Rise in blood sugar from 6.7 to 21.4 after meal

[akindrat18]

I've just had my evening meal 4 hours ago that's consisted off some scrambled eggs, diced chorizo and mozzarella with 2 glasses of squash and a can of diet coke. I'm not sure how or why my blood sugar has risen to the 20's. I'm just starting to get into the habit of regular testing after being up the hospital on Thursday night.

I'm suppose to be taking 40 units of Novorapid and 80 units of Tresiba, along with slow release metformin and carvedilol, but with my recent gut pains and diarrhea I've not been taking my novorapid as often as I should. I have no clue as to where else I can inject my insulin, I can hardly contact the diabetes nurse team and still on a waiting list to be seen by a wellbeing service.

Even the hospital staff aren't helpful, as they could not find nothing wrong in my gut that could be causing my gut pain, didn't once check my blood sugar to see if it was in normal range (I did and it was 24.6) and sent me back home.

 

[Antje77]

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with your ongoing gut pains, I really hope you'll improve soon!

with my recent gut pains and diarrhea I've not been taking my novorapid as often as I should. I have no clue as to where else I can inject my insulin

You can inject everywhere where there is a bit of fatty padding: stomach, hips, buttocks, legs, upper arms.

 

[MissMuffett]

How long have you been on Metformin as this can cause gut pain and is a common side effect. It happened to me so I was prescribed slow release metformin. I still had a bit of niggly pain but after a couple of weeks that went away.

Have you checked the ingredients in the squash as this might be the reason for your high BG. @Ashybang cut the squash out and got better results.
What do you have at mealtime?

 

[eventhorizon]

Instead of regular testing can you get a Libre 2? I think it would make your life easier and help the HCPs to help you.

 

[akindrat18]

How long have you been on Metformin as this can cause gut pain and is a common side effect. It happened to me so I was prescribed slow release metformin. I still had a bit of niggly pain but after a couple of weeks that went away.

Have you checked the ingredients in the squash as this might be the reason for your high BG. @Ashybang cut the squash out and got better results.
What do you have at mealtime?

I've been on Metformin for 11 years. Slow Release tablets since 2017.

The squash that I have is the robinsons fruit creations, which have 0 or low sugar.

I try to vary what i eat for dinner, but due to a limited budget it's not that great and normally consists of either a piece of meat with some chips/boiled potatoes/pasta and a few veggies. Breakfast is cereal or toast and lunch is a sandwich or leftovers from the night before.

Instead of regular testing can you get a Libre 2? I think it would make your life easier and help the HCPs to help you.

I tried it once with a free 2 week trial, but it only lasted a week before it came off. Plus I don't think the HCPs care as they said that I don't need a ketone meter when my blood sugar is high as I don't present any ketones.

 

[akindrat18]

I've been told to take Co-codamol for the pain by A&E. But I've just now had another episode of gut pain, followed by diarrhoea.

All I've had today was some toast this morning, followed by a few slices of cheese in the afternoon.

 

[Lakeslover]

I’d been on met for in for 10 years when the occasional diarrhoea and pain turned into constant problems. Worth asking your doctor if you can trial stopping it for a while. Are you always taking it with food?

what was your blood sugar before the meal that you Had before tge high reading? Could it have been high all day?

 

[akindrat18]

I’d been on met for in for 10 years when the occasional diarrhoea and pain turned into constant problems. Worth asking your doctor if you can trial stopping it for a while. Are you always taking it with food?

what was your blood sugar before the meal that you Had before tge high reading? Could it have been high all day?

It's not the metformin that's causing it. I was off it for 2 weeks in November and still had it.

My blood sugar reading before the meal was 8.5, then in the morning it was 24.7.
Today though, the pain in my gut has been with me non stop since 2:30pm and I've taken 2 lots of Co-codamol with no relief. Going to phone my gp tomorrow to see if I can get appointment with a doctor and not a nurse.

 

[MissMuffett]

With the meals you’ve described my BG would be through the roof as way too many carbs. Maybe if you try to lower your carb intake. There are lots of ideas on this forum to substitute the potatoes, my greatest find since going low carb is roasted cauliflower and when I make curry I have it with broccoli instead of rice. I haven’t eaten rice and pasta for years now and had only one potato on Christmas Day! Also instead of cereal try full fat yogurt and berries or omelettes with cheese, something with less carbs. The diet doc website also has great recipes and information.
Hope you get your tummy sorted.

 

[akindrat18]

I had some chicken strips party food last night that I still had from Christmas and my blood sugar before I had it was 9.8, I also forgot to take my mealtime insulin. Woke up this morning and my blood sugar is 8.3.

