Insatiable hunger in the evenings

[Powerlifter!]

Hello, I'm a T2 diabetic and in May I started on 8 units twice a day of Novomix30, this has gradually increased and I am now on 24 units twice a day, I have always had a small appetite, I'm also on Trulicity injections and Sukkarto 2 tablets in the morning.
I have always been hungry in the evenings but usually something small and a drink is fine but more recently I have insatiable hunger, desperate for food, weak feelings etc, my blood sugars aren't low, usually 13-15 but no matter what I eat I'm starving that is until around midnight when I go back to normal, blood sugars start to decline and I can go all night without eating until breakfast and my blood sugars are around 9.5.
Please can anybody think as to what is going on. I have a telephone appt with my diabetic Dr on Tuesday morning.
Thank you

 

[MissMuffett]

Hi what is your typical evening meal and what time do you eat it? Maybe you’re not eating enough protein and fat to fill you up and keep you satisfied. What are your other meals like food wise. Do you test your BG before you eat then 2 hours after the first mouthful?

 

[Powerlifter!]

Thank you for your reply, I usually have salmon fillet, new potatoes, broccoli, Savoy cabbage, sometimes it's a chicken sandwich on wholemeal, granary bread with cherry tomatoes and cucumber plus fruit and yogurt, I have Weetabix or porridge for breakfast, evening meal if around 6pm then the hunger starts an hour after, I'm so confused.
Many thanks

 

[MissMuffett]

Thank you for your reply, I usually have salmon fillet, new potatoes, broccoli, Savoy cabbage, sometimes it's a chicken sandwich on wholemeal, granary bread with cherry tomatoes and cucumber plus fruit and yogurt, I have Weetabix or porridge for breakfast, evening meal if around 6pm then the hunger starts an hour after, I'm so confused.
Many thanks

The consumption of carbohydrates can make your BG go high, then an hour or two later will drop dramatically making you feel really hungry. Potatoes, bread (it doesn’t matter what colour it is) and weetabix are not a good choice for type 2s. Have you got a metre so you can have a better idea of what spikes you BG?

 

[Powerlifter!]

Ahh thank you, yes I have a meter but have told to only check blood before breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bed.
What is a good breakfast and why does it only happen in the evenings please? Sorry!

 

[Antje77]

recently I have insatiable hunger, desperate for food, weak feelings etc, my blood sugars aren't low, usually 13-15 but no matter what I eat I'm starving that is until around midnight when I go back to normal, blood sugars start to decline and I can go all night without eating until breakfast and my blood sugars are around 9.5.

High blood glucose can make you hungry.
You've just eaten a meal so your body believes it should be satiated, but instead the nourishment stays in your blood as glucose and isn't used.
If your evening meal consistently makes you go up to 13-15, what about adjusting the meal to give you less of a rise?

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @kazzyh65

I’m sorry I can’t help you much as I’ve no experience of insulin but I’ve noticed your about info under your name stil states that you are diet only, it would be better and safer if you could alter that to say you are on insulin so the you get advice and members experiences that can more help your situation.

If your not sure how to do this just shout out and we can help you.

Be very careful reducing your carbs as you are on insulin you are at risk of hypos, make sure you test right before and 2 hrs after meals and if you feel ill at all,, and if you are going to reduce carbs do it slowly over time until you get the Alan e right

 

[MissMuffett]

Don’t be sorry It’s a big learning curve for us all and as we’ve all been told to follow the ‘Eatwell plate‘ guidelines for years it’s how we got to be a type 2 diabetic!
Test your BG before each meal whilst you’re getting used to what you can eat and what spikes you have, and again 2 hours later. If it’s more than 2mmol/l rise then that food is probably not a good idea for you. Make sure you’re filling up with above ground leafy green veg, chicken with skin on or ribeye or minced beef spiced up. Have cauliflower rice instead of rice, I love it with homemade curry. Breakfast you could have cheese omelette, bacon and eggs, yogurt and a few berries. Look on the post of ‘what did you eat yesterday’ to give you a few ideas.

 

[lovinglife]

Please be aware when giving advice that @kazzyh65 is now on insulin

 

[Antje77]

Test your BG before each meal whilst you’re getting used to what you can eat and what spikes you have, and again 2 hours later. If it’s more than 2mmol/l rise then that food is probably not a good idea for you.

Please be aware when giving advice that @kazzyh65 is now on insulin

The advice still makes sense.
By testing before and after meals you'll see the impact of your meals with or without insulin.
On a mixed insulin you might want to do some additional testing during subsequent hours though, especially if your 2 hour number is on the lower side.

 

[Powerlifter!]

Thank you everyone, please how do I change my personal info, I've had a look but there doesn't seem to be any edit options?
Thank you

 

[lovinglife]

The advice still makes sense.
By testing before and after meals you'll see the impact of your meals with or without insulin.
On a mixed insulin you might want to do some additional testing during subsequent hours though, especially if your 2 hour number is on the lower side.

