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What are "spikes"?

thomarn

Member
Messages
7
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi. I've been using a Freestyle Libre sensor for a little over a week, and out of curiosity made it a habit of checking once an hour - just to see how my BG reacts to what I put into me, as I'm all new to this type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, I've had no advice on what to do or not to do (apart from "keep your BG between 5 and 7").

From what I've read here and elsewhere, "spikes" in BG are expected and normal. But I wonder, what are "normal" spikes, and if so - when are those "spikes" normal? An hour after eating, 90 mins, 2 hours?

I've been put on 2 x 1000mg Metformin daily, for info (starting at 2 x 500mg for two weeks but that was before I started using the sensor).

I've set my sensor reader to "normal" being between 5 and 7 (as advised), and in the last 9 days I've been within this for 94% of the time, and that's measuring every hour (except when asleep, of course :) ).

From what I've gathered, most carbs are bad and sugar also (obviously?!) and I try to avoid that. Me being un-friendly towards vegetables and seafood doesn't help but I try to vary what I eat with these restrictions. Yet my BG doesn't change much.

However, being fond of my pints, I find it hard to stop drinking yet my BG doesn't seem to be much affected by it. I've read that taking alcohol will in fact lower your BG but for me I might go from 5-5.5 up to 7.5-8 after a first pint and then back to 5-5.5 after another hour yet still drinking in the same tempo (I might have a weekly pint "allowance" in one sitting...). At bed time it will still be around 5 and at wake-up time the next day the BG will still be around 5 (I might have something to eat before going to bed, like a fried egg or a few fish fingers (doesn't taste like fish!) but nothing major like it used to be, like - mmm - taco chips from the chipper.. - those days are gone).

The highest my sensor has come back with was 11.5 but that was 2 hours after activating my first sensor and it was 5.4 an hour after that - with no food taken after the sensor was applied, so I'm kind of disregarding that reading.

I'd be interested in learning what others think are "spikes" and what readings one should be worried about, if for a prolonged time (say, over x mmol for x hours is bad, but x mmol two hours after eating is "normal").
 
Most of the people here try and keep the post meal rise to less than 2 mmol/l 2 hours after a meal. Obviously with the libre you can see when your post prandial peak is highest. Beer as you have seen is not known as "liquid bread" for nothing. Although your reaction is reasonable. Personally I try to keep my bloods below 6 mmol/l at all times so eat a very low carb diet to do this. I don't drink alcohol so its easier for me.
 
Most of the people here try and keep the post meal rise to less than 2 mmol/l 2 hours after a meal.
I try myself to be inside 3.9-5,6 limit all the day, the spike (normally around 1 hour after meal for me) not to cross 7.7 limit. Thus “rising to less than 2mmol/l” is not so important for me. It can be more, just not to pass 7.7 one hour after meal. If possible, I want to be under 5.6 within two hours after meal.
 
Agree with @bulkbiker - in common with many here, I like to keep to less than a 2 mmol rise 2 hours after meals, ideally a lot less and get very irritated if I go above 6 at any time. I eat a very low carb diet and intermittent fasting to achieve this.
 
Agree with @bulkbiker - in common with many here, I like to keep to less than a 2 mmol rise 2 hours after meals, ideally a lot less and get very irritated if I go above 6 at any time. I eat a very low carb diet and intermittent fasting to achieve this.

Yes, very good strategy. But I want to mimmic non-diabetic as close as possible.
 
It sounds like you were already getting on top of your carb intake before getting the Libre, so what it is showing you are low carb readings.

I bet things would be different if you were still eating those tacos.

Well done. If your Libre graph isn’t showing spikes, mountains and ski jumps, then you are doing great. :)
 
Hi. I've been using a Freestyle Libre sensor for a little over a week, and out of curiosity made it a habit of checking once an hour - just to see how my BG reacts to what I put into me, as I'm all new to this type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, I've had no advice on what to do or not to do (apart from "keep your BG between 5 and 7").

From what I've read here and elsewhere, "spikes" in BG are expected and normal. But I wonder, what are "normal" spikes, and if so - when are those "spikes" normal? An hour after eating, 90 mins, 2 hours?

I've been put on 2 x 1000mg Metformin daily, for info (starting at 2 x 500mg for two weeks but that was before I started using the sensor).

I've set my sensor reader to "normal" being between 5 and 7 (as advised), and in the last 9 days I've been within this for 94% of the time, and that's measuring every hour (except when asleep, of course :) ).

From what I've gathered, most carbs are bad and sugar also (obviously?!) and I try to avoid that. Me being un-friendly towards vegetables and seafood doesn't help but I try to vary what I eat with these restrictions. Yet my BG doesn't change much.

However, being fond of my pints, I find it hard to stop drinking yet my BG doesn't seem to be much affected by it. I've read that taking alcohol will in fact lower your BG but for me I might go from 5-5.5 up to 7.5-8 after a first pint and then back to 5-5.5 after another hour yet still drinking in the same tempo (I might have a weekly pint "allowance" in one sitting...). At bed time it will still be around 5 and at wake-up time the next day the BG will still be around 5 (I might have something to eat before going to bed, like a fried egg or a few fish fingers (doesn't taste like fish!) but nothing major like it used to be, like - mmm - taco chips from the chipper.. - those days are gone).

The highest my sensor has come back with was 11.5 but that was 2 hours after activating my first sensor and it was 5.4 an hour after that - with no food taken after the sensor was applied, so I'm kind of disregarding that reading.

