# OMG - my BS was 14.5 last night



## Dizzydi (Mar 17, 2009)

and by god did that scare me.

I have never had such a high reading since getting things under control last May. (it was 5.7 this morning)

I forgot to take my Metformin with my evening meal. Is this why it was so high? I tested before I went to bed.


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## VBH (Mar 17, 2009)

What did you eat?  And what was your BG before you ate?  And how long after eating was your BG that high?

Did you retest to make sure it was not a dodgy reading?


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## Vanessa (Mar 17, 2009)

Dizzydi, you have done so well if you've kept it under control since last May so try to remember that.  However, if you are anything like me, you'll be focusing on what you've possibly done wrong.  Missing a dose of metformin will have an effect but I doubt whether anyone of us can honestly say we have never missed a drug.  It may not be the only factor in your high reading as it needs to be seen alongside what ever you ate. amount of exercise, any stress and whether you are brewing up a cough/cold.  The good news is that you were down to 5.7 this morning


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## Lizzie (Mar 17, 2009)

Usually (not always) if my BGs have been good and there is suddenly a high one, I feel it. Did you feel thirsty or have any symptoms of a high? Or could there have been a problem with the meter, or maybe something on your finger which contaminated the result? I would check with control solution anyway (you can get this from the meter company free but usually there is some in the box when the meter arrives). 

I find it useful to set an alarm on my phone to remind me if I need to take medication.


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## Dizzydi (Mar 17, 2009)

I was feeling very very sleepy which prompted me to test. I had had some homemade lasagna and Garlick bread which I must admit the sauce had lots of cheese in it and I would not normally eat garlick bread. (my sister made it as a birthday tea for my dad).

I only do random tests if I'm feeling out of sorts.  With forgetting to take my medication I thought i better test.


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## Vanessa (Mar 17, 2009)

Cheese should not be too much of a problem for blood sugars (saturated fat is concern here rather than carbohydrate) but white flour does cause me to go high very quickly and you probably had a double hit there with both pasta and bread (? flour in sauce too).  Combined with the missed metformin, then it is highly likely that your one off odd reading is explainable.  It was a birthday treat for the family so hope you all had a lovely time and that your dad had a great day.

Most of us need a little indulgence every now and then - I know I do - thought of pasta and garlic bread is wonderful!  Just as well it is turkey stir fry with a small portion of brown basmati rice for tea or I could be very tempted ....


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## Dizzydi (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks for your kind word Vanessa - maybe the lasagna & Garlick bread acted as bad boys. I'm so good most of the time and seeing a reading like that scared the hell out of me. I've been determined since diagnoses (April 08) to keep my levels as good as possible. I just keep thinking good control = less problems in later life (hopefully)

It's my birthday soon and me and the other half have been discussing if I should have a treat tea (Meat Pie, Chips mmm mmm mmm only joking) or not. But think I might have Thai mince (made with turkey with brown basmalti) which is a favourite instead of Risotto Carbonara which I love but dare not!!


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## Vanessa (Mar 17, 2009)

Remember Kojak had fish and chips for his birthday treat!

Your story reminds me of going round to some friends for supper - she's a Type 2 diabetic too so thought I would be reasonably safe.  Unfortunately my assumption was wrong as we've since found she can eat far more carb than I can with minimal effect (boy am I jealous!).  Overindulged and, like you, had a horrible reading - sent me into a spin for a while worrying about not being able to be sociable until I realised two things (a) it was a once in a blue moon reading and (b) I'd learned a valuable lesson about my need to manage what I ate when presented with too tempting a choice

That Thai mince sounds nice ....


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## Steff (Mar 17, 2009)

gosh if i got that reading tis normal to me at the mo im anywhere between 10 and 16 still at the minute, i had one reading this morning which was 8.4 so goodness knows what i did right there lol


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## kojack (Mar 17, 2009)

Dizzydi said:


> It's my birthday soon and me and the other half have been discussing if I should have a treat tea (Meat Pie, Chips mmm mmm mmm only joking) or not. But think I might have Thai mince (made with turkey with brown basmalti) which is a favourite instead of Risotto Carbonara which I love but dare not!!



