Confused over Normal BG levels

[andrew1974]

I know the standard guidelines for BG level are 4 -6 when fasting and 6-7.8 mol 2 hours after eating a meal but I seem to be getting conflicting advise when a read around or talk to my diabetic clinic.

I was diagnoses as type 1 in May but after a few months my readings improved and I stopped taking insulin.

I generally wake with GB levels of 6.4 mol and when I eat it sometimes goes up to 9.5mol although this seems higher when I had a cold. However, it has generally been coming down to 5 mol after not eating for 4-5 hours.

My diabetic clinic say that as long as the reading come down then I am in normal range and stated that as long as it does not go over 11 mol after eating then its fine not to inject. However, I though the readings had to be below 7.8 even after eating.

I am really confused if I should be injecting insulin or not so that the reading never goes over 7.8

Is there a general consensus on which ranges we should be in.

 

[Caroline]

When I did DESMOND, I was told normal levels are between 4 & 7 and between 8 & 9 two hours after eating, although if you have a cold or illness of any kind they may be a little higher. This is for type 2's, it may be different for type 1s or anyone on insulin

 

[Howard DJ Dutton]

Hi,

Its just the same with type 1 really.
Your BG will still really be settling in, i would of thought, soemtimes your body can still produce a little insulin.
If you are ill they always advise you still take your insulin because you Bg leves will go up, even if you havent eaten anything, but obviously close monitoring is the key.

Even if you think you may have to reduce the dose a little, you Bg levels will come down after a longer time after eating, as you move etc you will burn off your carbs, its usually the time your due your next meal and insulin.

Diabetes is one of the hardest things to control, with everyday always being different.
Keep at it, im sure with time it will all become apparent, and you will find yourself slighlty adjusting your insulin also to what you eat.

Regards Howard

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Can't offer advice, obviously... but as a long term T1 if I was in range before meals, went no higher than 8mmol/L afterwards and returned to 6-ish before the next meal I would be pretty darned chuffed.

That sort of range is not, strictly speaking non-diabetic though - so you need to continue to monitor it. Your pancreas may have perked up a bit after your diagnosis where it was getting support from injected insulin and may be coping reasonably well at the moment, but there is no guarantee that that will last, of course

One of the main challenges for your team I suspect, is that 1u of insulin will quite often reduce BG by something like 3mmol/L (there are wide variations, of course, but it's not an unusual starting point). So over the 4-5 hours after the injection you might expect your 7.8 and finishing BGs to go down by 3, which would certainly be problematic if you are returning to 5mmol/L without injecting any rapid at present.

Out of interest are you on basal insulin? And if so, how was that dose decided - and more importantly have you tested it. It would be well worth doing IMO. Have a read of this page on t'other DSF http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

 

[andrew1974]

The last time I went to the clinic they told me that the pacrease was working in normal ranges and that I was showing no signs of anti-bodies against my pacrease. Which did not suggest type 1. They were a bit confused about my diagnosis because my BG went to 16 mol in may, I showed all the classic type 1 signs and I did not fit the classical type 2 risk factors

They also said that its fine to eat and still be below 9.5 without it causing any complications as long as it comes down below 6 several hours after eating

I don't take any basal but have started to inject 2 units because I am scared that if peeks over the 7.8 which is mentioned on the Diabetes UK website.

It just seems there are so many different scales as to what is considered normal that I don't know what i should be aiming for.

I guess I am getting a little panicked because I have been getting tingling in my right foot and am concerned that this is neropathy complications

 

[Howard DJ Dutton]

Hi Andrew, i wouldnt of thought you would start with signs of neuropathy in your feet to be honest, its usually ith people that havent look after themselves and run their blood sugars in the teens + for a long time.
You GP should have a specialist nurse, if concerned sek advice.
What is an average Hba1c for you?

Howard

 

[DeusXM]

Normal BGs are 4-6. I would still say 7.8 as a two-hour post-prandial is a bit high. I think the theory is that damage starts at anything over 7.4.

 

[trophywench]

Your GP most likely will NOT have a specialist nurse - they'll have a very ordinary nurse who has had it thrust upon her (or volunteered) and done a day or so's training.

This is not the same as a Diabetes Nurse Specilaist who works full time in that speciality, and has taken the extra training and exams. Oh, and they have to have a University Degree in the first place these days unless they've been full time in that speciality for years anyway and have already reached a certain level before they embark on trying to get the qualification.

OK ?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Normal BGs are 4-6. I would still say 7.8 as a two-hour post-prandial is a bit high. I think the theory is that damage starts at anything over 7.4.

Yes... but let's not forget that Andrew is achieving near-normal levels without any exogenous insulin - No basal. No bolus. And is returning to the 5's over the course of typical duration of a modern rapid analogue.

Doesn't really give much room for manoevre does it!

And I'd also agree with Howard that any tingling is *very* unlikely to be any kind of nerve damage yet, given that Dx was so recent, and levels seem to be so near to normal.