I totally agree @Antje77 but just wanted to make sure that other forum members were aware so that the advice was tailored too insulin like dropping carbs to quickly or completely

Edited for spelling

 

[lovinglife]

Thank you everyone, please how do I change my personal info, I've had a look but there doesn't seem to be any edit options?
Thank you

Click on your name in the top right hand corner, there will be a drop down, click on your in there it will take you to your profile page - read along just under picture you will see “about” click on that takes you to your info and you can change it there

 

[Powerlifter!]

Hello everyone, update...
I spoke to my diabetic GP yesterday and he says like others have replied to in my post the higher your BG the hungrier you feel and so I'm to reduce my carbs, toast etc and to go for eggs, nuts etc..
He also said I am strongly insulin resistant and will find it very difficult to lose weight which really upset me, he was so lovely though and said I am fighting a huge battle, he said the Trulicity and Sukkarto will be helping alot and also was I having any problems getting Trulicity because of the Oxempic increase, he said that maybe in a year when the Oxempic problem is settled he will put me on that as it will help more with my weight loss.
I am now on 26 units of novamax30 in the morning and 24 in the evening for 3 days then increase the evening dose to 26 and so on.
So we'll see how I go.
Thank you so much for all the advice, I am so grateful.
Also I still can't work out how to change my personal info, I found my details but there's was no drop down menu to edit it, sorry!
Thank you for reading, sorry it's long

 

[lovinglife]

That’s good news @kazzyh65, it seems you have a GP who understands insulin in T2 and at least he understands insulin resistance and weight loss and how hard it is. Many don’t and just push the “eat less move more mantra” and blame the patient and what they are eating, if it were that easy I’d be “8st wet through” as my mam used to say.

Hope the changes work for you, let us know how it goes

 

[lovinglife]

@kazzyh65 to change your info do the following

click on avatar name at the top and then account details. Scroll down till you get to “treatment type” click on the drop down and insulin is the third one click on that and your done!

 

[Beating-My-Betes]

Hello everyone, update...
I spoke to my diabetic GP yesterday and he says like others have replied to in my post the higher your BG the hungrier you feel

Maybe for some, but my own subjective experience and experimentation suggests that context matters and that this is far from a universal truth.

He also said I am strongly insulin resistant and will find it very difficult to lose weight which really upset me

What you find difficult very much depends on your subjective experience. But there's no physiological reason why insulin-resistance will prevent weight loss, nor make it objectively difficult.

In an earlier post, in which you discussed your typical day of eating, you didn't mention lunch. Was that just a mistake or do you not eat lunch? The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if this huner in the evening is just a result of you not eating enough. If this intense hunger was to do with you BG etc. then why would it only be in the evenings tha you really experienced such dramatic effects.

Both porridge and Weetabix are low-calorie. Having nothing else but a chicken sandwich or some salmon and potatoes for dinner would go a long way to explaining why your body is 'pleading' for more food. But even if you are eating lunch, given you've mentioned wanting to lose weight, I'd assume you're eating very lightly.

Many people, diabetic or not, find they can easily eat light during the morning and at lucj (even choosing to skip one or both of these meals. But by the end of the day that hunger can really catch-up with you.

Have you recently tried weighing and tracking your food?

 

[AloeSvea]

Hello everyone, update...
I spoke to my diabetic GP yesterday and he says like others have replied to in my post the higher your BG the hungrier you feel and so I'm to reduce my carbs, toast etc and to go for eggs, nuts etc..
He also said I am strongly insulin resistant and will find it very difficult to lose weight which really upset me, he was so lovely though and said I am fighting a huge battle, he said the Trulicity and Sukkarto will be helping alot and also was I having any problems getting Trulicity because of the Oxempic increase, he said that maybe in a year when the Oxempic problem is settled he will put me on that as it will help more with my weight loss.
I am now on 26 units of novamax30 in the morning and 24 in the evening for 3 days then increase the evening dose to 26 and so on.
So we'll see how I go.
Thank you so much for all the advice, I am so grateful.
Also I still can't work out how to change my personal info, I found my details but there's was no drop down menu to edit it, sorry!
Thank you for reading, sorry it's long

Just to throw a spanner in the works - I am severely insulin resistant, and post menopausal (which is supposed to make it even harder), and since lowering my carb intake and sugar drastically, did not and do not, find weight loss so difficult. So I object to your doctor making such a generalissed proclamation.

I would add, it's difficult if you resist changing what you are eating, and sadly - drinking, and maybe when you are eating and drinking - and I have met plenty of type twos, and plump folk, who resist that. Big time. And I understand why that is very hard. Oh yes.

But saying that - please know I get that we are all different. Another reason for me objecting to the doc's proclamation.

 

[AloeSvea]

That’s good news @kazzyh65, it seems you have a GP who understands insulin in T2 and at least he understands insulin resistance and weight loss and how hard it is. Many don’t and just push the “eat less move more mantra” and blame the patient and what they are eating, if it were that easy I’d be “8st wet through” as my mam used to say.

Hope the changes work for you, let us know how it goes

Well, this is funny, as I was thinking the exact oppostite! A GP who doesn't undertand the role of insulin in T2 at all, or only superficially, and IR and weight loss even less. (I usually agree with you lovinglife, so more surprised at this disagreement ).

 

[lovinglife]

Gave you a laugh emoji for only for last bit @AloeSvea