DangerRanger
Newbie
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- 1
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
He also has neuropathy...
He also has neuropathy...
-
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Hello! My fiancé T1 diabetes and tests higher before than after a meal?
- Thread starter DangerRanger
- Start Date
- Messages
- 10,407
- Location
- New Zealand
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- hypos and forum bugs
I'm sorry that your partner has T1. Your profile says that you have T2, is this correct? I'm assuming that it is in my reply. In that case, I'm also sorry that you have T2.
You've got to remember that though some of the symptoms are very similar, T1 and T2 diabetes are actually very different. T1's need to inject insulin because they don't produce any (or enough) while T2s often produce too much insulin because their bodies can't process carbs correctly. So I expect he injects before every meal, and if his blood sugar is higher than he wants he'll inject a bit extra, a correction dose. So his blood sugar after a meal (you don't say how long after) will depend on how much he's injected, how much he's eaten, and when he injected for the meal. (Many T1s "pre-bolus", inject 15 minutes before the meal, so that the insulin is properly working by the time their food hits their system.).
But I know nothing about your fiance's regime (maybe he has an insulin pump?), so it's really hard to comment.
As regards the neuropathy, that's something for him to discuss with his team. All I know is that it can sometimes be eased by improving one's blood sugar levels.
It's good that you're a supportive partner, maybe you could get him to come on the forum if he has queries?
(You probably already know this, but it can be a big help for a T1 to have a partner who understands about hypos, particularly if they occur at night. My husband is invaluable in that respect, though it can be very annoying to be asked if my blood sugar is low when it isn't and I'm just feeling grumpy.
)
Anyway, welcome to the forums. I'm tagging @daisy1 to give you the general intro to diabetes talk. It's more geared to T2s, though it's also relevant to T1s. The low carb advice tends to be more relevant to T2, though some T1s also follow it.
You've got to remember that though some of the symptoms are very similar, T1 and T2 diabetes are actually very different. T1's need to inject insulin because they don't produce any (or enough) while T2s often produce too much insulin because their bodies can't process carbs correctly. So I expect he injects before every meal, and if his blood sugar is higher than he wants he'll inject a bit extra, a correction dose. So his blood sugar after a meal (you don't say how long after) will depend on how much he's injected, how much he's eaten, and when he injected for the meal. (Many T1s "pre-bolus", inject 15 minutes before the meal, so that the insulin is properly working by the time their food hits their system.).
But I know nothing about your fiance's regime (maybe he has an insulin pump?), so it's really hard to comment.
As regards the neuropathy, that's something for him to discuss with his team. All I know is that it can sometimes be eased by improving one's blood sugar levels.
It's good that you're a supportive partner, maybe you could get him to come on the forum if he has queries?
(You probably already know this, but it can be a big help for a T1 to have a partner who understands about hypos, particularly if they occur at night. My husband is invaluable in that respect, though it can be very annoying to be asked if my blood sugar is low when it isn't and I'm just feeling grumpy.
)Anyway, welcome to the forums. I'm tagging @daisy1 to give you the general intro to diabetes talk. It's more geared to T2s, though it's also relevant to T1s. The low carb advice tends to be more relevant to T2, though some T1s also follow it.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@DangerRanger
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 600,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 600,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
kitedoc
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,785
- Location
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- black jelly beans
Hi @DangerRanger As @EllieM mentioned, would you be able to provide us with:
# what your fiance's insulin types and doses are and when taken?
# what he eats for his meals and any between-meal snacks
# what his pain/neuropathy is like and where and what treatment he has been prescribed for it
# whether he has had any tests done to rule other causes of his pain/neuropathy diagnosis
That way we may be able to help problem solve/make suggestions a bit more
Best Wishes
# what your fiance's insulin types and doses are and when taken?
# what he eats for his meals and any between-meal snacks
# what his pain/neuropathy is like and where and what treatment he has been prescribed for it
# whether he has had any tests done to rule other causes of his pain/neuropathy diagnosis
That way we may be able to help problem solve/make suggestions a bit more
Best Wishes
