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Glucose Level Variation In A Day

the-noob

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi,

Short background:
I've been diagnosed this sprint after a routine check and prescribed Metformin 500g x2/day.
After attending an informative diabetes meeting I've changed a few things in my diet like eating some 'slow release' carbs in the morning (100-150g) and reduce the portions + cutting the sweets to once a week. Non-smoker, stopped even the casual drinking last year in Nov, now no more than 1-2 pints every other Friday with co-workers (from like 15 jaggerbombs every Sat)

Now... after about 3 months of what I considered good improvement (lost ~2 inches waist line) I decided to buy a meter and... surprise surprise, my levels rarely go under 8(mmol/l).
When they do I feel sick and dizzy (got to 6.5 like 2 times), the 'slow release' rubbish carbs get me to 16-19 within the hour but usually drops to 9 in 3-4h.

Anyone else experiencing this kind of roller coaster readings ?
Purely from a 'see the numbers' perspective do you think it's worth getting some Libre sensors ?
 
It is true that Blood sugars vary through the day, and depend on what you have eaten, and are doing.
The recommended levels are here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
Your body is still getting used to lower levels, but 6.5 is at the higher end of the range!
As you have found out eating starchy carbs sends you blood sugars rocketing. I would not find those acceptable in the longer term, which is why I have cut out most carbs, I eat no more than 100g a day, and many here would consider that a lot!
The best advise I can offer is that given to me. Eat to your meter

Good luck on your lifelong journey
 
Yes, I agree.

Your Meter will tell you the truth.

I wouldn't listen to anyone(thing) else.
 
Hi,

Yes, eat to your meter. It is your best friend.

I have no carbs at all for breakfast because that is when my insulin resistance is at its worst. I have a few at lunch, then the rest for evening meal, no snacks other than a cup of tea when I fancy one. I have around 30g a day, no bread other than half a Lidl high protein roll most days, no cereals, rice or pasta. I do eat potatoes in small quantities because my meter says I can, and I avoid things made with flour as much as possible (such as gravy, shop bought soups and most sauces etc.)

I imagine you have been told to follow the NHS Eatwell Plate, which says carbs with every meal. That is all very well for non-diabetics, but useless for us I'm afraid. All carbs convert to glucose once inside the system, so much better to reduce them as much as possible. Fill up on leafy green veggies, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, salads, avocados, meat and fish, especially oily fish like salmon.

Have a good read round the forums for tips and advice, and ask questions. The Libre sensor is an excellent tool for showing where your levels are at times when you aren't testing. I use them as and when I feel the need and can afford them.
 
Of course first and foremost eat to your meter.
In my own body I find a carb is a carb whether low GI, slow release etc. I eat a VLC diet, lower than a lot of people but I am very carb sensitive. Suits me well though.

Just another thought for you, those swings can cause just as much damage as high bs. We aim for flat and steady.

You are just beginning to see how food effects you so you will be able to eliminate or reduce portions until you find your personal goal.

Many of us have replaced carby foods with fattier foods and some of us actually prefer that.
 
Can I as, what you have for BF and if you still see a rise? BF still annoys me. I either have a small piece of Bibb lettuce with a small slice of deli turkey with mustard and mayo or some avocado and some days I still get a spike. Lunch I can eat more and dinner as well with the same bolus. I can't skip BF or I continue to rise without insulin.
 

I just have a soft boiled egg and a mug of tea with small dash of milk (the tea is non-negotiable!) I do see a rise, but not as much as it was with a FF yogurt, flaxseed and 2 small strawberries. If I skip breakfast I still rise. It makes no difference, although the rise is only about half a mmol/l at an hour, dropping very slowly through the morning. It takes 3 hours to get back to where I started no matter what I try. Saying that, half a mmol/l is insignificant.
 
An mmol is 18 points right? If so I usually rise a whole mmol. For instance this morning I was 90 fasting and 2 hours later 108. Still not bad numbers but what's the deal? I don't eat lunch until 3 and usually back down then. I have a few nuts around noon. NOTHING seems to keep BF flat. I am backing up my bolus and am at 15 min now but if I go low first then the spike is worse. I wonder if I'm eating too much fat at BF as fat also makes us insulin resistant. I'm certainly not going to eat carbs and I do turn protein to. Bs fast so not sure which way to go. I love hard boiled eggs though!!! This is just annoying me. The rest of the day I am always very flat and BF is a fraction of what I eat for lunch and dinner.
 
@Kristin251 it could just be your liver trying to look after you, so whatever you eat won't make much difference. If it decides to dump glucose, it will dump glucose, especially in the morning. Perhaps it is trying to keep your levels a tad higher than you want and something you have to accept? I am a firm believer that we each have our own natural levels, where our bodies want us to be. I know my body likes me in the mid 5s as a base level. For example, I don't normally rise over night at all, but if I go to bed in the 4s you can bet your bottom dollar I will be in the mid 5s when I wake up. That's my natural level. My personal theory, nothing scientific.

But we are derailing the thread. Sorry @the-noob
 
Hi @the-noob and welcome.
I will tag @daisy1 for her helpful information for newcomers.
I found most (not all) carbs pushed up my readings to begin with so testing is the most helpful suggestion I can make. I did get very high spikes when I first started testing but as I cut down on the carbs my readings came down. For me low GI did not work and for a while I had to cut out all bread etc. Now I can manage some in small quantities but I'm 18 months into this.
 

I've been using the Libra for a month now and just ordered my second lot of two sensors, prior to this I had been using test strips on and off for about three years.
The great thing about the Libra is that it will show you what has been going on between scans (which would be finger pricks otherwise) so that even if you did not scan (or finger prick test) at that actual moment, you can actually see a spike or fall in your levels as the sensor tracks your levels constantly and shows this flow on a small chart. You can scan as often as you like and this is great when you first start checking stuff, your fingers would be like plum tomatoes if you did this amount of testing with test strips and it would probably cost more.
I would recommend the Libra to anyone/everyone recently diagnosed as it is so much easier to use and easier to engage with the process of testing your levels and also accelerates your understanding of what foods actually spike you levels.

Its the best thing I've done so far in taking control of diabetes myself and not having to trust so called experts or doctors who are behind the curve.

Good luck with it all

Steve
 
Hi and welcome!

That 'eat slow release carbs' nonsense is the downfall of many a T2.
They do what they are told, without a clue about the damage it does them on a meal by meal basis.

If I were you I would invest in a comprehensive self testing regime, whether that is prick testing or the Libre (I Libre and LOVE it). you need to test before, and at 2 hours (some people also test at 1hr, and some keep testing hourly til they return to starting point), but it all depends on how much you want to spend, and how much time you want to invest.

Keep a food diary.

You will be shocked and awed at what the food diary and the blood testing tells you - and it will be very different from what the NHS does.

At that point you will be able to design your own personalised diet that avoids the things that send you high and gives you great control of your glood glucose. No more roller coaster. No more escalating HbA1c and ever increasing meds.

 
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