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Spike - What does it feel like?

Shas3

Well-Known Member
In the last one week i had spikes three times with my numbers going from about 5-6 to all the way 11. Then for several hours I feel terrible - Hunger (with high BG ), weakness, sweat...

I only feel normal after a few hours,, usually when my levels return to 6-7 range.

Are these common during spike? Any other symptoms that others face?


I have to totally get a hang on what i eat and avoid these spikes!!
 
It will be different for everyone. I get dawn phenomenon a lot, unless I starve myself. So even if I have a low carb evening meal (< 20 gms carb, vegetables) and have BG between 5 and 7 all night, my BG starts to climb at around 4 - 5 in the morning and will frequently go up to 12 or there abouts. I don't feel any different at all but there are several things to consider. Age, at 67 I get all sorts of aches and pains, so difficult to tie anything to any particular event. I think time since diagnosis is relevant, 22 years for me, so I might have become use to the feelings. Also, the length of time I had diabetes before diagnosis.

The eating thing can be difficult, the obvious sources of carb are easy to deal with, but it seems to take a while to discover the hidden sources of carb. Then there are sources of carb that don't seem to have the expected effect either and then that can differ from person to person.

I have recently been in hospital for day surgery and not only did the nurse think my BG of 11 was OK, I heard her say to another patient that his BG of 12 was OK. This was pre surgery for us both. Then, when I went to see my dad who is in hospital at the moment, they took his BG while I was there and said his BG of 12 was OK. I wish I knew where they get this idea from.
 

Thanks Jones... i am beginning to wonder of i am feeling terrible (weak, hungry, sweaty) DUE to High Sugar or if something else is causing them and driving my BG up .

Went to the Doctor and he says “12 or 13 after 2 hours happens (not normal but when one is only on Metformin a high carb meal could take it high) but if you are active and walking around etc. it would come down soon enough and you shouldn’t have those symptoms”.

As i have a fractured bone in my foot and am in a cast and walking with a crutch, i am zero on any physical activity including walking (for a month now and probably another few weeks). He was kind of suggesting that this maybe causing the hypo-like-symptoms-when-hyper!!!

He is planning to add a gliptin to my regular Metformin.

Oh by the way, he wasn’t very keen on LCHF... he didn’t quite rubbish it but says carbs are important
 
I feel no difference at all. As you are recovering from your injury your body needs and will use extra energy in the healing process which drives up numbers. Hope you make a speedy recovery.

BTW, have you thought of getting a resistive band? They are just a couple of quid from Amazon. It looks like a giant elastic band and you can use it to excercise muscles without danger to the affected foot. You are in control, use it sitting down for your arms and your unaffected leg. It might be worth a try.
 

Thanks.... i am keen for the leg to recover soon so I can get back to some physical activity. You are right, there is no need to delay... just need to find the right thing that can be done and keep moving.

Let me look up the resistive band!!! Thanks!!! Maybe even some upper body workouts with dumbbells
 
On the occasions you had these spikes had you been eating a lot of carbs? Too many carbs at a meal can make you feel hungry for more - they are addictive that way, and can also make you feel tired and generally bloated and awful. They of course would also be the reason for the spike.
 

I did have carbs but it was not excessive quantities. I think it was possibly close to what i have on other occasions... But yes i need to check.... maybe i need to check the total carbs for all meals in the day (not just the one when the spike happened). Also I remember on one occasion I had had more coffee than what i am used to!!
 

Keeping a record of what you eat and drink, and recording your levels alongside, is the best way forward until you are in control of matters. Noting the number of grams of carbohydrate per meal is also the best way forward if you are still eating lot of them. That way you can learn and change things that need changing. Otherwise it is guess work and you end up spiking and feeling ill afterwards.
 
Shas3 said:
Oh by the way, he wasn’t very keen on LCHF... he didn’t quite rubbish it but says carbs are important
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I'm not surprised, was he trained in the U.K. by any chance? I know my GP wasn't keen on the HF aspect and neither was I so I have always had her support on my LC diet, especially when she sees my HbA1c (last one was 44). Low carb will also mean different things to different people. I know some will aim for zero carbs and others will be happy with half the recommended amount (1/3 of calories coming from carbs so about 700 calories and at 4 calories per gram, about 175 gms of carb - VERY ROUGH CALCULATIONS).

It might be anecdotal but there are a lot of people who manage very well without the amount of carb recommended by the NHS and NICE.

All the best.
 
Type 1. For me above 10 I can feel pressure behind my eyes ... hunger, sweat or weakness all come when I’m low. So sounds to me like you have possibly reactive hypoglycaemia and having low?. All the best
 
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Thanks. Am not sure where he was trained but he did not rubbish the idea of reducing carbs. He seemed a bit cold and said not to cut them off in breakfast & lunch.

You mention you are not too keen on HF part. So does cutting carbs but not adding Fat leave you feeling hungry or un-satiated? Happens to me. I feel a sense of emptiness in stomach. I guess i need to add foods that have some volume.

Thanks
 
michita said:
Type 1. For me above 10 I can feel pressure behind my eyes ... hunger, sweat or weakness all come when I’m low. So sounds to me like you have possibly reactive hypoglycaemia and having low?. All the best
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Thanks. But the meter shows 11, 12 etc. In reactive hypo, do BGs actually fall down or BGs stay high but high insulin causes hypo symptoms??
 
Shas3 said:
You mention you are not too keen on HF part. So does cutting carbs but not adding Fat leave you feeling hungry or un-satiated?
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My stomach doesn't like too much fat or anything too rich, has the same effect that Metformin has on some people. I eat a lot of vegetables, definitely getting my ten a day so long as you don't mind mushrooms being called a vegetable.
 
The expression “spike” makes it sound like the effect that electrified fencing might have on straying cattle. A short sharp shock.
 

Shas, if ŷou look up seated or sitting exercise, you'll be surprised what comes up. YouTube has loads of relevant videos.
 
The sitting exercises I did at the gym one day when it was crowded worked wonders for my back - no more spasms, and I was half an inch taller after stretching my spine pulling down weights.
 
I'm in the middle of a spike right now. 5 minutes ago my sugar was 21.1

The reason for the spike is I have a binge eating problem and I had a bad binge this afternoon.

I am currently experiencing a fuzzy head feeling. My resting heart rate has increased from the normal of 60 bpm to over 90 bpm. I'm also experiencing some minor angina, which is normal for me when I binge. I'm also drinking quite a lot of water at the moment.

Given my current blood sugar level I will probably have a bad night's sleep tonight.

I'm not on any diabetes medication at the moment. I was taken off metformin after I had a heart attack last October.
 
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