What is considered high?

[cyrryan]

Hi
I am diabetic type 1. My sugars are confusing and depending on the day, they can change! Exercise, food, insulin all have a significance in diabetes. Does anyone get it totally correct all of the time?
It frightens me that so many people have so many perfect results!
My blood glucose results range from 4.4 to 14.0.
I have tried everything, from diet, exercise, insulin adjustments but i just come up with similar results!

Any advice?
C

 

[cugila]

Hi cyrryan.

First of all I doubt very much that everybody get's perfect results all the time. We can all slip up and make mistakes.

As a T1 your Bg levels should be within the following guidelines:
Fasting(waking)............between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals...........no more than 9 mmol/l.
If you can get the numbers lower then so much the better. Not below 4 thoughy, that is considered to be Hypoglycaemic.

You just need to persevere and try more adjustments. I am sure YOU will find the correct diet, Insulin dosage etc with a bit more trial and error. As regards diet, reducing the carbohydrates and portion sizes usually gets those Bg numbers down. Many Insulin users have done this and then been able to reduce the Insulin dosage as well. Do not give up. Just try something new. It doesn't happen overnight.

Ken.

 

[hanadr]

Ken's right on recommended levels
However, I do think that the recommended levels are a a trifle high. Some damage is thought to begin at 6.1mmol/l and over 7 is definitely the "danger zone".
I have set my own target, which is "Never over 6". Needless to say, I miss occasionally. Less so nowadays. And I'm T2, so I depend mainly on my diet to get it right. I take Metformin, but at low dose, so I don't depend on it to bring mu BG down. I have eliminated Gliclazide.
As aT1, you have total control using your insulin, but you do have to learn how individual foods affect you. Bernstein's "doctrine of small numbers" is not easy and probably not for everyone, but it works. Look in his book, if you are prepared to give it a try.

 

[chocoholic]

As aT1, you have total control using your insulin, but you do have to learn how individual foods affect you

Sadly, for some of us Type 1's, we can still find getting 'total control' tricky, Hana. Just as I think I've cracked things, I can have readings that seem to have no rhyme nor reason. For instance I have experienced eating identical amounts of the same food, used identical amounts of insulin, tested two hours afterwards and yet one reading left me at 3.4, the other gave me a reading of 10.1. :roll: Such inconsistencies makes sussing an exact ratio of carbs to insulin very tricky.Using insulin can be SO frustrating at times.

 

[acron^]

I totally agree with chocoholic. It's really tough for T1s because it's just so variable, day in and day out. A lot of people on this forum will advocate not only using insulin for control, but also your diet. Low carb = low insulin = low risk. But don't be disheartened by the occasional high. I hit a 15.8 this morning after drunkenly scoffing down a few slices of pizza last night. My own fault really :lol:

 

[kewgirl]

Hi C

I doubt whether every Type 1 Diabetic gets it right every single time - & although its good to aim for "perfection!" in getting good control of BG Levels - I think that if we start incessantly worrying about the occasional high we actually set ourselves up to fail.

If you test BG frequently you are more likely to discover "highs" then someone who only tests occasionally.
You also need to take in account, how often you experience a high (BG that is!), how long it remains high, can you bring the high BG down with exercise etc?
What is your HBA1C telling you?

As aT1, you have total control using your insulin, but you do have to learn how individual foods affect you.

That comment is a rather wide sweeping statement.

If it were that easy then nobody with Type 1 diabetes and/or their families/parents would be accessing this forum for a start! Unfortunately getting good BG levels is not just about the relationship with food.

If it were that easy then people would not need to use pumps to optimise their control, or require pancreas/islets transplants.

One issue is that anyone with Type 1 diabetes needs to be given the proper tools to help assist them to quote a medical phrase "optimise the control of their diabetes".
Imagine a car (and for the purpose of this analogy I am not referring to a reliant robin!), if you drove it out of the garage with only 3 wheels it wouldn't function very well. In some situations diabetics are not been given the type of insulin that could make them function better and by that I mean getting good glycemic control. I don't know what insulin you are currently on C but sometimes changing insulin can improve things

C - you may not be doing as "bad" as you think.

best wishes

Txx

 

[bmtest]

A good question I personally would not commence an hours rock climbing with anything under 10 as anything under I tend to make mistakes through lack of judgement with low blood sugars.

At work my range fluctuates between 4 - 7 and the level is constantly moving before anyone says it is too low or high.

I tend to keep the recommended levels by the clinic and boost to higher levels for activity and always check after the activity to see if I gauges correctly.

 

[chocoholic]

Can I just clarify.....Kewgirl's posting says that I (chocoholic) made that statement. It wasn't me, it was Hana. I think it just came up like that because you copied my quote from Hana's posting, instead of directly from Hana's.IYSWIM.

 

[kewgirl]

Sincerest apologies chocoholic

I have edited reply.

Genuine mistake.

Tx

 

[chocoholic]

No worries, Kewgirl. I think I did something similar myself a while back.

 

[spondoolics]

hello hope you are feeling good today x

I've been diabetic (type2) for eleven years now and now take insulin which i feel a whole lot better on. I too have problems day to day with levels spiralling from hypo to hyper. I've been told that it isnt my diet it is probably on how i feel when i wake in the morning and different moods that people have during the day. Some days i'm tired then on other days i have loads of energy. I do have two children one of which is autistic but has a lovely nature. I have other health probs too. not diabetic related though. I was advised to keep a "how you are feeling today" diary. I thought at first my diabetic team were a bit crazy but it has actually worked for me and i can pin-point to the hour what has caused the glucose to rise! I dont write down everything or i would be writing all day haha. It made me realise that hormones including happy and sad ones do make a difference with my levels so it suits me.
I hope things start to settle down for you

 

[cugila]

Hi spondoolics.

While you are correct about moods etc having some effect on your Bg levels I was more interested in the comment you made about 'it isn't my diet ?'

It is well known here that adjusting Insulin dosage and also tweaking the diet can be beneficial to all Diabetics. This can have a great effect on Bg levels ?

Spiralling from Hypoglycaemia to Hyperglycaemia is not good and you should really be able to control this. Both are bad for you. Do you check your Bg levels throughout the day ?

Ken.