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Help. Strangely high blood sugars after lunch

Brownie1993

Brownie1993

Well-Known Member
Messages
57
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Over the past week I've experienced strangely high blood sugars, after my lunch.

It's strange because I always eat the same thing for lunch (tuna sandwiches, four pieces of wholemeal bread, 11g carbs per piece with a bag of crisps). And I always take the same units of novorapid, so I don't get why I'm suddenly having high blood sugars after lunch. My ratio is 1 unit of insulin per 15g carbs

So for my 60g carb lunch, I usually take 4 units for according to my ratio. Today, i took 6 units, to see if that would prevent the strangely high blood sugars I've experienced lately. Before lunch, I was 6.2. Now, two hours later, I'm 11.5!

I don't get it. Why is this happening?
 
Might be your basal insulin is starting to run out (depending on what time you take your dose) or your I:C ratio has indeed changed and needs adjusting.

Those must be quite small slices of bread to be only 11g of carbs each, are you sure you got that right? Many of us type 1's on the forum inject ahead of our food to give our insulin a chance to work before the food digests, quick-acting insulins like Novorapid take around 15 mins to work and peak around 90-120 mins after injecting, by injecting ahead of a meal it can reduce postprandial spikes.

There's an explanation about it in the following from Gary Scheiner ( Author of Think Like a Pancreas):

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.c...blood-glucose-management/strike-the-spike-ii/
 
It says on the packet of bread that it's 11g per slice. They're normal size, just low carb.
I take my basal just before bed... But I don't think it runs out, because although I'm getting high blood sugars after lunch, after dinner is usually not a problem.
 
Have you just started eating this bread? Many people don't realise that bread has sugar in it and if this is low carb bread the chances are it's higher in sugar.
This would give you a spike after eating it. Maybe try eating the same amount of carbs with different bread and seeing if this helps. Just a thought. Even if you have been eating this for a while your body may now be processing it differently. Just part of the fun of being T1. Let us know if this helps.
 
Brownie1993 said:
It says on the packet of bread that it's 11g per slice. They're normal size, just low carb.
I take my basal just before bed... But I don't think it runs out, because although I'm getting high blood sugars after lunch, after dinner is usually not a problem.
Click to expand...


Bread like Burgen Soya & Linseed does have a similar carb value , try injecting ahead of the food and change your I:C ratio as mentioned, if that doesn't work look for an alternative lunch.

Just remember, insulin doses are not set in stone and do change quite often.
 
If your basal isn't running out for the evening, then the lunch is too high on carb for your Novorapid. So either you increase the dose to cover it and test to monitor, or - what I would do - you drop the bread. I would never eat bread. I prefer low carb intake and nice low insulin doses.

That's up to each individual to decide, of course, though there are consequences.
 
Perhaps look at the timing of your insulin. Many find they have to bolus at least 20 mins before they eat. Bread is a s*d for high blood sugars so another option is to cut down the amount of bread or try a different type. Crisps are def not good on blood sugars either so perhaps find a different combination for lunch :) It more than likely that you body needs have changed and it just can't cope with all that bread without a lot more bolus.
If it's just a problem at lunch time then you can rule out faulty insulin or pen.


Ah just looked at your profile, only diagnosed for 7 months :) So would suspect your honeymoon period is coming to an end. IE you pancreas is coming to the end of it's working life hence you will probably need to rethink both your basal and bolus amounts.
 
Auckland Canary yes I have only recently started eating this bread

Emmotha my blood sugars do come down by the time it's dinner, but that's because I take a correction dose.

Thanks for the input all!
 
If you have to take a correction then sounds like ratios are out at lunch time. However, I have certain foods that spike me no matter what, like porridge. So I just avoid it now
 
Hiya! I simply cannot eat bread no matter what bread, how much I jab or the timing of my jab - it simply does not stop me spiking way into the teens. Same with cereal including porridge (so not a wheat thing as such). I have great difficulty jabbing for a couple of ryvitas - a relatively massive amount of insulin needed and pot luck where the spike ends. A few potatoes with my Sunday lunch on the other hand are relatively easy to jab for. Unfortunately, that's just a difference in how my body processes those carbs.

Being LADA, I haven't really had the 'honeymoon ending' thing - but it certainly looks like your's might now be ending and your insulin needs might increase considerably. Probably time to rethink your food choices.

Smidge
 
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