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Peaks after meals

danielle1708

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,
Wondered if you can help.
I've been diagnosed with type 1 for 2 years next month and I've been on my honeymoon period since early diagnosis, which is very unusual yes I know.
I've been introduced back onto novorapid and levemir very slowly. (4 units of levemir before bed and 0.5 units of insulin to every 10g of carbs)
I've been using my free style Libre (cgm) and it's showing really high peaks after meals and dropping like a stone after and hour and a half/2 hours post meal.
Basically I just need some advice on how to stop this happening or some slow acting carbs to help stabilising my levels! Hope you can help.

 
@Garr Has made a good suggestion. Also, are you confident counting carbs and adjusting your insulin to what you eat?
 
Thank you @Garr I have read most of it and perhaps I'm not on the right insulin? I will phone up my nurse tomorrow and see what she suggests.
@azure no I'm not, I'm really struggling with when to inject to the different carbs
 
@danielle1708, the following is an on-line carb counting course similar to what is taught on DAFNE, you have to register but by all accounts it's extremely good:

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

It's always worth starting with a basal check before looking at your bolus timing and insulin-to-carb ratio's, once you get that right your half way there to getting your bg levels under control.

But as Garr says bolus timing is a must to reduce postprandial spikes, most of the time I bolus 20mins before eating except when the meal is high in fat.
 
Also download carbs and cals on your phone, it shows portion sizes of carbs and is incredibly useful for getting your head round carbs
 
Hi danielle
welcome to the forum
after reading your first post and seeing your Libre graph
you really are struggling to get BG's under control

one of the things i have inherited from 43 years with D is ROUTINE

so for me this meant eating the EXACT same thing every day ( boring as hell i know)
keeping a written log , and then speaking with your DSN armed with the knowledge that you have done your best to keep things as steady as possible , to see what can be done with your doses.
there does appear to be massive post prandial meal spikes in your graph which looks like your insulin to carb ratio is not right.
( eating the same every day and adjusting doses will help to confirm this )

for now keep posting young lady -- loads of friendly people here who want to help get you sorted out !!

all the best !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
danielle1708 said:
Thank you @Garr I have read most of it and perhaps I'm not on the right insulin? I will phone up my nurse tomorrow and see what she suggests.
@azure no I'm not, I'm really struggling with when to inject to the different carbs
Click to expand...

What you could try is picking one meal, keeping the food exactly the same (so for cereal, for example, have the same one and weigh it precisely) and then gradually change things - ie keep your bolys amount the same but bring it forward gradually. Then if this doesn't have the desired result, speak to your nurse about a slight bolus increase. You'll gradually find out what amount of insulin works for that meal. It's a simple, basic way to get better control.

We all tend to eat a main meal from a selection of about 20 or so, so that way you can gradually learn the right dose for each meal. If you don't already have them, get some accurate kitchen scales.
 

Thank you, it means a lot! I thought that my insulin might need increasing but I have a large drop after the insulin has kicked in.. How can I stop the drop?
I'm very insulin sensitive so I don't want to up my insulin without my nurses consent but I'm not able to get hold of her
I would suck at eating the same things every day, I get bored very quickly!!
 
danielle1708 said:
Thank you @Garr I have read most of it and perhaps I'm not on the right insulin?
Click to expand...

The article is by an American. It talks about fast acting analog insulins eg novolog, which is just American for novorapid.

The manufacturer (and probably your diabetic nurse) will tell you novorapid will work instantly and it's fine to take it with your meal or even after it. But you can see from your libre that that isn't working for you - you digest the food well before the insulin starts working.

I try to take my bolus 20-30 minutes before food & in my tummy (for better absorption).

Be aware though, if you aren't fighting the spike, it might mean that you may be more insulin sensitive, so you might need to lower your dose for the same food.
 
I eat the same meals everyday too. Not the same foods per se but the same macros. I switch up proteins fats and veg but I eat the same amount of each every day for every meal or I would never be steady.

I probably sound like a broken record but avocado is a magical food for me. The 1st thing i noticed was i stopped plummeting but i also stopped spiking. I am VLC though. I could NEVER find a way to eat carbs without spiking and dropping.
I eat to live, not live to eat. Luckily i love all food so it was no problem finding low carb meals that worked. I just 'pass' on the carbs
 
Watching this thread with interest! Your libre graph could so be mine! (Except mine is shifted up a bit, not so much in the blue!) I eat more or less the same things each day, at more or less the same time, and exercise a lot. I'm still struggling with spikes, and sometimes not being able to reduce them. I am trying to inject 20 mins or more before eating. I like the idea of eating the same thing every day and 'experimenting' with timing and amount of insulin. In fact, I have begun to do that for breakfast.
 
It's an interesting one. If I want to eat a dessert, like a Gu Zillionaires Cheesecake, I can avoid a spike but have to bolus 45 mins before eating. With low slow carb (up to 20g) and higher protein and fat, I'm bolusing just before eating and including an amount for protein. You just have to take the time to learn.
 
How do you bolus for protein?
 
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