Post Meal Readings?

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lemit

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Type 1
Hi All

How often do you test 2 hours after you've eaten? And what levels are they?

I've only been told to test pre meal and before bed by my DN, I thought I was doing really well with readings between 4.3 and 5.9 for the last week. A colleague who is type 2 gave my a book which said its a good idea to also test 2 hours after eating and that it shouldn't be more than 7, and that its dangerous to be higher at any time long term.

The last 3 days I have had readings anywhere between 7.6 and 14.4 2 hours after I've eaten. This surprised me as the readings are good pre meal and its got me worried.

Do you have a snack at bedtime if your readings are low to stop hypos?

Apologies for all the questions as Im only recently diagnosed>
 
I've never been told to test 2 hours after meals. I test 4 times day. Before breakfast, lunch, dinner and at 11pm ish.

If my BS is below 7 at the 11pm test I have a sandwich or some toast to get my BS up to prevent an overnight hypo. 🙂
 
lemit said:
Hi All

How often do you test 2 hours after you've eaten? And what levels are they?

I've only been told to test pre meal and before bed by my DN, I thought I was doing really well with readings between 4.3 and 5.9 for the last week. A colleague who is type 2 gave my a book which said its a good idea to also test 2 hours after eating and that it shouldn't be more than 7, and that its dangerous to be higher at any time long term.

The last 3 days I have had readings anywhere between 7.6 and 14.4 2 hours after I've eaten. This surprised me as the readings are good pre meal and its got me worried.

Do you have a snack at bedtime if your readings are low to stop hypos?

Apologies for all the questions as Im only recently diagnosed>
Click to expand...

I think the aim is to get the readings below about 9 or 10 2 hours after eating. This 2 hour point is when (if this is your regime) your fast acting insulin taken with your meal ought to be peaking and coinciding with the digestion of your meal (or, at least, I think that's the idea!). Everyone gets the occasional high reading, so don't worry too much. Personally, I'd be quite happy with a 7 or 8 2 hours after eating, as with me that continues to reduce until my next meal.

I don't do a lot of testing at the 2 hour point, but enough to know that I'm more or less on track with my food/insulin and control.

Recently, I have started testing during the night to find out what safe level I can go to bed on without a snack e.g. last night I was 7.9 before bed, no snack, tested at 3 a.m. and was 3.7 so had a snack then. I'd rather not have to do that during the night. An alternative might be to split my lantus - I'm going to discuss it with my doctor next week.
 
Testing

I do test 2 hours after as new to all this, my before readings are between 9 and 14 now but 2 hours after are 22 or 23 but then i am adjusting all the time but this last week been low as well as high so no idea but testing 2 hours after has helped because i can tell the team what is and isnt working
 
I used to test after meals but now I don't, I only test when I'm going to do something about it and the guidence I've had is that you can't (correct etc) that soon after meals as the insulin is 'still working'. I'm always very tempted to though to see how high I may be spiking with my food
 
generally I don't test 2 hours after meals, sometimes other tests fall around that time, e.g. my pre-drive home test is usually around 2 hours after lunch.
I would like my readings to be pretty much back where they were pre-meal at 2 hours, I don't find that if I am in range at 2 hours I'm low by 4 hours. thats how long novorapid is meant to last.
 
Do these reading sound to low - Testing

My Gp told me I don't really need to test at all, but my consultant likes me to test now and again - which I generally do.

Last night I tested before my meal and got 4.3 - I then tested 2 hours later and got 3.2. I'd eaten basmalti rice and thai mince for my meal and was shocked at how low I was.

I'm on 4 metformin a day and have been told if I was not trying to start a family I could come of medication.

I am getting more and more pre meal and after meal reading of below 4. But my morning reading before breakfast are generally around 5-6.

Should I really test more ? I often feel quite dizzy in the evenings and nearly faint (I test if I am really dizzy)
 
I was given no guidance by anyone on when to test. My norml habit is to test when I get up, before meals and just before bed. These days my readings in the morning have been between 7 and 9, and before my evening meal between 4 and 6 and about 8 before bed.

My suggestion is to do whatever feels most appropriate for your life style and talk it over with healthcare team if you're still worried.
 
Hi lemit. I was told by my DN that it was important to test 2 hours after meals as this is what tells how well your body is dealing with the carbs you've put into it. She also said to vary the times of day you test.

So, I was instructed to test 3 times a day, and what I do is test just before/2 hrs after any meal which has relatively high carbs (potatoes, cereals or bread) in it and try to vary which meal of the day this is. My third test of the day I vary between first thing in the morning/ last thing at night.

When I was first diagnosed in November 08, my blood-sugars were between 14 and 18. After a very naughty Christmas when I lost the plot a bit, I am getting between 8 and 11. My lowest ever so far has been 7.7 (before evening meal and after nothing to eat for about 5 hours), so not much chance of a hypo for me yet!

