Very high glucose reading

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

I had a piece of corn on the cob with my dinner, and apparently my body can't handle it. My reading was 167 and I'm supposed be under 120. I'm kind of worried at how this will effect my LO. Is there anything I can do now to get my number lower faster?

MrsSmith414 · July 2013

Water and a swift walk lowers mine. Try to not panic!

SeaConquest · July 2013

It is one number and isn't terribly high. I hope some of the T1 diabetics chime in to put things into perspective for you. You are learning what your body can handle. Go easy on yourself and just see it as a learning experience.

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

Thanks. It is down to 102 now which I feel better about. Ever sense this DX I have been paranoid about everything. I am so afraid of this hurting my LO. The highest reading I had before this was 145 and my doctor made me feel like that was terrible.

VTFutureMrs · July 2013

One number....even a few high numbers a week will not have that big impact on the baby. Try not to worry. You can always speak to the nutritionist/dietician if you have worries. Your doctor shouldn't make you feel terrible about it since you are trying your best at following the diet.

Hollykgower · July 2013

I was gestational diabetic for my last pregnancy. Go for a walk and drink water. Also talk to your GD specialist. They might be able to help more if the spikes keep coming.

LilMills · July 2013

I am a type 1 diabetic meaning my body doesn't make any insulin at all. Trust me. That number is NOT high. It's really hard to explain to a non diabetic but just put it this way .. I am happy when my blood sugar is under 150. I could eat one starburst and shoot up to 300 in a matter of minutes! It's that easy. (not that 300 is ok. Its drfinitely not. Just want to kind of put these numbers into perspective)

If you're really worried go to the pharmacy and buy ketone testers. They are little dip sticks you put into your urine that measure your ketone level. Ketones develop if your sugars are in fact too high and ketones are what hurt your baby.

If anything your baby is just getting a little more food than normal which is actually why your body is resisting insulin In the first place. If your growth scans are good and on track you're fine!

Sorry I could go on and on lol I tend to ramble. But I just get so sad reading posts like yours and seeing how bad you ladies are beating yourself up over what i consider to be good readings!! relax. You're doing great.

cinderin · July 2013

Was it just the one corn on the cob? That doesn't seem like much.

Whenever I have carbs, I make sure to pair it with protein and usually fiber. This helps avoid the spikes.

It is going to get easier once you learn what you can and cannot eat/how it effects you. :-)

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

LilMills said:
I am a type 1 diabetic meaning my body doesn't make any insulin at all. Trust me. That number is NOT high. It's really hard to explain to a non diabetic but just put it this way .. I am happy when my blood sugar is under 150. I could eat one starburst and shoot up to 300 in a matter of minutes! It's that easy. (not that 300 is ok. Its drfinitely not. Just want to kind of put these numbers into perspective)

If you're really worried go to the pharmacy and buy ketone testers. They are little dip sticks you put into your urine that measure your ketone level. Ketones develop if your sugars are in fact too high and ketones are what hurt your baby.

If anything your baby is just getting a little more food than normal which is actually why your body is resisting insulin In the first place. If your growth scans are good and on track you're fine!

Sorry I could go on and on lol I tend to ramble. But I just get so sad reading posts like yours and seeing how bad you ladies are beating yourself up over what i consider to be good readings!! relax. You're doing great.

Thanks for the advise/info. Most of my high numbers are in the mid 120s to 130s so this freaked me out. I have had small to moderate ketones for the past week and that has concerned me too. I thought this was because I was limited my carbs too much. Can you give me any more information on that? Most of my readings have been under 120 (where I was told to be). But I do go over a little it seems like once a day. I think I've been cutting out too many carbs to make sure my numbers stay low. I thought that's why I was getting those ketone readings so I've upped the carbs and my numbers have gotten higher.

cinderin · July 2013

Juliebird8307 said:

I am a type 1 diabetic meaning my body doesn't make any insulin at all. Trust me. That number is NOT high. It's really hard to explain to a non diabetic but just put it this way .. I am happy when my blood sugar is under 150. I could eat one starburst and shoot up to 300 in a matter of minutes! It's that easy. (not that 300 is ok. Its drfinitely not. Just want to kind of put these numbers into perspective) If you're really worried go to the pharmacy and buy ketone testers. They are little dip sticks you put into your urine that measure your ketone level. Ketones develop if your sugars are in fact too high and ketones are what hurt your baby. If anything your baby is just getting a little more food than normal which is actually why your body is resisting insulin In the first place. If your growth scans are good and on track you're fine! Sorry I could go on and on lol I tend to ramble. But I just get so sad reading posts like yours and seeing how bad you ladies are beating yourself up over what i consider to be good readings!! relax. You're doing great.
Thanks for the advise/info. Most of my high numbers are in the mid 120s to 130s so this freaked me out. I have had small to moderate ketones for the past week and that has concerned me too. I thought this was because I was limited my carbs too much. Can you give me any more information on that? Most of my readings have been under 120 (where I was told to be). But I do go over a little it seems like once a day. I think I've been cutting out too many carbs to make sure my numbers stay low. I thought that's why I was getting those ketone readings so I've upped the carbs and my numbers have gotten higher.

bring what you have been eating (food log) and blood sugar readings with you to your OB/GD counselor and ask their advice on what you have been eating.

for me, changing from "simple" carbs to more whole grains has helped keep my numbers down while I still consume the same amount of total carbs. Also pairing with protein and fiber has helped.

SeaConquest · July 2013

LilMills said:

I am a type 1 diabetic meaning my body doesn't make any insulin at all. Trust me. That number is NOT high. It's really hard to explain to a non diabetic but just put it this way .. I am happy when my blood sugar is under 150. I could eat one starburst and shoot up to 300 in a matter of minutes! It's that easy. (not that 300 is ok. Its drfinitely not. Just want to kind of put these numbers into perspective)
...

If your growth scans are good and on track you're fine! Sorry I could go on and on lol I tend to ramble. But I just get so sad reading posts like yours and seeing how bad you ladies are beating yourself up over what i consider to be good readings!! relax. You're doing great.

I often feel terribly sad when I read the posts on this board because so many women are beating themselves up over GD and suffering from fear and anxiety. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience.

LilMills · July 2013

Ketones can also develop of you're not eating enough carbs. Carbs are essential! Ketones develop when your body is "starved" for energy. It will literally start eating your muscle and using that as energy. The ketones are the by product and very toxic to yourself and baby.

The other poster is absolutely right. Go for more complex carbs. Stay away from white grains (white bread, white pasta, white rice, flour) and add protien to every meal. When I eat a meal high in carbs I also eat a hard boiled egg. The protien will force your body to digest the carbs more slowly. Also if you are showing trace amounts of ketones the best best thing you can do is drink lots of water. It literally flushes your system. If your doctor is concerned about your ketones he/she will put you on an IV fluid flush. Same thing.

Also be sure you're not testing immediately after eating. Wait at least an hour. Any person, even a non diabetic, will have elevated numbers immediately after eating. Don't freak yourself out for no reason. Being consistently under 130 like you said is EXCELLENT. really :-)

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

LilMills said:

Ketones can also develop of you're not eating enough carbs. Carbs are essential! Ketones develop when your body is "starved" for energy. It will literally start eating your muscle and using that as energy. The ketones are the by product and very toxic to yourself and baby. The other poster is absolutely right. Go for more complex carbs. Stay away from white grains (white bread, white pasta, white rice, flour) and add protien to every meal. When I eat a meal high in carbs I also eat a hard boiled egg. The protien will force your body to digest the carbs more slowly. Also if you are showing trace amounts of ketones the best best thing you can do is drink lots of water. It literally flushes your system. If your doctor is concerned about your ketones he/she will put you on an IV fluid flush. Same thing. Also be sure you're not testing immediately after eating. Wait at least an hour. Any person, even a non diabetic, will have elevated numbers immediately after eating. Don't freak yourself out for no reason. Being consistently under 130 like you said is EXCELLENT. really :-)

Thank you so much! You have been very helpful. I only test for ketones when I first wake up. They were moderate again today. I had the highest carbs yesterday than I have had since I started, so I'm not sure what else I can do. I had to fax my readings and ketone levels this morning, so I'm guessing they will call later today about the ketones. The ketones and higher numbers are making me so nervous. I'm not sure what else I can do, but I am constantly worried about my LO now.

