What does everyone think of the below?

[Jakeinhd1995]

So I recently signed up to trial the libre 2 sensor to see what happens when I eat food ect.

Is it normal for everyone to spike? I watched a tik tok video the other day and apparently, this guys girlfriend didn't go above 4.8..

As you can see from the below I had a few low moments, but I control my diabetes with diet and have been told not to worry about that. Also it could be that I was laid on the sensor!

Last night I had a bratwurst sausage, hotdog without the bun and some fries. This was around half 9. I then went up to 8.6 and two hours after I was at 6.4. A further hour later I was down to 4.9. And remained at 4.5 all night

 

[jaywak]

As you are not on any medication I would say you should have no worries with the lows and from my experience with the Libre if you did a finger prick test it would probably show in the 5 s .

 

[Jakeinhd1995]

As you are not on any medication I would say you should have no worries with the lows and from my experience with the Libre if you did a finger prick test it would probably show in the 5 s .

Fair enough! I've just done one now.. it says my blood sugar is 7.3 cause I had two strawberry clotted creams (small) and my machine says 6.1

 

[Jakeinhd1995]

Fair enough! I've just done one now.. it says my blood sugar is 7.3 cause I had two strawberry clotted creams (small) and my machine says 6.1

I think it may be 5 - 10 minutes behind. But other than that is it normal for everyone to spike after meals?

Non diabetic ect?

 

[saky]

Even I use freestyle libre. I don't worry about the lows. I just check the highs. Freestyle always shows lower values as it measures the glucose in interstitial fluid.
You can cross check the readings with finger pricks.
I observed that first week of using libre, night time readings are low(red color). 2nd week onwards no red in the graph.

 

[catinahat]

But other than that is it normal for everyone to spike after meals?

It's how we work , the food we eat gets digested and it's glucose hits our blood, our pancreas reacts to the higher blood sugar levels by releasing insulin, the insulin allows our cells to use the glucose, blood sugar levels drop , pancreas reduces the amount of insulin.
So the levels have to rise to prompt the pancreas to up production, my beautiful streak and salad on the other hand, no carbs, no noticeable rise in blood sugar, pancreas can take a break.
So yes everyone's blood sugar will rise after a meal depending of course on what they ate.
The only difference for people with diabetes is that our blood sugar levels remain high because we either don't produce enough insulin, or our insulin is not as effective as it should be.

 

[Jakeinhd1995]

It's how we work , the food we eat gets digested and it's glucose hits our blood, our pancreas reacts to the higher blood sugar levels by releasing insulin, the insulin allows our cells to use the glucose, blood sugar levels drop , pancreas reduces the amount of insulin.
So the levels have to rise to prompt the pancreas to up production, my beautiful streak and salad on the other hand, no carbs, no noticeable rise in blood sugar, pancreas can take a break.
So yes everyone's blood sugar will rise after a meal depending of course on what they ate.
The only difference for people with diabetes is that our blood sugar levels remain high because we either don't produce enough insulin, or our insulin is not as effective as it should be.

I have noticed while having the sensor on I get the spike at 1 hour and then it comes down so at my 2 hour I'm at baseline.

 

[ianf0ster]

Being at 'baseline' 2 hrs after first eating is what normal non-diabetics do and so is what those of us with diabetes try to emulate - whether that is with keeping the initial spike low due to lower carbs in the meal, or making the carbs slower to digest, or medication such as injecting insulin so it's there in our blood ready to do it's job.

 

[catinahat]

I get the spike at 1 hour and then it comes down so at my 2 hour I'm at baseline.

There are so many factors that can affect when the glucose gets into our blood, highly processed refined carbs can spike almost immediately, other things take longer to digest so take longer to show up in the blood.
45 min to 1hour seems to be roughly when the glucose usually reaches its peak, and generally speaking most non diabetic people will be back to baseline within 2hrs.
That's why we use the 2hr mark for our testing, if you are not close to baseline within 2hrs then your meal had too many carbs for you.

 

[In Response]

I think it may be 5 - 10 minutes behind.

Are you referring to the fat that CGMs measure interstitial fluid which is 5 to 10 minutes behind blood sugars?
I ask because it is common for CGMs (including Libre) to take this into consideration in their conversion algorithm.

 

[Jakeinhd1995]

There are so many factors that can affect when the glucose gets into our blood, highly processed refined carbs can spike almost immediately, other things take longer to digest so take longer to show up in the blood.
45 min to 1hour seems to be roughly when the glucose usually reaches its peak, and generally speaking most non diabetic people will be back to baseline within 2hrs.
That's why we use the 2hr mark for our testing, if you are not close to baseline within 2hrs then your meal had too many carbs for you.

Interesting I'm thinking given my numbers...and I'm in "remission" that's its highly likely I may not actually be diabetic..when I was diagnosed my hba1c was 53. But now it's 33. I no longer drink fizzy drinks ect and no longer eat high refined carbs. And I am too scared to go back to eating them to even tempt fate!

 

[ianf0ster]

Given that some people can experience Diabetes symptoms and complications when only just into the (UK) pre-diabetes BG range, I don't contemplate 'not actually being diabetic'.

I don't consider eating in a way that keeps me healthy to mean I'm scared - I continue to eat that way because I'm sensible!

 

[Jakeinhd1995]

Given that some people can experience Diabetes symptoms and complications when only just into the (UK) pre-diabetes BG range, I don't contemplate 'not actually being diabetic'.

I don't consider eating in a way that keeps me healthy to mean I'm scared - I continue to eat that way because I'm sensible!

True I an just getting to grips with it all after 6 months!