Post meal levels

[Deleted member 33898]

What's considered normal post meal BG levels? I've read about how they should be under 9mmol after 2 hours but what do those who have their diabetes under control peak at within that time? The doctor didn't seem concerned that I'm often hitting 12 mmol an hour after a meal.Is this normal ? I find sometimes 3 hours after a meal I'm still sitting between 8 and 9 mmol. But then will drop suddenly. Found in the evening time if I go to bed with around 8 mmol I'll wake with 4 mmol. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated, thanks

 

[Inka]

Type 1 doesn’t have post-meal targets:

If you’re an adult with Type 1 diabetes​

• when you wake up and before meals: 5 to 7mmol/l
• before meals at other times of the day: 4 to 7mmol/l

That’s because we’ll never be a perfect pancreas.

How far in advance of your meals are you injecting? Are you carb counting?

 

[Inka]

If you’re dropping 4mmol overnight, perhaps your basal needs adjusting? What basal do you take and when? How long have you been diagnosed?

 

[Deleted member 33898]

I take novarapid 15 minutes before meals and have a set amount of carbs for each meal, they stay the same each day. I was diagnosed on 3rd July this year. My 2nd clinic appointment this week they mentioned some insulin to carb ratios but not what to do with them.

I take levermir before bed, I started on 12 units but have dropped to 8 units the last few weeks.

 

[Inka]

Ok - 15mins is a reasonable time 🙂 As you get more used to Type 1, you’ll probably find that needs adjusting for some meals eg for breakfast I need to bolus 30 mins in advance. This isn’t uncommon. Other meals are 15-20 mins if my blood sugar is normal beforehand. That all comes with experience🙂

It could be your Levemir needs to drop a little more if you’re falling 4mmol overnight. Ideally our blood sugar would stay roughly the same. As you’re so recently diagnosed, you’re probably still making some of your own insulin. Being diagnosed and going onto insulin injections, can take the load off your remaining insulin producing cells and they perk up a bit and make a little more insulin. So seeing your basal needs drop like that isn’t unusual.

I’d ask about possibly lowering your Levemir and/or going to bed at a higher number eg 10. It’s all a bit of tweak this, tweak that. That’s totally normal, even some years after diagnosis.

 

[Deleted member 33898]

Thank you, that is really helpful.