Is a single spike dangerous?

Inchindown said:

I had dinner with some friends last night and I wasn't really all that careful about what I ate.

Before dinner my BG level was 5.3 mmol/l

One hour after it was 11.4

Two hours after it was 6.4

So is a spike of 11.4 one hour after food a problem. If I hadn't checked after one hour I would have been satisfied with the 6.4 reading after two hours.

Is it better not to check BG after one hour, and just stick to a two hour check.

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If you don't have diabetes, then it depends on how you feel with those spikes!
I haven't followed your threads, so I don't know what you are trying to achieve through testing.

Depends onwho you want to believe.

You were fine according to NHS blood glucose targets. But then the NHS expects us all to deteriorate.

I suggest you have a good look at the www,bloodsugar101.com website.
Lots of info and discussions there about how studies have shown that blood glucose levels over 7.8mmol/l cause damage to beta cells. Beta cells are what produce insulin. The longer the bg is high, and the higher it goes, the more damage.

My personal view is that i can romp around like a puppy in a mud puddle until my bg hits that 'magical' 7.8. From then on, i am risking progressing my D. The longer, and higher, the more risk.

But have a read up on it. You will find many different opinions and ideas on the subject.

Your question was "Is a single spike dangerous" If it is a single spike at an hour, then I would say no, it isn't dangerous. It's different matter if it is regular thing.

It does show that something is working in your pancreas because you were an acceptable 6.4 at 2 hours.

What you should also bear in mind is something called the last meal effect. If your pancreas has been used to you low carbing and is therefore producing less insulin (because you don't need much) then when you suddenly hit your system with carbs, the pancreas isn't expecting it. Therefore the first response insulin will be too little and you will spike a lot higher than you might have had you been eating carbs for a few days beforehand.

11.4 is not acceptable to me, for me
As far as not testing at one hour? Why? Don't you want to know what's going on? How would you know you spike like that without testing at one hour? This is how we eat to our meters and learn which foods spike and which don't.
Sometimes seeing those high readings shock us back to reality and we then would chose to make different dietary choices but we all have our own individual goals.

Inchindown said:

As for wanting to know what's going on, of course I do. But there is a limit to what I am prepared to do in order to manage my condition.

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And there is your error in my humble opinion you should be prepared to do what ever is needed to control your condition even if it is inconvenient.

Inchindown said:

11.4 is not acceptable to me either.

I normally test at 2 hours after a meal as that appears to be the normal way to do it as Far as I have read.

With the exception of this one meal, my BG has been in the normal range since I started on a reduced carbs diet.

I was merely asking if falling off the wagon on a single occasion like this is a bad thing.

As for wanting to know what's going on, of course I do. But there is a limit to what I am prepared to do in order to manage my condition.

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Unfortunately, that's the way it is!
I have to be really careful about what I eat!
And if you don't keep the spikes down to manageable levels then that's where the complications will happen.
A treat is fine but you can get low carb treats.
Nothing should come between you and your health and if that means you can't eat the amount of carbs or baddies you want to. That is your choice!

If you think that your condition is likened to an allergy, that you have an allergy to certain carby foods, such as I do! I have a lot of food intolerance!
If you were told if you attempt potatoes, rice, wheat and others similar foods high in carbs, and that allergy would instantly make you really ill, you wouldn't touch them with a barge pole!
But because the intolerance is slow and won't be for quite a while doesn't mean it's any less dangerous to your health.
Do have a rethink. You can have treats, not the ones that will cause real problems in the future!

Reasonable, is also different for everyone!

You need to find yours!

By ignoring the warnings, you could change your mind down the line!

Inchindown said:

I will not allow diabetes, or any of my other health conditions, to dominate my life.

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I like your optimism, but it might not always be a choice.

You are a little fortunate that you have the time to reverse the condition.
Some of us, have a lifetime of low carb, because of the fatality of the illness that can occur!
Don't mean to scare you.

I have severe limitations in what I can eat, I haven't got that choice!
But, because of that, I'm in really good health, really fit for my age, great energy, because I'm determined that it won't get me!
Be very ill or in great health? That's my choice!

