Ep 177 - Are Your Insulin Settings Keeping Up With Your Hormones?

If you're waking up, looking at your CGM and wondering, What in the world happened overnight? don't automatically assume you did something wrong.

Your insulin needs aren't static, especially through the reproductive years, perimenopause and menopause. Hormone shifts, cortisol, sleep, stress and changes in insulin sensitivity can all affect how much background insulin your body needs.

In this episode, I'm breaking down basal insulin—the steady background "drip" of insulin your body needs throughout the day and night—and why it still matters whether you use multiple daily injections, a pump in manual mode, or an automated insulin delivery system.

I'll walk you through my simple framework:

Find the pattern: When is glucose consistently rising or falling? Find the driver: Could hormones, cortisol, sleep, food, exercise or insulin timing be contributing? Find your mode: Is your current insulin delivery strategy meeting your body's needs right now? We'll also talk about overnight glucose patterns, dawn phenomenon, why one unusual night doesn't necessarily mean your settings are wrong, and what information can be helpful to bring to your diabetes care team before making adjustments.

Because sometimes you didn't suddenly get "bad" at diabetes. Your body changed—and your insulin strategy may need to change with it.

My book, Highs, Lows & Hormones, includes a companion basal testing resource designed to help you gather your own patterns and take better questions to your diabetes care team.

Important: Insulin adjustments should be made with guidance from your qualified diabetes care team. This episode is for education and is not individualized medical advice.

Watch over on my Youtube channel @Type1inMidlife

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