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Why?

Cloudlesssky

Well-Known Member
Messages
273
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Can anyone please explain to me why my blood glucose levels are often lower 2hrs after food than 1 hour before?
I have been diagnosed about a month, on metformin for three weeks - taking two tablets in the morning, one with evening meal.

These readings are before and after my evening meals for the last 4 days:
Friday 1 hr before 22.4 2 hrs after 19.6
Saturday 1 hr before 14.1 2 hrs after 26.1
Sunday 1 hr before 17.5 2 hrs after 15.0
Monday 1 hr before 24.4 2 hrs after 22.8

Thank you for any ideas!
 
It could be because you are testing an hour before you eat! Your BS levels have an hour to drop before you eat. You need to test immediately before you eat, then again 2 hours after your first bite.
 
That's helpful, thanks.
I was originally told to test 1hr before and 2 hrs afterwards, but your comments make far more sense!
Thank you.
 
 
What did you eat Saturday?

The rise is small which is good but your baseline readings are way too high. You really should get in contact with your GP or DN. Metformin isn't going to do much more for you so maybe you need something else.
 
Yes, it also depends very much on what you eat.

The main reason some of us test directly before we eat and then two hours after we eat is to determine what effect certain foods have on our BG levels. So for example, you may test before breakfast and then eat porridge. Don't drink a sweet orange juice, just eat the porridge and don't put sugar in. You want to see how the porridge affects you. Then, test 2 hours later. That way you will learn how porridge affects you. Also, you have to do it a few times becaus doing it just once doesn't mean much at all.

When I started, I knew something like a slice of roast beef wouldn't push my BG levels up because there are no carbs in it. But, even something as simple of a beef sandwich had a huge effect on my BG level. The culpprit was the white bread. It transpires that it is as bad as putting sugar in your tea (or porridge).

Eventually you end up with sore fingers but a lot of knowledge on what you can eat and what you must avoid.
 
Thank you for your reply, Yorksman, I have had my monitor for a couple of weeks now and feel confident that it will really help me to balance things out. Yes, the nurse recommended I test before and after food at the moment, but testing one food at a time would be a better way to check when my readings are particularly high.
Sore fingers are already there!
May I ask if you were ever on Metformin as you seem to have a much reduced HBA1c level without medication?
 
Hi and thanks for your reply.
I've only been diagnosed a month so hope that in another 2 months I will have better readings.
At the moment I am seeing the nurse every week, so they know what's happening!
Take care
 
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