Caught unguarded

[Proud to be erratic]

Everyone is mentioning "pushing the BG numbers up". What should be the numbers when I know to take an extra small carby snack?

When you are low, but not hypo. My D is possibly a bit different, since I have no panc'y and is described as brittle - can change very quickly. So my Libre alarm is set at 5.6 and when that sounds I scan. If the trend arrow is horizontal I take a small snack of 5 or 6 gms carbs, eg 1/2 hobnob biscuit, 1 finger of kit kat, 1x Nairns oat biscuits, some twiglets. I don't finger prick at this time, I know what the approx difference is between actual BG and Libre interstitial; my intent is solely to nudge my BG away from a possible 4.

If the trend arrow is up and the alarm is a momentary wobble I do nothing.

If the trend arrow is diagonally down I might take up to 10 gms to stop the downward trend and check 10 mins later.

If the trend arrow is vertically down, still only 10 gms, but made up of 1x jelly baby, ie a high GI nudge and 1x Nairns - no chocolate, ie no kitkat - to ensure the fat content isn't slowing down the carb response. Again scan to check the downward trend is being slowed and preferably stopped. If not slowed, I drink 10 gm lucozade or high carb orange juice (I don't like coke). I am now blatantly guarding against a hypo.

In May I've had no low glucose events and just briefly touched 3.9. Only 1 modest low glucose event in April.

I look at the Libre2 readings within the green belt and know things are OK and no action is required. Correct or not, I ain't sure.

In my opinion correct. If you can stay in the green you are doing extremely well. If you stray from time to time above 10, in my opinion again you are doing very well.

Yesterday I was out with my daugter-in-law and granddaughter (who I've not seen for almost 3 yrs). We had a simple cafe lunch, and I had a small latte and a packaged sandwich, total 44 gm carbs. I took 4.5 units of insulin, my normal midday ratio of 10:1. My scan after 30 mins showed increase; after 45 mins high alarm above 10, 1hr I was at 15 and still going up. It was as if I'd forgotten to bolus - but I'd not forgotten, 2x witnesses and a NovaEcho pen confirming my dose and timing! I now took a further 5 units of bolus BUT very alert to the possibility of suddenly crashing. The trend reversed, at one stage the fall was quite Rapid, but with care I responded with medium GI snacks, including an 18gm Nakd bar taken in 1/3rds and I never got below 5. I don't know why my original bolus was so slow to kick in; I was concerned but not panicking. For a while my D was dictating to me ... rather than me keeping it controlled. But I did keep it managed, with a lot of effort and constant monitoring. I choose not to tell my daughter-in-law until later, I didn't want to share my anxiety, partly because she'd then worry, keep quizzing me and that would start to stress me - introducing another BG factor! But potentially a risky strategy, not sharing my challenge of that moment. Overall a satisfactory result, albeit with a large spike on my Libre graph.

How many pancakes on the roof.... or Purple with hatless aliens!!

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I did that when I made soup the other night but homemade lentils and veg curries is either tricky or I am trying too hard?

Is there rice involved with those curries?

Because we don't eat rice every day, sometimes not even every week, rice frequently doesn't give me a consistent BG response. You will know there are so many types of rice and if Tilda packaging is to be believed each type can have some variation in its carb content per 100gms uncooked. However the method of cooking also alters the cooked carb content per 100gns. If its washed then a portion of the uncooked carbs from the starch is washed away. If its cooked with an exact amount of water per 100gms and all of that cooking water is absorbed then the cooked carb content will be different from that same rice cooked in an excess of water and some drained away (with some carbs from starch released by cooking.

So, and I know this will be inappropriate for you, when we buy pre-cooked rice in its 'sealed' bag (there are various suppliers including Tilda) I've found the declared carb content on the packaging does work for me. But even Tilda dry rice declares different carb content for that dry rice after their cooking method, from what seems at first look to be the same sort of rice in a pre-cooked bag. It's not just DM that is confusing!

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

When you are low, but not hypo. My D is possibly a bit different, since I have no panc'y and is described as brittle - can change very quickly. So my Libre alarm is set at 5.6 and when that sounds I scan. If the trend arrow is horizontal I take a small snack of 5 or 6 gms carbs, eg 1/2 hobnob biscuit, 1 finger of kit kat, 1x Nairns oat biscuits, some twiglets. I don't finger prick at this time, I know what the approx difference is between actual BG and Libre interstitial; my intent is solely to nudge my BG away from a possible 4.

