Any tips on how to avoiding blood sugars rising when fasting or almost fasting?

[sgm14]

I'm underweight so I don't fast very often, but sometimes it is unavoidable (like after a dentist's visit) and sometimes its not convenient to eat a normal meal at the normal time.

So when I do fast, I sometimes end up going high (i.e. over 10) and on occasionally much higher (like 18 recently) and whilst it does not happen very often, it frustrates me that I don't handle it better.

Whenever I have tried to eat a small snack to avoid this situation, quite often this does not work out either and my blood sugars still rises.

I don't quite understand when or how your body decides it needs a liver dump.

As I understand it, the theory seems to be that your blood sugars first fall and then your liver dumps glucose to avoid going low. But in practice it still happens to me even if my blood sugar never really falls. So if it is not based on low blood sugars, what is it based on? (It can't be that is is missing carbs otherwise the low-carb followers would be permanently high).

How do you handle this?

 

[Antje77]

Are you sure your basal dose is correct?
Do you use correction doses?

 

[sgm14]

> Are you sure your basal dose is correct?

Yes, at least as sure as I can be.

> Do you use correction doses?

Yes, but I never like taking more than one correction dose between meals.

 

[Ceilwart26]

I have the same problem (type 2, no insulin), BS rises overnight or during fasting. Did you ever find an answer?

 

[ianf0ster]

For a Type 2, these rises in BG are usually due to Dawn Phenomenon (aka Foot on the floor). Liver helpfully dumps glucose into the bloodstream in order to provide energy for us to go hunt / gather a meal.
In these cases (and not BG rise due to medication, stress, lack of sleep, illness, injury etc) then a zero (or near zero) snack will turn off the glucose tap. I have uses either cheese or eggs for this.

 

[Fairygodmother]

I think that learning how to juggle insulin to provide what your body needs when it needs it is key to avoiding difficulties when a normal routine is broken.
I’m not perfect at it but correction doses are really useful as is knowing when basal doses need to be raised (illness, winter) or lowered (extra exertion planned, summer).
Have you discussed the ways you can do this with your T1 medical team @smg14?
I know some medical personnel still stick to the old ways of managing T1 but many have changed their thinking.

 

[Marie 2]

We can all react differently to so many things. I have a pump so it makes making adjustments to my basal rate easier. If I go to the dentist or any doctors visit, I drop, so for a simple visit I might boost my blood sugar a tad, or I reduce my basal starting 30-60 minutes before. But if I take a shower, the hotter or longer shower I climb, knowing this when I get out I automatically give myself extra insulin. Many people are completely opposite, hot showers they drop and doctors they climb. You don't have to drop to cause a liver dump. If your body thinks it needs fuel, it can decide to supply it. And it doesn't even have to be a need for fuel, it can be a stress response from hormones released.

The trick is always going to be to make adjustments as needed and learned. Because an awful lot of it is learned from experience. A repeated pattern and it's easier to know what you need. But we all should keep a hypo treatment handy with us at all times. You can't always count on the same response.