Blood sugar spikes

It depends what you ate

You should test immediately before you eat and 2 hours after the first bite. You want a rise of no more than 2.

Any carbohydrates will raise your numbers.

What was it before eating and what did you eat?

Food (especially carbs and to a more limited amount protein) cause blood glucose levels to rise, sometimes quickly sometimes more slowly. Insulin is produced in response and will enable cells to uptake this for energy or store it as body fat. How efficiently and how quickly this all happens depends on the food and the diabetic status of the person. Blood glucose levels are not static in anyone.

So a rise of 2.1mmol in 2 hrs. Not perfect but not bad. This would be down to the oats and banana largely and possibly the yogurt. No or low sugar is most definitely not the same as no or low carb.

Blackqueen said:

The shake also had in strawberries blueberries and blackberries

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I’d consider trying it without the banana and oats and see what difference that makes. Though generally it’s better to eat food especially carbs than drink it.

Blackqueen said:

HI have been testing my blood sugar 1hr and 2hrs consecutively after meals for example I tested this morning and it read 109 which 9s 6. 1 after 1hr then when i tested for 2hrs after it was
119 which is 6.6 What can caused this?

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I would not call this a spike.

6.6 mmol are not high, but considered normal and not diabetic.

OGTT:
Non diabetic - 7.7 mmol or lower after 2 hours.
Pre-diabetic - 7.8 mmol to 11.1 mmol after 2 hours.
Diabetic - 11.2 mmol or higher after 2 hours.

I would not call anythin below 7.8 mmol, which are considered as non-diabetic levels for a spike.

I do not understand what you exactelly mean by «what caused this», as these values are considered normal and not diabetic.

Emile_the_rat said:

I would not call this a spike.

6.6 mmol are not high, but considered normal and not diabetic.

OGTT:
Non diabetic - 7.7 mmol or lower after 2 hours.
Pre-diabetic - 7.8 mmol to 11.1 mmol after 2 hours.
Diabetic - 11.2 mmol or higher after 2 hours.

I would not call anythin below 7.8 mmol, which are considered as non-diabetic levels for a spike.

I do not understand what you exactelly mean by «what caused this», as these values are considered normal and not diabetic.

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Isn’t OGTT a diagnostic test to measure reaction to a high level of sugar/carbs? Aren’t the recommended post-prandial targets to stay quite a bit lower - especially for a normal glycemic or even pre-diabetic?

I target to always stay below 6.7 (120). If I can’t eat something and stay lower I don’t eat it (anymore).

Blackqueen said:

Fasting was 81 Fasting was 81=4.5 I had a shake made from low fat no sugar yoghurt 1/2 banana , oats almond milk and peanut butter

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From my experience, the oats would have been the biggest driver of the increase, the fruit extended it some since fructose is processed by the liver so the impact of the banana was a bit later than the oats. The peanut butter (fat / protein- and maybe added sugar?) probably lowered the peak a bit but extended it to the two hour mark instead of peaking near one hour. The protein in the yogurt also probably made the rise a bit slower and longer.

Everyone had different reactions so that may just be the way I react. There are a lot more experienced members of this forum than me.

Sapien said:

Isn’t OGTT a diagnostic test to measure reaction to a high level of sugar/carbs? Aren’t the recommended post-prandial targets to stay quite a bit lower - especially for a normal glycemic or even pre-diabetic?

I target to always stay below 6.7 (120). If I can’t eat something and stay lower I don’t eat it (anymore).

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Not quiet right, blood sugar should be below 7.8 mmol post prandial for non diabetics: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

And can I ask, what’s the point of always staying below 6.7 mmol? There is no scientificy that says that you improve health by keeping blood sugar under 6.7 mmol at all times. To be fair, you won’t be able to tell if you have a blood sugar of 7.8 or 6.7 mmol, unless you measure it. And it won’t make any damage to any organs as long as you do not reach diabetic values (above 11.2 mmol).

There is no point in always keeping blood sugar below 6.7 mmol. It won’t make any change.

Emile_the_rat said:

And it won’t make any damage to any organs as long as you do not reach diabetic values (above 11.2 mmol).

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I don’t have anything to hand but I was fairly sure damage can and does sometimes occur when levels go above 7. something.

Hb1ac would look at diabetic levels a bit differently. 48mmol/mol (diagnostic start point) is equivalent to an average of 7.7mmol/l suggesting damage can occur at that level. Levels might be close to that consistently and never reach 11.2 and still get you diagnosed.