Tried to phone my gp for an appointment with the doctor about my gut pain and they had none left, even though I was only 9 in the queue. I'm going to try again tomorrow morning, as it's no point going to a walk in as they will tell me to go A&E.

 

[AndBreathe]

I've been told to take Co-codamol for the pain by A&E. But I've just now had another episode of gut pain, followed by diarrhoea.

All I've had today was some toast this morning, followed by a few slices of cheese in the afternoon.

I STILL point the finger at a gluten/wheat intolerance - even if your Coeliac panel doesn't return any antibodies. When you talked about it before I was convinced. Nothing since has deflected my thinking.

I am absolutely NOT diagnosing you with anything, but in your shoes I would give up ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with gluten or wheat in it for at least a month and see how you go. As someone who lives gluten and grain free (apart from some rice, which doesn't contain gluten), I feel so much better for it. It's not that hard once you get into the swing.

 

[Hopeful34]

I second @AndBreathe If it turns out not to help, you haven't lost anything. but if it helps it could make a Huge difference to your quality of life.

 

[p11carb]

With the meals you’ve described my BG would be through the roof as way too many carbs. Maybe if you try to lower your carb intake. There are lots of ideas on this forum to substitute the potatoes, my greatest find since going low carb is roasted cauliflower and when I make curry I have it with broccoli instead of rice. I haven’t eaten rice and pasta for years now and had only one potato on Christmas Day! Also instead of cereal try full fat yogurt and berries or omelettes with cheese, something with less carbs. The diet doc website also has great recipes and information.
Hope you get your tummy sorted.

I wholeheartedly support this recommendation , lower the carbs . I did 6 months ago and my A1c has dropped a lot (53 to 40). I monitor instant BG at home and that has guided me in what to drop such as the pasta and potatoes as mentioned. A good side effect of low carbs is the hunger pangs have gone and so no more drive for snacking. Any way that's what is working for me and am pleased to reduce my risk factors, it may help .

 

[Danmiluk]

Everyone is different, and this worked for me.
I was injecting the same amount of novirapid didn't matter what I ate as the doctor told me to and ended up on 30 units of novirapid cause it didn't seem to be working and ended up injecting more and more. It was what they called insulin stacking where injecting too much insulin and my liver was dumping sugar into my blood, so it was ending up high all the time.
My diabetic nurse told me to check the packets for cabs and inject 1 unit of novorapid for every 10 grams of carbs approx 20 minutes before eating.
So if it was 40 grams of carbs, it would be 4 units of nova rapid. For every 100g of potatoes, there is about 17g of carbs. Mashed potatoes with a little butter and milk doesn't seem to spike me. I found that out after talking insulin for potatoes and ended up having a hypo.
I also lost a little weight just by going for a walk or walking on the spot for 20 mins
When my blood sugars are high, I get really bad indigestion and stomach cramps.
If you are going to cut your carbs out completely, a reduction in novorapid is key not to have a hypo.
If you're having chips, then I was told to have 5 units, then check an hour later, and if I'm high, then inject 1 unit per 3 mmol.
I've tried to explain this is how I manage my diabetes. I'm not an expert, but I hope you get things sorted for yourself.
Take care of yourself.

 

[EllieM]

Everyone is different, and this worked for me.
I was injecting the same amount of novirapid didn't matter what I ate as the doctor told me to and ended up on 30 units of novirapid cause it didn't seem to be working and ended up injecting more and more. It was what they called insulin stacking where injecting too much insulin and my liver was dumping sugar into my blood, so it was ending up high all the time.
My diabetic nurse told me to check the packets for cabs and inject 1 unit of novorapid for every 10 grams of carbs approx 20 minutes before eating.
So if it was 40 grams of carbs, it would be 4 units of nova rapid. For every 100g of potatoes, there is about 17g of carbs. Mashed potatoes with a little butter and milk doesn't seem to spike me. I found that out after talking insulin for potatoes and ended up having a hypo.
I also lost a little weight just by going for a walk or walking on the spot for 20 mins
When my blood sugars are high, I get really bad indigestion and stomach cramps.
If you are going to cut your carbs out completely, a reduction in novorapid is key not to have a hypo.
If you're having chips, then I was told to have 5 units, then check an hour later, and if I'm high, then inject 1 unit per 3 mmol.
I've tried to explain this is how I manage my diabetes. I'm not an expert, but I hope you get things sorted for yourself.
Take care of yourself.

Unfortunately insulin ratios and correction ratios can vary massively from person to person so Danmiluk's figures are unlikely to apply to another diabetic who might need 0.1 or 10 units of insulin to bring their bg down by 3mmol/L. Likewise the 1 unit per 10g of carbs tends to be a starting ratio for many new insulin users. They may end up needing less than half a unit per 10g or more than 10 units. That is one reason why forum rules don't allow us to advise on specific insulin dosing though I appreciate that this is Danmiluk's personal experience.