I'd be interested in learning what others think are "spikes" and what readings one should be worried about, if for a prolonged time (say, over x mmol for x hours is bad, but x mmol two hours after eating is "normal").


Are you aware that the Libre takes measurents every 15 minutes, irrespective of when you scan/ you can download the log of all these 15 minute readings. It also uses them when calculating the time spent within your target. It doesn't require any scans for this. The scans are only there so you can see at a glance what you are at that moment in time, a bit like a finger prick test. I only ask because your post makes me wonder if you don't realise this.
 
Hi @Bluetit1802

No, I didn't realise that. I was wondering how it could show slight variations at night time when I don't scan...

I don't understand what you mean by the last sentence in this, though:

you can download the log of all these 15 minute readings. It also uses them when calculating the time spent within your target. It doesn't require any scans for this.

If I don't scan, how would the readings get into the scanner then?

In any case, I might relax my scanning then if the sensor is capturing anyways - I thought it was only when I scanned. Like, do a scan if I feel like something's not right (am I feeling funny because my BG is too high/low?) and daily to view the trend? Must keep a log of what and when I eat then...!
 
Hi @Bluetit1802

No, I didn't realise that. I was wondering how it could show slight variations at night time when I don't scan...

I don't understand what you mean by the last sentence in this, though:



If I don't scan, how would the readings get into the scanner then?

In any case, I might relax my scanning then if the sensor is capturing anyways - I thought it was only when I scanned. Like, do a scan if I feel like something's not right (am I feeling funny because my BG is too high/low?) and daily to view the trend? Must keep a log of what and when I eat then...!

Have a read of the information that came with your Libre, and have a look at the Libre website.
They explain how the scanner works, and how the sensor has an 8 hour memory. So it can remember the last 8 hours of your blood glucose, whether you scan or not. But it then 'forgets' any readings older than 8 hours.

So if you want a picture of what happens to your blood glucose for the whole 24 hours, then you need to scan the sensor every 8 hours, so that it can build a picture of the whole day.

You can download the scanner's collected information to a computer, using the cable that came with your Libre. It will chart everything on reports for you, and show your readings on a spread sheet. Again, you should be able to find the instructions on the Libre website, or the Customer Services team will be able to talk you through the process if you give them a ring.

Hope that helps!
 
Hi @Brunneria

Although I am a proud IT professional, I am allergic to user manuals.

I should give them a read so! Would have saved pestering you with obvious questions... Thanks for the 8 hours tip, I can do with 3-4 scans a day so.
 
Your sensor stores information about your BG for 8 hours. When you scan it tranfers this information to your reader, making room in the sensor for new information. So as long as you scan at least once every 8 hours, you'll have information about your BG for the whole 24 hours.
 
Thanks for the link @Crocodile

Before I ordered the Libre sensor they did say that it may be a delay of ~10 minutes and so is not directly comparable to blood test BG but still reliable enough they claim, so I went for it instead of having to do finger blood tests. But if the sensor measures every 15 mins or indeed every minute then that's good enough for me. If I see a worrying spike I'd check again in 10 mins anyway (that was my plan and has only happened once, the first day I applied the sensor when it went to over 11 then to 5 and stayed around 5).
 
Thanks for the link @Crocodile

Before I ordered the Libre sensor they did say that it may be a delay of ~10 minutes and so is not directly comparable to blood test BG but still reliable enough they claim, so I went for it instead of having to do finger blood tests. But if the sensor measures every 15 mins or indeed every minute then that's good enough for me. If I see a worrying spike I'd check again in 10 mins anyway (that was my plan and has only happened once, the first day I applied the sensor when it went to over 11 then to 5 and stayed around 5).


So you don't have a finger pricker? To be honest, sensors are not accurate. They vary in this. Some read high, some read low. It is wise to calibrate each sensor with a finger pricker several times to work out an average of how high or how low your sensor is reading. You may have a shock. The one I am currently wearing reads between 1 mmol/l higher and spot on, averaging around 0.8mmol/l higher than my finger pricker. All previous sensors have read a similar amount lower. You have to remember the time lag when doing calibrations - finger prick, wait 10-15 minutes, scan.
 
@Bluetit1802

I guess I'll learn all this when I eventually get an appointment to the diabetes clinic...!

Maybe you’ve jumped the gun a little bit trying to understand it all (spikes included) and the libre so quickly without yet having a diabetes consultation. They will inform you all you need to know (hopefully!) just hold tight :) you never know everything or stop learning with diabetes.
 
Thanks for the link @Crocodile

Before I ordered the Libre sensor they did say that it may be a delay of ~10 minutes and so is not directly comparable to blood test BG but still reliable enough they claim, so I went for it instead of having to do finger blood tests. But if the sensor measures every 15 mins or indeed every minute then that's good enough for me. If I see a worrying spike I'd check again in 10 mins anyway (that was my plan and has only happened once, the first day I applied the sensor when it went to over 11 then to 5 and stayed around 5).

I have a good mate who uses the Libre. They appear to work most of the time. Just need to remember that the readings are a little different. Take this into account and everything is tickety-boo
 
@Bluetit1802

I guess I'll learn all this when I eventually get an appointment to the diabetes clinic...!

What sort of clinic is it - at your GP surgery or at the hospital? If it is the surgery, you will be lucky if you get anything other than shock horror that you are self testing!

My diabetes nurse at the surgery had no idea how a sensor worked - and had never seen one!
 
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