HSSS said:

I don’t have anything to hand but I was fairly sure damage can and does sometimes occur when levels go above 7. something.

Hb1ac would look at diabetic levels a bit differently. 48mmol/mol (diagnostic start point) is equivalent to an average of 7.7mmol/l suggesting damage can occur at that level. Levels might be close to that consistently and never reach 11.2 and still get you diagnosed.

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I have to disagree. Getting blood sugar above 7 mmol are normal, everyone gets that. Also a random reading above 7 mmol won’t give any form of diagnose, and by no means a diagnotic start point.

Don’t know if you ever talked with a diabetic nurse, or diabetic GP, but my GP told me blood sugar had to be 15 mmol or higher to cause real damage.

Also you can’t calculate HbA1c that wait, it does not work like that. Because a non diabetic would get both blood sugar below 7.7 mmol, and blood sugar above and up to 10-11 mmol.

The difference here is that blood sugar fall in non diabetics, and usually stay between 4-7.7 mmol. Since non diabetic have fasting blood glucose between 4 - 5.9 mmol it would lower the averange blood sugar and therefor HbA1c. So a few spike above 7.8 mmol in non diabetics would not make a averange of 7.7 mmol and a HbA1c of 48.

Also, I’ve tested alot of my friends with my monitor, because they asked And well all of them have manage to get values between from 7 and up to 10 mmol after a meal high on carbs. And they are completely healthy.

This is not aimed at you HSSS, but I think people should stop making a fuss over normal blood sugar values, I think it is disrespect toward all the people who actually has diabetes and really struggles with high blood sugar.

Emile_the_rat said:

Also a random reading above 7 mmol won’t give any form of diagnose, and by no means a diagnotic start point.

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A fasting level of 7mmol/l is diagnostic https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
The starting point I referred to was 48mmol/mol hb1ac which is also what gets you diagnosed which equates to an average of 7.7mmol/l fingerprick. There’s a converter that does indeed show it works that way. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html

Emile_the_rat said:

Don’t know if you ever talked with a diabetic nurse, or diabetic GP, but my GP told me blood sugar had to be 15 mmol or higher to cause real damage.

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Not what I’ve heard or read. I guess we all get different information

I was trying ,and obviously failing, to convey the idea it is possible to be diabetic but not have postprandial 11.2 by having higher fasting levels, post prandial levels that whilst not reaching 11.2 after 2hrs take a long time to fall and could result in an hb1ac over 48. Yes it would be more than a few spikes and probably a lot higher than7.8. But I agree yes a non diabetic would fall quicker and have lower fasting levels resulting in a lower hb1ac

I don’t think the op was making a fuss. More trying to understand what drives a rise and how it works. Perhaps a little dramatic in the title but seeking education. He declared he was told he was prediabetic rather than called this a diabetic result.

I get your point that people shouldn’t go looking for what’s not there and how it makes you feel when they do but people come here confused and scared and ask questions to further their understanding not to be offensive (on the whole anyway) . A little reassurance and explanation can go a long way.

Sort of on this topic say I’m 5.6 and I have porridge oats with semi skimmed milk or 3 weetabix I would have say 4 units of novorapid and 1 hr later I can be up to 13mmol which is frustrating as when I test another hour later 2hrs from when I ate it will be within range again. Is this normal or does my insulin need adjusting? Thanks

skeema89 said:

Sort of on this topic say I’m 5.6 and I have porridge oats with semi skimmed milk or 3 weetabix I would have say 4 units of novorapid and 1 hr later I can be up to 13mmol which is frustrating as when I test another hour later 2hrs from when I ate it will be within range again. Is this normal or does my insulin need adjusting? Thanks

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When do you take novorapid? It should be taken 15-30 min before eating, if not you will get a temporary raise.

I too get those spikes if I take novorapid right before or right after eating. As long as it goes down, I think it’s pretty normal. Timing of injection are key to good blood sugar control.

But if you want to adjust your carb-to-unit ratio you have to take it with your diabetic health care team. No one on this forum should give advice about adjustment, units and ratio.

Thanks for the reply, I think you might be on to something there, I normally inject only minutes before I eat so Tomorrow I shall inject 15 mins before all meals and see how I get on. My carb/insulin ratio is good overall so think it is just the timing of the injection. Thanks