If the trend arrow is up and the alarm is a momentary wobble I do nothing.

If the trend arrow is diagonally down I might take up to 10 gms to stop the downward trend and check 10 mins later.

If the trend arrow is vertically down, still only 10 gms, but made up of 1x jelly baby, ie a high GI nudge and 1x Nairns - no chocolate, ie no kitkat - to ensure the fat content isn't slowing down the carb response. Again scan to check the downward trend is being slowed and preferably stopped. If not slowed, I drink 10 gm lucozade or high carb orange juice (I don't like coke). I am now blatantly guarding against a hypo.

In May I've had no low glucose events and just briefly touched 3.9. Only 1 modest low glucose event in April.

In my opinion correct. If you can stay in the green you are doing extremely well. If you stray from time to time above 10, in my opinion again you are doing very well.

Yesterday I was out with my daugter-in-law and granddaughter (who I've not seen for almost 3 yrs). We had a simple cafe lunch, and I had a small latte and a packaged sandwich, total 44 gm carbs. I took 4.5 units of insulin, my normal midday ratio of 10:1. My scan after 30 mins showed increase; after 45 mins high alarm above 10, 1hr I was at 15 and still going up. It was as if I'd forgotten to bolus - but I'd not forgotten, 2x witnesses and a NovaEcho pen confirming my dose and timing! I now took a further 5 units of bolus BUT very alert to the possibility of suddenly crashing. The trend reversed, at one stage the fall was quite Rapid, but with care I responded with medium GI snacks, including an 18gm Nakd bar taken in 1/3rds and I never got below 5. I don't know why my original bolus was so slow to kick in; I was concerned but not panicking. For a while my D was dictating to me ... rather than me keeping it controlled. But I did keep it managed, with a lot of effort and constant monitoring. I choose not to tell my daughter-in-law until later, I didn't want to share my anxiety, partly because she'd then worry, keep quizzing me and that would start to stress me - introducing another BG factor! But potentially a risky strategy, not sharing my challenge of that moment. Overall a satisfactory result, albeit with a large spike on my Libre graph.

How many pancakes on the roof.... or Purple with hatless aliens!!

...and I have no such knowledge or coping mechanisms. In my little head, if the trend is horizontal that means all is well and nothing to do or worry about. What I do forget is the same horizontal line can fall down as well and fairly quickly. My boundaries are set by the DSN. Lastly I am still pricking my finger to check if the reading is correct, if not then different by how many points despite having Libre2 . When can I safely stop jabbing my poor fingertips? Thank you.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

Is there rice involved with those curries?

Because we don't eat rice every day, sometimes not even every week, rice frequently doesn't give me a consistent BG response. You will know there are so many types of rice and if Tilda packaging is to be believed each type can have some variation in its carb content per 100gms uncooked. However the method of cooking also alters the cooked carb content per 100gns. If its washed then a portion of the uncooked carbs from the starch is washed away. If its cooked with an exact amount of water per 100gms and all of that cooking water is absorbed then the cooked carb content will be different from that same rice cooked in an excess of water and some drained away (with some carbs from starch released by cooking.

So, and I know this will be inappropriate for you, when we buy pre-cooked rice in its 'sealed' bag (there are various suppliers including Tilda) I've found the declared carb content on the packaging does work for me. But even Tilda dry rice declares different carb content for that dry rice after their cooking method, from what seems at first look to be the same sort of rice in a pre-cooked bag. It's not just DM that is confusing!

True. I know rice is a big no no. Although Basmati has lowest GI levels. Usually have plain boiled rice with curries. I have bought, not tried yet, wholemeal short grain rice advised by a vegan nephew. It still has 75g of Carbs per 100gm.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

...and I have no such knowledge or coping mechanisms. In my little head, if the trend is horizontal that means all is well and nothing to do or worry about.

Correct, for your present circumstances: pending formal diagnosis; no training; not carb counting.

What I do forget is the same horizontal line can fall down as well and fairly quickly.

For me and I think most other people the strength and merit of Libre is less about the numerical reading and more about the trend arrow. So it's better if you try to get in the habit of consciously looking at the arrow and note the trend. In the future you will be taking corrective action based on the trend.

My boundaries are set by the DSN.

Noted.

Lastly I am still pricking my finger to check if the reading is correct, if not then different by how many points despite having Libre2 .

