High Blood Sugar Levels

diabeticblue

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When do BS levels become dangerous? I have been having problems with my levels for a few weeks now, my DN has said that as Diabetes is progressive it's just a question of finding the right level of Insulin for me. I'm concerned that I had particularly high levels yesterday,fasting 11.9, 2 hrs after eating 17.6 then 2hrs after evening meal 23.3!!!. Fasting this morning 14.2. I don't feel unwell and I have'nt eaten anything that I don't have usually. Any advice would be welcome.
 

IanD

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Hello Chris,

Target sugar levels are 4-7 before meals & below 8.5 2 hours after meals.

It looks as if your medication is not coping with your diet. Regular readings above 10 are certainly cause for concern. I am surprised that you are already on insulin & a max dose of metformin so soon after diagnosis so soon after diagnosis. However any change in medication should be by discussion with your health care team, especially with your other health problems.

What do you eat? Can you give a typical day's menu, with readings, & we can comment further.
 

diabeticblue

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Hi Ian,

I try to stick to as low a carb diet as I can and I have cut out sugar completely. Atypical day would beas follows;

Porrige/1 slice toast,tea

Tuna/chicken with salad

Fish/meat with veg

So I'm being pretty careful diet wise even over the Christmas period. As for my medication I'm still on 2000mg Metformin and now on 48 units Insulin. My readings can be anything from 8s fasting up to 11 on average and 2hrs after meals are always high teens recently.
 

IanD

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I would expect BG to rise above 10 after a porridge & toast b'fast, but if you don't have carbs with your other meals then your results are surprisingly & unacceptably high.

You need further medical advice - you may not be type 2, especially if your body is reacting after the stroke - traumatic occurrences can have surprising effects.

Diabetes may be progressive, but over years & decades, not a few months.

I think I saw that you have one insulin injection daily. It looks as if rapid acting mealtime doses could be needed. A change of insulin type may be desirable.

We can't give medical advice, so see your Dr.
 

Ardbeg

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diabeticblue said:
Hi Ian,

I try to stick to as low a carb diet as I can and I have cut out sugar completely. Atypical day would beas follows;

Porrige/1 slice toast,tea

Tuna/chicken with salad

Fish/meat with veg

So I'm being pretty careful diet wise even over the Christmas period. As for my medication I'm still on 2000mg Metformin and now on 48 units Insulin. My readings can be anything from 8s fasting up to 11 on average and 2hrs after meals are always high teens recently.

Hi diabeticblue,

I've just read your profile and see you are T2.

I'm a bit surprised you are on insulin; as a newbie I thought only T1 took insulin. However, having read another post on here yesterday, with links to two medical journals, it seems that some doctors are prescribing insulin to newly diagnosed T2's like myself from the outset.

I'm still awaiting confirmation of my condition; having only just had my fasting blood samples taken at my GP this morning; but both he and the A&E doctor were pretty sure the results will come back confirming T2 in my case.

Like most people, my initial reaction was to try and control this with diet only, but the more I read (this forum and various other diabetes websites) the more receptive I'm becoming to accepting meds from day 1 if that is what the doctor recommends.

It is such a relief for me to have discovered this forum so early after my diagnosis; you have all saved me lots of soul searching and heart ache. You also all seem to get along well, which is unusual for forums from my previous experience. :wink: :oops: :lol:
 

sugarless sue

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It is such a relief for me to have discovered this forum so early after my diagnosis; you have all saved me lots of soul searching and heart ache. You also all seem to get along well, which is unusual for forums from my previous experience. :wink: :oops: :lol:

In the main we do but..........stick around Ardbeg, it can get heated ! :lol: :lol:
 

Ardbeg

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With so many women on this forum I'm not surprised!!!

JOKE everyone.......................honest. :lol:
 

cugila

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Ardbeg said:
With so many women on this forum I'm not surprised!!!

JOKE everyone.......................honest. :lol:


Think you might need this Ardbeg...it's one I prepared earlier. I've been around here a bit longer :lol:
 

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diabeticblue

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IanD said:
I would expect BG to rise above 10 after a porridge & toast b'fast, but if you don't have carbs with your other meals then your results are surprisingly & unacceptably high.

You need further medical advice - you may not be type 2, especially if your body is reacting after the stroke - traumatic occurrences can have surprising effects.

Diabetes may be progressive, but over years & decades, not a few months.

I think I saw that you have one insulin injection daily. It looks as if rapid acting mealtime doses could be needed. A change of insulin type may be desirable.