I am on 3 Metformin 500mg a day, but my nurse is considering raising it to 4 if the levels don't start getting lower soon. I have had some weird readings too, like a morning level higher than the previous night's one! Maybe I am sleep-walking and raiding the fridge!!
 
Hi, I've also been told to test on average 2-3 times a day. But I was told by my doctor to vary these times on a daily basis in order to build up a thorough picture over a longer period of time. Over a period of a week then, I (should!) make sure I do tests first thing in the morning, 2 hrs before and after each meal and before bed. When you then look at a few weeks' worth of readings you can then try and identify problem areas and patterns. My understanding is that post meal blood sugars shouldn't be above 10. Goo dluck with it all, unfortunately it's just not an exact science!
 
Munjeeta said:
Hi, I've also been told to test on average 2-3 times a day. But I was told by my doctor to vary these times on a daily basis in order to build up a thorough picture over a longer period of time. Over a period of a week then, I (should!) make sure I do tests first thing in the morning, 2 hrs before and after each meal and before bed. When you then look at a few weeks' worth of readings you can then try and identify problem areas and patterns. My understanding is that post meal blood sugars shouldn't be above 10. Goo dluck with it all, unfortunately it's just not an exact science!
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I test between 6-10 times a day. Not usually 2 hours after a meal, unless my test falls in that time like sofaraway, driving or exercising for example. I agree it is not an exact science, I cant belive how low some people can go to bed on and not hypo. for example if my test were 10 or below I always have supper before bed. Lasr night I was 16.9 before bed and 3.3 this morning :(
 
tracey w said:
I test between 6-10 times a day. Not usually 2 hours after a meal, unless my test falls in that time like sofaraway, driving or exercising for example. I agree it is not an exact science, I cant belive how low some people can go to bed on and not hypo. for example if my test were 10 or below I always have supper before bed. Lasr night I was 16.9 before bed and 3.3 this morning :(
Click to expand...

Tracey, that's an astonishing drop! Have you always had this problem? My bedtime readings have been reducing as I have started to get better at matching my insulin to my meals, but this does seem to mean that I go low in the night if I don't eat. I've been trying the '3 am test' to try and work out what's happening but no clear pattern yet. Last night I was 8.7 before bed, didn't eat, was 3.9 at 3 am (I know that's not particularly low, but still over 50% reduction), ate a cereal bar and woke to 4.2. I think I might have to reduce my basal insulin by 1 unit but my current pen only works in 2's! Have you tried lowering your basal?
 
Post Meal Readings

I'm very new to all this so tend to do what I'm told. I was given a diary and told to fill it in so I test before every meal, two hours after, at bedtime and again at 04.30. I'm on novorapid by day, 12,15,15 and 24 lantus at 21.30. My readings are all over the place and my care team say not to worry, it'll all settle down when I recover from my surgery.
 
Northerner said:
Tracey, that's an astonishing drop! Have you always had this problem? My bedtime readings have been reducing as I have started to get better at matching my insulin to my meals, but this does seem to mean that I go low in the night if I don't eat. I've been trying the '3 am test' to try and work out what's happening but no clear pattern yet. Last night I was 8.7 before bed, didn't eat, was 3.9 at 3 am (I know that's not particularly low, but still over 50% reduction), ate a cereal bar and woke to 4.2. I think I might have to reduce my basal insulin by 1 unit but my current pen only works in 2's! Have you tried lowering your basal?
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no ive not always had this problem, been on basal/bolus only 5 weeks, and cant seem to get bed time/morning readings under control. Have been putting basal up but like you think I need more control with mealtime readings and am trying to adjust there. is difficult as Ive not been told how to count carbs and told not to worry about correcting until im sorted? catch 22!

need to speak with dns tomorrow, if I can get a call back will be a miracle, thats why I find the advice on here invaluable at present. think I will drop basal a little tonight anyway and try correction dose if high before bed. fingers crossed. did manage to speak to dsn a few days ago and I asked if supper was covered by tea time dose as often my supper is more than 4 hours later? I know sounds stupid but I actually thought basal was covering that. I think they assume that because they know that you know too. Was told need another shot for supper.
 
High Levels Of Bg

Hi, have just registered and read quite a few blogs. My readings have been quite irregular these last few weeks and have been a bit concerned, but feel a little better after reading your questions and answers. What a fantastic idea, think I'm going to get addicted to this site!!
 
Hi

I test in the morning and before meals so that I can compensate if I need to. I always test before bed.
When I first started I did the 2 hours after a meal and was told that it should be within 3mmol of your pre meal count if that was ok and in anycase below 10.
I never bother with post meal unless I feel a bit high.
 
i test 2 hours after food as i'm having a problem with my bg levels at the min, but i normally just do my bg at meal times or if i feel a little low/high.
 
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