Interesting. I’m curious what the others have to say about this. Such big changes within minutes doesn’t make sense. There will always be some change because meters are hardly 100% accurate. You’ll get different readings from different fingers within seconds of each other, but not like this.
The first drop usually has skin tissue in it, is how it was explained to me.
Don’t use alcohol. Alcohol doesn’t do anything but dry out your skin. It doesn’t disinfect. Better to use soap & water & make sure your hands are dry. Promise you that no diabetics use alcohol swabs. Good to have these if you need to test & can’t wash your hands, but all it will do is clean away surface dirt.
Hi Chris,
Newly diagnosed Type 2 I am. And I have been having similar issues. Never had high blood pressure but it came along with the diabetes.
I am working on my second set of medications and still have not gotten my BG or BP under control either. Yes, I have found myself VERY confused doing those mudane things that I am used to not thinking about and just going on auto pilot. Just to find out my sugar is high (300’s)
Since this seems to be happening after meals my (short term) experience has been even though something is low carb that I have eaten my BG will rise rapidly and have a quick drop off (not as steep or fast as yours though). I try to figure out exactly what it was I ate and avoid it. The problem seems to be happening less often.
I too will not be using the first drop of blood anymore!
Good morning! I do test two hours after meals as well. I think I must be doing something wrong, I get different readings all the time when I test. It can be 160 an hour after meal, and then two hours it’s in the 130 range. I have become obsessed with testing, not sure if this is normal or healthy, but I test all the time, especially when I feel funny in the head. I hate this feeling, but do understand it goes with the territory. I even wonder if my readings are accurate since I use the alcohol?
I asked about that because I question everything. I asked if it could be something other than diabetes, and the doctor said no, it was definately diabetes. I feel so lost and confused, not knowing where to go from here. I’ve learned so much more from this community than I have from either doctor. Can you have diabetes and reactive hypoglycemia together? Or do they just play off of each other? I followed your link, thanks for the information!!!
Could I ask what foods they have been? Maybe we’re eating the same things? If I can match my experience with yours, and learn from it, I will!!! Thanks!!!
mostly low carb breads and milk, I love milk and find I can’t even have a sip of it anymore. Black coffee is not my favorite but I can’t put creamer in it anymore. Took 2 bites of my husbands mashed potatoes the other night after eating a steak salad with lemon and olive oil for dressing (which is my staple right now when my sugar is high before eating) and my BG went over 300! Steak salad only brings my into the 170’s normally (still too hight). I too am thinking my new meds need to kick in but I’m not sure. Mostly I have been eating meat (chicken and fish) and salad only and still can’t stabalize my sugars.
The other test others have mentioned especially the c-peptide and GAD might be the key for us. My doctor has put them on hold until January for me because I do not currently have insurance and being the holidays have nothing tucked away for emergencies. I don’t remember off hand what exactly they indicate (i left my notes at work this morning) but I am sure if you put it in a search engine you will find more than you ever wanted to know.
This is a scary feeling and every time something is weird with me I test! I must be driving my family nuts right now, but they are good, and just make fun of me and move on. I have never been one to look at disaster scenarios but somehow I find myself going there these days…
You can use heavy cream for your coffee. It has so few carbs & way less lactose than milk. Don’t know if your coffee is decaf, but some people find that caffeine spikes their BG. Others don’t experience this, so it’s an individual thing.
The C-peptide test meaures how much insulin you’ve got. Really important to know for meds. It will determine if you’re actually a T2 for starters, a T2 who’s producing sufficient insulin but is insulin resistant, or if you have very little insulin production. Some T2s are given low insulin doses to get their numbers under control & insulin will save your remaining beta cells.
GAD measures your antibodies. Will tell how much your pancreas is “under attack.”
Something to bear in mind while you’re doing a low-carb diet. 50% of the protein ingested will turn into glucose. Of course, you have to eat protein to live, but protein & fats take much longer to digest than carbs. If you see high BG hours after you’ve eaten & you ate a good deal of protein (or fat), that’s usually the cause.
I don’t think that link specifically refers to diabetes, but the suggestions they put can be used too. You should find that by limiting your carbs (and yes, milk has carbs) and choosing low GI carbs you will do better. I find that long-life UHT skim milk is much better than regular milk. The low GI means that the carbs turn into glucose slower than regular carbs, so they help to prevent the spike and then dump that you get. Here is a South African site that lists the values for food in South Africa (it may differ in America!)
Your post meal numbers are pretty well within range. I think it’s just going to take some time for your body to adjust. When I was first diagnosed I felt terrible whenever my numbers went up, but I’ve become less sensitive to the highs and lows now.
I’ve learned more here than I have from doctors, too! In fact, I’ve been given downright outdated info from nurses & doctors. Stay away from any ADA recommendations. They’re decades behind–politics, the pharm companies, etc.
I have big blood sugar swings like this very quickly…I can go from 140 to 80 in about 30 minutes time, I asked my doctor about it and he told me to eat more complex carbs and protein but that’s all I eat to begin with. Guess it’s just a Type2 Diabetes thing but it can make you feel bad. I too am pretty obsessed with testing but to me it’s like being a scientist the more I know the more confident I feel and the more I can know what to expect. I am recently diagnosed though (6 months ago) so I think it’s just a matter of trying to get used to it and learn. Did you ever get your thyroid checked? I am hypothyroid and have these feelings whenever my thyroid goes low. You may also be having some anxiety issues…
