What happens when your BG goes too high?

[Autumn2020]

Hi, I wondered if anyone could explain high BG.

I understand the long term risks of having high BG but what are the immediate risks ?

Some nights if my Bg has been over 9 I lay awake for hours until it comes down as I’m scared I will die while I’m asleep, but is that even possible ? What actually does happen, there and then if your Bg goes too high ?

Thank You. X

 

[Docb]

Hi @Autumn2020. You are worrying over nothing! Short term problems due to high blood glucose don't begin to become an issue until they get into the high 20's and you would be felling unwell if they were. A reading of 9 or so at bedtime is perfectly reasonable for a T2, depending on what you have eaten and when you ate it.

Sleep well.🙂

 

[Autumn2020]

Hi @Autumn2020. You are worrying over nothing! Short term problems due to high blood glucose don't begin to become an issue until they get into the high 20's and you would be felling unwell if they were. A reading of 9 or so at bedtime is perfectly reasonable for a T2, depending on what you have eaten and when you ate it.

Sleep well.🙂

Thank you for your response. What would happen if someone got into those type of numbers ?

 

[Amity Island]

Hi, I wondered if anyone could explain high BG.

I understand the long term risks of having high BG but what are the immediate risks ?

Some nights if my Bg has been over 9 I lay awake for hours until it comes down as I’m scared I will die while I’m asleep, but is that even possible ? What actually does happen, there and then if your Bg goes too high ?

Thank You. X

Many T1's who use a continuous glucose monitor are advised to use a range of between 4mmol and 10mmol across the day. Any diabetic who can stay in that range 70% of the time is said to be doing well. A reading of 9mmol is not something to lose sleep over and I'd guess many T2 diabetics would be pleased to achieve that as a maximum before going to bed. Around 7mmol as an average is good for someone managing their diabetes. Even with a cgm, diabetes is not an easy thing to manage, particularly if you have a varied and active lifestyle.

 

[Autumn2020]

Thank you for your replies.

So does being active effect our BG. I’m so confused as I have been trying to be allot more active.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

So does being active effect our BG.

The answer to a question "Does X affect our BG?" is almost always yes. (Or at least, that it can do.)

BG varies continuously, and what happens (things we do, changes in temperature, etc.) influences it.

 

[grovesy]

Thank you for your replies.

So does being active effect our BG. I’m so confused as I have been trying to be allot more active.

Someone posted a list a while back of things that effect BG, it was quite a long list , it might be worth doing a forum search!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Someone posted a list a while back of things that effect BG, it was quite a long list , it might be worth doing a forum search!

Here it is!

42 Factors that affect BG

A useful list for when you're making that 'piece of cake' calculation :) ETA: Article about the table: https://diatribe.org/42factors

forum.diabetes.org.uk

 

[mellie1806]

I've recently been discharged from hospital following a DKA diagnosis. I had been fighting against a COVID infection, and also, had neglected my body for a very long time, by basically going into denial that I had a problem, because I "hadn't felt ill". I can confirm, I felt awful once the DKA set in, over the space of about 8 hours, I was being sick, lethargic, confused. When the ambulance arrived, I had a reading of blood sugars over 32 (No one knows exactly what figure as the paramedics equipment only reads to 32, and I was showing as "HI").
I think what I'm trying to relay to you is that, you don't need to worry at 9. I wish I hadn't left my diabetes to chance, but I live to tell the tale, and I am back at work after having to have a month off in total, with isolating and a hospital stay, and another isolation period following that, and I am now treating this condition with the respect it deserves. Carry on doing what you're doing, and I am sure you'll be absolutely fine.

 

[adrian1der]

Thank you for your replies.

So does being active effect our BG. I’m so confused as I have been trying to be allot more active.

Activity and BG had me confused for a while. I don't know if this is generally true but I know a number of members have seen similar things. For me, light to moderate exercise lowers my BG. However, strenuous exercise has the opposite effect. A really hard workout with lots of sweat makes my BG rise. My liver recognises the fact that I need energy and rather unhelpfully dumps glucose into my blood stream. However, my BG then falls, and continues to fall, for several hours after the end of the session. And of course, I burn calories which helps with weight loss and get generally fitter in the process which can't be a bad thing.

