Do you always pre bolus?

[Ali11782]

What constitutes a BG spike? How is it defined?

 

[nonethewiser]

Nearly always, only time dont is when skimming around 4 mark so will bolus after.

 

[pm133]

What constitutes a BG spike? How is it defined?

I assume each person will define it differently but for me, it's when my levels go above 10. I'm not interested in anything below that as long as my average levels out at around the 7 mark or below over time and certainly before eating again.

With my spikes, I am only concerned if they last longer than about 2 hours after eating before coming back under 10 again and then back to about 6-8 again 4 hours after eating and preferably don't exceed 13 at any point. If I go above 13, I will usually do something exercise-wise but that's a fairly rare occurrence anyway.
The biggest spike is my breakfast cereal but I'm happy to live with that.

 

[Ljc]

For me a spike is 10.0 or more . Though I start to feel yuk if I go into the 9s

Though I may do a correction, I don’t worry about the occasional spike .

 

[Deleted member 25429]

I assume each person will define it differently but for me, it's when my levels go above 10. I'm not interested in anything below that as long as my average levels out at around the 7 mark or below over time and certainly before eating again.

With my spikes, I am only concerned if they last longer than about 2 hours after eating before coming back under 10 again and then back to about 6-8 again 4 hours after eating and preferably don't exceed 13 at any point. If I go above 13, I will usually do something exercise-wise but that's a fairly rare occurrence anyway.
The biggest spike is my breakfast cereal but I'm happy to live with that.

Exercise is a great natural way of bringing them down without having to inject more and risking going the other way . Even a walk around the block helps . I inject as I get up then do my jobs like tidying up after our puppies that have taken to ripping up puppy pads . Then feed dogs and cats , empty dishwasher that takes half an hour so it’s great timing then for my breakfast

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I assume each person will define it differently but for me, it's when my levels go above 10

Interesting approach.

I’m not sure I have a fixed numeric limit (though upwards of 10-11 I get increasingly likely to correct)… for me if I was 9.5 before the meal and went to 10.2 after I wouldn’t consider it a spike, but if I was 5-6 and went to 10-11 I would feel that was a bit too much of a rise.

So maybe it’s a combination of a hard upper limit, combined with it being a rise of somehing like 5 or more?

As you say I suspect everyone has their own gut feelings about it?

 

[Bloden]

I've just recently changed from pre-bolusing for my evening meal to bolusing after that meal - I was getting hypos only one hour after eating. The menopause with all of the changes in hormones really is changing the way my body works.

It’s interesting that you mention the menopause. I have to bolus mid-meal in the evening otherwise I hypo after an hour, like you. This started a few years ago, around when my menopause started. Well I never!

I seem to remember @khskel saying he has to post-bolus his evening meal too - I don’t suppose it’s the menopause in his case...😉

 

[pm133]

Interesting approach.

I’m not sure I have a fixed numeric limit (though upwards of 10-11 I get increasingly likely to correct)… for me if I was 9.5 before the meal and went to 10.2 after I wouldn’t consider it a spike, but if I was 5-6 and went to 10-11 I would feel that was a bit too much of a rise.

So maybe it’s a combination of a hard upper limit, combined with it being a rise of somehing like 5 or more?

As you say I suspect everyone has their own gut feelings about it?

Thinking more about this, I suppose I reserve the word for times when I am in dodgy territory.
So, I would probably label a rise of 9.5 to 10.2 as being part of the same spike which got me to 9.5 although technically I wouldn't have called it a spike had it stayed at 9.5. I am anything but consistent sometimes 🙂 The extra 0.7 tips it into a spike.

Mind you, then in most cases, I probably wouldn't take more food on if I was at 9.5 because I would consider myself to have enough glucose on board and maybe just take a 1 unit bolus to "release the beast". I turned down chocolate last night for that reason. Was all up for the "big tasty", then checked my bloods and was too high. Tonight's the night though!!!

I wouldn't be personally worried about a rise from 5 to 11 because to avoid it, would rule out cereal and chocolate for me and that would be my diabetes ruling me. Those are about the only two things which cause that sort of increase for me.

 

[khskel]

It’s interesting that you mention the menopause. I have to bolus mid-meal in the evening otherwise I hypo after an hour, like you. This started a few years ago, around when my menopause started. Well I never!

I seem to remember @khskel saying he has to post-bolus his evening meal too - I don’t suppose it’s the menopause in his case...😉

Definitely not the menopause 😉

 

[Jenny101]

It’s interesting that you mention the menopause. I have to bolus mid-meal in the evening otherwise I hypo after an hour, like you. This started a few years ago, around when my menopause started. Well I never!

I seem to remember @khskel saying he has to post-bolus his evening meal too - I don’t suppose it’s the menopause in his case...😉

- must be something to do with the work 'men'opause!!!! I do wonder if our basal and bolus rates will change again post menopausal? For some unknown reason I'm enjoying the fact that I don't need so much insulin - there's absolutely no reasoning to it as it really doesn't matter how much or how little I have, just as long as blood sugars are ok, but I do feel a bit more in control!!!! That's just me being weird. Turns out there is a good side to the menopause after all .