BG spike after eating

Thelma21

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this particular issue.

I'm a T1 looking for a bit of preliminary advice on blood glucose spikes after meals.

I've just started using a Libre, while it's fantastic I'm becoming a bit obsessed with getting my BGs under control.

What seems to be happening is I'm rising around early morning when I wake up then spiking high into 15/16 glucose count after eating breakfast. Then my BG drops to normal to low range during the day and then spikes high again after dinner into 12-15 range.

I'm meant to have fasting 5.3 target and 7 an hour after meals and I just wondered if anyone else had experiences with high spikes after eating, and if so what you did to remedy it?

I'm going to try upping my fast acting a little during these times and inject well before a meal so it's working quicker. I'm also going to check my basal insulin is the right amount.

For background I take Lantus once a day in the evening, novorapid fast acting.
 

Mad76

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Watching this as i have similar problems. Good Bg bit after meals get a spike. Usually to 10, maybe 12. Mine also fall back to normal but i think we are suppised to try avoid? Ive started injecting my novorapid earlier, not a huge amount of difference though
 

Thelma21

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Watching this as i have similar problems. Good Bg bit after meals get a spike. Usually to 10, maybe 12. Mine also fall back to normal but i think we are suppised to try avoid? Ive started injecting my novorapid earlier, not a huge amount of difference though

Yeah I'm confused as to how I'm only supposed to see a 2 mmol rise when by bloods are going up so quick after eating, especially on a morning
Ate food at 12.7ish and its gone straight up to 18 now and rising! Sometimes I feel like my novorapid just straight up doesn't work, lol
 
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Fndwheelie

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was wanting to ask you a question if you don’t mind. With the libre sensor do you need to buy their reader? I looked into it and they mentioned the app works on the phone, but didn’t mention if you needed a reader or could go without. I have ordered a couple of sensors and was planning on using my phone, but if I can’t then it’s money down the drain. It doesn’t matter either way, I’m not going to switch permanently to the libre, I was just curious to monitor regular.
 

Thelma21

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, I was wanting to ask you a question if you don’t mind. With the libre sensor do you need to buy their reader? I looked into it and they mentioned the app works on the phone, but didn’t mention if you needed a reader or could go without. I have ordered a couple of sensors and was planning on using my phone, but if I can’t then it’s money down the drain. It doesn’t matter either way, I’m not going to switch permanently to the libre, I was just curious to monitor regular.

I'm lucky that I'm getting it free while I'm trying to conceive (so will have to hand it back after the birth). But I do think you need the reader to register the sensors when you replace them, I'll be replacing my sensor in just over a week so I'll try it with just my phone and see what happens!
 
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novorapidboi26

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,828
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Reducing the post meal spike is tackled with pre bolusing.......15 minutes or so standard before novorapid works.....so you need to increase this time, experiment and see what works.....I've seen a pre bolus of 45 minutes in the past.....although 30 minuted is my maximum now....

The rise you see in the morning could be two things......1. not enough basal insulin 2. the liver releasing energy stores....

so you need to do an overnight basal test in the first instance and adjust accordingly......

if it is the liver, which it is likely to be, partially at least.....then there's not much you can do apart from breaking the fast as quickly as you can and getting some insulin in.....

so you seem to have all the above already planned out which is great..
 
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novorapidboi26

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,828
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi, I was wanting to ask you a question if you don’t mind. With the libre sensor do you need to buy their reader? I looked into it and they mentioned the app works on the phone, but didn’t mention if you needed a reader or could go without. I have ordered a couple of sensors and was planning on using my phone, but if I can’t then it’s money down the drain. It doesn’t matter either way, I’m not going to switch permanently to the libre, I was just curious to monitor regular.

you don't need a reader, an NFC ready phone will do the trick...;)
 
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Fndwheelie

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm lucky that I'm getting it free while I'm trying to conceive (so will have to hand it back after the birth). But I do think you need the reader to register the sensors when you replace them, I'll be replacing my sensor in just over a week so I'll try it with just my phone and see what happens!
Thanks Thelma, I was a bit worried that the reader they make would be required, just using a phone would be too easy, and they wouldn’t make the money. If you do try your phone I would be interested in the outcome, but no worries either way. Sorry for hijacking your thread.

P.s. Thanks nororapidboi, I’m glad to hear that.
 

Thelma21

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Reducing the post meal spike is tackled with pre bolusing.......15 minutes or so standard before novorapid works.....so you need to increase this time, experiment and see what works.....I've seen a pre bolus of 45 minutes in the past.....although 30 minuted is my maximum now....

The rise you see in the morning could be two things......1. not enough basal insulin 2. the liver releasing energy stores....

so you need to do an overnight basal test in the first instance and adjust accordingly......

if it is the liver, which it is likely to be, partially at least.....then there's not much you can do apart from breaking the fast as quickly as you can and getting some insulin in.....

so you seem to have all the above already planned out which is great..

