Post Prandial Blood Results and Time of Day

[Mick1952]

I was diagnosed T2 in October 2015. I was put on Metformin, and took everything seriously, losing weight, (not that I was particularly overweight) changed my diet, my exercise, my lifestyle in total. Within a couple of months I was well in remission. From trial and error over the next few months, and lots of testing, I found that I could eat most things in moderation, and really only had to cut out added sugar drinks and foods, and I was in pretty good control. My GP took me off all meds (I was struggling with Metformin tbh) and I thought I was lucky. My HBa1c is now consistently in the high 30s, so my GP has me as a model patient, so I stopped monitoring apart from a once a month fasting test, which would invariably come in between 5.5 and 6.2. However, in the last 12 months, and whilst being in remission, I have developed background retinopathy, as well as what appears to be arthritic pain in my hips, and occasional pins and needles in my legs. X rays and blood tests have found no reason for the latter two symptoms. In response to a post elsewhere, I was informed about the negative effects of spiking, so for the last few days, I've rekindled the art of the fingerprick. To my total amazement, I found that after a full 3 course Sunday lunch with wine, my post prandial BG was 5.6. However, eating after about 7.00pm, even on much lower carb foods leaves me with a post prandial of around 9.00! My conclusion, even though this is only into a few days of full testing, is that my ability to deal with carbs drastically reduces as I go into the evening, and I may well have been severely spiking my BG for the last couple of years even though my HBa1c are non diabetic. Has anyone else found their ability to deal with carbs reduces at the end of the day, or am I a rarity?

 

[urbanracer]

I was diagnosed T2 in October 2015. I was put on Metformin, and took everything seriously, losing weight, (not that I was particularly overweight) changed my diet, my exercise, my lifestyle in total. Within a couple of months I was well in remission. From trial and error over the next few months, and lots of testing, I found that I could eat most things in moderation, and really only had to cut out added sugar drinks and foods, and I was in pretty good control. My GP took me off all meds (I was struggling with Metformin tbh) and I thought I was lucky. My HBa1c is now consistently in the high 30s, so my GP has me as a model patient, so I stopped monitoring apart from a once a month fasting test, which would invariably come in between 5.5 and 6.2. However, in the last 12 months, and whilst being in remission, I have developed background retinopathy, as well as what appears to be arthritic pain in my hips, and occasional pins and needles in my legs. X rays and blood tests have found no reason for the latter two symptoms. In response to a post elsewhere, I was informed about the negative effects of spiking, so for the last few days, I've rekindled the art of the fingerprick. To my total amazement, I found that after a full 3 course Sunday lunch with wine, my post prandial BG was 5.6. However, eating after about 7.00pm, even on much lower carb foods leaves me with a post prandial of around 9.00! My conclusion, even though this is only into a few days of full testing, is that my ability to deal with carbs drastically reduces as I go into the evening, and I may well have been severely spiking my BG for the last couple of years even though my HBa1c are non diabetic. Has anyone else found their ability to deal with carbs reduces at the end of the day, or am I a rarity?

@Mick1952

Many people find that wine has the effect of lowering blood glucose levels. Your liver is far too busy processing alcohol to be releasing glucose. This may be one reason for dealing with the Sunday roast with relative ease. Activity levels do have an effect as well so if you've settled down on the sofa for the evening, you might expect those carbs to linger around, raising your blood glucose levels for a little longer than you want them to.

 

[DCUKMod]

I was diagnosed T2 in October 2015. I was put on Metformin, and took everything seriously, losing weight, (not that I was particularly overweight) changed my diet, my exercise, my lifestyle in total. Within a couple of months I was well in remission. From trial and error over the next few months, and lots of testing, I found that I could eat most things in moderation, and really only had to cut out added sugar drinks and foods, and I was in pretty good control. My GP took me off all meds (I was struggling with Metformin tbh) and I thought I was lucky. My HBa1c is now consistently in the high 30s, so my GP has me as a model patient, so I stopped monitoring apart from a once a month fasting test, which would invariably come in between 5.5 and 6.2. However, in the last 12 months, and whilst being in remission, I have developed background retinopathy, as well as what appears to be arthritic pain in my hips, and occasional pins and needles in my legs. X rays and blood tests have found no reason for the latter two symptoms. In response to a post elsewhere, I was informed about the negative effects of spiking, so for the last few days, I've rekindled the art of the fingerprick. To my total amazement, I found that after a full 3 course Sunday lunch with wine, my post prandial BG was 5.6. However, eating after about 7.00pm, even on much lower carb foods leaves me with a post prandial of around 9.00! My conclusion, even though this is only into a few days of full testing, is that my ability to deal with carbs drastically reduces as I go into the evening, and I may well have been severely spiking my BG for the last couple of years even though my HBa1c are non diabetic. Has anyone else found their ability to deal with carbs reduces at the end of the day, or am I a rarity?

Hi there, Mick. Picking up a few issues along the way was never in the plan I'm sure!

Before I comment too much further could you tell me how you do your testing? Is it before eating, then after a couple of hours, so two tests for each meal you test, or do you do more tests than that?

To address your specific question at the end of your post though, I would comment that our sensitivity to carbs/insulin resistance more commonly is at it's most challenging in the early part of the day, but as with all things diabetes, we're all different.

Have you managed to maintain your trimmed up state, or has any of your weightloss crept back on?

 

[Mick1952]

In all respects, I've continued my new lifestyle. My weight is only 5 pounds above a bmi of 25 ( 6 ft 1" and 13 stone 8lbs), I'm active and a member of a walking group, we do 10k hill walks every other week, I spend as much time as possible in the sunshine in Spain, so have a very Mediterranean diet.
As I said, my HBa1c are at a non diabetic level, and I have continued to do roughly monthly fasting bloods just to keep my eye open for any upward trends, which I haven't detected. So developing what appears to be diabetic complications of neuropathy and retinopathy have come as a very unpleasant surprise. I have, following reading the article on spiking following meals being responsible for many diabetic complications, started just a few days ago retesting in the morning, and before, then 2 hours after meals. It is too early to be definite, but as an example, 2 hours post a 3 course full Sunday lunch with wine, at 15:40 that afternoon my bloods were 5.6! Bring it on, I don't have a problem after all. Then this evening, a single meal of chicken fajitas (and a glass of wine) measured 2 hours post at just before 22.00 has come in at 9.2. Yesterday evening a much lighter meal came in at 7.2 2 hours post. So in the very few days that I have been fully testing again, it appears so far that it's not what I'm eating so much as when I'm eating it that is spiking my bloods badly. To be sure I will continue the testing and get myself sorted out, I'm not looking for help in that area. I guess the real reason for me posting is that it is becoming apparent that even though I'm in remission, things are progressing. In fact it was me replying to a post on here about the terminology of remission versus reversal that openeed my eyes to the effect of spiking versus good HBa1c, and the effect that could be having on my body. According to HBa1c only, I have reversed my diabetes, but clearly I haven't, and we must always be mind full that this disease marches on....

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi @Mick1952 are you taking statins by any chance?

 

[Mick1952]

Yes, but only for the past 3 months. My pins and needles and hip discomfort started a long time before that. I had quite a laugh about going on Statins with my GP, and her attitude was they obviously didn't cause the problem, but they might prevent a heart attack, so why not try them. Tbh, I don't feel any worse for taking them and my Cholesterol is coming down nicely, so I'm inclined to leave well alone at the moment on that score.

 

[Alison Campbell]

I don't think you are a rarity. I remember reading this article a while back and thinking it was interesting how different we all are.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/201...ive-in-the-evening,-study-finds-94881569.html