Diabetics: Can a cup of tea with sweetener raise your blood sugar levels?

sTaGeWaLkEr · 11-07-2008, 10:34

As thread title.

This morning I accidentally forgot to test my blood sugar levels before eating or drinking. Normally I'm pretty good, but due to being distracted early this morning, it kinda got missed.

I only had one cup of tea with sweeteners before testing. When I did test, my levels were 11.5! This is abnormally high for me (I tend to be anywhere between 5 and 8 first thing in a morning)

I didn't have anything sweet yesterday - and ate dinner about 7pm last night.

Confused.com

Suffragette1 · 11-07-2008, 10:36

Sweetners can't raise you BMs as far as I'm aware as they're not sugar based.

It could just be a rogue reading, when was your machine last callibrated?

Thunzi · 11-07-2008, 10:40

No, milk has carbohydrate in it so that can raise your blood sugars, sweetners have no affect at all.

I wouldn't worry too much tbh sTaGeWaLkEr. Have you been diabetic long? You'll soon learn that even if you do exactly the same things day in, day out, your blood sugar levels will be different. It frustrates a lot of 'new starters' as it's not something that can be regulated to a high degree.

sTaGeWaLkEr · 11-07-2008, 10:40

Callibrated?

Que?

sTaGeWaLkEr · 11-07-2008, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by GazE

No, milk has carbohydrate in it so that can raise your blood sugars, sweetners have no affect at all.

I wouldn't worry too much tbh sTaGeWaLkEr. Have you been diabetic long? You'll soon learn that even if you do exactly the same things day in, day out, your blood sugar levels will be different. It frustrates a lot of 'new starters' as it's not something that can be regulated to a high degree.

Was probably the milk then.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not worried - it was just unusual. But then again, I don't normally have a cuppa at 6am before testing half an hour later.

I've been diabetic since Oct last year - and by and large, I'm doing pretty ok with it. My HSBC (sic) test is good anyway.

sTaGeWaLkEr · 11-07-2008, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suffragette1

Sweetners can't raise you BMs as far as I'm aware as they're not sugar based.

I thought that too. Although Lizz hates me using them because she tells me they're likely to fry my brain or something...

I gave up sugar - I'm damned if I'm gonna give up sweeteners!

Suffragette1 · 11-07-2008, 10:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTaGeWaLkEr

Was probably the milk then.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not worried - it was just unusual. But then again, I don't normally have a cuppa at 6am before testing half an hour later.

I've been diabetic since Oct last year - and by and large, I'm doing pretty ok with it. My HSBC (sic) test is good anyway.

Was it full fat milk? Are you stressed? This can affect BMs. With women, hormonal fluctuations can also affect their readings, but I am assuming this doesn't apply to you.

Suffragette1 · 11-07-2008, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTaGeWaLkEr

I thought that too. Although Lizz hates me using them because she tells me they're likely to fry my brain or something...

I gave up sugar - I'm damned if I'm gonna give up sweeteners!

That's Lizz for you!! All very well, but diabetics have no choice in the matter, so thank heaven for sugar substitutes.

If you're stressed though it can affect your blood sugars. Adrenalin is an antagonist to insulin.

You should be eating breakfast though naughty

to try and maintain your blood sugar levels rather than having hypos and hypers.

I had gestational diabetes with my 2nd pregnancy and ended up on insulin at 28 weeks gestation. It cleared up aftewards though.

Thunzi · 11-07-2008, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTaGeWaLkEr

I thought that too. Although Lizz hates me using them because she tells me they're likely to fry my brain or something...

Some people seem to think that aspartame (one of the ingrediants of sweetner) is a dangerous chemical and should be banned. There was a thread about it causing cancer and mood swings.

Tests took place on mice, they had to drink the equivalent of 8 litres of coke a day for the cancer to start. I can honestly say I've been drinking diet drinks for at least 25 years (been diabetic for nearly 26 now) and I'm extremely healthy and don't suffer from any side affects that I'm aware of.

teddie · 11-07-2008, 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTaGeWaLkEr

As thread title.

This morning I accidentally forgot to test my blood sugar levels before eating or drinking. Normally I'm pretty good, but due to being distracted early this morning, it kinda got missed.

I only had one cup of tea with sweeteners before testing. When I did test, my levels were 11.5! This is abnormally high for me (I tend to be anywhere between 5 and 8 first thing in a morning)

I didn't have anything sweet yesterday - and ate dinner about 7pm last night.

