@newbeach it’s honestly refreshing knowing that I’m not alone in this. It really feels like it some days; I don’t know what I would do without this forum! Thanks for responding It’s good to know different experiences with the Libre! I wondered myself if it would be accurate enough since my numbers aren’t stable. I don’t want to shell out that kind of money, when I’m able to, if it won’t give me accurate enough readings. I use the mysugr app which graphs what I put in, so I can see my trends in a way, that way, although something that shows more numbers would be great.
When it comes to carbs/fat/protein. I’m just going to have to keep experimenting. It makes no sense. Tonight I went to iHop and decided to go all out instead of stressing about what to eat to maintain good BS. I had 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, 2 sausage links, a piece of ham, half of a Belgian waffle with whipped cream, and a decaf coffee with cream. Before meal blood sugar 142, post meal blood sugar? 101. Yet yesterday I was way more active, had less carbs and ate a healthier meal and had a huge spike. Who freaking knows.
You may have miss understood my last post Daisy707 as the Libre scanner that I have can also be used as a meter and uses FreeStyle Optium Test Strips.
When it was used to scan the sensor, I found the sensor readings to be 10 and up to 15 minutes behind the meter readings of my Accu-Chek Performa and FreeStyle Optium Blood Tests. This delay is normal because the sensor is using interstitial fluid, the fluid that surrounds the cells of the body and not blood.
When I am in the Hypo range, I only take the Performa reading as correct as all other meters that I have used, have given much lower readings with the majority of the test that I have done when I have been hypoing out.
Below is a section of a post I made back in December and the reason why I believe the Performa reading is correst for me when in the Hypo zone.
“The Libre Blood Test could be very different to the scan and meter readings (Mainly always Lower in the Hypo Zone). There was correlation when readings were in the normal range and both meters read the same.
The Scanner and Scanner Blood Tests readings of under 2.8mmol/L were not correct because I can not drive a cane harvester at 2.8 mmol/L Performa reading.
While cultivating small plant cane which requires a high degree of concentration, a scan showed 3.1 mmol/L and falling. This hypo was treated and I kept working. Next reading 4 minutes later, 2.9 mmol/l, treated again. I stopped working 2 minutes later at 2.7 mmol/l and 15 minutes later the scanner read 2.4 mmol/L. Within the next minute, the next scan showed 2.6 mmol/L when I started the tractor again. I resisted over treating as I knew I had eaten enough carbs and had no hypo symptoms.”
I too have days when I am working hard after book work when work on that day can not lower BGL. It is the next day that I see the lower BGL. One reason given to me is that glucose is going back into storage as Glycogen. I also know from experience that if my Glycogen reserves are fully recharged and I am working hard then stop I can see a dramatic rise in BGL after an hour of stopping work.
@newbeach Sorry I misunderstood! I’m still doing lots of research on the Libre, even though I can’t afford it at the moment. Even if I were to get one, I wouldn’t stop finger testing as well. I think overall, more readings through the day would help me, but I do know not one way is perfect, after all.
I use the Performa for the majority of my tests but will always check with the Optium if I have an unusual result.
Don’t worry about the occasional spike or crazy results day as they do happen. Try substituting foods that you know that work as low GI foods for you and see if that reduces the spikes. Remember Glycogen reserves or lack of could be causing these unusual readings and the only way to find out is to keep good records.
When I am having a good run, I only test between 5 and 8 times a day but double the tests if BGL are not what I expect. On experiment days I will test with both meters from each drop of blood and do 20 tests in a day.
I also suffer from neuropathy with my feet if I become too slack. I know I have to tighten my control and do more tests if my feet start aching.
I know how you feel and have been there. Many times. First off - my basal needs change frequently (and I believe this is very common). My insulin requirements can double over the course of a few days and also return, causing all sorts of havoc. If you log everything you be able to develop two or more ‘set-ups’ in terms of insulin use and carb sensitivity. Why the changes - who knows. Certainly for women it is often hormonal (monthly cycle), but I am male and I have always (37 years) had this.
What I would suggest is the following - Buy and read the Diabetes Solution by Dr Richard Bernstein. It answers just about every diabetes question you may have and offers a way of going about the disease which greatly reduces the problems associated with it. It takes work, no question, but better than status quo, right?
I would definitely go low carb (this is part of Dr Bernstein’s strategy). I am on no more than 30 g carb per day, and I honestly don’t miss carbs at all. One of the secrets is to NEVER cheat. Just like any addiction it is a yes or no proposition.
I would also fast. Fasting is great for all sorts of reasons and it is relatively easy. Many people do it without even knowing. Personally I don’t eat breakfast, and I try (and fail), not to snack. In fasting terms it is called 16/8, where the 8 stands for the number of hours in 24 hr when you can eat. No need to be too strict about it but it helps in all sorts of ways.
Finally I would get a Dexcom. There is a way to do this much cheaper. If you buy out of date, or close to out of date sensors (they work just fine), and use reconditioned transmitters with xDrip for Android or Spike for IOS, you can bring the cost down dramatically.
In grad school I used to fast, generally for four days at a time, but not for any medical reason, just because I didn’t have enough spare time to prepare my own meals. When I stopped, as I had to do because I became too exhausted after four days, I didn’t notice any change in my diabetes, which just returned to what it had been before. Since fasting is not good for the kidneys, and diabetics are at high risk for renal problems, I would avoid it now.
I’ve found fasting has a great effect on my blood sugar control. I rarely fast longer than 24 hours and most of my fasts are 16 hours. I think humans evolved to tolerate periods of fasting. Modern agriculture came into play mere moments ago given the long timeline of human evolution. Modernity’s three-meals per day notion is an outlier over the span of our evolution.
