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Can this happen ?

Allan59

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Location
Sweden
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Too many to mention:
Before dinner I was 6.7
My dinner was some steak, a little chips and vegetables - then I had a apple.
2 hours later - I checked my sugar level again - it was 6.5
Can this happen ?
 
Yes. We aim to have as small a rise as possible - which you’ve achieved.

I’m a little surprised the chips and apple didn’t have more effect though as many, without medication, would see a rise from these so avoid them. Are you on meds to assist your control? Is this typical for you?
 
Yeah! I am on metformin - 1 tablet with breakfast and 1 tablet with dinner.
This isn't typical from me- that is why I found it so strange tonight.
I am usually around 6.5 before dinner and then 2 hours later maybe 8.5 or a little over 9
 
Well metformin doesn’t work on the carbs you eat (it reduces the liver dumping glucose and for some appetite) so that’s not it. Done any exercise earlier in the day? Eaten fewer carbs (chips) than usual?
 
Have you lost weight? Perhaps you have less liver and pancreas fat now and both are working better.
 
Always double check readings that are not in line with expectations.
 
Up date: Got up this morning- had a cup of coffee and checked my sugar level
It read 9.0 - checked it again- still 9.0
So that was a strange thing that happened last night
 
Allan59 said:
Up date: Got up this morning- had a cup of coffee and checked my sugar level
It read 9.0 - checked it again- still 9.0
So that was a strange thing that happened last night
Click to expand...

There are a few things that could have happened - although it is always variable.

Maybe the size of the protein portion and the fat content slowed your digestion down a bit (food usually digests in this order carbs, then protein, then fat, but if you coat carbs in enough fat, then that can slow things down significantly). When I eat a large protein meal, with comparatively (or no) carbs, then if my blood glucose rises, it usually happens after the 2 hour test, with my peak between 2.5 and 4 hours. But it really does depend on portion size.

Another possibility is that you were more active during the day, which meant that your muscles were better at using up the glucose as it was released from your food. This is an interesting one, because it is often used by people to prefer to eat more carbs and exercise more to deal with the glucose. The right type of exercise works on several levels, from lowering insulin resistance, using up glycogen stores in the muscles, and increasing the amount of glucose the muscles use, and then replenish their glycogen stores.

Not sure if your fasting reading of 9 is higher than usual? If it is, then it suggests that your bg reading may have been higher overnight (delayed release), rather than your body coping better with the glucose. There is a thing called 'The Pizza Effect' where eating pizza (which is a strange combo of fat, protein and carb) can cause very little rise to start with, but then the high blood glucose is just delayed, and sometimes lasts for 5? 6? or more hours. Although of course the details depend on portion size, food content, and personal digestion/activity levels.

Hope all that makes sense.
 
Thanks for the useful information - and yes, I was very active yesterday - building a new fence around the house.
Maybe if I did take my sugar levels 3/4 hours later after that meal - I would maybe have been much higher than that 6.5.
I said to the wife last night that my sugar levels were 6.5 after the meal - I was so happy with this result - so I treated myself to a yogurt - so glad I didn't have that bowl of coco pops I was going to have eh!
Anyway, just took another test right now - it's went down to 7.9 - 90 mins after my morning coffee.
 
Well, it happened again- I do not understand it at all.
Before dinner last night I was 5.9
For dinner- I had a chicken omelette & a apple - 2 hours later - I was 6.7
So I thought great - I will have a yogurt - then soon went to bed.
This morning - had a cup of coffee and took my sugar level - I was 10.2
Was it the yogurt- or is it the coffee - I don't get it !!!
 
Hi @Allan59

Diabetes can be unpredictable and you will sometimes find that your readings are variable even when ostensibly you are following the same eating/living patterns.

To add to what @Brunneria said above, as someone just starting out on this journey I would urge you to be consistent and test systematically so that you understand what your patterns are, which foods you can ‘safely’ eat and so on. Without that baseline understanding you’ll be left confused and ‘shooting in the dark’.

One thing that is certain for type 2s is that insulin resistance plays a big part. Your body struggles to process food (especially that containing carbs) and pushes up blood sugar levels. Every time you eat you trigger an insulin response, which is why it is often suggested to stick to meals that satisfy you and avoid snacks.

In your case if you want to have a yoghurt in addition to what you ate for dinner, it would be better to include the yoghurt as part of dinner rather than expanding the timeframe in which you’re eating.

With the coffee this morning, unless you know what your BG level was before drinking it, there is no way to know the impact it had. It’s unlikely that coffee alone will spike you (although some people find it does).

If you haven’t already, I’d really recommend you read Dr Jason Fung’s book, The Diabetes Code, or search for his videos on YouTube, most of which are freely available.
 
@Goonergal Thanks for the advice - and I will do what you have suggested
Level has went down to 9.0
 
What is in your "cup of coffee"?
 
Allan59 said:
Only- a little milk- but I also take a Actimel ( no added suger ) every morning.
Click to expand...
OK so .. test your blood before having anything at all in the morning your "fasting blood glucose".
Then have the coffee and actimel (possibly ditch the actimel 3g of unnecessary carb) and test 1 and 2 hours later.
Sounds like you have a high dawn phenomenon hike in blood sugar which may be being exacerbated by the milk and actimel.

Edit to add if its one of the higher carb level actimels definitely ditch it!
 
Allan59 said:
@bulkbiker : will do & this will be interesting - thank you
Click to expand...

Word of advice too when you say you had a yoghurt start to check the label on the back for the carbohydrate content.

Some yoghurts are surprisingly full of carbs. Full fat greek is usually the lowest but obviously an acquired taste. You can mix in some frozen raspberries if you want fruitiness but not too many.
 
Okay ! just a little up date - sugar levels in the morning before coffee and Actimel - ranges from 7.2 - 8.0
Before my dinner - I have been 4.9, 5.6, 6.7 - after dinner - usually around 8 or 9
It's hard- but still learning
 
In early days blood glucose levels can bounce around quite a lot - lots of things going on - its just a matter of letting things settle down without getting too excited about odd goings on.
 
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