If different by +2, ie Libre 6.5 and actual 4.5 then accept the Libre reading, even though you know its a bit higher; nevertheless all fine until Libre reaches 10 or even 11. At Libre 11 actual will be approx 9. Don't bother finger pricking

If different by -2, ie Libre 4.0 but actual =6, again accept the libre reading knowing in your mind or your log notes that actual is 6 and accept Libre to about 8, when actual will be approx 10. Again don't bother finger pricking.

When can I safely stop jabbing my poor fingertips? Thank you.

When you are in range, ie actual approx 5-10 no real reason to finger prick. If you want to be reassured that Libre is still broadly OK, then finger prick once daily. But this isn't really essential; it's just for your own peace of mind.

When Libre shows very low or you feel hypo finger prick to verify you are hypo and then treat the hypo. Wait 15 mins and finger prick again.

When Libre seems ridiculous, perhaps ultra low and stuck at that or very high and stuck at that, then you need to abandon that sensor and finger prick until the replacement sensor is up and running. Phone or email Abott and seek a replacement.

Currently, because of your fixed doses, you are getting 3 things out of Libre: confidence and experience in wearing the sensor; alarms to help you prevent a hypo; and awareness of what your body is doing in response to different foods and various types of activity or exercise.

There is a 4th thing you could get: confidence to carry out small experiments. You've experienced a hypo; you know its not nice, but you've also found out it's manageable and you don't automatically die! You've been hyper and found out that is also not pleasant; it led to your diagnosis and when you took a post prandial bolus you learnt going a bit high is also manageable. It's your body and your diabetes and you could consider trying different foods and adjusting your bolus by a unit or 2; or by taking a 1 or 2 unit correction when you are at or near actual 10+. This may still feel very new to you, but about 5 weeks on from the first diagnosis and it would be appropriate to loosen the strings keeping you tied to your DSN. You also know that members in this forum do respond to a cry for help, so you are far from alone in this challenge.

We were discussing rice: if you were to cook yourself a portion of plain boiled rice the carbs and cals book says this would be 85gm carbs per 100 gm when dry & uncooked, but 31gm carbs per 100gm portion. Try a modest 70 gm cooked portion, which would be a touch over 20 gms of carbs and take 2 extra units of bolus to cover those extra carbs. This would be guessing a carb to insulin tatio of 10:1, which as an experiment would be very reasonable. Monitor on your Libre to watch what happens by taking a reading immediately before the meal and then at hourly intervals. No need to finger prick, just watch for the trend and make deductions as appropriate. Repeat this experiment 3 or 4 times to confirm your first try was representative of each time you might eat rice.

I think you'll feel greatly emboldened by taking these initial steps.

 

[rayray119]

I have different advice for the libre Vs finger prick. I wouldn't be accepting the libre reading if finger prick was was 2 out so people think that's fine I don't (and also others) and cause problems (a lot also say this isn't okay don't so I think it's depends on what you're comfortable with.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I have different advice for the libre Vs finger prick. I wouldn't be accepting the libre reading if finger prick was was 2 out so people think that's fine I don't (and also others) and cause problems (a lot also say this isn't okay don't so I think it's depends on what you're comfortable with.

Well, you don't have a lot of choice in the matter. If you phone Abbott asking them to replace the sensor because the differential (in steady state) is 2 - you might be lucky or, as happened to me a while ago, they point out that there is a manufacturer's tolerance for discrepancy with both the sensor and the meter. At the upper end of the range a differential of 2 is within tolerance.

In practice I frequently have sensors showing a differential of up to 2 and manage this; its a nuisance, but manageable. At one point I wondered if my meter was badly inaccurate. But I tested my actual BG on all 3 meters that I own as well as the meter at my GP's Surgery and there was a surprisingly good correlation.

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

How do you carb count when it comes to home cooked curries? I have come to this conclusion that I can't eat 2 slices of brown bread or 2 wholemeal chapattis. No problem in making various low carb veg dishes but carb counting is a bit tricky. Any suggestions are welcome.

In my case I count carbs and try to stick to 50g a day but a n injector I think you may be different.

I would weigh out the protein = e.g. 200g of Paneer is about 300cals and low in carbs. 200g of chicken is aobut 200 cals 2g carbs.
Dry fry spices - a dried chili, good shake of turmeric, pinch cumin thumb or fresh ginger and a pinch of powdered coriandar seeds. can also add curry leaves, and other spices to taste
Put slug of olive oil in. Sweat 1 onion. season salt and pepper. 2g carbs.
Add your protein and cook till browned .