 

[Amity Island]

However, strenuous exercise has the opposite effect. A really hard workout with lots of sweat makes my BG rise.

Adrian1der,

Yes I discovered this too, to my advantage. I'd already heard about this before, but until you try it for yourself you don't actually know. In the morning I can get out of bed and go for a run, without any preparation. No food, no bolus insulin. My blood sugars actually remain level for the duration. It's like diabetes magic, it's something I can do which doesn't require careful 24/7 management. Yet, if I go for a long walk, my blood sugars keep falling if I don't take on some carbs.

 

[Autumn2020]

I've recently been discharged from hospital following a DKA diagnosis. I had been fighting against a COVID infection, and also, had neglected my body for a very long time, by basically going into denial that I had a problem, because I "hadn't felt ill". I can confirm, I felt awful once the DKA set in, over the space of about 8 hours, I was being sick, lethargic, confused. When the ambulance arrived, I had a reading of blood sugars over 32 (No one knows exactly what figure as the paramedics equipment only reads to 32, and I was showing as "HI").
I think what I'm trying to relay to you is that, you don't need to worry at 9. I wish I hadn't left my diabetes to chance, but I live to tell the tale, and I am back at work after having to have a month off in total, with isolating and a hospital stay, and another isolation period following that, and I am now treating this condition with the respect it deserves. Carry on doing what you're doing, and I am sure you'll be absolutely fine.

Thank you for your reply. Very sorry you have gone through this. hopefully We can both get on track. X

 

[Autumn2020]

Thank you for replies everyone. What I don’t get about exercise is how do you monitor it ? Do you just take BG before starting then after? Or during? Or a few hours after. and if I eat before or after exercise then wouldn’t that effect my reading? So how would I know if it was the food or the exercise. It’s all so confusing x

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Thank you for replies everyone. What I don’t get about exercise is how do you monitor it ? Do you just take BG before starting then after? Or during? Or a few hours after. and if I eat before or after exercise then wouldn’t that effect my reading? So how would I know if it was the food or the exercise. It’s all so confusing x

I don't micro manage my BG.
If I do several things, I simply used to test. If it was a range I was happy with, that was all that I wanted.
I have a "normal" range now, no complications, and I'm fairly fit and healthy.

 

[grovesy]

Thank you for replies everyone. What I don’t get about exercise is how do you monitor it ? Do you just take BG before starting then after? Or during? Or a few hours after. and if I eat before or after exercise then wouldn’t that effect my reading? So how would I know if it was the food or the exercise. It’s all so confusing x

If you can afford the strips you could test before and after exercise a few times to get some idea.
Some find even housework and gardening also effect them too.
There is research that exercise can have some effect the next day too!

 

[Autumn2020]

I don't micro manage my BG.
If I do several things, I simply used to test. If it was a range I was happy with, that was all that I wanted.
I have a "normal" range now, no complications, and I'm fairly fit and healthy.

All the testing is really effecting me mentally, especially when you test and then find out that it can be a different result the next day...how on Earth are you meant to keep on top of that. I did great the first few months. Got my HBA1C down from 50 to 32 in 3 months with just healthy eating, cutting carbs down and walking. Then I fell of the band wagon and since then it all just feels so complicated

 

[Totalwar]

I had reading of 20 to 30 it affected me need to going to the toilet 4 or 5 times during the night headaches.

 

[grovesy]

Are the results you are seeing, way out ? Are they in range ?

 

[Autumn2020]

They are just mixed.

Ashamed to admit this but last week I eat a takeaway pizza, 10” then cheesecake afterwards and my BG was 15 before bed. Now I know this is because I eat all that rubbish. But then today for example I had my breakfast at 9 this morning, 2 weetabix. Took my Bg before having dinner at 12.30 and it was 9.3 and I have no idea why. I feel unwell at the minute and very stressed so not sure if that is the cause. I just find time all so confusing and complicated on top of my existing mental health issues, it’s just tipping me over the edge

 

[Totalwar]

Milk and weekabix is quite high in blood sugars.