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

mainerocks said:

I agree, that's not crazy high in the big picture. I had around 5 high numbers like that each week, and my baby was born at a normal weight and perfectly healthy. Do your best but definitely don't freak out over one 167 number! ) BTW, another reason not to freak... stress can mess with your numbers too! )

Thanks! This just seemed so high compared to my normal 'high' numbers.

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

cinderin said:

Was it just the one corn on the cob? That doesn't seem like much.

Whenever I have carbs, I make sure to pair it with protein and usually fiber. This helps avoid the spikes.

It is going to get easier once you learn what you can and cannot eat/how it effects you. :-)

Well I had a piece of grilled chicken, lots of grilled vegetables, a half of a potato and one ear of corn. I figured the rest of the meal was pretty balanced, so it must have been the corn. I was only at 145 after eating pizza the other night!

kimberlymacrae · July 2013

Did you marinate your chicken or use a spice with a ton of sugar on your potatoes? That's where I notice not expecting hugh numbers them bam... 150+

Depending on your portion size it mught have just been a "carb/starch" heavy meal...

Juliebird8307 · July 2013

Well I was at my parents for dinner, so I'm not exactly sure. But my mom said the chicken and veggies were marinaded in Italian dressing and the potatoes just had olive oil and season salt on them. I feel like anytime I try to eat something that isn't plain that I cook myself, my number is high.

katenpaul · August 2013

Juliebird8307: I am also a Type 1 Diabetic and have been for the last 11 years. If I ate 1/2 a white potato and corn on the cob, my sugars would be higher 2hrs post meal than if I had eaten say 1/2 a sweet potato with broccoli and grilled chicken. I have heard often enough, and seen the effects on my own blood sugars to know it's true, a carb is not always equal. Whole grains and protein take longer for the body to process, when paired together this helps your blood sugar levels stay more level. Take a food and glucose log to your doctor. If you are having consistent highs then your body may need more help than diet alone, i.e. medications. This doesn't mean you're doing a bad job, it just means your cells need extra help to keep you two on track.

The other members are right though, I would be thrilled to have glucose readings like yours! Keep it up and don't stress too much.

Juliebird8307 · August 2013

katenpaul said:
Juliebird8307: I am also a Type 1 Diabetic and have been for the last 11 years. If I ate 1/2 a white potato and corn on the cob, my sugars would be higher 2hrs post meal than if I had eaten say 1/2 a sweet potato with broccoli and grilled chicken. I have heard often enough, and seen the effects on my own blood sugars to know it's true, a carb is not always equal. Whole grains and protein take longer for the body to process, when paired together this helps your blood sugar levels stay more level. Take a food and glucose log to your doctor. If you are having consistent highs then your body may need more help than diet alone, i.e. medications. This doesn't mean you're doing a bad job, it just means your cells need extra help to keep you two on track.

The other members are right though, I would be thrilled to have glucose readings like yours! Keep it up and don't stress too much.

Thanks for this info! I've started to realize how my body reacts to different carbs. Unfortunately, there isn't much learning time when you're pregnant, so my doctor put me on insulin yesterday. I have one of the more strict doctors, and did not like seeing numbers above 120 after 1 hour. Most of my 'high' numbers were in the mid 120s. I'm hoping at least the insulin will calm me down a little by keeping my numbers lower.

Want a personalized experience?

Very high glucose reading

Re: Very high glucose reading

Choose Another Board

Search Boards