We made a conscious decision that we controlled the diabetes and not the reverse.

The occasional treat is fine for me. Just had a week's holiday and although not stupid about it, I enjoyed my food.
As an alcoholic (reformed) my liver doesn't cope with fats too well and had put on about seven pounds, already lost four by this afternoon.

If it's a special treat, think about it. I would go for the Risotto Carbonara (I had a similar meal for lunch today).
In many meals it is not always the content but the portion size that causes the probs.


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## Dizzydi (Mar 18, 2009)

*Can you believe I forgot my flaming meds again*

Got home from work, went to the gym for a run. 

Had 2 slices of granary toast with 200g baked beans. Had shower, relaxed for a while while watching the clock to make sure I tested at 2 hours after eating.

Washed hands and Tested at 2 hours and got a reading of 12.5 at which point I shouted my other half to show him and ask why!!

Other half went into kitchen and checked my weekly tablet box and saw yet again my medication in it's Tuesday slot not taken again.

I despair - why do I keep forgetting and am I high cause I haven't taken them - or is there a more sinister reason. Like I said before I've not had high reading since being under control last may!!


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## Lizzie (Mar 18, 2009)

Dizzydi said:


> Got home from work, went to the gym for a run.
> 
> Had 2 slices of granary toast with 200g baked beans. Had shower, relaxed for a while while watching the clock to make sure I tested at 2 hours after eating.
> 
> ...




Do you have a mobile phone? I use the calendar/task features on mine to remind me of things like this. Stick post-it notes where you will see them  - bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. Get your husband to remind you too. If you will be near a computer, put it as an appointment in Outlook.


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## Copepod (Mar 18, 2009)

At the risk of stating the bleeping obvious, it does sound like you need to find a way to ensure you remember to take your tablets! I haven't got any ideas - at least the box system tells you when you've missed a dose, but perhap setting an alarm / reminder on your watch or mobile phone.  I don't even take contraceptive pill, as I'm sure I'd forget, and it's easy to remember to take insulin every meal, plus on getting up and going to bed.


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## Vanessa (Mar 18, 2009)

Some meters have an alarm system on them too but my best reminder system is my mobile phone - that is when I haven't forgotten where I put it!


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## kojack (Mar 18, 2009)

I have an alarm on my watch.


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## VBH (Mar 19, 2009)

Dizzydi said:


> Had 2 slices of granary toast with 200g baked beans. Had shower, relaxed for a while while watching the clock to make sure I tested at 2 hours after eating.



Thats about 60g of carbs, almost no fat to slow them down and 10g of protein.  The overall glycemic index would be around 90 at a quick guess.

The peak from that lot would hit at about one hour in my case and as a quick estimate would be around 15, based on the rest of your info.

If you are on metformin, then the background level of met would still take care of some of it, so you were not entirely without help from meds.  You miss out on the blocking of carb absorbtion of course.

But with or without meds, thats really not a good meal choice particularly for a T2.  Its practically all carbs - protein is irrelevant to BG and fats were missing.  The only time I would eat anything approaching that carby and fast would be just before exercising so that I would burn it off immediately.

Incidentally you might want to try Burgen soya & linseed bread (sounds awful, but its quite nice).  Its about half the GI and half the carbs.


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## Dizzydi (Mar 19, 2009)

Thanks for the info VBH

I must admit Beans on toast is not generally something I would eat, but my other half wanted it and I thought a one of!!

Last night I had Jacket potatoe (130g), Roast Chicken Breast 120 g with petit pois, sweetcorn and carrotts. My BS after 2 hours was 3.4.

& I remembered to take my meds!! Set an alarm to remind me.

I really cannot figure out what is going.....


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## VBH (Mar 19, 2009)

ok thats wierd.

A lot of carby veggies there and jacket spuds are a BG nightmare so I would expect a sharp upward spike (+ 8?) at about an hour, possibly followed by a sharp reactive crash at about 3 hours.  Maybe a little later.

Did you have to squeeze a lot for that blood sample by any chance?  The only thing that occurs to be is the old problem of "milking" the finger and getting a lot of interstitial fluid rather than blood.

What meds are you on?  Glic?


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## Vanessa (Mar 19, 2009)

Just to add to VBH's comments on effects of milking is to question whether you had any signs of being hypo other than the reading?  I would normally be shaking like a leaf at 3.4 but we are all different.  If you had other signs then it would give you some additional info to confirm that odd low reading
I'm also aware that I've had to adjust how I take my gliclazide on my GP's advice because of post-breakfast hypos so also wonder if, having missed some meds, you may have had more of a response.

One thing is for certain - diabetes is a very confusing thing to have


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## Dizzydi (Mar 19, 2009)

I didn't have any sign's that I had gone low and I did not have to squeeze my finger hard to get the blood out - was just normal.

I can normally tell when I go low as I do shake and get a feeling of confusion running through me.  (PS even though my consultant says I cannot go low/have hyps on Metformin)

I'm on Metformin 2 x 500 in the morning and same in the evening. I'm often a bit low when I get home from work (4 to 4.5) even though I'm eating lots throughout the day. & I have had a number of less than 4 in the evening - which was why I thought my high's this week very a bit bizare.


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## Vanessa (Mar 19, 2009)

Odder and odder then - but may have been an iffy reading for some unknown cause.  Your experiences though do make me wonder if you are someone who reacts particularly well to metformin given the correlation with missing doses and high readings and your lower normal ones


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## sofaraway (Mar 19, 2009)

Dizzydi said:


> (PS even though my consultant says I cannot go low/have hyps on Metformin)



Anyone can have hypo's, my non-diabetic other half has tested at 2.6 recently. What they probably should say about metformin is that it doesn't stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin causing hypos.


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## VBH (Mar 19, 2009)

so you are bleeding enough on the strip to get a reading first time then?

Hmm. I suggest getting a second meter for comparison.  Its handy to have one at home and travel with the other anyway.  Also recalibrating your current meter if you have the calibration fluid for it. 

Alternatively, go have a blood test, ask them to do a plasma BG and compare it to your meter reading taken at the same time(I do this at every blood test).

Assuming your meter is set for capilliary(normal), rather than plasma converted, the plasma test should be 12% higher.  Just don't expect it to be bang on accurate since meters are allowed to be up to 20% out.  So long as its somewhere near it will be ok, since meters are usually reasonably consistent in themselves.

Finally, check the expiry date on the strips.  If they are not individually foil-wrapped strips (Abbott and other manufacturers) then try another pack.


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## VBH (Mar 19, 2009)

p.s. Your consultant is wrong.  Met does not cause lows, but its perfectly possible to go low or hypo on met.  My personal record is 2.6 and if he is still unconvinced I can demonstrate how possible it is given about 8 hours notice on demand.  (or 3 hours if I torture myself with a baked potato and a cereal bar  )


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## kojack (Mar 20, 2009)

VBH said:


> Hmm. I suggest getting a second meter for comparison.  Its handy to have one at home and travel with the other anyway.  Also recalibrating your current meter if you have the calibration fluid for it.
> 
> Alternatively, go have a blood test, ask them to do a plasma BG and compare it to your meter reading taken at the same time(I do this at every blood test).
> 
> ...



I had a high reading last night. Didn't think of a good reason for it.
Control solution seemed OK

Used a new tub of strips and cross checked on a second meter.
Both showed the same which was 3.2 mmol/L less than the rogue reading.
These meters are a guide and we have a tendency to forget to use control solutions and the fallability of both the strips and the electronics.


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