My blood glucose levels seem to vary a lot week to week and not necessarily based on how many carbs I eat. Last week I had a couple 250s after lunch, this week similar lunches and 140-160mg/dL. My endo wants me to take prandin with carby meals but it upsets my digestive system so I’ve been skipping it, plus if one day 45 grams of carbs raises my BG 140mg/dL and the next day only 60mg/dL, how am I supposed to regulate things? Even if I was on a rapid acting insulin with meals wouldn’t this be a problem? Is this happening because I am early onset or is this how it is for everyone?
I think that when you are still in the honeymoon stages things can be highly variable. To some degree, this will never go away. Despite the claims, our bodies are just not simple. There are lots of factors that affect things. Just the mere act of eating something (even just water) sets off hormone signals that affect our blood sugars.
Traditionally we have been taught to bolus conservatively at meals. Then 3-4 hours later if you are still high, then take a correction bolus. I actually don't like that and believe it is better to simple eat lower carb and more consistently.
Since you are in a honeymoon, you are having to deal with even more variability. As your body loses insulin production, your phase 1 response fails. Normally you would store up insulin in your islet cells and when you eat you generate a big dump of insulin as your phase 1 response. But as insulin production falters you cannot store much insulin and then when you eat your blood sugar surges and then comes down slowly. Some days you may just be able to store up some insulin and do ok, others you just run dry and end up at 250 mg/dl.
Yes, as Brian says, along with the Honeymoon factor, I think there are so many variables that can effect our numbers. Sometimes I suspect my insulin or delivery device (Omnipod) of being less effective and change them out, or my body of being more resistant for whatever reason. I am 10 years as a LADA and it still happens to me pretty regularly. I dose 20-30 minutes before eating and I see differing results with the same scenario frequently. Good luck.
Thanks Brian and Elaine. When I’m having a good day (or week) I think maybe this isn’t such a big deal after all since I still have some insulin production of my own then I have those bad days. I know I can control it ok with low carb meals but truthfully I keep thinking why should I have to worry about carbs when I need to gain weight and I’m not on insulin? I’ve been following Manny’s Afrezza discussion and do hope it gets approved since the 1st phase response is my main problem right now and I don’t stay high very long, so it might be a possible treatment for me.
I find that my BG for similar meals can vary depending on my stress level, how much exercise I've had that week, the time of month etc. And sometimes I think my pancreas feel like working better at some moments than others. I've been T2 for about 15 years so for some it may never get better.
Everyone has given you solid feedback. All true with my own experience (well, except the time of month thing). I woulld only add one thing that I have found to be true for me.
I eat low carb (about 100 per day) and the carbs I do eat are all low glycemic. On the rare occaision that I splurge (we're still not talking donuts here) I find thhat eating excess carbs has a big effect on my BG for days. My best example is this past December whenn I hit the ER with a stunning low. They were not about to let me go home until my BG was stable and in a safe range. All m akes good sense, except that since I am T1 they do not consider anything under 200 safe. They were giving me glucogen at 106! WTF? They were quite pleased withh themselves when they had finally forced me over 200. It then took me seven days to get back to my normal FSB of 70 to 110 or so. I also had to use more insulin than normal to stay in range throuughout the day.
It took me quite a while to understand that the impact of carbs on my BG goes way beyond the next four hours or so.This is the main reason I go LC. I use significantly less insulin andd my BG stays infinitely more stable. Carbs not only create spikes,, but male foor a much less predictable BG.
hey randy, do you still have any burning, pins and needles sensations?
what kind of starches do you eat?
how long did it take for the r-ala to start helping you?
please let me know, thank you
That’s a good point Randy, I hadn’t thought about watching my BG fluctuations after having a bad day or days. I’m going to pay attention to that and see if it holds true for me too!