Hi-- I only started testing my sugar levels two days ago. My fasting sugar the first day was 147, and I had a 75 minute post meal reading, when Ifelt very drowsy, of 192, which scared me. So I’m testing a lot, trying to get a picture of what my pattern is, and testing whenever I feel drowsy or otherwise bad. Today I tested at 2 hours because I was feeling woozy and I was at 110. Tonight at 75 minutes I felt shaky and was at 97. Don’t know what to make of it. Is that too low for a post meal reading?
I already eat a pretty low carb diet. Very small amounts of rice and rice products, and some quinoa, but otherwise I eat fish, chicken, lamb, eggs, a little yogurt and goat cheese, and vegetables.
I could use some help understanding what the numbers are telling me.
Thanks, Aurora
I see that u r a recently diagnosed T2 Diabetic. Being a T2 the most important sugar levels are.
- Fasting 80-100 is fabulous.
- more than fasting , BS 2 hours after a meal is more important. From your profile i see that u have not yet started on any medicines and are relying on Diet and exercise. I feel you are a pre-diabetic condition. Anyways 2 hours post meal should be about < 140.
Your 192, 75min after meal is not something u should be worried about. It takes a while for the body’s insulin to reach its effective peak and to bring the sugars under control. There is lag as the insulin starts to chase the BS.
You said u have rice for a meal. Rice has higher glycemic index (GI). GI is the factor of food that makes the BS go high for some time post meal. It happens with normal people too. I mean with a GI food the lag between insulin and BS gets amplified.
You shouldn’t be worried unless u are training to be an athlete or some sports personallity!!! At the same time this does not mean you can start eating direct sugars (i mean candy, cake, pies, fruit juices etc). Its ok to give your self a break once in a while and reward ur self with a potato etc.
what is more important is the BS level 2 hours post meal.
The symptoms that u feel only indicate the rate of decline of BS. If you slide from 200 to 120 in like 20 minutes u will feel a lot like Hypo even though 120 is not in the technically low BS range.
Another cause for those symptoms is that ur adjusting to a better BS level from a previous uncontrolled BS condition.
So ur symptomps are not the definitive indicator of Low sugar.
I hope this helps.
Great that you’re testing frequently to learn how different foods effect you. Keeping logs of meals & readings is really helpful.
I’d be worried about 192 also Highs can take a long time to come down with no meds. Exercise can bring BG down for T2s.
110 & 97 are wonderful! That’s not low at all. You don’t want highs after meals. It takes time for our bodies to adjust to more normal BG when it’s been high for a while. The feelings of being shaky & woozy will soon pass. Keep up the great work!
Something to keep in mind is that protein & fat take longer to digest than carbs. Try testing every now & then at 3-4 hours after higher protein meals to see what’s happening.
Your body gets used to high glucose numbers, what is needed is a gradual reduction rather than a sharp reduction, to allow your body to adjust.
As to what is too low: Try to stay above 70, though some people are ok at 65. A non-diabetic spends most of their time in the low 80-s.
I suggest:
- Learn to count carbohydrates
Reading the packages, boxes, cans is a good way to start.
The book Calorie King is great, it lists carbohydrate content of about every food - Act aggressively to lower your glucose.
- Microvascular complications (eyes, kidney, nerves) take many years to develop, but they do not have to happen at all, if you do what is needed to keep your HbA1c (a 3 month average glucose test) under 7 (or lower if possible).
- Your efforts to eat right are great, a good start. With the right tools (knowledge, and help from oral medicines, injectable medicines, or insulin) you can improve your numbers to whatever you are willing to work for. Exercise on a regular basis can also help a lot.
5 The lower your numbers, as long as they are safely above 70, the smaller your chance of eventually getting complications.
Best wishes
-Lloyd
A person does not have to be on meds to be considered officially as a Type 2. Any time we exceed 126 mg/dL for a fasting number, those are officially Diabetic numbers… (not pre-diabetic) Exceeding 140 mg/dL 2 hours postprandial is also a Diabetic hallmark. I would not consider this, in any way, as Pre-Diabetes.
I control my Diabetes with no meds, and I am a full blown Type 2. At diagnosis, my A1C was 10.5%, and my fasting was 235 mg/dL. I lowered it all with a low carb diet, and now my A1C is 5.5%, and a typical fasting is in the 80s.
Wow!! Keep up the good work! How many carbs do you typically eat in a day? I’m “type2” as well and am experimenting with my carbs currently eating about 80-100 day but am considering going lower because I cannot get my fasting bg down it’s usually 108-125. Your fasting is EXCELLENT!!!
I eat, on average, about 80 carbs a day… Some days lower, some days a little more. Most days I try to eat lower. I also go for a walk right before bed… It really has been helping with the morning fastings.
To bring down your fasting sugar you may try not eating any carbohydrates after say 3pm and to add exercise in the PM but your other numbers sound good! 45-75 mins after a meal is when your bs would be the highest, I usually walk after every meal and as long as your number was lower after testing at 2 hour then you are fine. When I was first diagnosed I would feel like I was having “hypoglycemia” anytime I went below 100 but after about 4 weeks my body adjusted to the normal numbers.
Thanks! 
I have also noticed that exercise before bed lowers my fasting bg but not as low as yours is! That is awesome!! How long do you normally walk for?
hmmm… it would seem like it’s 20-30 minutes… but it’s not strenuous at all… I just go for a leisurely walk with the hubby… I also have an evening snack, around 8:30 pm, or so… a few slices of hard salami, with a few slices of cucumber. Protein and fat like that, with some mild form of fiber usually help me get lower.
Really?? I would have never thought of that…does it get you lower during the day as well or only during the night? Have you lost weight eating only 80 carbs day? Thanks for all the advice you have been very helpful!
I think since I wake up lower, it helps me be lower throughout the day, too. On days I wake up higher, I just keep going back to that high fasting number all throughout the day… So the waking up lower really does help. And yes, I have lost weight… I’ve lost almost 80 lbs. Here’s a thread I posted some time ago, with pictures of my progress: http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/weightlossteam/forum/topics/today-i…
Hi! Gretchen Becker’s book about living with diabetes is excellent, and will help you to understand the purpose and methods for tracking your glucose. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Available on amazon.com in paperback or digital formats. She is a member of TuDiabetes too.