We can't give medical advice, so see your Dr.




Thats either or Ian I don't have both for breakfast,my fault for not making it clear.
 

sue100

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I am supposedly 'diet controlled' for the last 4 or 5 years. My bs is usually around 7 when I get up in the morning, hovers around 10 or 11 all day, back to 7ish before evening meal and around 12 or 13 at bedtime. I know thats not good and I know I should be aiming for less, but if it goes to 6 or below I feel really really dizzy and need to eat something quick. Is it possible that 'normal' or 'ideal' bs levels vary in some people?

I drink rarely, just a glass of wine if out, which isnt often but I had a bacardi at Christmas, that I havent had for years and years and I tested just out of interest and my bs was 22! I still felt fine - but does all alcohol do that?

Also I did read somewhere on the forum that if you are hungry there are some things you can eat without putting bs up at all! Like what please????
Another question (sorry just found this forum) I do look on packets for carb and sugar contents, but you know those 'Eat Natural' bars? They have no nutritional info on them. They look so nice! Does anyone know if they would be ok or not? It does say they have sugar in but doesnt say how much.
Thanks!
Sue
 

cugila

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sue100 said:
I am supposedly 'diet controlled' for the last 4 or 5 years. My bs is usually around 7 when I get up in the morning, hovers around 10 or 11 all day, back to 7ish before evening meal and around 12 or 13 at bedtime. I know thats not good and I know I should be aiming for less, but if it goes to 6 or below I feel really really dizzy and need to eat something quick. Is it possible that 'normal' or 'ideal' bs levels vary in some people?

Sue. You know those levels are not good. As a T2 basically you shouln't be going over 8.5 mmol/l after meals and the fasting levels should be between 4 - 7 mmol/l. I would say that because your levels are consistently high you are suffering from a 'False Hypo.' I posted twice about this yesterday in other areas of the forum, people in very similar situaitions to you. Here is the info again for you. Have a good read.

A 'False Hypo' comes about because you may have been running high Bg levels for a while. Any drop in Bg levels can make your body think that you are dropping too low because it is used to higher levels.

Consequently you start to get the symptoms of a real hypo at a higher level.
Example. Normal higher Bg .........14 mmol/l.
Drop in Bg to say 8 mmol/l.
Body says .............too low !!!
Body gives out warning signals..., sweating, shaking, faintness, paleness, headache, tingling lips, blurred vision, irritability etc etc. All symptoms of a real below 4 mmol/l hypoglycaemia event.
But you are not that low, hence a 'false' hypo.

The problem gets worse if you treat it like a real hypo as you start eating Gluco tabs like there is no tomorrow if you haven't checked your meter reading. So then you go too high and start a 'roller coaster' effect ! So always check if you feel bad, never assume anything. Test !

The best way to try and get the numbers down in that event is to drink plenty of fluids, water, sugar free drinks etc, maybe even some exercise. Just don't eat anything and test after 20- 30 mins. You might still feel 'rubbish' though. The real cure is not to let Bg levels get that high in the first place.

Sue, do you know what your last HbA1c was. The readings you are quoting don't seem to indicate
good control. I think you might need some medication, or maybe an adjustment to your diet.
 

sugarless sue

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Eat Natural bars:

Fruit and Nut bar 24gm carb per bar.

Mini Almond, apricot, yoghurt bar. 8.6gm per bar.

Mile high bar. 22.62gm per bar.
 

cugila

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I think I would ditch the Eat Natural Bars, thats probably why you are getting false hypos ?
Too many carbs giving you high BG numbers.
 

sugarless sue

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I suggest that you get a carb counter book and work out just how many carb you do eat per meal.Then you can start reducing them a bit to bring down your blood sugar levels slowly so that you do not get false hypo symptoms. How much carbs YOU can eat depends on your blood sugar level control.
 

sue100

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Thanks both of you. You are only telling me what I should know already. My last long term test was 7.6ish I think. I havent been for about a year as I am frightened it will be worse this time and the diabetic nurse is so patronising and I hate her.
Sue
 

cugila

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sue100 said:
Thanks both of you. You are only telling me what I should know already. My last long term test was 7.6ish I think. I havent been for about a year as I am frightened it will be worse this time and the diabetic nurse is so patronising and I hate her.
Sue


Sue. Don't be frightened. It's your health we are concerned about here. You really do need to conquer those fears and get to see the Nurse, better still see the GP and explain how you feel about the Nurses attitude. Don't let this person ruin your health. You have to get on your 'high horse' too sometimes........ :twisted: