Hi all, I am undiagnosed but due to strong family history of type 2 and heart troubles in family I have recently been checking my BG. My fasting is average of 6, 1hr after meals are spiking up to 12 but always back down under 6 at 2 hr. Is this normal ?
In Canada , the suggested protocol is , that when one is over 40 years of age and there is family history of diabetes to have blood glucose level checked at a lab ( requires Dr’s prescription , so you need to discuss ) .I think it is yearly .
I know , I did not answer your question , solely because I don’t know the answer, but 12 ( x18 for US readers) seems high ?. Maybe you could consume fewer carbs , higher in fiber ??
I don’t think that 12 is normal, I may not be correct but as far as I know it should go that high ever. Keep checking and stay in touch with the doc.
I agree that it is not normal Karen.
You can request a glucose tolerance test, which test you blood sugar after you drink something with a lot of carbohydrates.
Even if your doctor does not diagnose you, it would be a good idea to make the diet and exercise changes that diabetics should do (in general they are healthy for most people). Avoid high carbohydrate foods:
NO: non-diet soft drinks, candy
Limited quantities: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, pizza, …
Keep us posted on how you are doing!!
A fasting glucose of 6 is beginning to be elevated; truly normal non-diabetic fasting should be around 5. And 12 post-challenge would be considered diabetic if it was a lab value.
That said, home meters can be off by a lot, so I wouldn’t flip out at this juncture. What I would do is speak to your doctor, and arrange to have a lab-tested fasting glucose and A1c measurement, and an oral glucose tolerance test if he’ll order it. This will give you a better picture of what’s going on.
I’d also strongly suggest limiting carbs; it’ll be good for your blood glucose levels, will take the load off your pancreas and may let some recovery of function take place, and it’ll improve your blood lipids and other cardiovascular measures as well. I’d suggest this even if you’re still at the pre-diabetic levels after your doctor’s testing – preventing problems is better than fixing them, and your family history and your own results show that you don’t process carbs in an optimal way, so limiting your intake is just a good idea. Let me know if you’d like me to point out some resources to help you figure out what works for you to eat.
No it is not normal. According to some mail I got from safeway or acchucheck heart disease is correlated with a high 1 hour spike in blood sugar. Eat a very low carb diet.
Hi all and thankyou for your advice. I have spoken with a Diabetes nurse and they are going to arrange a fasting glucose test to be done. I have reduced daily carb intake to approx 100g and feel good on this so far 
My only concern is that on random days I have great fasting under 5 and although it might seem silly - I hope on the day of test it is a “high day” I have a fear that I will be dismissed as paranoid if levels are ok when they test. I will tell them about my highs after meals and also about the symptoms I am having and hope they listen (I have bad experience with GP in the past). I have noticed that my levels are much higher in the evenings and from what I have read most people suffer in the mornings - am I strange in this aspect ??
Thankyou again for replys and I will let you know how I get on after test
Fasting glucose is a very poor test in your case you are very likely to get a false negative. You need a glucose uptake test or whatever it is called in the UK. During this you ingest about 70 grams of glucose and they measure your BG after 1, 2 and 3 hours. Look up on Wiki for the exact details.
Usually the test they run at the doctor’s office (A1C level) is over the last 3 months. So it will average out your high’s and your lows.
Just got the call from GP’s receptionist - levels too high & GP want to see me this week. Will have to see what he says and take it from there, thanks for all your help so far