Each of us fast every night when we sleep. The body has adapted to that daily fast by producing ketones that can feed the brain and other essential systems.
When I fast, I find that I benefit with an increase in my insulin sensitivity. In my diabetes history I’ve found a slow but sure build-up in insulin resistance caused by eating too much and too often. This lead me to ever increasing doses of insulin, glucose variability, and weight gain. For me, this cycle leads to nowhere good. This is my personal perspective, of course, but one that has served me well in the last six years of my 34-year time with T1D.
I wouldn’t be afraid to experiment with some 16-24 hour fasts.
I’m late to this conversation, but sometimes mid-morning high blood sugars are not due to glucagon dumps to correct for overnight lows. Sometimes they are simply your body producing cortisol after you wake. If you get up and have rushed mornings or start thinking about a busy work day, your body could be in need of a second smaller dose of insulin in the mid morning. Or you might try eating a fattier breakfast to see if you can’t prohibit the climbs with an avacado toast or a boiled egg? You might have to play around with it a little, but for sure your other hormones are changing your insulin needs every day…specifically stress can affect it dramatically!
Wow!i am also late to this conversation but I have also been having problems with spikes that don’t correlate with what I have been eating. I am going to pay more attention to the fat/protein components to see if that helps. I am fairly active but my highs in the night are driving me crazy- couple of times high 200-300
I agree that it is more than what we eat- hormones etc.
Daisy707, no answers for you I’m afraid, but please take heed - you are doing really well, you are on it, your a1c is not out of control (thought it may be higher than you’d like), please try to relax a little and not give yourself a hard time , even just for a short while. This is a tough game, but you are doing superbly. Love x
Just what I needed to hear! I’m trying not to stress so much; I’m sure I’ll feel better once my doc appointment is out of the way and I can start fresh. It’s hard when you’ve been doing so well for so long and things go crazy. Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it!
And thank you to everyone who has commented! I really truly appreciate all of the suggestions and kind words you have sent my way! I know I can always count on this forum and the great people in it, to ease my anxiety and help me solve my problems! Thanks so much!
Well, all, I saw my doc today. Everything went pretty well! My PCP is pretty understanding of not only me and what’s going on, but T1D, at least, more so than others. It’s just the nurse practitioner and nurses that I really don’t like dealing with; I have faith in my doc, but I don’t really trust the others with any T1D guidance
Anyway, I explained my troubles, told her my estimated average or what my A1C might be, and she said not to worry. With being sick, adjusting to Tresiba, I’m bound to have harder times, and that most of her patients come in with much higher A1C’s and they think it’s okay. She said I take care of myself and keep track, take my meds, so she’s not worried about me being able to gain back control. Shooting to increase my Tresiba by another unit, and just keep increasing it by a unit till I reach the amount that gives me the most stable outcome.
I guess I really knew all along what I needed to do (aside from not catching a cold), to try and fix my situation: EXPERIMENT! Diabetes is all an experimentation every day, anyway, right? lol
Haven’t gotten my bloodwork done yet, have to wait till this week for a day I can fast, so fingers crossed for good outcomes!
You sound like the book I just bought and read @Terry4. This book discusses the points discussed in this thread. I have my copy in my Kindle. I then have it close to me all the time. Kindle copies are cheaper than the real book copies.
@Eric2 I ate vegetable soup. Surely, healthier than greasy breakfast meats and waffles. lol I’ve never in my T1D life had a problem with homemade veggie soup. Often I would have to use very little insulin, or none at all for a soup like that. And I am fairly active. I do regular daily activities, like cleaning and such (I don’t have a desk job), and I have been back to doing yoga as well ever evening. Like I have said previously; I have tried a higher carb diet as well. I have eaten every way that I possibly can, yet still cannot get away from spiking. I just now increased my Tresiba another unit and will keep doing so to see if that helps.
Sure, vegetables and fresh foods are healthier than processed foods. And saturated fat and trans fats are bad. I agree with all of that, no argument from me there. Also processed sugar is not as healthy for carbs as things like grains and lentils and beans
But where I differ with many people is the belief that low carb is automatically healthier than high carb. It depends on what your body needs, and if you are able to control your the BG.
@Eric2 I agree! I’m not for one way of eating over another. I’ve never been set on a low carb diet, because carbs were never my enemy. It seemed like they worked well for me! Up until now, I could really eat what I wanted to. I enjoyed food. I always had a mix of my guilty fast food meals, to home cooked stuff, to all vegetarian, low carb dishes with both meat and without.
The past few months though, I’ve actually had to worry about what to eat. I’ve tried eating the same things days in a row, tried sticking to one set of foods carb wise, calorie wise, etc. with no changes. And I love fruits, veggies, beans, lentils; all the healthier whole food options. I could give up junk and how no problem doing so, and I have. So when I’m eating even those healthier foods and having issues, it’s a downer.
Really it has come to the point that if increasing my dose of Tresiba doesn’t fix the problem, I might go back to Lantus or try Levamir. Trying to give it a chance though. I am really hoping to love it just as much as other people do.
It’s good to know different experiences with the Libre! I wondered myself if it would be accurate enough since my numbers aren’t stable. I don’t want to shell out that kind of money, when I’m able to, if it won’t give me accurate enough readings. I use the mysugr app which graphs what I put in, so I can see my trends in a way, that way, although something that shows more numbers would be great.
My PCP is pretty understanding of not only me and what’s going on, but T1D, at least, more so than others. It’s just the nurse practitioner and nurses that I really don’t like dealing with; I have faith in my doc, but I don’t really trust the others with any T1D guidance 
might answer your question. If low carb is sending you high, maybe that is not the answer for you.