Taking more aggressive action to combat post-prandial spikes
Posted: 24 November 2014 at 16:52:20
I've been reading the book Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner and I've found it is quite interesting and informative. I think any adult Type-1 Diabetic or caregiver of a Type-1 Diabetic would benefit from the information in the book.
I'll be posting a full review of the book in the next couple of weeks after I finish it.
One thing, however, that has me somewhat concerned is Scheiner says in his book that post-prandial (post-meal) blood sugar spikes shouldn't go over 180 mg/dL because it creates stress on your renal system (kidneys). My post-prandial spikes regularly go over 200 mg/dL so I realize I need to take some more aggressive action to counteract that.
This morning, for example, I bolused my Novolog about 10-15 minutes before eating breakfast and included extra units to counter the morning rise (glucagon, perhaps) I've been experiencing every morning lately.
Here's the result:
Scheiner makes three recommendations in his book that I am considering. One, of course, is bolusing a few minutes before eating. That one isn't always practical or predictable, but I will try. The second is engaging in 10-15 minutes of exercise after eating. That is usually doable. Third is adding an injectible like liraglutide (Victoza) to the therapy.
I tried Victoza a couple of months ago after my endocrinologist gave me some samples to try. The nausea induced by it was rough, my blood sugars became less predictable, and I was training for a half-marathon and worried about the unpredictable blood sugars might spoil it.
Now, however, I'm in a better position to try it again, so I think I will start using Victoza again in the next day or so.