Does the liver dump glucose if you miss a meal (or two)?

Today I skipped breakfast (something I never do) because I had a dentist appointment early. I got home and got busy with a few things so I didnt eat anything then either and then around 1PM my glucose started rising just like I had eaten a high carb meal, in a matter of less than an hour I went from 120 to over 200 and it took quite a bit of insulin to bring it down. Anyone else notice such a thing?

2 Likes

Yes if your sugar went low. That’s what happens. Your body dumps the stored glucose when it sees you’re low.
Also when you get a good scare. Like someone cuts you off in traffic. I’ve had that a few times.

1 Like

I can’t predict liver dump. I can see it when I ski (unless that’s cortisol or adrenaline). I also think I notice when it stops dumping after days of skiing (that’s why I suspect liver) - there is NO buffer on lows. Other than that, I have no idea.

I think this is only true if your alpha cells are working properly.

If my bg drops low, then it is low. In order for my bg to come up, I need to intake carbs or reduce my insulin.

If I do nothing, then what happens next depends on my current insulin on board. If I have too much insulin on board then I’ll continue to drop. If I have less (eg pump suspends basal) then I’ll eventually come up. If my insulin exactly matches my basal needs, then I’ll just hang out low until something changes.

Other hormones can play a role, but generally if I skip a meal, I’m more likely to drop low than to go high.

I can get glucose dumps from the liver when I’m working my muscles really hard, but it’s a little unpredictable.

I’ve also read that your body can dump some glucose when you first start eating. If someone were not diabetic, that glucose dump would signal to your pancreas that the beta cells need to start giving more insulin to cover the food that your body is expecting to digest in the near future. I think Dr Bernstein talks about this phenomenon in his book. I want to say he called it the lettuce phenomenon in which your bg levels go high even though you haven’t really had carbs.

2 Likes

Do you normally bolus around or just before this time for lunch? You could be covering some of your basal needs with your lunch bolus…

1 Like

I think katers has prob got it. But, you might run the experiment multiple times at different times of day to learn more.

I know my liver dumps on me because I have a very strong predawn phenomena.
When I go low I correct it, however my liver is usually just behind it and then I go super high.
Back in the days of poor control, I am fairly sure it saved my life a few times.