Add a tin of tomatoes for a tomato curry, or some coconut cream and almond flour for a crreamy curry. That's my go to... it's about 400 cals per person and maybe 13g of carbs? its more if you add double cream.

I serve with 'slimrice' made of konjak or cauliflower rice. I never touch breads chapatis or naan or popadom.

 

[helli]

Yesterday I was out with my daugter-in-law and granddaughter (who I've not seen for almost 3 yrs). We had a simple cafe lunch, and I had a small latte and a packaged sandwich, total 44 gm carbs. I took 4.5 units of insulin, my normal midday ratio of 10:1. My scan after 30 mins showed increase; after 45 mins high alarm above 10, 1hr I was at 15 and still going up. It was as if I'd forgotten to bolus - but I'd not forgotten, 2x witnesses and a NovaEcho pen confirming my dose and timing! I now took a further 5 units of bolus BUT very alert to the possibility of suddenly crashing. The trend reversed, at one stage the fall was quite Rapid, but with care I responded with medium GI snacks, including an 18gm Nakd bar taken in 1/3rds and I never got below 5. I don't know why my original bolus was so slow to kick in; I was concerned but not panicking. For a while my D was dictating to me ... rather than me keeping it controlled. But I did keep it managed, with a lot of effort and constant monitoring. I choose not to tell my daughter-in-law until later, I didn't want to share my anxiety, partly because she'd then worry, keep quizzing me and that would start to stress me - introducing another BG factor! But potentially a risky strategy, not sharing my challenge of that moment. Overall a satisfactory result, albeit with a large spike on my Libre graph.

I do not understand why you took 5 units as your correction dose.
It is incredibly dangerous to guess such high doses.
My insulin to carb ratio is less than 1:10 (as yours maybe while you are in the honeymoon period) and my correction would be half of what you took.

Correct dosing is much much more than the number of units of insulin, it is also the timing. This is the reason why it is not advisable to correct until 4 hours after doing - you still have fast acting insulin working.

As others have said, you must talk to your DSN (I appreciate it is difficult to get through to them. Maybe you need to contact your GP surgery and request the number again) and get the dose and correction they recommen rather than using the 10:1 ratio and guessing the correction.

If you really feel the need to correct a high, do NOT rely on the number on Libre. The sensors have been calibrated to be accurate in “normal range”. The can be very inaccurate when levels are over 10mmol/l.

It sounds as if you are trying to micromanage your levels. Libre are great but they can lead to obsession of staying in range. Unless you are feeling unwell, it may help to restrict your Libre scans.

Finally, remember you have Type 1/LADA, not type 2. There are no foods which are no nos. I regularly eat rice without getting hung up on GIs. Some people with Type 1 may find they struggle with it but we are all different. If you enjoy rice, once you know your ratios, dose accordingly and you may be surprised.
I strongly recommend avoiding the concept of food that is “bad” for your diabetes. This can lead to mental health issues around your relationship with food and diabetes.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

After speaking to the dietitian, I have started eating somewhat normal portions. Having more hyper levels since then. Also keeping an eye on the ketones. I ve only been told to increase 1unit of NovoRapid if pre meal reading is over 10. I had to do it at lunch time today. Being cautious and pricking finger if BG levels are higher than they should be. Taking notes for Tuesday's phone consultation with DSN.
P.S. the alert alarms have been working on and off!

 

[Jacen017]

After speaking to the dietitian, I have started eating somewhat normal portions. Having more hyper levels since then. Also keeping an eye on the ketones. I ve only been told to increase 1unit of NovoRapid if pre meal reading is over 10. I had to do it at lunch time today. Being cautious and pricking finger if BG levels are higher than they should be. Taking notes for Tuesday's phone consultation with DSN.
P.S. the alert alarms have been working on and off!

My alarms turn off intermittently but always reconnect after about 30 mins. It usually doesn't cause any problems with alerting me.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Hello @helli,

Thank you for your comments, but I'm mildly bemused and wondering if you have 2 postings muddled together in your response - or perhaps you are partly replying to me and partly to @Purls of Wisdom.

I do not understand why you took 5 units as your correction dose.
It is incredibly dangerous to guess such high doses.

I did not guess. My normal correction ratio is 1:2 and when I'm above 10, certainly 12, I have found I need an even stronger correction ratio, which I deliberately choose to be cautious about, conscious that I was probably stacking the 2nd correction on top of the original lunch bolus. However I was at 15 and rising; intent on curtailing that high with a target of 6 in mind. Arguably I could have settled for 4.5 rather than 5 units, but with BG rising I was not going to settle for a half-way house. So, definitely not a guess, but a measured response and (as I said) very alert to going too low later on.

