pre/post meal readings and spikes

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Sorry I have yet another bg reading question.

Scenario 1: pre meal reading of 4.3 post meal reading of 6.5

scenario 2: pre meal reading of 5.5 post meal reading of 6.5

Should I be more concerned about scenario 1 as the spike is greater or should I just be looking at the post meal reading of 6.5 and not take in account the pre meal reading?

Does this make sense or am I complicating the issue and confusing myself?
 

mo1905

BANNED
Messages
4,334
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Rude people !
Scenario 1 & 2 are both good readings. Remember the possibility of up to 20% tolerance too in results. I think it's good to ask questions and it's clear you are managing very good control so I would be happy with those readings and try not to become overly concerned with slight variations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 people

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Scenario 1 & 2 are both good readings. Remember the possibility of up to 20% tolerance too in results. I think it's good to ask questions and it's clear you are managing very good control so I would be happy with those readings and try not to become overly concerned with slight variations.

thanks for your reply. For my question I didn't use very good numbers! What I meant is if scenario 1 has a low pre meal reading and post meal at say 6 and scenario 2 has a higher pre meal reading but post meal reading still at 6 which is better the one with the smaller difference between pre and post readings or is the final reading important ie a reading of 6 is good, 9 isn't regardless of the pre and post readings?
 

mo1905

BANNED
Messages
4,334
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Rude people !
The lower the difference the better but just remember these meters are just a guide, they're not accurate. I always think a difference of about 2mmol between pre meal and post meal reading is acceptable. If the difference is 4 or 5, perhaps avoid that food or reduce the amount.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
The lower the difference the better but just remember these meters are just a guide, they're not accurate. I always think a difference of about 2mmol between pre meal and post meal reading is acceptable. If the difference is 4 or 5, perhaps avoid that food or reduce the amount.

Just to add to the confusion I have a cough and cold so my bg seems to be all over the place.
 

andcol

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,176
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
also remember that your pancreas releases insulin in response to rising sugars so if you don't increase so much on meal 2 it doesn't mean it is any better or worse than meal 1 as long as you remain at reasonable targets (which you need to set for yourself).

Flame on - lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I don't think the size of the spike matters so much as long as the top of the spike is within target.

However, and it is a big however, I have been forced into testing before and at 1 hour, 2 hours and often at 2.5 hours every time I test, which is a bind. This is because my peaks vary all the time between 1 hour and 2.5 hours. If my 2 hour reading is higher than 1 hour I have to keep going until it goes down. . I can't trust my 2 hour reading to be my peak. I am probably going overboard with this, but I am pedantic!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people

andcol

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,176
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
I see the exact same @Bluetit1802 but I can now guess from the composition of my meals whether it is going to be a 1 or 2 hour peak or 3 on one occasion. The more fat laden the longer it is
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
my fasting bg was 5.7 this morning. I had an omelette and a mug of tea for breakfast. At 2 hours my bg was 6.1. Normally I would only have tested at 2 hours but I decided to test again at 2 1/2 hours - it was 6.6. At 3 hours it was down to 5.7.

I normally test at 2 hours but should I be testing at 2 1/2 hours as it looks as if that was when I peaked today? Maybe my bg levels weren't quite as good as thought they were as I was testing too soon:(

Also, do antibiotics affect bg levels?
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
If you are testing a new meal as opposed to testing general trends, I have come to the conclusion it is necessary to test at 1hour and 2 hours, then if it hasn't gone down at 2 hours, test again every half an hour until it does. Otherwise you don't know what the peak is. As I said, some of my peaks are at 1 hour, some at 2 hours, and some at 2.5 hours. As Andrew said, the more fat the longer it takes to peak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
If you are testing a new meal as opposed to testing general trends, I have come to the conclusion it is necessary to test at 1hour and 2 hours, then if it hasn't gone down at 2 hours, test again every half an hour until it does. Otherwise you don't know what the peak is. As I said, some of my peaks are at 1 hour, some at 2 hours, and some at 2.5 hours. As Andrew said, the more fat the longer it takes to peak.

thanks! I need to revise my testing! I thought my levels were OK now I am not so sure:( I am now even more confused!
 

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
should I be testing at 2 hours and seeing what the difference is between pre and post meal levels or should I continue every half hour until I see that the level is going down?
 

andcol

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,176
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
should I be testing at 2 hours and seeing what the difference is between pre and post meal levels or should I continue every half hour until I see that the level is going down?
Yes test pre and at 2 hours. If it is high at 2 hours test at 2.5.

Personally, I also test after exercise. So lets say I eat at 1200 and at 1230 I go for a walk for 45 mins I will test at 1315 and then at 2 hours. I will also have the same meal several times to see a patter for that food both with exercise and without. So I know that I can handle a slice of sponge cake with royal icing but I will do a 20 minute walk at about 40 mins after if I want to keep the spike to below 7 (higher and faster carbs than I am used to). Generally, I like to exercise to flatten my blood profile whenever I can and it doesn't take much.

I don't know if that will help or will confuse you more
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
If you want to know the peak it is best to test at 1 hour and 2 hours, and then if it hasn't gone down at 2 hours, test again at 2.5 hours. Hopefully it will have gone down by then. If not, test again at 3 hours. I don't think the difference between pre-meal and post-meal matters a great deal, just the peak. Of course, the higher you are pre-meal, the higher the peak will be. Does this make sense?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
my pre lunch level was 4.8. After 2 hours it was 6.00. Previously I was stopping at 2 hours but of course it could still be going up - this is the bit that I hadn't fully understood. So I will test again at 2 1/2 hours

I thought today as I was walking the dog that I have my 2nd Hba1c test next week which means I have been low carbing and testing for 6 months and I still don't know what I am doing:( my mood did not match the nice sunny day we have had today
 

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
my pre lunch level was 4.8. After 2 hours it was 6.00. Previously I was stopping at 2 hours but of course it could still be going up - this is the bit that I hadn't fully understood. So I will test again at 2 1/2 hours

I thought today as I was walking the dog that I have my 2nd Hba1c test next week which means I have been low carbing and testing for 6 months and I still don't know what I am doing:( my mood did not match the nice sunny day we have had today

yay tested at 2 1/2 hours and it was 5.6 so going down.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
my pre lunch level was 4.8. After 2 hours it was 6.00. Previously I was stopping at 2 hours but of course it could still be going up - this is the bit that I hadn't fully understood. So I will test again at 2 1/2 hours

Your reading of 6.0 could have been going down as well as up! Several of my peaks have been at 1 hour
 

aqualung

Well-Known Member
Messages
695
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I have now been testing at 1 hour and then half hourly intervals until my bg level goes down. I now realise that only testing at 2 hours misses out information and made me think my peaks were not as high as they actually were. My pre lunch level was 5.3, after 1 hour it was 6.3 and at 1 1/2 hours it was 5.7. At 2 hours it will probably be lower (I am not going to test as it has gone down and whilst I know it is important I also have to make my strips last as long as possible) and if I had only tested at 2 hours I would have missed the peak and assumed that the food made my bg rise less than I thought.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people