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Silly question

J

jonnoras

Well-Known Member
Messages
96
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I'm T2D. I realise everyone is different, however I was wondering if someone could shed some light on this question.

This morning I had 2 sausage (all meat no filler), 1 fried egg (in butter) and a small amount of mushrooms fried in the same butter with about 6 almonds. I am assuming this is a VLC meal. Anyhow, 5 hours later and after a lot of heavy lifting my blood was 4.8. I know this is within normal limits but I was surprised (given the meal and work) that it wasn't lower. Any thoughts?

J
 
No question is silly if you don't know the answer.

I have a question - why do you think it should be lower than 4.8, and what were you expecting? Have you been lower than this before, and what were the circumstances?
 
@jonnoras
assuming you are a T2 ( some pancreatic function , just insulin resisance) what could have happened was : ate your low carb breakfast, body starts to convert protein to carbs (slowly) and after some heavy lifting your BG starts to drop so the body starts to dump glucose into your system to bring you back into normal range.
Sounds like your body is acting normally.
 
Hi. Thanks for the reply. Well, in answer to your question I have been lower than 4.8 but usually after a longer period of time. I suppose I am a little confused about how blood sugars react to food full stop - not just carbs. I assumed that with hardly any carbs in me AND working reasonably hard my sugars would be lower, maybe as low as 4.1 (as it has been before). I think I am always thinking (and maybe getting strung up) about having my sugars as low as I can possibly get them for as long as I can during the day. I suppose I was thinking that 4.8 still seems high(ish) given the meal and work.

I read a lot about keeping blood sugars as low as possible for as much of the time as you can.
J
 
It's a mistake to think your blood sugar will keep going down if you don't eat since if that was the case you would go hypo and then die. Your body ensures that you use your sugar reserves when you don't eat. My DN says that you shouldn't go more than 5 or 6 hours without eating if you don't want a liver dump and I notice that you went 5 hours.
 
CollieBoy said:
@jonnoras
assuming you are a T2 ( some pancreatic function , just insulin resisance) what could have happened was : ate your low carb breakfast, body starts to convert protein to carbs (slowly) and after some heavy lifting your BG starts to drop so the body starts to dump glucose into your system to bring you back into normal range.
Sounds like your body is acting normally.
Click to expand...
Wow. Thanks for the reply. I never thought of that. BTW is that a pic of your dog? He/she looks brilliant!! I love dogs.
J
 
Squire Fulwood said:
It's a mistake to think your blood sugar will keep going down if you don't eat since if that was the case you would go hypo and then die. Your body ensures that you use your sugar reserves when you don't eat. My DN says that you shouldn't go more than 5 or 6 hours without eating if you don't want a liver dump and I notice that you went 5 hours.
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Hmmmm. Thanks for the reply. Strange because when I have gone 8 hours or more (because of work and not choice) that's when my bloods have been at their lowest. J
 
jonnoras said:
Hmmmm. Thanks for the reply. Strange because when I have gone 8 hours or more (because of work and not choice) that's when my bloods have been at their lowest. J
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It all depends on when the liver dump happens and how your body handles it. If you are not on strong medication then your liver should not let you go below <a number peculiar to you>. If you go below 4 you may start shaking and feeling strange. A lot lower and you could pass out. The body prevents this by using its reserves.
 
jonnoras said:
Wow. Thanks for the reply. I never thought of that. BTW is that a pic of your dog? He/she looks brilliant!! I love dogs.
J
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The problem is just trying to figure out the flow of events from a BG snapshot. Without a series of tests or a CGM we don't know what has happened over the time period,
Yep, that's a pic of my young tri-colour collie. typical collie, tons of energy interspersed with periods of "zonked". Young, skinny, looks like a cross between a greyhound & an otter. Also have an old red collie. very hairy/fluffy, arthritic, worn out, but won't admit it.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
It all depends on when the liver dump happens and how your body handles it. If you are not on strong medication then your liver should not let you go below <a number peculiar to you>. If you go below 4 you may start shaking and feeling strange. A lot lower and you could pass out. The body prevents this by using its reserves.
Click to expand...
Ahhh. I see now. I'm not on any meds so it was probably my liver using reserves to stop me going too low. Is it OK for this to happen? J
 
CollieBoy said:
The problem is just trying to figure out the flow of events from a BG snapshot. Without a series of tests or a CGM we don't know what has happened over the time period,
Yep, that's a pic of my young tri-colour collie. typical collie, tons of energy interspersed with periods of "zonked". Young, skinny, looks like a cross between a greyhound & an otter. Also have an old red collie. very hairy/fluffy, arthritic, worn out, but won't admit it.
Click to expand...
Beautiful dog. Mine's a chocolate lab - mad as a box of frogs.
J
 
jonnoras said:
Ahhh. I see now. I'm not on any meds so it was probably my liver using reserves to stop me going too low. Is it OK for this to happen? J
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Yes, it'll be doing its job. Just be sensible - and while you have levels to be envious of, be very aware that going too low can in extreme cases do you just as much harm as going too high. Remember: "everything in moderation"!

Robbity
 
jonnoras said:
Ahhh. I see now. I'm not on any meds so it was probably my liver using reserves to stop me going too low. Is it OK for this to happen? J
Click to expand...

It is a natural occurrence that happens to everyone. Our livers are very clever. They don't want our glucose levels to drop too low. They save our lives. It may be very annoying, especially in the mornings when we often see higher numbers on fasting, but it is essential. It can be an indicator of where your personal glucose levels are destined to be (pre-meal that is) Everyone has different personal BG levels under which it is unlikely to go (unless on medication).
 
jonnoras said:
Ahhh. I see now. I'm not on any meds so it was probably my liver using reserves to stop me going too low. Is it OK for this to happen? J
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The alternative doesn't bear thinking about. It's absolutely essential that it happens otherwise you could die.
 
gtpc30 said:
Just a thought but you have to be above 5 to drive so being below 5 doesn't seem a good target.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
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We seem to have a confusion between arbritary recomendations for driving and targets for normal life!
I admit that I boost my BG for the period when I am driving, but when not driving I let my BG live in my "natural" level of the 4's
 
Thanks to all of you for your fantastic and informative replies. I promise I was not posting my figures to make anyone jealous. I am fairly new to this and I am just trying to understand what is best. Many thanks again. J
 
gtpc30 said:
Just a thought but you have to be above 5 to drive so being below 5 doesn't seem a good target.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
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This only applies to those on insulin and insulin promoting drugs because of the risk of hypos. It doesn't apply to others. Under 5 is perfectly safe for those people.
 
gtpc30 said:
Just a thought but you have to be above 5 to drive so being below 5 doesn't seem a good target.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Click to expand...

Agree with what @bluetit said, plus the fact that huge numbers (most?) non-diabetics live happily in the 4s for huge amounts of time. But then they are not using drugs capable of steamrollering over the liver's capacity to dump glucose into the bloodstream, if we need it.

I aspire to 4s as much of the day as possible, and happily drive, walk the dog and function well at that level.
 
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