My insulin to carb ratio is less than 1:10 (as yours maybe while you are in the honeymoon period) and my correction would be half of what you took.

I'm T3c, after a total pancreatectomy and have no honeymoon period.

My insulin to carb ratio is 1:10 at lunchtime and evenings and I took a bolus of 4.5 units against my 44gm carbs. There was no need for a correction in that bolus and, in this instance I applied no reduction factor for activity. Had I been at home and gardening I might well have reduced by 50%; but I was waiting at a Hospital for an indeterminate period and assessed (rightly or wrongly) that I wasn't going to be particularly active and might even need to be taking a taxi back to our Rail Station. So, while you could be right (in hindsight) that a reduced correction would have got a better result, at that time I made a judgement and I probably would make the same judgement again tomorrow. I'm determined to not get back onto the high/low/high roller coaster and Libre used diligently helped me avert that scenario.

Correct dosing is much much more than the number of units of insulin, it is also the timing.

I am acutely aware that timing is key to this whole process and frequently work out, after the event, that the timing hasn't worked so well. Alas, if only my body would be more consistent in its timing of response to insulin !!! If only the variations were just because of the time of day, the weather, how active I've been, what my actual BG was at time of dosing, my frame of mind - then I can incorporate those factors and do better, but there seem to be so many more imponderables ......

This is the reason why it is not advisable to correct until 4 hours after doing - you still have fast acting insulin working.

Perhaps. If I was 6 months into my diagnosis, you would probably be right. But after 26+ months and the benefit of Libre I am happy with my decision to stack. I always knew that was a risk, but I was not prepared to wait 4 hrs and potentially get into the 20s. I've been there in the past and not going to go there again if I can do otherwise.

As others have said, you must talk to your DSN (I appreciate it is difficult to get through to them. Maybe you need to contact your GP surgery and request the number again) and get the dose and correction they recommen rather than using the 10:1 ratio and guessing the correction.

If this remark is directed to me, then it makes no sense to me!

If you really feel the need to correct a high, do NOT rely on the number on Libre. The sensors have been calibrated to be accurate in “normal range”. The can be very inaccurate when levels are over 10mmol/l.

I totally agree. You might recall that on more than one occasion I have quoted to others your points about the limitations of Libre. You have assumed that I never finger-pricked throughout this post lunch climb (because I was trying to keep a longish narrative a bit shorter).

It sounds as if you are trying to micromanage your levels. Libre are great but they can lead to obsession of staying in range. Unless you are feeling unwell, it may help to restrict your Libre scans.

If this advice is for me, then it is inappropriate. I'm content with my strategy for managing my DM. I'm not obsessed about staying in range, but I'm not going to knowingly sit back and do nothing when I'm at 15 and climbing.

Finally, remember you have Type 1/LADA, not type 2.

Presumably you are intending this for @Purls of Wisdom .

There are no foods which are no nos. I regularly eat rice without getting hung up on GIs.

I've tried reading back and can't find a reference to Glycaemic Index (GI) in this particular thread - but this is posting #90 so perhaps there is an observation elsewhere that I've missed.

Some people with Type 1 may find they struggle with it but we are all different. If you enjoy rice, once you know your ratios, dose accordingly and you may be surprised.
I strongly recommend avoiding the concept of food that is “bad” for your diabetes. This can lead to mental health issues around your relationship with food and diabetesm.

These last 2 paras are clearly not intended for me. Since @Purls of Wisdom is currently on fixed bolus and does not yet know her ratios - I was gently trying to encourage her into a small experiment and thus allow herself to include rice in her diet in the future.

