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Post Prandial Sugar Levels

Scoobmeister1

Member
Messages
21
Location
Kent
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I am still trying to manage my sugar levels post prandial. I am typically getting readings between 8 and 11 after eating (I know 9 is fine). Initially I was injecting immediately before eating, but have now started to inject between 30 to 60 minutes before eating. This has helped as I don't think Novo rapid kicks in for me until at least one hour after injecting.

Although I pretty much always return to normal levels before re-testing (I do this four times a day), the novo rapid seems to really kick in 2 - 3 hours after eating and the sugar level drops dramatically. I am worried about these two hours where I am above a level of 9 and what harm it will do me long term? For the other times of the day I am fine.

Do I need to inject 90 mins before eating? I am monitoring what carbs I will be eating, but what can you do if the novo rapid doesn't counter the effects of the sugar quickly enough? Should I be increasing my basal injection levels and reducing the nov rapid levels?

Frustrating!!

All help welcome
 
Are you sure that your basal insulin levels are set correctly? For you not to see much effect from Novorapid on that timeline is really unusual.
 
Do you mean the basal insulin is too high? It seems as if my body converts the carbs much quicker than the Nov rapid can act.
 
@Scoobmeister1 Silly question, but when you say you're "monitoring" your carbs, do you mean counting them and adjusting your insulin accordingly?
 
Scoobmeister1 said:
That's right
Click to expand...

Ok Then if it was me, I'd do a basal check to make sure I was having the right amount of that as the basal is the foundation on which you build.

Then once you're sure that's ok, you can look at your bolus injections.

Edited to add that you may find basal tweaks help your sugars anyway so might not need to fiddle with the bolus too much
 
Scoobmeister1 said:
Do I need to inject 90 mins before eating?
Click to expand...

That would be taking things to the extreme as insulins like Novorapid/Apidra peak around 90-120mins after injecting.Are you rotating your injections sites?

Agree with @azure that you should start with some basal checks.
 
Thanks. So if i am not having food and doing the testing say in the morning having had my basal injection the previous night. If the BG level increases throughout the day then my basal level is too low. If it drops then it is too high? But test on three different days first and monitor.
I would need to do repeat this one time period at a time?
Once i have done this and steadied the BG levels what if i still get the spikes? Is it usual if i am counting carbs that the post prandial would go as high as 11 or even 12?
I was always told to inject just before eating, but the spikes are even higher than injecting 30-60 minutes previously.

I am still on my honeymoon period so not sure if this affects matters?

I know the Novo rapid eventually brings the level down but not quick enough to avoid the 11's or 12's.

Sorry to ramble on, just trying to figure it all out.
Cheers
Ashley
 
@Scoobmeister1 what BG levels are you at before eating? Just wondering how big you think the spikes are as an actual increase?
 
Hi Steve, before eating my levels are usually between 5 and 6. As an example of strange things, i had a BG level of 5.6 and ate 3 plain weetabix after injecting 30 mins prior and the BG level rose to 12.5 about two hours after eating. On the same day i injected again 30 mins prior to having half a deep pan pizaa and the level was 7.1 two hours after eating!! I had taken more insulin than needed for the weetabix, but just the right amount for the pizza.

I always test the insulin from the needle before injecting as instructed. Could it be on this occasion nothing came out? I rotate my injection sites. I'm sure i am doing things right!!

Cheers
Ashley
 
As others have advised, definitely do a basal test but I do think some type 1s have worse post prandial spikes than some other type 1s. I've spent a serious amount of effort trying to control mine for many years with great support from my hospital and I have to just accept that I will spike.

Test four hours after eating and if you have given the correct insulin, you are on the correct basal, your insulin- carb- ratio is correct, you are precisely aware of the carbs (packet food whilst trying to get control) and your blood is normal at the 4 hour point - then it might just be that this is how your body reacts to carbs.

I'm not sure if you've done DAFNE but this is why they advise testing 4 hours later; so you don't become disheartened or freak out lol!

Remember that different foods will give you different spikes. I'm not the type (yet!) to restrict my food but I can't handle any cereal so I don't eat it. Weetabix would raise you higher than pizza despite being lower in carb as it's basically pure sugar whereas the fat in the pizza is slowing down the sugar release.
 
I feel for you I really do, I get this all the time and I am trying to get control. This morning I spiked up to 17 and gave novo rapid more than I should of done. I too get worried about how spiking will affect my long term health and get quite angry actually. My basal injection is high as well and that just doesn't seem to help. I am sorry your putting up with this.
 

NovoRapid will always kick in too late after a carb only meal and cause a blood sugar spike 1.5 to 2 hrs later unless the bolus is given earlier. I don't think you are any different to normal.

Going low carb is the best fix for this. The spikes are much lower when carbohydrate is replaced by fat and protein and bolus insulin is reduced. The fat and protein take much longer to digest and need much less insulin. This matches the NovoRapid profile better.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
H
Hi Ashley

Its always possible to have the odd duff injection that does nothing, but doubt that is the issue. Lots of people complain about cereals spiking badly. You could maybe pre-bolus out to 45 minutes, but otherwise the only options are to eat less of the carbs ( maybe two weeties and a full fat yoghurt?) to reduce the spike or try some exercise after eating. I use a Libre so can wait till I see the BGs drop before I eat as well as see what actually happens during the two hours.

Cheers

Steve
 
Thanks for the message. It is starting to make a bit more sense now, especially as the bigger spikes are in the morning. I never realised that cereals could also cause such an increase in the spike. I tested myself just over an hour after breakfast and was at 10.3. Then 90 mins after that I was at 4.1! Must be the cereals. I'll change the breakfast a bit as you say and hopefully that should help.
 
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