how high is a spike ??

How long is a ball of string?

Spikes are subjective what may be a spike for one may be normal for another.

I think, for me, anything above 8mmol is a spike particularly if it doesn't come down PDQ.

So, spikes are readings above what you would expect/accept for you.

The fact is, spikes are the things that cause the damage, so best keep them to a minimum, whatever that is

H

Its rather like how long is a piece of string.
My first reaction would be was my finger clean or maybe contaminated .. then was there anything different in the meal to what I usually eat .. also could anything about my general well being have changed to influence the reading?

Get my drift?? So many factors can and do influence home testing, so most of us look for trends and not an isolated incident. Now if you were getting a run of those 9+ readings, then definately look deeper, but just the one without a trend is nothing to get het up about.

I agree that anything over around 8.5 might be defined as a spike. I had a spike of 20.8 after two hours a few weeks back, so as others have said how long is a piece of string. No one really knows the level of spikes and how often they can cause damage but the safe bet is to keep well below 10mmol.

Hi,
what if readings are regularly spiking?
I know I've only been testing 2 days (newly diagnosed T2), but my BG is around 5.5 monring and pre-meals, yet after each meal (am now doing low carb & calorie counted) it's 9.1 or above at the 2 hour mark, even after a carb-free meal of eggs/cheese
Am wondering (from experienced Type 2's) if that 2 hours spike will reduce as my body adjusts to my new low carb eating regime, or if it is a sign I need Medication??

When people talk about spikes!

They are referring to an 1 hour blood test, your blood glucose levels normal peek at 1 hour then drop, at two hours they should ideally be within 2mmol/l of your pre-meal test!

What is an acceptable spike at the hour mark people will have differing opinions on, so it's a case of what you are comfortable with.. But best advise I can give, is check pre-meal, 1 hour, 2 hours see what is happening... Then decide what you are comfortable with! If you decide on 'no-spike' you are probably on to a losing battle!

I'm slightly different as I'm T1 and I have the advantage of having a bolus wizard where I can program a meal rise allowance, which is set at 2.6mmol/l so my spike shouldn't be higher than this!