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Stuart60

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am quite curious, you see all these adverts and all this talk about lowering your blood sugars!
Since a serious RTA earlier this year it is being related to my Diabetes causing me to blackout at the wheel. Since the accident my Diabetes nurse has fitted me with a Libre Freestyle and more often than not my blood sugars give a high reading anywhere between 11 and 17.5 when I discuss this with the GP or Nurse I get told not to worry about this as it is normal after eating, however in my case this cannot be related to my food intake but I am still told not to worry about these readings.
Given all the adverts and indeed big signs in my own GP surgery talk about working to lower your blood sugars but when I discuss with the GP or nurse they tell me not to worry about this
 
How long is your blood sugar staying up at 11 - 17.5 @Stuart60 ? Are you on any meds for the diabetes? Why do you say the high sugar can’t be connected to food in your case?

Edited to add - I’ve looked back at your earlier posts and there was mention of further investigations as to what caused the accident, eg a seizure, did that happen?
 
Is that 10-11 after eating? What level are you at if you don't eat? Say, four hours after lunch?
 
harbottle said:
Is that 10-11 after eating? What level are you at if you don't eat? Say, four hours after lunch?
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I can wake after sleeping for 7 hours at a reading of 11.
It doesn't seem to relate to times of eating. indeed following my accident for around the first 2 weeks I couldn't eat but I had high readings on one occasion reaching 17, whilst in hospital for a while they were concerned by my high readings and the diabetes nurse there came to speak to me and talked about me needing to get my blood sugars lower, indeed she contacted my surgery suggesting the Freestyle libre
 
So you're constantly hyper? That is not right. Are you on any medication?
 
Since the fitting of the Freestyle it points to a strange pattern appearing in that every 4th week I will have quite a number of Hypo's, this has only happened on 3 occasions since August but the rest of the time I spend more time with Hypers, I guess this strange pattern is why the HB1AC's seem to suggest I am fairly well controlled but this seems to be contrary to what the Freestyle is showing and is unexplainable but whilst I am told to eat jelly babies when it goes low there is no such advice when my readings are high and more worryingly can stay high for quite some time. My worry is all the advertising about reducing high levels but I get told not to worry about this.
 
Stuart60 said:
Since the fitting of the Freestyle it points to a strange pattern appearing in that every 4th week I will have quite a number of Hypo's, this has only happened on 3 occasions since August
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What time of day does the LIbre report the low readings? Are you able to check them with finger pricks?
I ask because one of the known limitations of Libre is compression lows. This is when you apply pressure to the sensor it will report a false low. Typically, this occurs at night when you lie on the arm with your sensor on it.
My thought is that this could be these are happening the week you change your sensor to the arm that you usually sleep on and it takes your body a few days to adjust how it is lying.

The other thing to remember is that Libre is designed to be most accurate at "normal levels". Outside if this it has a tendency to exaggerate highs and lows. So your 17 may not be as high as you think.

These are the reasons why the manufacturers of Libre advise to check highs and lows with finger pricks before treating. I appreciate you can only treat the lows (with jelly babies) but those of us injecting insulin can take additional insulin.
 
They occur at various times through the day but as I say is weird that they only occur about every 4th week, during the last lot I did do finger prick tests and they were within .2 difference. I always wear the sensor on the same arm but in different locations on the back of the arm. I cannot use my other arm as this is difficult to use due to injuries from the accident.
The high when I was in hospital I was not wearing a sensor it was given at the tests the nursing staff did there and a sister came and did a ketones test and was then referred to their diabetes specialist to discuss my blood glucose control and was given a lot of literature about food
 
When you were in hospital and not able to eat were you given intravenous nutrient mix as that was likely quite high in glucose so could explain your high levels then.
When you say the high glucose levels now are not related to food, why do you think that as I assume you are now eating.
I am puzzled why your nurse say those high glucose levels are nothing to worry about as they are well above what is desirable if they are like that all the time.
 
Have you ever had your pancreas scanned? I am wondering if there is some issue in your pancreas which is causing it to not work very efficiently to produce enough insulin most of the time, but every now and then it manages to throw too much out., perhaps in response to a particularly high BG.

I don't believe that you have changed your diet much to reduce carbs since your diabetes diagnosis and if you are waking up on 11 then I would suggest you need to be taking some dietary steps to reduce that. It may be that you are going through a period of intermittent Reactive Hypoglycaemia but I wonder if there is something going on in your pancreas like a cyst or perhaps fatty deposits, causing it to splutter every now and then.
 
Leadinglights said:
When you were in hospital and not able to eat were you given intravenous nutrient mix as that was likely quite high in glucose so could explain your high levels then.
When you say the high glucose levels now are not related to food, why do you think that as I assume you are now eating.
I am puzzled why your nurse say those high glucose levels are nothing to worry about as they are well above what is desirable if they are like that all the time.
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I was given something intravenously for the 2 weeks I wasn't eating at all after this I was only eating small amounts of very soft foods, presumably in a hospital environment well balanced food The high whilst in hospital was when I was on this food.
I am eating now however I get readings 11-13 on waking after sleeping for 7 hours plus and not eaten for around 3 hours before going to bed.
I too am puzzled as to why the nurse and GP say not to be worried about such figures.
 
