are all spikes bad?

[purgatory]

I am recently diagnosed and from information I got on this forum I have for the past week been monitoring my BG one and two hours after meals as well as first thing in the morning. Quite often I am noticing that on the one hour check my BG will have spiked but has come down again on the two hour check (this isn't always the case after bread for example its higher on the two hour check) should I be worried about this? I figure that if I had only been testing after two hours, or even not checking as my nurse didn't want me to; I wouldn't even know about these spikes.
Also my levels are not exactly controlled at the moment anyway on a good day they are usually in the 8s and 9s and I wake up that way no low BG in the morning, had a 7.5 the other morning and was very impressed. Not sure if this means I will have to be put on more medication when I go back or if I just need stricter diet changes, having said that I signed up to the low carb diet on another diabetes site and according to that (though I am only on the second video they parcel out info each week) it said they allowed for up to 150g carbs a day which I am not even having apart from one day this week.
I have cut out sugar like I was told the only thing I was told about diet really apart from eating a healthy balanced diet, but according to the RDA you can have 230-260g of carbs a day so I am definitely under that; I really don't think I could cut out carbs altogether and was advised this isn't wise anyway. So I guess what I'm asking is if I should be worried about the spikes and if might mean more medication or if I need tighter control of diet?

 

[Mark Parrott]

This is a good question. I once did a test with my wife, who is not diabetic. We both ate the same thing (can't remember what it was, but it was quite carb heavy) & I tested both our BG's at 1 hour. I peaked at 9, she peaked at 8.5. After 2 hours, I went down to 7.3 & she dropped back to normal at 5.2. Took me another hour to drop back into the 5's. So, it shows that a non diabetic can still peak high after an hour.

I eat low carb. I try to stay below 50g a day, though with the improvement of my insulin resistance since losing weight, I do up it a bit some days with no issues.

 

[Amigo]

I never test after 1 hr because I'd expect a high peak. I'm more concerned about the response after 2 hrs.

230-260grams of carb a day seems very excessive and would have my levels in the 9's after meals.

I think reducing your carb content would help massively Lisa but no need to eliminate it completely. Eat by your meter is my advice.

 

[Martin Canty]

We all spike (D's & non D's) it's just how high & how long it takes to come back down to a normal level... we are looking for no more than 2-3 mmol rise after 2 hours, if more then consider dropping the culprit from your diet.

As you become more controlled the easier it will get to refine your diet, at the moment I suspect your BG will be all over the place!!!

 

[purgatory]

thanks for the replies makes things a lot clearer for me was thinking I had to keep it below a certain level all the time
from tomorrow I will only be testing after two hours and trying to cut down on carbs a bit further so hopefully my BG might start to behave a little better

 

[Mark Parrott]

We all spike (D's & non D's) it's just how high & how long it takes to come back down to a normal level... we are looking for no more than 2-3 mmol rise after 2 hours, if more then consider dropping the culprit from your diet.

As you become more controlled the easier it will get to refine your diet, at the moment I suspect your BG will be all over the place!!!

Does that mean I can still eat my protein wheat biscuits? I peaked at 10.0 after 1 hour but dropped back to the 5's after 2 hours.

 

[Amigo]

Does that mean I can still eat my protein wheat biscuits? I peaked at 10.0 after 1 hour but dropped back to the 5's after 2 hours.

I think the answer is no Mark because whilst you're now in non diabetic range, your 'metabolic competence' (an expression used in this interesting article, has been shown to be compromised. I found elements of this very informative even though it has more of an American focus;

https://thedrjoe.com/non-diabetic-blood-sugar-spikes/

 

[Mark Parrott]

I think the answer is no Mark because whilst you're now in non diabetic range, your 'metabolic competence' (an expression used in this interesting article, has been shown to be compromised. I found elements of this very informative even though it has more of an American focus;

https://thedrjoe.com/non-diabetic-blood-sugar-spikes/

I shall feed them to the chickens then.🙂

 

[Beck S]

At the moment I'm not checking my BG earlier than two hours after a meal, I'm basically keeping to the timings in the blood diary I've been given, so apart from my readings being a bit heywire anyway this early on, I have no idea. The nurse did tell me to have a small portion of carbs with each meal which would hopefully even it out during the day and try and avoid big spikes. Without testing all the time, how do you know?? Hard to get on top of it.

 

[Bubbsie]

I am recently diagnosed and from information I got on this forum I have for the past week been monitoring my BG one and two hours after meals as well as first thing in the morning. Quite often I am noticing that on the one hour check my BG will have spiked but has come down again on the two hour check (this isn't always the case after bread for example its higher on the two hour check) should I be worried about this? I figure that if I had only been testing after two hours, or even not checking as my nurse didn't want me to; I wouldn't even know about these spikes.
Also my levels are not exactly controlled at the moment anyway on a good day they are usually in the 8s and 9s and I wake up that way no low BG in the morning, had a 7.5 the other morning and was very impressed. Not sure if this means I will have to be put on more medication when I go back or if I just need stricter diet changes, having said that I signed up to the low carb diet on another diabetes site and according to that (though I am only on the second video they parcel out info each week) it said they allowed for up to 150g carbs a day which I am not even having apart from one day this week.
I have cut out sugar like I was told the only thing I was told about diet really apart from eating a healthy balanced diet, but according to the RDA you can have 230-260g of carbs a day so I am definitely under that; I really don't think I could cut out carbs altogether and was advised this isn't wise anyway. So I guess what I'm asking is if I should be worried about the spikes and if might mean more medication or if I need tighter control of diet?

