I have a basic question….!

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Liltzero

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Hi there, my daughter was diagnosed type 1 at the start of the year and I haven’t been able to work out whether it is Ok (but obviously not ideal) if her blood sugar goes above 10 soon after eating a meal as long as it comes down into range two hours after eating? Or whether it really shouldn’t ever go above 10?
Sorry it is such a basic question! But I want to get my head round whether it is a realistic objective to be 100% of time in range (or close) Thank you!
 
Hi there! How old is your daughter?
Blood sugars will go up and down and 10 is not a terrible number, so I would say that it’s fine as long as it comes back down again. What you need to try and avoid is numbers going into the teens and then staying there for hours. Having said that though, diabetes is a difficult beastie so you will get some days when it all goes wrong and others when it works rather well, and you don’t always know why!
If you’re worried about the highs you could try giving her her insulin a few minutes earlier, so that it has time to get working before her food hits her blood stream, then she might not go so high. You’ll find though that different foods and different times of the day will have different results, so it depends how much experimentation you want to do. Going up to 10 and then coming down again is not bad at all.
Trying to get it to stay under 10 all the time is pretty much impossible so don’t stress over that.
 
It is not a realistic objective to be 100% in range for any length of time, though it might happen occasionally. People without diabetes don't, so why on earth would anyone expect anyone with diabetes to do so?
 
Ok great, super helpful responses- thank you. I just wondered because all the sensor charts I see online show nice steady lines which never go above 10 or at least only do very briefly! Trying to manage it is maddening though as it seems there are so many things that affect the blood sugar and we are finding new ones all the time! I can’t get over what a massive impact hormones and having a cold have. Anyway thanks a lot and will try the injections a little earlier . My daughter is 12 by the way.
 
LOL yes all the pictures of sensors show perfect lines, you might get that for part of the day but very unlikely all the time, and you could send yourself mad trying to achieve perfection (been there, done that…). Puberty is fun too, my daughter’s insulin requirements doubled over a very short space of time and have never really gone down again! She’s almost 17 now though and just gets on with it on her own now, I hardly have any input at all any more.
 
Liltzero said:
Ok great, super helpful responses- thank you. I just wondered because all the sensor charts I see online show nice steady lines which never go above 10 or at least only do very briefly! Trying to manage it is maddening though as it seems there are so many things that affect the blood sugar and we are finding new ones all the time! I can’t get over what a massive impact hormones and having a cold have. Anyway thanks a lot and will try the injections a little earlier . My daughter is 12 by the way.
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Now we have continuous monitoring we can measure how much time is in range (3.9-10.0), how much is under, how much is over. And it's not recommended that we try to avoid going over 10.0 completely. The guidelines say (roughly) over 70% in range, under 5% below, under 25% above. So being low is worse than being high (since we expect to go high for a little while after eating).

As technology becomes more available I'm sure the guidelines will be tightened (it'll be easier to stay in range with automated systems), but for now over 70% is great.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657658167688306688
 
Oh brilliant- thanks so much for your help everyone. Those targets seem much more achievable!! Really appreciate the practical insight as when I have asked the doctor I get vague responses. Ta!
 
Liltzero said:
Oh brilliant- thanks so much for your help everyone. Those targets seem much more achievable!! Really appreciate the practical insight as when I have asked the doctor I get vague responses. Ta!
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Oh and just another question- sorrry- you mentioned your daughter’s insulin requirements almost doubled overnight. Just wondering whether that means they are more likely to put on weight? Just asking as my daughter is quite conscious of that. Thanks sgain
 
Insulin can sometimes cause weight gain. That doesn’t mean it will.

Please be careful if you do tell your daughter that, or better yet don’t, knowing that and with your daughter already being conscious of that could lead to diabulimia, not that it will but it might
 
Ok thanks- yes it seems like her relationship with food/carbs is likely always to be complex. Probably best not to share that. Thanks for the super quick response!
 
Liltzero said:
I just wondered because all the sensor charts I see online show nice steady lines which never go above 10 or at least only do very briefly!
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I might post a picture online of that one perfect day a year when it’s a nice straight line but I don’t go sharing pictures of the crap mountainous days. Don’t believe everything you see online as reality.
 
Insulin doesn’t make you put on weight if you are eating the right amount of food. You put weight on after diagnosis because your body is able to use the food it’s eating again, having been starving for the weeks immediately before. If you don’t take insulin you will lose weight because your body can’t use the food. But if you are eating a healthy diet, not overeating and taking the correct amount of insulin to cover the food, then there is no reason that it should make you put on weight.

