Hi, really interested to know what other people are experiencing with the rises in their levels after meals, I typically see mine raise between 4-6mmols so if I'm on 7 when I eat it will normally rise to 12 or 13. It normally rises to its maximum around 2 hours after injection, and then comes back down to where it was around 4 hours later, so takes 6 hours in total. I worry alot when I see my levels go to 13 or 14, the libre monitor says high glucose from around 13 so I've been seeing this as a bad thing. I've heard things from different sources such as different nurses from the hospital have said and diabetic nurses at the doctor surgery and in the most part they've indicated that raising that amount and to that high is fine as long as it comes down by my next meal which is typically 6 hours later. So please anybody can give examples of their typical level raises are after meals, thank you very much. Diagnosed in February after a very bad case of dka.
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Levels rising after food
- Thread starter StephenB
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Lucyr
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- Type 1
As your specialists have advised, it’s fine so long as you come down by the next meal.
If you want to try and reduce it a bit then you can adjust the timing of your insulin to take it longer before the meal, but never do that when eating out or when you don’t have control over the timing of the food.
If you want to try and reduce it a bit then you can adjust the timing of your insulin to take it longer before the meal, but never do that when eating out or when you don’t have control over the timing of the food.
Leadinglights
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It might be useful if you say what your meals were, as that may be affecting how quickly (or slowly ) you are metabolising the food.
Inka
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Here’s your previous thread asking similar:
Newly diagnosed After food blood levels
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed in February with type 1, I was admitted into hospital after going to a&e vomiting blood, my bg level was 28, and my ketone were apparently off the charts, I was in resus for 20 hours and hospital for 5 days with them pumping insulin, glucose, electrolytes, antibiotics and...
forum.diabetes.org.uk
You don’t need to worry if you’re back in range by your next meal. Over time, you’ll gradually refine things so you can reduce any spike a little. As you’re newly diagnosed, then it’s still early days. More than that, you’re probably still making a little of your own insulin. That usually kicks in late, so if you inject for your meal too aggressively then you could be prone to hypos later.
Here’s your previous thread asking similar:
Newly diagnosed After food blood levels
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed in February with type 1, I was admitted into hospital after going to a&e vomiting blood, my bg level was 28, and my ketone were apparently off the charts, I was in resus for 20 hours and hospital for 5 days with them pumping insulin, glucose, electrolytes, antibiotics and...
You don’t need to worry if you’re back in range by your next meal. Over time, you’ll gradually refine things so you can reduce any spike a little. As you’re newly diagnosed, then it’s still early days. More than that, you’re probably still making a little of your own insulin. That usually kicks in late, so if you inject for your meal too aggressively then you could be prone to hypos later.
Hi thanks for messaging. I've asked probably everybody I've seen or spoken to about this and I think I'm getting a bit more confident with it. When I see my levels raise up to or above 12mmols I become really panicky. I think things like... what if they just keep rising and hit a level I would need to go Hospital. I am seeing my levels return to pretty much what they were originally after about 6-7 hours after I've finished eating. I hope I get better with it and I guess the more I hear other people's experiences the confidence is building. Had my consultant appointed today at the hospital. The questions I was able to ask were limited and the answers I got even more so. Although, he did say the same, that as long as my levels return by my next meal it's fine. I'm going to create a thread tomorrow in relation to morning spikes/raises I'm experiencing over the last week or so. I'm aware of the "Dawn Effect" where some raise is expected. But, sometimes (3 out of the last 6 days) my Levels have shot up by around 4-5mmols on it's own, even though I haven't eaten since the night before 7-8 hours before. Would really appreciate your thoughts on this please.Here’s your previous thread asking similar:
Newly diagnosed After food blood levels
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed in February with type 1, I was admitted into hospital after going to a&e vomiting blood, my bg level was 28, and my ketone were apparently off the charts, I was in resus for 20 hours and hospital for 5 days with them pumping insulin, glucose, electrolytes, antibiotics and...
You don’t need to worry if you’re back in range by your next meal. Over time, you’ll gradually refine things so you can reduce any spike a little. As you’re newly diagnosed, then it’s still early days. More than that, you’re probably still making a little of your own insulin. That usually kicks in late, so if you inject for your meal too aggressively then you could be prone to hypos later.
Many thanks for all your help, Steve
Hi, thanks for your message.
I've started taking my injections more in advance over the last week. My lunchtime meal today I left it for 25 minutes before I started. I think it helped but was at the hospital today (a lot of walking for me at the moment) so I can't tell for sure. I haven't been advised by my Diabetic Team or consultant to do this, which I'm really surprised about. I've read things and kind of made my own decision to start leaving it longer. I'm just being very careful about it and is something I need to try and become more confident with.
Would really appreciate any thoughts on this, examples of what other people are doing or have tried?
Many thanks, Steve
Lucyr
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I don’t really prebolus by much as it’s hard to know the carbs too far in advance but I do try to pre bolus by about half a hour for breakfast. Generally I often don’t for lunch as I only get a set time for my break from work. For dinner I do try to pre bolus when it’s cooking which might be 5-15 minutes in advance. I use apidra for my bolus insulin.
Inka
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There’s Dawn Phenomenon (where levels rise prior to waking - roughly from 3 or 4am) and Foot on the Floor, where levels rise when you get up even though you haven’t eaten anything. I have an insulin pump which I’ve programmed to sort the Dawn Phenomenon but I still get Foot on the Floor. What I do varies by how much it shoots up and what I’m doing that morning (ie will I be exercising, attending an important meeting, etc).
On work days it’s worse. I can shoot up 4 or 5 mmol very quickly. To deal with this, I try to bolus (inject) and eat breakfast as soon as I can. The bolus and food blunt the rise. I sometimes give a small correction dose either before my bolus or with my bolus. On non-work days, I sometimes only get a minimal rise of 1mmol. Because it varies, I decide what to do each day depending on number and circumstances.
Leadinglights
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I have seen mention that if people are having quite low carbs then they need to take more account of the protein and fat in their meal. @rebrascora is familiar with having to do that.
trophywench
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My body couldn't care less whether the carbs I feed it are white brown or any other colour - it uses em all the same by converting them to glucose to feed its cells. Of course my gut benefits from any whole grains and fibre from fruit or veg and most people feel generally better when their bowels are working well - we both commented to each other this last weekend camping with friends and moving about a bit more generally than either of us need to at home, how 'regular' both of us were being!
Inka
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I wouldn’t count 50g per meal as low carb (I think that’s what Stephen says he generally eats). 50g is sufficient to stop the need to count protein.
Proud to be erratic
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Yes, and in his book "Think Like a Pancreas" Gary Scheiner quite early on remarks that if a main meal exceeds 30gms of carbs then one's brain won't get our bodies trying to find carbs in proteins and fats.
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