I'd have to say 'No'...while spikes are not what we want...they teach us a lot...when you test after an hour...that will show you the optimum peak of your blood sugars...the highest it will get to...then test an hour later...demonstrates how your body has reacted to that rise...reduced your BG...so sounds like you have a firm grasp of testing & how to interpret those results...your waking blood sugars are usually the last to come down...lately I have been trying a small snack before bedtime...just to ;persuade my liver it doesn't have to 'dump' anymore glucose into my system to get me ready for the coming day on waking...you're doing fine...can't rush diabetes control...find your best routine...at your own pace...as long as there is an improvement during any review...can't see any reason why you would need to increase your medication...you can discuss that with your GP...whether there is an increase or not...as long as you are involved in the decision making process...you can make the right decision for you...good luck.

 

[Radders]

I think the answer is no Mark because whilst you're now in non diabetic range, your 'metabolic competence' (an expression used in this interesting article, has been shown to be compromised. I found elements of this very informative even though it has more of an American focus;

https://thedrjoe.com/non-diabetic-blood-sugar-spikes/

I have probably been having these spikes (or worse) for the 26 years since I was diagnosed. No complications, but perhaps that's just lucky genetics.

 

[PURPLESALLY]

I am recently diagnosed and from information I got on this forum I have for the past week been monitoring my BG one and two hours after meals as well as first thing in the morning. Quite often I am noticing that on the one hour check my BG will have spiked but has come down again on the two hour check (this isn't always the case after bread for example its higher on the two hour check) should I be worried about this? I figure that if I had only been testing after two hours, or even not checking as my nurse didn't want me to; I wouldn't even know about these spikes.
Also my levels are not exactly controlled at the moment anyway on a good day they are usually in the 8s and 9s and I wake up that way no low BG in the morning, had a 7.5 the other morning and was very impressed. Not sure if this means I will have to be put on more medication when I go back or if I just need stricter diet changes, having said that I signed up to the low carb diet on another diabetes site and according to that (though I am only on the second video they parcel out info each week) it said they allowed for up to 150g carbs a day which I am not even having apart from one day this week.
I have cut out sugar like I was told the only thing I was told about diet really apart from eating a healthy balanced diet, but according to the RDA you can have 230-260g of carbs a day so I am definitely under that; I really don't think I could cut out carbs altogether and was advised this isn't wise anyway. So I guess what I'm asking is if I should be worried about the spikes and if might mean more medication or if I need tighter control of diet?

 

[PURPLESALLY]

I think I must be really lucky. I am able to email my BG readings and insulin input over to my diabetes team, they analyse it and send me back adjustments all within a couple of hours - Go Gloucester Royal!

 

[trophywench]

I think I must be really lucky. I am able to email my BG readings and insulin input over to my diabetes team, they analyse it and send me back adjustments all within a couple of hours - Go Gloucester Royal!

Sally - it is a fact that Type 1 diabetics get a LOT more access to expert help and guidance than do the vast majority of Type 2s, who are normally not even referred to hospital diabetes clinics but are dealt with in the own GP surgeries by people with varying levels of expertise.

If I needed help - I'd put money on it I could get nearly as much help from the receptionist at 'my' hospital D clinic than I could from most people (Drs, nurses or anyone else) at my GP surgery. They just aren't dealing with diabetics of any type all day every day, neither do they have as much specialist training, as the hospital D clinic personnel do, to constantly build up and update that knowledge. At the same time GP surgeries also have to deal with thousands of other conditions and treatments - so we can't reasonably expect them to have instant answers at their fingertips, to an awful lot of things.

 

[PURPLESALLY]

Sally - it is a fact that Type 1 diabetics get a LOT more access to expert help and guidance than do the vast majority of Type 2s, who are normally not even referred to hospital diabetes clinics but are dealt with in the own GP surgeries by people with varying levels of expertise.

If I needed help - I'd put money on it I could get nearly as much help from the receptionist at 'my' hospital D clinic than I could from most people (Drs, nurses or anyone else) at my GP surgery. They just aren't dealing with diabetics of any type all day every day, neither do they have as much specialist training, as the hospital D clinic personnel do, to constantly build up and update that knowledge. At the same time GP surgeries also have to deal with thousands of other conditions and treatments - so we can't reasonably expect them to have instant answers at their fingertips, to an awful lot of things.

Hi I agree. I was originally diagnosed with type 2 given a script for metformin and told the surgery nurse would contact me in the following weeks. 5 days later I was in an ambulance on my way to A&E. It was the hospital who checked my ketones (over 6) and I spent a week on drips and insulin pumps. I rang the surgery as instructed by the hospital once I came home really just to organise new prescriptions to be told the nurse would contact me next week. The hospital nurses and dieticians are available to me 5 days a week via email and phone, they have been great. When it appeared that I had type 2 the only support/advice/ encouragement was on this forum