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Blood sugar readings

HoneyBea

HoneyBea

Active Member
Messages
44
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Being new to this type 1 diabetes, I wanted to ask whether blood sugar readings should ALWAYS fall between 4 and 7 pre meals and 4 and 9 after meals. Is this what I should be trying to achieve all of the time or is it still normal for blood sugars to spike and for us to get higher readings? I'm not sure what the norm is?
Thanks
 
pre-meal I would say between 5 and 7, 4 is a little low for my liking but if it is 4 I will reduce my insulin.
2 hours after meal anything between 5-9 again we can spike due to certain foods but I always aim for 5-9 but we can't always be perfect :)
Hope that helps a little. Are you on a basal/bolus regime?
 
Put it this way Bea - 2 or so weeks in - you might see numbers in those ranges some of the time. Those are the ideal targets (some would say the higher end of the ranges are too high anyway), many don't achieve those targets after years as a T1D let alone keeping to them. It's early days for you so don't worry too much, just log/note everything down and at your next clinic they'll run through things and suggest possible changes.
 
@HoneyBea The readings you quote are guidelines. I slight miscalculation on carb/insulin ratio can put your readings either way, It is nothing to worry about as we are all different and various factors contribute to the day to day management of diabetes.
I try to stay with in single figures but above 5 as I drive. I try not to stress out to much about it but I am sure my fiancé would disagree lol.
 
Also, the DN has advised me to test before breakfast, lunch and evening meal and I've had quite good readings by doing this.. 5s and 6s. However out of curiosity sometimes I test up to ten times a day and I've been known to be as high as 15 2 and a half hours after a meal, something I wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't been testing as often. can being this high for a short time cause damage?
 
4 and 9 is a good target......

you wont always achieve that though and accepting that is a good thing, its not that easy all the time....

spiking after meals is normal too........increasing the time between dose and meal will help with that as well as food choices...
 
HoneyBea said:
Hi @Type1Lad, yes I'm on a basal/bolus regime. For a person who is not diabetic then, their blood sugar should never rise above 9?
Bea
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No. There have been a number of trials of T0s using CGMs that have seen rises up to 10 or so, but they last a very short period.

HoneyBea said:
Also, the DN has advised me to test before breakfast, lunch and evening meal and I've had quite good readings by doing this.. 5s and 6s. However out of curiosity sometimes I test up to ten times a day and I've been known to be as high as 15 2 and a half hours after a meal, something I wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't been testing as often. can being this high for a short time cause damage?
Click to expand...
It's unlikely to do too much, but it also indicates that you probably need to move your meal time insulin slightly earlier. Many of us find that we need to take our bolus 30mins to 60 mins before eating, dependent on what it is we are eating.
 
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