 

[Ashybang]

I've been told to take Co-codamol for the pain by A&E. But I've just now had another episode of gut pain, followed by diarrhoea.

All I've had today was some toast this morning, followed by a few slices of cheese in the afternoon.

Toast or any bread product absolutely sends my Blood Glucose readings into the stratosphere and I'm not sure, but I believe dairy products like milk, CHEESE, & butter etc can aggravate Diarrhoea and prolong the agony. .....
Hope the pains go away for you and the BG levels stabilise at lower levels.
If you must drink squash, I'd also recommend you have it very weak.
The artificial sweeteners in squash, aren't always the good thing they seem. Some sweeteners are worse than others and may also cause Diarrhoea as an unwanted, undesired, side effect......

Ahhhh but this is all so complex....
Good luck sorting through these issues.
There's folk way more knowledgeable than I on this site, who can advise you better, or point you in the right direction....... Good luck.

 

[akindrat18]

I was in another world of pain last night, followed by diarrhoea after having some scrambled eggs, bacon and chorizo. My blood sugar last night was 7.9, woke up this morning and is 25.2.

I've also been contacted by the hospital that they have a endoscopy appointment for me tomorrow at 2pm and recommended that I should just have toast before 8am and water up until midday.

Toast or any bread product absolutely sends my Blood Glucose readings into the stratosphere and I'm not sure, but I believe dairy products like milk, CHEESE, & butter etc can aggravate Diarrhoea and prolong the agony. .....
Hope the pains go away for you and the BG levels stabilise at lower levels.
If you must drink squash, I'd also recommend you have it very weak.
The artificial sweeteners in squash, aren't always the good thing they seem. Some sweeteners are worse than others and may also cause Diarrhoea as an unwanted, undesired, side effect......

Ahhhh but this is all so complex....
Good luck sorting through these issues.
There's folk way more knowledgeable than I on this site, who can advise you better, or point you in the right direction....... Good luck.

I already drink squash weak as its either double or quadruple concentrate. My other go to drink is diet coke and I normally have 1.25 litres or more a day. Last January, I almost did a whole month of just drinking water for WaterAid and I was feeling great, but 3 weeks into it, I had a call from my doctor to stop doing it because of an electrolyte imbalance.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I was in another world of pain last night, followed by diarrhoea after having some scrambled eggs, bacon and chorizo. My blood sugar last night was 7.9, woke up this morning and is 25.2.

I've also been contacted by the hospital that they have a endoscopy appointment for me tomorrow at 2pm and recommended that I should just have toast before 8am and water up until midday.

I already drink squash weak as its either double or quadruple concentrate. My other go to drink is diet coke and I normally have 1.25 litres or more a day. Last January, I almost did a whole month of just drinking water for WaterAid and I was feeling great, but 3 weeks into it, I had a call from my doctor to stop doing it because of an electrolyte imbalance.

Diet soda's have a lot of artificial sweeteners... In large amounts they can kill off rather vital gut bacteria. It took a very, very long time for my gut to heal after I made the same mistake of switching to diet coke, soon after my diabetes diagnosis... The gut bacteria became balanced again soon enough, with pro/prebiotics and things like full fat yoghurt/sauerkraut and whatnot, but the inside of my gut lining tore easily, got inflamed all the time, and there were hemorrhoids, due to both constipation and watery stool (the water is the only stuff that could get past the blockages) all of which took a ridiculously long time to get better. Go back to the water if you can, and just start taking electrolyte supplements... It's easier and quicker to supplement those than to heal a ruined gut, because you can throw things like kombucha at it, if you keep drinking loads of sweeteners, anything you add in, bacteria wise gets killed off again anyway. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VGJM...67-437a-b1c4-c4099e71cd14&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk might help some too, it's a good read: informative, useful and funny.

 

[lovinglife]

I agree go back to the water, ditch the squash and diet sodas or severely limit them, I do have a small glass of sugar free Irn Bru with my evening meal, the rest of the time I drink water, black tea, black coffee & fruit teas.

You can get a tube of High 5 Zero disolvable tabs for about £5 for 20 - far cheaper than sodas drop one in 750ml of water they have all the electrolytes you need for the day. I have one a day and sip it throughout the day.

My hubby has severe stomach issues and was recently in hospital, the consultant told him that by far the worst thing as an irritant for your tummy is carbonated drinks, told him not to drink anything fizzy even water. He misses his beer but is so much better