I completely agree with your last 2 sentences. But I do empathise with Purls of Wisdom's predicament feeling, at that time, pretty abandoned by Specialist support. and awaiting formal diagnosis.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

Hello there! I posted a couple of days ago that I ve started taking full portions at lunch and dinner time as suggested by the Dietitian and it has opened up a proverbial can of worms. 2 days on, my BG levels have been spiking most of the time. The Libre 2 alert alarms are going crazy. At times it is as high as 15.2. Been doing finger pricking to confirm. I do not have set ratio yet. The readings after full portion of home cooked meals are going to dictate the same. Still not adjusting the insulin doses. So, all this talk about increasing or decreasing insulin sounds alien to me. I wonder if those spikes are due to 30g carbs per meal? I am very strict when it comes to snacking etc. Seriously beyond my limited understanding whether these hypers are going to cause further harm or is it OK to let things be the way they are. The Dietitian knows about it so why worry? During the night BG levels stay in range. All wise words are welcome. Thanks. X

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

Thank you Roland, for your deep understanding of this matter. Since my BG levels rise comparatively high many times a day, I am critically looking at my carbs Intake, so I ate 96g of plain boiled Basmati rice with little curried red kidney beans, sliced aubergine and olives at lunch time. The alarm has alerted me more than 3 times. It appears to me that may be I need to cut the wholemeal carbs down. Then what to eat? I do feel hungry in between meals and also know that it will encourage snacking. Pls suggest food ideas which are carbs free and filling. Thanks.

 

[rayray119]

Hello there! I posted a couple of days ago that I ve started taking full portions at lunch and dinner time as suggested by the Dietitian and it has opened up a proverbial can of worms. 2 days on, my BG levels have been spiking most of the time. The Libre 2 alert alarms are going crazy. At times it is as high as 15.2. Been doing finger pricking to confirm. I do not have set ratio yet. The readings after full portion of home cooked meals are going to dictate the same. Still not adjusting the insulin doses. So, all this talk about increasing or decreasing insulin sounds alien to me. I wonder if those spikes are due to 30g carbs per meal? I am very strict when it comes to snacking etc. Seriously beyond my limited understanding whether these hypers are going to cause further harm or is it OK to let things be the way they are. The Dietitian knows about it so why worry? During the night BG levels stay in range. All wise words are welcome. Thanks. X

is it coming back down?

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you Roland, for your deep understanding of this matter. Since my BG levels rise comparatively high many times a day, I am critically looking at my carbs Intake, so I ate 96g of plain boiled Basmati rice with little curried red kidney beans, sliced aubergine and olives at lunch time. The alarm has alerted me more than 3 times. It appears to me that may be I need to cut the wholemeal carbs down. Then what to eat? I do feel hungry in between meals and also know that it will encourage snacking. Pls suggest food ideas which are carbs free and filling. Thanks.

The problem may be you are having two high carb foods in one meal, rice and kidney beans and without being able to adjust your insulin accordingly.
Are you vegetarian? if not then some meat or fish, or eggs or halloumi go well with curried foods. Any green veg, broccoli, green beans, mangetout, spinach, or coleslaw.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

Eventually. For a short while, before rising again specially after meals. For example - on Friday, I woke up to
7.2 had breakfast at 10:00.
11.50 it rose to 13.4.
At 12:45, it further rose to 13.8.
Had nothing to eat.
Pre Lunch 11.1 time 1:30
15.0 at 4:00
10.7 at 7:10
Pre dinner 5.7 @ 8:00pm
Bedtime 11.6

On Saturday Post breakfast it spiked between14.3 and 15.4. Glucose meter reading was not much different.

Pre lunch 11.6
Stay around 8.8 till dinner.
Spiked to 13.4 and to14.9
Went to sleep after 10u of Lantus.
Ketones remained 0.0 and 0.1.

Similar numbers today. 7.9
Post breakfast it rose to 14.9 ketones 0.2
Pre lunch was 10.1

Had a couple of alerts. Readings between 9.3 to 14.9.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

The problem may be you are having two high carb foods in one meal, rice and kidney beans and without being able to adjust your insulin accordingly.
Are you vegetarian? if not then some meat or fish, or eggs or halloumi go well with curried foods. Any green veg, broccoli, green beans, mangetout, spinach, or coleslaw.

Thanks leadinglights. I think so too. Usually it is 2 wholemeal chapattis with fresh veg curry or 2 slices of brown seeded bread with light cheese slice, cucumber and a medium tomato, mostly carb free.

 

[Purls of Wisdom]

Keeping your advice and mine observation in mind, had 1 slice of seeded brown bread with boiled eggs and a slice of cheese. Finished tonight's dinner with a small apple. Hoping for less alerts.

 

[Lucyr]

I think what you need to bear in mind is that it’s normal for blood sugar to rise between meals. Once you are adjusting doses and able to bolus more in advance of the meal you can reduce them somewhat but you won’t eliminate them.

If the high alarm is bothering you, switch it off or set it to a higher value. You aren’t acting on the high readings for corrections at the moment so it isn’t really of any benefit to you to have them going off.