Inka said:
How long is your blood sugar staying up at 11 - 17.5 @Stuart60 ? Are you on any meds for the diabetes? Why do you say the high sugar can’t be connected to food in your case?

Edited to add - I’ve looked back at your earlier posts and there was mention of further investigations as to what caused the accident, eg a seizure, did that happen?
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Yes am on Metformin, and was on Glimepride that since the accident replaced with LinagIiptin and EmpagIiflozin.
My concern is I can be 11-13 after waking in the morning.
The police have come to the conclusion that it was caused by my poor glucose control, this based on the fact that since wearing the BGM I have this random lows every so often
 
Stuart60 said:
I was given something intravenously for the 2 weeks I wasn't eating at all after this I was only eating small amounts of very soft foods, presumably in a hospital environment well balanced food The high whilst in hospital was when I was on this food.
I am eating now however I get readings 11-13 on waking after sleeping for 7 hours plus and not eaten for around 3 hours before going to bed.
I too am puzzled as to why the nurse and GP say not to be worried about such figures.
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Most hospital food is pretty high carb and totally unsuitable if Type 2.
What foods are you eating now?
 
Stuart60 said:
They occur at various times through the day but as I say is weird that they only occur about every 4th week, during the last lot I did do finger prick tests and they were within .2 difference. I always wear the sensor on the same arm but in different locations on the back of the arm. I cannot use my other arm as this is difficult to use due to injuries from the accident.
The high when I was in hospital I was not wearing a sensor it was given at the tests the nursing staff did there and a sister came and did a ketones test and was then referred to their diabetes specialist to discuss my blood glucose control and was given a lot of literature about food
Click to expand...

That’s strange @Stuart60 Have other causes of low blood glucose been ruled out, eg Addison’s disease?
 
rebrascora said:
Have you ever had your pancreas scanned? I am wondering if there is some issue in your pancreas which is causing it to not work very efficiently to produce enough insulin most of the time, but every now and then it manages to throw too much out., perhaps in response to a particularly high BG.

I don't believe that you have changed your diet much to reduce carbs since your diabetes diagnosis and if you are waking up on 11 then I would suggest you need to be taking some dietary steps to reduce that. It may be that you are going through a period of intermittent Reactive Hypoglycaemia but I wonder if there is something going on in your pancreas like a cyst or perhaps fatty deposits, causing it to splutter every now and then.
Click to expand...
No though given the recent unexplained Hypos the GP who does not understand what is happening has made a referral to Endocrinologist for further investigation
Since my accident my diet has changed quite significantly as due to the injuries I cannot cook so have a carer who makes my meals which are significantly different to the lifestyle diet I ate whilst living alone as much of my meals then were either ready meal or quick cook meals after returning home from work for ease and speed whereas now I eat for more proper cooked meals and a lot more vegetables than I ate before
 
It is a concern that despite that cocktail of oral meds your levels are still so high unless you are eating far more carbs than your body can cope with even with the meds.
Perhaps you could post some examples of your meals as people may spot some problem foods.
 
Stuart60 said:
My GP does not understand hence his referral to Endocrinology and appointment I am still waiting for
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An endocrinologist could rule out Addison’s, I think, but a GP could do an initial blood test. If the Libre is accurate, it seems weird you get those periods of low sugar.
 
Stuart60 said:
No though given the recent unexplained Hypos the GP who does not understand what is happening has made a referral to Endocrinologist for further investigation
Since my accident my diet has changed quite significantly as due to the injuries I cannot cook so have a carer who makes my meals which are significantly different to the lifestyle diet I ate whilst living alone as much of my meals then were either ready meal or quick cook meals after returning home from work for ease and speed whereas now I eat for more proper cooked meals and a lot more vegetables than I ate before
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I wonder if there are a lot more carbs in the meals that your carer is cooking unless they have an understanding about the role of reducing carbs in reducing blood glucose and think as do many that is all about sugar and sweet things.
 
Leadinglights said:
It is a concern that despite that cocktail of oral meds your levels are still so high unless you are eating far more carbs than your body can cope with even with the meds.
Perhaps you could post some examples of your meals as people may spot some problem foods.
Click to expand...
My meals I have to admit are far better since my accident as I cannot due to the injuries do any cooking other than the most simple of meals, I have a carer who cooks and makes me proper cooked meals with far more vegetables than I used to eat and gone are the burgers, kebabs and fish 'n chips of the past. I have bought a Ninja Air Fryer at my carers suggestion so no longer are my foods such as chips cooked in fat so again it confuses me why my sugars are staying so stubbornly high which is what I am trying to get an understanding of but unfortunately with little advice forthcoming from the diabetes nurse telling me not to worry.
 
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