If you avoid the baddies, you could eat normally, almost!

I understand not wanting it to control your life. I don't want it to control mine either but I don't want the complications to slowly kill me. War king my aunt slowly losose both her feet, then legs, go blind, be on dialysis etc for years paints a pretty picture I can't ignore.

I am OCD about my numbers. Too much so but perhaps you could test after a few meals at the one hour point as well as the two and see if you're seeing spikes at one hour. After testing before meals , one and two hour tests to pretty much see what we tolerate and don't so testing could become less. As a T1 I need to test all the time to match my insulin to foods.

There are plenty of ways to eat out and reduce carbs. Bunless burgers, salads or veggies instead of chips or fries, any protein without breading or buns. Most restaraunts will sub veggies or a salad. I now have loads of food intolerances so I don't eat out much but I did pre D and I still managed low carb. Steaks or steak sandwich hold the bun. Fillings of wraps. I can't eat grains or cheese in any form so it makes it much harder for me. Gravies and sauces spike me like I ate cake. Generally I order a salad topped with protein , sans the croutons and a fatty dressing like Caesar or Parmesan peppercorn. No problem there !!! Love it!

Inchindown said:

Thanks for the thoughts.

This dinner was a one off event and not something which will be repeated very often.

I suppose I just didn't want to get into it with the hostess to provide me with low carb stuff. Perhaps I need to be a little more open about my dietary requirements in future.

My normal state is well controlled when I do the cooking, so hopefully this sort of thing will not become a major issue.

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I'm very much with you on not expecting anyone to modify their choices for entertaining, just because I will be sharing their table. Even thought I was diagnosed over three years ago now I have still not told very many people at all (aside from my very close family, others at my local DUK group and you lot on here) of my diagnosis. Generally, in my view, they're not that interested, and I have no wish to be judged or viewed differently by anyone. As a result I have been known to be sitting at a table rapidly working out which are my best options on offer.

When asked why I had started to pass on potatoes, or whatever, I just responded I'd had some routine blood tests (Crumblies' MOT sort of thing) and a couple hadn't been where I'd have wanted them, so I was doing something about that. All perfectly true.

Sometimes I'll put some potato, or whatever, on my plate at the outset, then shuffle it around before being "too full" to finish it.

Good luck with it all. It's certainly a pretty steep learning curve.

AndBreathe said:

I'm very much with you on not expecting anyone to modify their choices for entertaining, just because I will be sharing their table. Even thought I was diagnosed over three years ago now I have still not told very many people at all (aside from my very close family, others at my local DUK group and you lot on here) of my diagnosis. Generally, in my view, they're not that interested, and I have no wish to be judged or viewed differently by anyone. As a result I have been known to be sitting at a table rapidly working out which are my best options on offer.

When asked why I had started to pass on potatoes, or whatever, I just responded I'd had some routine blood tests (Crumblies' MOT sort of thing) and a couple hadn't been where I'd have wanted them, so I was doing something about that. All perfectly true.

Sometimes I'll put some potato, or whatever, on my plate at the outset, then shuffle it around before being "too full" to finish it.

Good luck with it all. It's certainly a pretty steep learning curve.

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I agree that most people are not interested in whether you are diabetic. But it is always less complicated to be open. Why not just say "I have to be careful what I eat because I am diabetic".

It depends on your beliefs.

LInk on this site
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

'normal', none diabetics can hit 11.1.
With the accuracy of a meter to consider.......... that's close enough.

Others set different targets.

BrianTheElder said:

I agree that most people are not interested in whether you are diabetic. But it is always less complicated to be open. Why not just say "I have to be careful what I eat because I am diabetic".

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I choose not to. I'm not suggesting for a moment my tactic is correct for everyone or even anyone else. There are no lies in what I tell people. It may be economical in it's disclosure, but no lies.

I have merely made my choice that has worked for me.

I have made changes to my way of eating to accommodate my condition. I don't see why others should have any of them enforced upon them, or be perplexed what to cook for us.

I can happily report I have never been in a situation where I haven't been able to eat, or have been stressed by what I have actually eaten.