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What is a bad spike for you, personally?

Starfish18

Starfish18

Well-Known Member
I know anything over 2mmol is classed as a bad spike but what do you class as a bad spike, for you. I only got diagnosed 3 weeks ago (starting testing 2 weeks ago) and I hate it when my bg spikes at all, Which I know is inevitable. Luckily up now now I've not had a massively bad spike. Trying to stick to lchf and so far so good.
 
I eat keto, most of the time, and try to keep my levels even as much as possible. Any spike over 1 mmol, then I need to look at the meal and tweak it. However the guidelines seem to be keep the spike to under 2 mmol.
 
A bad spike is one I cannot explain.
As someone with type 1, I would say attaching a number is simplifying the complications of what can impact our BG.
And the inaccuracies of Libre of CGM would not correctly illustrate any BG value (especially when high or low); finger pricks are likely to miss the highest spike.
 
True, finger pricks can be inaccurate, but if subsequent tests show an unexpected rise, then a particular meal needs more close attention to try to eliminate an unwanted rise.
 
For me, if I'm honest... 1.5mmol/l, because then I know I botched the keto thing somehow. Usually happens if I eat something elsewhere and I didn't have a hand in preparing it. If I was still on LCHF, I'd say 2.0 mmol/l. But on keto... It's an indicator I did something wrong somewhere.
 
For me it depends on my start point - for me personally, and I don’t in anyway suggest anyone should do as I do, as we are all very individual, but for the moment and where I’m currently at in my journey I don’t like to to see over a 6.0 at all. So if I’m a 4.3 pre meal and get a 5.9 2hr later I’m fine with that rise. But if was starting at 5.5 pre meal I’d tweak my meal even more so that I barely get a rise or skip the meal altogether. A rise of no more than 2mmol after 2hrs is what guidelines say are acceptable and should be aimed for. But in general, having experimented in the beginning, now I’m settled into my routine I rarely see or expect a rise of more than around 1 mmol at 2hr unless I can hold my hands up and know I’ve eaten something I shouldn’t
 
Personally I don’t deal in spikes or even postprandial tests anymore, as nothing I eat is going to cause a significant rise. I don’t like to ever see a six at any time of day or night, particularly in the morning. This is my own expectation, and I’m aware that some others may perceive it as obsessive or prescriptive, but such is the way of things :)
 
At +2 hours the normal testing time, I expect to be back to where I was before eating, unless I ate one of my rare more carby meals. Even then, it won't be up by much. However, I rarely test at +2 hours now. I think it's a great test when starting, and that's what you should do, but after time, when things are settled, you might want to start testing the absolute peaks. By that, I refer to the fact that after most meal types, for most people, our highest blood sugar level will be about 45 minutes after eating. Varies by meal and by person, but it's a good average. It I test, which isn't often now, that's when I do it to see the MAX figure. At that stage, I always want to see it below 7.8 mmols. Strange figure, but it does seem to be a significant one. True non-diabetics, and I've road tested my very non-diabetic wife on this plus others, never go above that number it seems whatever they eat. Also, professor Johansson, eminent Swedish endocrinologist, at the world diabetes symposium in 2011, was a main platform speaker and shared his research across many thousands of people over many years. He found that when peaks never rise above 7.8, complications always never arise.
I ran a clinic standard Oral Glucose Tolerance Test on myself, and my wife as a control. After downing the mass of glucose needed for the test, I hit 13mmols after 30 minutes. My wife peaked at; 7.8. That was testing every 15 minutes.
But for now, the guidelines of +2 at +2 hours is a great start. Then try and tweak it down. Then maybe test the peak levels if you want - but that should be some way down the road.
 
Minimizing spikes is not an easy proposition if you have a binge eating problem.

On my good days I stay within the 2 mmol limit after meals

On my bad days after a binge I can end up with my blood sugar around 20mmol/l.

I'm not that bothered, as I'm sure one of my other health conditions will get me before diabetes has time to do much damage.
 