Edit: the ”correct” amount is however much insulin you need to take to keep your blood sugars under control, this varies considerably over time and from person to person. There are other type 1s on this forum who survive easily on only a tiny fraction of the insulin that my daughter needs to take; but it isn’t a competition, you need what you need.
 
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My Time in Target for the last 7 days on my Libre is 50%, above 41% and below 9%. Last month - 62,28 and 10. 90 days I'm 63, 29 and 8. Coronation weekend, it said I was 3.8 for 2 days and nights straight - completely straight line - but no way did my BG meter say that. Most of the while it's neither use nor ornament except to see which way the arrow is pointing in between meals, when I obviously have to test my blood as no way could I possibly use the thing for dosing insulin. I'm totally amazed that some people find it accurate enough to trust it.
 
trophywench said:
My Time in Target for the last 7 days on my Libre is 50%, above 41% and below 9%. Last month - 62,28 and 10. 90 days I'm 63, 29 and 8. Coronation weekend, it said I was 3.8 for 2 days and nights straight - completely straight line - but no way did my BG meter say that. Most of the while it's neither use nor ornament except to see which way the arrow is pointing in between meals, when I obviously have to test my blood as no way could I possibly use the thing for dosing insulin. I'm totally amazed that some people find it accurate enough to trust it.
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Clearly it doesn't work well for you but it works brilliantly for me to the point that I am able to bolus from it and correct highs and lows. I do maybe 5 finger pricks in total during the 14 day lifetime of a sensor and I average 90% TIR. Such a shame it doesn't work so well for everyone. In your shoes, I would be asking to try the Dexcom to see if you get better accuracy.
 
@trophywench if you find Libre so inaccurate, why do you continue to use it?
Have you asked about an alternative such as Dexcom One?
It seem at the moment it is wasting your time and the NHS money to continue with your arm "ornament".

As has been mentioned many times, we are all different and different CGMs suit different people. I constantly read about Dexcom being the creme. de la creme of CGMs but it was very inaccurate for me. Hopefully, you would be part of the Dexcom majority if you have a chance to try it out.
 
I did complain about it not being very accurate last year, fell on deaf ears. I hope to hell I see a consultant in June, used to be able to guarantee it and really did get the best advice ....... I've made allowances in the more recent past because of all the Covid probs - but you can only go so far with that really, so it really is time I complained more, and I will.

I recently reported a duff sensor by email cos they weren't answering the phone which told me at lunchtime that it had 4 days left and the reader needed charging so I bunged it on charge and went out and when we returned and unplugged it and scanned, it told me the sensor had ended! - and always before they have rung me next day to get the serial numbers etc, and agreed to replace it, but they haven't bothered to ring back this time. A few times in the last few months I haven't bothered to tell them such things cos it's so hit and miss whether they bother to help or not.

It is all wrong cos it is a waste of NHS money I agree, but I just can't be arsed with the hassle of stuff is the honest truth.
 
Liltzero said:
Hi there, my daughter was diagnosed type 1 at the start of the year and I haven’t been able to work out whether it is Ok (but obviously not ideal) if her blood sugar goes above 10 soon after eating a meal as long as it comes down into range two hours after eating? Or whether it really shouldn’t ever go above 10?
Sorry it is such a basic question! But I want to get my head round whether it is a realistic objective to be 100% of time in range (or close) Thank you!
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Hi. You have already seen that being in range 100% of the time is simply not possible and not something to aim for. So long as her levels are coming down again then she has the right amount of insulin going in to match what she is eating.

Quite a few of us find that it can be useful, where possible, to bolus a bit before our meals. The time interval varies for each of us (the joys and vagaries of T1!) and can vary during the day. This is not possible if you have no idea when you are going to eat, such as when eating out. I find I virtually do it for breakfast and do the others when I can. This reduces my post meal spikes.
 
trophywench said:
It is all wrong cos it is a waste of NHS money I agree, but I just can't be arsed with the hassle of stuff is the honest truth.
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So why do you wear it then?
Surely, removing it from your prescription is the least effort fir the money saving.
 
helli said:
So why do you wear it then?
Surely, removing it from your prescription is the least effort fir the money saving.
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I can't do that, all I could do is not bother ordering any. The hospital clinic would have to tell the GP in writing to remove it - hence I need to discuss it with them - so I intend to.
 
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