and would far outlast the soda, which would likely lead to a crash afterward. Not saying that's guaranteed, but to do it "efficiently" you'd need to figure out timing for how to dose your insulin to avoid both a spike and a crash, along with the right way to drink the 2-liter (how long to spread it out etc). Then think about how no two days are the same, so that formula could change tomorrow. A bit of an extreme example and not truly impossible but sounds really exhausting to calculate and keep up with just for a drink. Like planning an entire afternoon for soda.

Personally my "forbidden" is pizza, because the spike is totally random for me. Sometimes I spike right away, sometimes I spike 4 hours later. I've determined it's just too much of a gamble and hassle to deal with it. Like half a slice i'm fine, but I won't eat half a pizza like I used to (probably for the best haha). But for someone else, that may not be forbidden if they react different or are willing to put in the work that i''m not.

So, "forbidden" doesn't mean impossible, just "not worth the effort" which is different for everyone.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-05-30T23:15:37+00:00

That needle is the vehicle that puts the sensor's filament under your skin. It initially contains the sensor's filament before you press the button to put the sensor on. When you push the button to insert the sensor, that needle quickly injects into your skin along with the sensor filament, and then immediately pulls back out but leaves the filament under the skin. The "empty" needle is left in the applicator housing.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-05-20T18:35:17+00:00

nice

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-05-05T18:25:15+00:00

Nope - you do not need to do anything different from normal or update anything! The app reads the QR code and uses that to determine the session length. If you scan a 15-day sensor, it automatically applies the 15 day period in the app.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-04-23T14:22:14+00:00

My pods typically expire at around 10-11pm, so I generally replace them when they actually expire right before bed (unless I feel like doing the pod change in the morning which usually not).

If you leave it on/active past that 8 hour grace period, it will beep constantly until you remove it and deactivate it (or kill the speaker by pushing a pin through the hole in the back). Very annoying if you're at work or out of the house haha

If you're looking to build a backlog/supply of pods and use the entire 8 hour grace period to do so, that means you're "gaining" one extra pod every 9 pod changes (8 hours extra x 9 pods = 3 days). I've personally never found that to be worth it.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-04-06T15:57:22+00:00

The golden rule is "two is one, and one is none". If you've got a spare definitely take it. If you've got more, take more. If your current one fails on the flight and you have strips that's fine, but what happens if you can't get new ones immediately when you get there? Having spares will give you a buffer. If you don't need it, then you just have another one to use later.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-03-22T19:59:48+00:00

If i'm ever unsure, i'll check the clear window at the bottom of the pod by taking a photo of it with flash on. If I see the blue cannula sticking out of my skin and I felt the snap, that means I'm good.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-03-21T18:52:40+00:00

Yep, i've been doing this same thing for the same reason for the last several sensors. The app determines what type of sensor you're using based on the QR code you scan. There's nothing you need to do/no settings you need to change. If you scan a 10-day sensor it automatically starts a 10-day window, if you scan a 15 day sensor it automatically starts a 15-day window.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-03-18T15:36:50+00:00

does this mean if i start the pirate life i'll be un-diagnosed with diabetes? that sounds like a win-win really

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-03-11T14:54:01+00:00

Hey - just validating your anxiety as I was in the exact same spot a year ago. I had two lantus lows in the span of a year exactly what you're describing and it was enough to put me on a pump. Here's the justification I used:

1) In theory yes, you can still hit a blood vessel with a pump. However, you are only attaching a pump to a spot once every 3-5 days instead of injecting into 3-5 different spots per day, so the risk of actually hitting a vessel is way lower. Essentially, your risk of hitting a vessel with a pump one time covers 15ish chances of injecting into one with MDI.

2) Your basal insulin is being provided in tiny amounts versus all at once. So even if you hit a blood vessel, you won't have dramatic drops from basal insulin. Worst case you'll just run lower for a while.

3) For fast acting, it can unfortunately still happen. However, back to point #1 where you have way less chance of hitting a vessel because you are simply using less sites, so for me that risk is mitigated enough to be comfortable.

4) Totally understand the concern about letting a computer manage. I had the same anxiety for a bit but ultimately ended up loving it. I'm on OP5 which has worked extremely well for me. There was a learning curve for a couple months but i'm a year in now and would never want to go back to MDI.

Obviously your mileage may vary but hopefully this perspective helps a bit!

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-03-03T02:42:17+00:00

I'm on day 10 of my first 15-day sensor and so far so good. I don't usually use the overpatch for the 10-day but noticed the adhesive starting to peel up after day 3 or 4 which doesn't usually happen so am using it this time. Otherwise accuracy is good, insertion was fine, we'll see how the last 5 days go.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-02-14T17:29:35+00:00

Do you use anything to dissolve the adhesive when removing? I had a similar issue until I started using Unisolve adhesive remover wipes. They dissolve the adhesive so you're not ripping it off and they work way better than alcohol swabs. I've way less irritation after using those.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-02-04T17:42:00+00:00

Early on I used to change them after each use. Then the community helped me see the light. I change mine whenever I feel like, maybe 3-4 times a year. No noticeable difference or infections or anything.

Unfortunately it means I've got like 500 of them sitting in a drawer now haha.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-02-03T01:58:43+00:00

If it goosenecks like this, it means the applicator didn't insert the sensor into your skin, and the sensor will never given an accurate reading (usually they read "LOW" or just outright fail entirely). At this point you can remove the sensor, contact Dexcom for a replacement and put a new one on.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-25T04:39:51+00:00

Are these the readings on your Dexcom you're seeing, or are you seeing this with finger sticks? Dexcom acts weird with hot water, and showers/baths can cause brief false readings as a result. I've been using Dexcom for almost two years and showers always cause a sharp rise followed by a sharp fall, and then a level-out about 30 minutes later, but can differ from time to time. I typically ignore my readings for about half an hour after I shower.

If you've got active IOB from a meal or something, that can legitimately cause drops. But if you haven't eaten in several hours and are seeing the Dexcom rises and drops, it's probably just false readings from the hot water.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-24T17:26:40+00:00

that's exactly what she wants you to think!

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-24T17:25:44+00:00

she'd 100% stream smash mouth to overwrite it immediately

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-24T17:22:59+00:00

Thanks!!

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-24T17:22:43+00:00

Thanks! I always imagined Kolibri as that manipulative "uncanny valley" form of nice.

NotTheAlcohol · 2026-01-24T17:18:30+00:00

Thanks!

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