Thanks, I'm thinking of doing 2-3 units as soon as I wake up (apart from hypo) then doing more at breakfast to stop such a rise.
 
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novorapidboi26

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,828
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Thanks, I'm thinking of doing 2-3 units as soon as I wake up (apart from hypo) then doing more at breakfast to stop such a rise.

Yeah, more insulin may be required, however it can be done with more accuracy these days.....

Due to the dawn phenomenon, which is the liver releasing glucose and other hormones being released like cortisol, resistance to insulin is increased in the morning.......

So what you need to do, or what you can do if you choose is work out how that resistance effects you personally by working out how much 1 unit drops you by during this time and how many grams of carbs one unit will deal with at this time also....

So a new insulin/carb ratio as well as a correction factor.....if you get them as close to right as possible, then it wont be so much of a guessing game....

Getting something in your stomach to digest will actually stop the liver and the other hormones as you have now fueled up and the livers services are no longer required...
 

Thelma21

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks Thelma, I was a bit worried that the reader they make would be required, just using a phone would be too easy, and they wouldn’t make the money. If you do try your phone I would be interested in the outcome, but no worries either way. Sorry for hijacking your thread.

P.s. Thanks nororapidboi, I’m glad to hear that.

No problem! I would suspect that too, I think you sync your phone to the reader too when you replace a sensor. I'll see what it does.
 

novorapidboi26

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,828
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
If you have a reader and want to use it alongside a phone, the reader needs to scan the new sensor first......then the phone can scan......the two devices don't work together though....

the good thing about the phone is that it can upload the readings and data automatically to Libre View, which allows your team to take a look if you want them too....

with the reader it needs to be done with a cable and PC..
 

Glucobabu

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Watching this as i have similar problems. Good Bg bit after meals get a spike. Usually to 10, maybe 12. Mine also fall back to normal but i think we are suppised to try avoid? Ive started injecting my novorapid earlier, not a huge amount of difference though
Exactly my problem too. 12/13 after breakfast and lunch too. If I increase the Novorapid, it’s slightly better but then give it another 3 or 4 or even 5 hours and BG keeps dropping. It’s as if the insulin just sits there not doing its job then suddenly wakes up! It’s just so annoying!
 

Glucobabu

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, I was wanting to ask you a question if you don’t mind. With the libre sensor do you need to buy their reader? I looked into it and they mentioned the app works on the phone, but didn’t mention if you needed a reader or could go without. I have ordered a couple of sensors and was planning on using my phone, but if I can’t then it’s money down the drain. It doesn’t matter either way, I’m not going to switch permanently to the libre, I was just curious to monitor regular.
It would only work with iPhone 7 upwards, anything less you’ll need to buy the reader. There is full and detailed information about Libre on Abbot’s website, just google it.
 

Glucobabu

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Yeah, more insulin may be required, however it can be done with more accuracy these days.....

Due to the dawn phenomenon, which is the liver releasing glucose and other hormones being released like cortisol, resistance to insulin is increased in the morning.......

So what you need to do, or what you can do if you choose is work out how that resistance effects you personally by working out how much 1 unit drops you by during this time and how many grams of carbs one unit will deal with at this time also....

So a new insulin/carb ratio as well as a correction factor.....if you get them as close to right as possible, then it wont be so much of a guessing game....

Getting something in your stomach to digest will actually stop the liver and the other hormones as you have now fueled up and the livers services are no longer required...
Very useful information, thanks a lot.
 

becca59

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,856
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Why 7 after an hour that seems strict? They usually say 2 hours.
 

LizMorgan

Newbie
Messages
3
Hello there - please look at TypeOneGrit on Facebook-
a very large group of T1s, very young and old, who control their blood sugars and insulin etc with Low Carb and follow Dr Bernstein's advice. It's not just about eating and covering - you can get off the rollercoaster of highs and lows.




Good luck
 
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Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,284
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
It would only work with iPhone 7 upwards, anything less you’ll need to buy the reader. There is full and detailed information about Libre on Abbot’s website, just google it.
On the other hand, it works fine with ****** old Samsungs, Huawei's and other phones running on Android.
 

scaryblueberry

Active Member
Messages
25
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
i have similar problems with spiking bloods after meals, which fall later if i increase my humalog dose. breakfast is the worst time due to the dawn phonomonon. at certain times of the month my sugars can actually rise if i take Insulin. things that have helped me are: 1. avoid eating or injecting before 9.30am. 2. dont eat more than 60g carbs max at meals. 3. if i eat slow releasing carbs, split my humalog dose. 4. avoid foods that alter my digestion rate. I hope these insites help.