Grazer said:
At +2 hours the normal testing time, I expect to be back to where I was before eating, unless I ate one of my rare more carby meals. Even then, it won't be up by much. However, I rarely test at +2 hours now. I think it's a great test when starting, and that's what you should do, but after time, when things are settled, you might want to start testing the absolute peaks. By that, I refer to the fact that after most meal types, for most people, our highest blood sugar level will be about 45 minutes after eating. Varies by meal and by person, but it's a good average. It I test, which isn't often now, that's when I do it to see the MAX figure. At that stage, I always want to see it below 7.8 mmols. Strange figure, but it does seem to be a significant one. True non-diabetics, and I've road tested my very non-diabetic wife on this plus others, never go above that number it seems whatever they eat. Also, professor Johansson, eminent Swedish endocrinologist, at the world diabetes symposium in 2011, was a main platform speaker and shared his research across many thousands of people over many years. He found that when peaks never rise above 7.8, complications always never arise.
I ran a clinic standard Oral Glucose Tolerance Test on myself, and my wife as a control. After downing the mass of glucose needed for the test, I hit 13mmols after 30 minutes. My wife peaked at; 7.8. That was testing every 15 minutes.
But for now, the guidelines of +2 at +2 hours is a great start. Then try and tweak it down. Then maybe test the peak levels if you want - but that should be some way down the road.
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Very interesting. Thank you for your reply.
 
As a pre diabetic well on the lchf wagon I really don't spike.

Needs to be something silly to generate a real jump. Actual sugar.

Normally my pre and post meal. Hell most of my tests show around 5.5. Can drop, 4's are by no means uncommon but going over 6 would have me checking my meal.
 
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I'm with @Grazer on this one. The 2 hour time is just a guideline. It will unlikely be the peak. It could be well on the way down, or even still climbing. After my home OGTT I peaked at 60 minutes after 75g pure glucose, but of course there was no fat in that drink, and no protein either. (testing every 15 minutes for 3 hours). Fat binds and keeps peaks a bit lower but the rise can be longer. Similar if any carbs in the meal are slow release ones - the peaks will be later.

I have no need to test my post meal levels these days unless it is out of curiosity. I rely on my fasting level and my pre-evening meal level to tell me how I am doing, plus part time use of a Libre. However, for those still learning about food, then the 2 hour guideline is a good one.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I'm with @Grazer on this one. The 2 hour time is just a guideline. It will unlikely be the peak. It could be well on the way down, or even still climbing. After my home OGTT I peaked at 60 minutes after 75g pure glucose, but of course there was no fat in that drink, and no protein either. (testing every 15 minutes for 3 hours). Fat binds and keeps peaks a bit lower but the rise can be longer. Similar if any carbs in the meal are slow release ones - the peaks will be later.

I have no need to test my post meal levels these days unless it is out of curiosity. I rely on my fasting level and my pre-evening meal level to tell me how I am doing, plus part time use of a Libre. However, for those still learning about food, then the 2 hour guideline is a good one.
Click to expand...
I have started testing an hour after food and then 2 hour after food now and my dinner this evening peaked after 1 hour and started to come down again at at 2 hours. Im learning something new everyday
 
I had my first completely blind day, where I couldn’t find the details of the meal I had in a TGIF, I went for a salad and duck, with a side of chicken strips. Never eating there before I didn’t realise the salad would have a sticky dressing and the strips were coated with something or other. Anyway was 5.4 before the meal, an hour from first bite I was 8.4. 6 hours after down to 5.9. (Previous 3 weeks has been about 120 g carbs) So obviously my choice was not great. Strange thing was I had a headache and felt groggy after meal is this a sign of sugars changing out of ideal range?
 
Starfish18 said:
I know anything over 2mmol is classed as a bad spike but what do you class as a bad spike, for you.
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I ate around 500 gram of oven cook chips in one feed. my pre meal bgl was around 5.0+, two hours after I was upto 14.0+.

I have not eaten them since.
 
Numan said:
I had my first completely blind day, where I couldn’t find the details of the meal I had in a TGIF, I went for a salad and duck, with a side of chicken strips. Never eating there before I didn’t realise the salad would have a sticky dressing and the strips were coated with something or other. Anyway was 5.4 before the meal, an hour from first bite I was 8.4. 6 hours after down to 5.9. (Previous 3 weeks has been about 120 g carbs) So obviously my choice was not great. Strange thing was I had a headache and felt groggy after meal is this a sign of sugars changing out of ideal range?
Click to expand...

Different for different people as usual. I suffer headaches and shakes if I eat wrong and my bg goes high. Normal bg 5.5.
 
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