Confused about my numbers - should I be concerned?

[Deleted member 555277]

Been feeling very tired after carbs and have been itchy so I suspect T2 diabetes/insulin issues. To test I drank sweet tea and ate some pizza and 1 hour after my glucose was 85 mg/dL???? Before I ate it was 89. I even tested just with the sweet tea (44g sugars/carbs) and it was 90 mg/dL at 1 hour.

I read online that it should be between 110-140 1 hour after eating and 90-110 at the 2 hour mark.

I’m confused why I’m not spiking at all. Is this reactive hypoglycemia? I can’t figure out why I get sleepy/tired after eating.

Other foods too, I’ve been at 80s at the 1 hour mark. Am I not seeing a spike or why is it so low at the 1 hour mark?

In terms of history: I suspected diabetes when I had a fasting glucose exam at the docs and it hit 123 mg/dL. Weirdly, A1C was 4.7%. I measured at home with 2 glucometers and my numbers were mid 90s fasting. Next doctors visit I hit 107 mg/dL fasting (a bit over the border towards prediabetic). A1C went up to 5.0%.

I chalked it up to stress since I’m terrified of blood draws. But now that I’m getting symptoms after eating carbs I’m not sure anymore.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @GusJ42 and welcome to the forums. Using your units, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) occurs below about 70mg/dL so as long as it doesn't dip below I think that you should be fine.

I wonder if stress is pushing your blood sugars up for the fasting tests at the doctors???

Has your doctor done at hba1c at all (a measure of average blood sugar over the last 3 months and is often how diabetes is diagnosed.

Been feeling very tired after carbs and have been itchy

Any chance you have some sort of food allergy?

I stress that we aren't doctors here and forum rules don't allow us to diagnose even if we were (we don't have your medical history).

But if you are worried about your symptoms I suggest you go back to your GP.

Good luck.

It would have been interesting to see your blood sugars 2 and 3 hours after the pizza, because the cheese in the pizza often delays the absorption of the carbs (As a T1, I find dosing insulin for pizza a bit of a nightmare).

 

[Deleted member 555277]

Hi @GusJ42 and welcome to the forums. Using your units, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) occurs below about 70mg/dL so as long as it doesn't dip below I think that you should be fine.

I wonder if stress is pushing your blood sugars up for the fasting tests at the doctors???

Has your doctor done at hba1c at all (a measure of average blood sugar over the last 3 months and is often how diabetes is diagnosed.


Any chance you have some sort of food allergy?

I stress that we aren't doctors here and forum rules don't allow us to diagnose even if we were (we don't have your medical history).

But if you are worried about your symptoms I suggest you go back to your GP.

Good luck.

It would have been interesting to see your blood sugars 2 and 3 hours after the pizza, because the cheese in the pizza often delays the absorption of the carbs (As a T1, I find dosing insulin for pizza a bit of a nightmare).

Yeah I’m not sure, can stress really impact numbers that much? 15 mg/dL seems like a big difference for having 0 diet changes. I was less stressed. At home it’s always been below prediabetic fasting levels (although because I get nervous sometimes my finger gets sweaty so I try to wipe off the first blood drop but shortly after a little sweat gets in).

Yes I’ve done 2 hbA1C, came back at 4.7% the first time (average blood glucose of 4.9 mmol/L) and 5.0% the second time (average blood glucose of 5.38 mmol/L). Weirdly when the A1C was bigger, my fasting was smaller (6.82 mmol/L fasting the first time then 4 months later it was 5.94 mmol/L without much dietary changes).

 

[HSSS]

Yeah I’m not sure, can stress really impact numbers that much? 15 mg/dL seems like a big difference for having 0 diet changes. I was less stressed. At home it’s always been below prediabetic fasting levels (although because I get nervous sometimes my finger gets sweaty so I try to wipe off the first blood drop but shortly after a little sweat gets in).

Yes I’ve done 2 hbA1C, came back at 4.7% the first time (average blood glucose of 4.9 mmol/L) and 5.0% the second time (average blood glucose of 5.38 mmol/L). Weirdly when the A1C was bigger, my fasting was smaller (6.82 mmol/L fasting the first time then 4 months later it was 5.94 mmol/L without much dietary changes).

Stress can make a way bigger difference than 15 mmol. 15mg (less than 1mmol) is within the tolerance of many meter readings and not really that big a difference and also easily accounted for by the stress or the drs appointment or even just someone rushing to the appointment for example. Also every meter will read slightly differently and hearing a 15mmol difference between two meters is not unusual. They are simply not that precise. Which is why we usually advise sticking to a single meter and not being too concerned with oddities within a mmol (18mg) and looking at a slightly broader picture.

hb1ac comprised of all day every day for roughly 12 weeks, not just a single daily fasted reading. What happens the rest of the day is relevant too so you can’t directly compare even average fasted levels (certainly not a single one) as the two tests measure different things.