Hello

[ferg]

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed mid April, T2 with a HbA1c 117. It was a shock. I was put on Gliclazide and Metformim with an initial plan to get up to 4 Metformin daily. After 2 weeks with some significant lifestyle and diet changes I have been able to drop the Gliclazide and stay on 2 Metformin rather than increase the dose.

Although I do have a question? And it might have been better asked in its own thread but I’ll ask it anyway, hope that’s ok 🙂

I’ve been testing what foods cause my blood sugar to spike after my evening meal. (I have the same breakfast and lunch each day - boring I know but I have a few stone to lose too) and I’m usually ok at the 2 hour mark, but I see a rise at 3 hours and then it usually drops back down at the 4 hour mark.

However when I google, post prandial blood sugars almost everything says test at 2 hours but doing this I think I would miss picking up foods which drive my blood too high?

Do many others have this experience? Should I test at 2 and 4 hours after a meal?

Thanks in advance.

 

[eggyg]

Welcome @ferg to the club no one wants to join.

Firstly, well done on taking the first steps by testing after meals. The reason you are finding your BGs raised after four hours is possibly to do with what you have eaten. Foods higher in fat or fibre won’t hit your system until later. Foods which are higher in carbs will hit sooner. They only way for you to find out is to test every hour. It’s a pain I know, but once you have established what sorts of food does this to you won’t have to test so much.
For example if you have white toast for breakfast or cereal, that would possibly spike at the two hour mark. If you had bacon and sausage it would possibly spike later because of the high fat content. Foods like legumes, beans, lentils etc are high fibre and could hang around for a while.
You’ve also got to remember we are all different, I can’t tolerate porridge in any shape or form, it hits me like a ton of bricks, but others can. Likewise, legumes hardly raise my BGs but others can’t eat them. Exercise can also have an effect on your BGs.

It’s very much a suck it and see condition. The only solution for the moment is test, test, test.
I’m sure some more experienced Type 2s will pop along soon and give you some more pointers.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[Docb]

Hi @ferg and welcome to the forum.

Eggyg has got the principles spot on. I don't like the idea of calling things "spikes" unless they are something out of the ordinary. Big problem is working out what is "ordinary" because it varies from person to person.

Anyway, I find that the post breakfast rise and fall is quite quick, peaks in an hour and is back where it was in two. Probably because of what I have for breakfast, I have it early in the day and afterwards go for some exercise to get the papers. Don't get such a sharp peak after lunch which is boringly consistent both in time of eating and content - the blood glucose response is more spread out. Even flatter after tea, usually eaten between 3pm and 4 pm, but more spread out.


You can see it in the graph which is a summary of a lot of readings taken over the last couple of years. The blue line is the average, the red line an upper limit which shows the range I get. So my post breakfast peak averages around 8 but on occasions has been over 10. That shows what is ordinary for me. I'd only react to readings outside the red line.

Not suggesting you try and derive the same graph for you. It's just a way of suggesting you do not get too tied down with individual results when trying to interpret blood glucose numbers. What you are looking for is things that might be a general problem ... lots of results in double figures... or odd happenings ... a distinct high reading after you have eaten something specific. Something odd can be dealt with by not eating whatever it was that caused the high whereas prolonged high readings will need a more general look the levers available to control BG, weight, diet, exercise and meds.

Hope that gives you a bit of a perspective on things.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too (Edited in as I completely forgot my manners in trying to address the problem)

I agree with @eggyg and doc that what you are eating for your evening meal is very relevant as regards fat and fibre slowing things down and that is a good thing not a bad thing but I would ask what you are considering a "spike". To me all foods spike our levels (even non diabetic people get spikes) but the question is whether it is an acceptable spike or it rises a bit too much. Usually if it releases over a longer period than 2 hours the peak of the spike is lower and more blunt which is a good result so the fact that it is continuing to rise after 2 hours is absolutely fine providing it is not rising more than 3 mmols from your pre-meal reading. If that is the case then you would want to look at reducing the carb content. The other option is to go for a walk after your evening meal to bring it down which can be a really good habit to form.

 

[ferg]

Thank you for all the advice. I’ll definitely try testing each hour after my evening meal. There’s just so much information on the web, but it’s always states 2 hours so it makes sense that hog fat foods delay the rise in blood sugar. With spikes I’m guessing I’m seeing a raised level after certain meals. I’ve avoided bread, pasta, rice and potatoes so far, but as you say it’s just working out what works for me and my body. Over time I’ll guess I’ll learn, and I’ll keep reading the forums to learn more.

 

[goodybags]

Hi @ferg
welcome to the forum, sounds like your already looking at getting things under control,
having started self testing I’m sure you will get to understand what foods you can and can’t tolerate
it really can be a eye opener seeing how our bodies react to certain foods especially certain things that are carb laden.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Possibly one of the reasons for the 2hrs are the old BG guidelines for T2s, which used to be 4-7 before meals, and no higher than 8.5 by 2hrs after meals.

There is also a form of T2 where the insulin response gets a bit mangled and the ‘first phase’ insulin doesn’t really fire properly, but the later second phase comes along and begins to mop up excess glucose by the 2hr mark. Which can lead to a short lived rapid rise, which settles a bit by 2hrs.

Sounds like you are doing great though! Good luck with your ongoing experiments, and welcome to the forum!