Any Thoughts on What my Libre is telling me

jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
So previously I mentioned I was self funding a Freestyle Libre on an experimental basis to find out what the truth was in the gaps between fingerprick testing.


I have to say I have been surprised by what it is telling me which I have cross checked with some parallel test strips.


I have started this experiment due to HBA1C of 48 being higher than forecast from my own testing but I can see the reason why it is higher but don’t understand the mechanics behind the numbers.


I have previously tested every evening meal from first bite and two hours later. Normally I would get 5.x and 6.x which would indicate good control. On most occasions during my first 14 day run with the Libre I have got similar pre and post meal readings, however, on two occasions I have gone up to 11 on one occasion and 14 on the other and within 30 minutes have freefallen down to 3.6 and 3.8 before returning up to 5/6 within the 2 hour window. So conventional fingerpricking pre and post completely misses this.


I have to admit this was something of an experiment eating forbidden foods and it has told me two things. The first is that I couldn’t cope with the increased carbs and secondly that my liver rapidly dealt with it.


I know the answer is not to eat forbidden foods but I am more interested in answers that can explain the significance of the liver’s reaction to rapidly correcting it?
 

KK123

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3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Hi @jim1951, I wonder whether it is because your insulin response is slow to get going but when it does it dumps out lots of insulin in a panic?
 

KK123

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3,967
Type of diabetes
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so how does one improve insulin response?

Sorry Jim, I don't know enough about it and I hope others with more knowledge will help but I think it's to do with being insulin resistant which MAY be down to a fatty liver, many people lose weight (IF they need to) and adopt a low carb diet which means their body then produces less insulin. x
 

LittleGreyCat

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4,233
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Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
I know the answer is not to eat forbidden foods but I am more interested in answers that can explain the significance of the liver’s reaction to rapidly correcting it?
Just noting that is also the pancreas which is involved.
The pancreas produces the insulin to bring your BG down and the liver "switches off" the pancreas once BG is down again.
At least, that is how I understand it.
 

Mbaker

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4,339
Type of diabetes
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What foods were you eating. I threw the kitchen sink at diabetes and am still experimenting. If your aim is to eat carbs, keep testing with the Libre to see what works now, so that you can re-test in a few months.

Insulin sensitivity can be achieved by fat loss, by any means (although I recommend low carb) and are exercise - I focus on weight training with walking and ancillary exercises such as Karate.

I have added over time higher carbs such as carrots, butternut squash and beetroot, whilst still seeing up to 1.2 ketones. Prior to these, and still in are the broccolli, celery, asparagus, courgettes, tomatoes, green beans, bean sprouts and radish. Fruit carbs are berries for me and occasionally clementines.
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,215
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
So previously I mentioned I was self funding a Freestyle Libre on an experimental basis to find out what the truth was in the gaps between fingerprick testing.


I have to say I have been surprised by what it is telling me which I have cross checked with some parallel test strips.


I have started this experiment due to HBA1C of 48 being higher than forecast from my own testing but I can see the reason why it is higher but don’t understand the mechanics behind the numbers.


I have previously tested every evening meal from first bite and two hours later. Normally I would get 5.x and 6.x which would indicate good control. On most occasions during my first 14 day run with the Libre I have got similar pre and post meal readings, however, on two occasions I have gone up to 11 on one occasion and 14 on the other and within 30 minutes have freefallen down to 3.6 and 3.8 before returning up to 5/6 within the 2 hour window. So conventional fingerpricking pre and post completely misses this.


I have to admit this was something of an experiment eating forbidden foods and it has told me two things. The first is that I couldn’t cope with the increased carbs and secondly that my liver rapidly dealt with it.


I know the answer is not to eat forbidden foods but I am more interested in answers that can explain the significance of the liver’s reaction to rapidly correcting it?
Hi.can you give us a screen shot of the libre graph along with a rough estimate on what was ate & when?
It may help chop sense into it...
 

MarkMunday

Well-Known Member
Messages
421
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
so how does one improve insulin response?
There are two phases to insulin response. The 1st phase is mobilising stored insulin. It stops blood glucose rising much immediately after eating. The 2nd phase insulin response is production of new insulin and takes longer. Your 1st phase response is weak because of lost beta cells. Your 2nd phase response produces insulin that ultimately causes blood glucose to plummet. When it gets under 4, the liver turns glycogen into glucose, puts it into circulation, and blood glucose returns to normal.

This blood glucose roller coaster effect is not good for various reasons, one of which is the beta cell destruction it causes. This in turn causes progression of the diabetes. Restoring 1st phase insulin response would require restoring lost beta cells, and there is currently no way to make that happen. This is why avoiding food that spikes blood glucose in the first place is the most sensible way to handle it.
 

jim1951

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Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
118991203_312118979858998_7667276032262914829_n.png
118991203_312118979858998_7667276032262914829_n.png
Hi.can you give us a screen shot of the libre graph along with a rough estimate on what was ate & when?
It may help chop sense into it...

Okay it was an experimental meal of thai curry with ciabatta bread, cider and wine.
118991203_312118979858998_7667276032262914829_n.png
 

jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi.can you give us a screen shot of the libre graph along with a rough estimate on what was ate & when?
It may help chop sense into it...

apologies, I dont know why that graph uploaded so many times, I think it was trying to emphasise the point!
 

LaoDan

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993
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
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The term “new normal “
Yikes, that’s a a spike alright.
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
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18,215
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Are your days consistently like this?
(Not knowing from the graph when you do breakfast & lunch.)
At a guess it would seem you are more insulin resistant in the morning?

It's certainly a spike from tea..but an interesting recovery..
 

jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Are your days consistently like this?
(Not knowing from the graph when you do breakfast & lunch.)
At a guess it would seem you are more insulin resistant in the morning?

It's certainly a spike from tea..but an interesting recovery..

@Jaylee I dont think I normally spike like this in the evening.

To answer your question I very rarely eat breakfast and only the lightest of low carb snacks for lunch. What you see on the graph is typical for a day i.e., high in the morning and coming down steadily during the day and normally well controlled in the evening.

My high readings in the morning, or DP, are the same whether I have breakfast or not and I am struggling to understand this.

If I am insulin resistant in the morning but not so much in the evening what does this signify?
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,215
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
@Jaylee I dont think I normally spike like this in the evening.

To answer your question I very rarely eat breakfast and only the lightest of low carb snacks for lunch. What you see on the graph is typical for a day i.e., high in the morning and coming down steadily during the day and normally well controlled in the evening.

My high readings in the morning, or DP, are the same whether I have breakfast or not and I am struggling to understand this.

If I am insulin resistant in the morning but not so much in the evening what does this signify?

Some days my mornings as a T1 can be a little like this recovering from a liver dump? I don't do breakfast.
I can also correct with insulin.
I also find I'm more sensitive in the latter part of the day when my basal should be tailing off..? (Regardless of activity level.)
But that's just me..

What food where you experimenting with to cause that evening spike?
 

jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Some days my mornings as a T1 can be a little like this recovering from a liver dump? I don't do breakfast.
I can also correct with insulin.
I also find I'm more sensitive in the latter part of the day when my basal should be tailing off..? (Regardless of activity level.)
But that's just me..

What food where you experimenting with to cause that evening spike?

Thai curry, ciabatta, cider and wine.

I would add that this is not normal diet but as I had gone to the expense of funding the Libre felt that I should test different scenarios.