For several months now I have been checking my BS. It looks like that my blood sugar spikes more than the normal level (>140) and generally will go down to <120 on the 2nd hour. This is regardless of what i eat (I have experimented a whole lot of food combinations).

Does chronically high 1-hour post prandial BS cause damage to the nerves? (Assuming this condition has been ongoing for a long time without me knowing it.)

Does condition like mine would require medications? I dont want another medication added to my long list but if its necessary, I will consider it.

In most articles i read, it is said the critical number is the 2-hour post prandial but if the 1-hour post prandial is always normally high, will it not damage the nerves?

Nerve damage can begin to occur at 150 BG...at any time.

You said yours is "more than the normal 140" well what is it usually?

If your numbers are around 140 this is not considered diabetic, expecially because it comes back down at the 2 hour mark, according to DOCTORS.

However, If you are having numbers that go about or even at 150 I would consider yourself at huge risk to developing diabetes and would monitor and change your diet and if you can exercise even a moderate daily walk helps bring numbers down.

You didn't really say exactly what your numbers are so its hard to say, but for me, the minute I learned the above info I changed my lifestyle, if not, its a disaster waiting to happen later. Better to catch it now what when it's too late.

Yes, nerve damage can occur at consistantly high or swinging low numbers. It is best to keep it consistant. Your doctor wont care until its too late but if you PN you should be concerned at anything above 150.

Yes, doctors don't care about the 1 hour mark. They also don't care if you get a BG of 150. They dont care until you already HAVE diabetes. Research definately shows how nerves can be damaged at 150.

My diet is low carbs and lots of non-starchy veggies. I walk almost everyday. As far as lifestyle is concerned, I dont know,what else to do because I do what may be considered as a good diet and lifestyle (believe me, I am a diligent and compliant patient. Pain is a great motivator.) My BS goes up to 181 (2 days ago) but normally it goes up to as high as 147-160. I read about the 140 threshold that is why I am concerned about my BS. Whatever i eat, whether 21, 24 or 31 grams of carbohydrates the number will go up. When certain kind of food, quantities and activities yield normal numbers, just when i thought that i already figure out what works for me, but when i randomly eat again exactly the same (to validate previous normal numbers) the number goes up.

So, my question is -- will taking medication resolves the problem? I monitor my food intake religiously.

If your numbers are getting close to 200 you MIGHT find a doctor to give meds, generally 200 is when they get concerned but numbers around 160 will not concern them...and that is at the 1 hr mark, which they typically do not worry about as much as the 2 hr mark.

You need to establish a dr history asap cuz their first line will be diet and lifestyle, they will never suggest meds right away at those numbers even if you tell them this. They will send you to a dietician first. You will have to find a progressive dr that wants to treat EARLY, which if you are reaching numbers of 180 I do not consider it early but doctors do.

There are a great many supplements that aid in lowering glucose also. Start researching and becoming your own best advocate. Knowledge is power, learn everything you can about it.

I take R-lipoic, Benfotiamine which are said to help stabilize blood sugar. I take metamucil too and Moringa Oleifera which other than their intended purpose claim to help the blood sugar.

I have an endocrinologist, in fact, i will be seeing him on monday.

Lets see what he has to say...

It is ME, Hopeless.

Metformin is prescribed often to "prevent" diabetes. I use the term "prevent" very loosely.

Metformin is the FIRST drug used usually when diet does not control blood sugar levels for NON-diabetics as well as diabetics.

Since this has been ongoing for some time, I would ask your endo to prescribe a low dose of Metformin and see how that goes. Metformin will not cause you to go "low" like some other drugs used for diabetes. It has been around for a very long time so its safety is well established.

It is often prescribed BEFORE one is diagnosed with diabetes. The ER version is an extended release that you could take once a day. The ER version also has less chance of any side effects.

Starlix is another drug that is taken 15-20 minutes before meals to prevent spikes but I am not sure they would prescribe that for a non-diabetic. It also will not make you go low.

Most of the other drugs (designed specifically for diabetics) will risk lowering your blood sugar BELOW normal levels. You want to stay away from them.

The two I mentioned will not produce low blood sugar levels.

Bottom line........ I would ask your endo for Metformin ER and see how that works over a 30 day period.

I know what a struggle you have had with this and you do not want to wait until someone thinks your levels are BAD enough when this is obvious not just a fluke since you have these spikes often.

Yes, your spikes are definitely not helping your PN.

Not knowledgeable about blood sugar, but so sorry to hear that you are dealing with this as well. I know your lifestyle is designed to maximize health and I can't imagine that you could improve on what you are doing.
I hope this turns out not to be a problem for you. Could some of your medications be affecting the numbers?

I hope so too....

Well, for one, when you have an infection, you BS tends to be elevated. BUT, my pulmonologist/ID does think its caused by the infection neither he believes that it is a side effect of my antibiotics.

Hi,
I want to also join in this discussion, because I do not understand this glucose business
the neurologist that did diagnose my neuropathy by EMG and NCS, also did some blood tests to find the cause of the neuropathy. Included was a 3 hour glucose tolerence test.
I was a little surprised, because the doctor kept on saying that my 1 hour glucose reading of 187 was too high. In the lab results, all my results were within normal. The normal for the 1 hour reading was < 200.
Even at later visits with this doctor, he points this out. He said that any time the glucose goes above 140, the nerves will be affected. I understand this. But I also point out that normally, we do not take in that much glucose during a meal as that heavy glucose dring you are given in the lab.

For this reason the doctor should not point out that this is the reason for my neuropathy.

I even went to an Endocrenologist for his response tho the Glucose tolerence result, he said, they are all normal. I have had Hgb A 1C tested twice since, and it is perpectly normal.
Does this have any thing to do with what you were discussing, or am I wrong?
thanks for your time reading this

Idiopathic,

I hope your doctor helps you. They typically are useless until it is too late. If he is not concerned then don't give up.

Synnove,

The dr pointed it out because it's BAD. A reading of 200 is bad but doctors simply don't like to do anything UNTIL your fasting number reaches about 100 and/or your 2 hour numbers get bad...at which point...it's REALLY bad. So, it is "normal" for the dr to tell you that your fine at this point? yes. Because as I just said, he will wait until it really bad watching those other stupid numbers to get bad before he gets concerned.

It really is like thyroid results, doctors were trained to look at the TSH numbers and only progressive doctors are accepting that those old guidlines are outdated and wrong, just like these blood gluclose numbers are wrong now. It takes forever to get doctors to change their ways. Looking at A1c, fasting, and 2 hour marks is old school and how they were trained. Research is showing that spikes at ANY time is bad and the numbers they use as guidlines need to be lowered also, to help people PREVENT it before its out of control.

If I had numbers anywhere NEAR 200 at any time I would be freaked out big time. I worry when they go above 150.

" But I also point out that normally, we do not take in that much glucose during a meal as that heavy glucose dring you are given in the lab"

That is kinda wrong. If you ever sit down and eat cake or any high starch it is the same thing. Matter of fact, I was told in order to do that test on yourself at home, eat 1 cup of white rice then check your numbers at 1 hr and 2 hr and it will tell you how your body handles sugar. It's not about numbers and doctors it's about how your body is handling insulin at all times. If your numbers are high, you need to be concerned don't just accept a doctor telling you that you are fine because some test says so.