Confused.com

Is 11.5 a high reading then? Mine is 22 and I'm not diabetic

Suffragette1 · 11-07-2008, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddie

Is 11.5 a high reading then? Mine is 22 and I'm not diabetic

The normal fasting one (ie first thing in the morning) is between 2.5 and 4.5 (I think). Anything above 7.5-8.0 is considered as diabetic. 22 is very high. How do you know what it is btw?

ladyacademic · 11-07-2008, 16:06

The body produces a natural early-morning sugar dump from the liver (called the "dawn effect"). So a blood sugar test in the morning at a slightly different time to usual might have picked this up.

anniec · 11-07-2008, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suffragette1

The normal fasting one (ie first thing in the morning) is between 2.5 and 4.5 (I think). Anything above 7.5-8.0 is considered as diabetic. 22 is very high. How do you know what it is btw?

If your blood sugar is below 4.0 then thats classed as a Hypo and you should have some sugar. Your fasting reading (when your just up) should be between 4.0 - 6.0 mmols and after food it should be between 6.0-8.0 mmols.

If you have a reading of 22 you should speak to a Dr as it's likely your diabetic.

I started as having gestational diabetes and it hasn't gone away

Suffragette1 · 11-07-2008, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by anniec

If your blood sugar is below 4.0 then thats classed as a Hypo and you should have some sugar. Your fasting reading (when your just up) should be between 4.0 - 6.0 mmols and after food it should be between 6.0-8.0 mmols.

If you have a reading of 22 you should speak to a Dr as it's likely your diabetic.

I started as having gestational diabetes and it hasn't gone away

Sorry to hear that. As having had gestational diabetes, I am at risk of developing Type II.

The readings I quoted are the ones I was given when I was pregnant. I think they give narrower margins to pregnant women, well that's what I was told at the time.

I agree, 22 is a very high reading.

teddie · 11-07-2008, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suffragette1

The normal fasting one (ie first thing in the morning) is between 2.5 and 4.5 (I think). Anything above 7.5-8.0 is considered as diabetic. 22 is very high. How do you know what it is btw?

I had a medical for an insurance policy, my cholesteral is high also, but no one said see a doctor or anything. I had to have a blood test (fasting) then eat a cake than an hour later have another blood test, that's how I found out. Chuffing Hell are there any other symptons for diabeties? Looks like I'll be in a diabetic coma if you lot are right, before long?

Plain Talker · 11-07-2008, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddie

I had a medical for an insurance policy, my cholesteral is high also, but no one said see a doctor or anything. I had to have a blood test (fasting) then eat a cake than an hour later have another blood test, that's how I found out. Chuffing Hell are there any other symptons for diabeties? Looks like I'll be in a diabetic coma if you lot are right, before long?

If you are as high as 22s, then you urgently need to get seen by a medic. (likewise for the cholesterol reading) 22 is frighteningly high.

A reading of 22 after eating something sweet shows that your body is certainly not dealing at all effectively, with the carbohydrate you ingest, as it should be doing.

anniec · 11-07-2008, 17:50

your unlikely to go into a coma, however I suggest you see a Dr regarding the blood sugar. They will take some blood and check you.

teddie · 11-07-2008, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by anniec

your unlikely to go into a coma, however I suggest you see a Dr regarding the blood sugar. They will take some blood and check you.

So arethere no symptons for diabities?? How would anyone know if they had it (apart from a blood test)?

Plain Talker · 11-07-2008, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddie

So arethere no symptons for diabities?? How would anyone know if they had it (apart from a blood test)?

Thrush, is a big sign, (frequent attacks of...) in both men and women
Boils:- again, frequent clusters of them, mostly "down-below"
Cuts and wounds being slow to heal
Blurry eyes (ie strong change in your prescription
Unquenchable, massive thirst (my friends little girl supped a full 2 litre bottle of pop in an hour just before she was diagnosed)
Very strong sweet smell of honey in the urine (smells like sugar puff cereal)
Frequently and urgently needing the loo, (pee-ing much more often)
Getting up in the night, lots of times for a pee
tiredness

In older people, there are signs like white marks on chaps' trouser fronts where the sugar has dried on splashes of pee, also similar marks round the loo/ on the loo seat.

Not all of these symptoms, in isolation automatically means that you are or are not diabetic, but a number of them, together, could be a strong indication that you may possibly be.

a very simple, quick and easy blood test, at your doctor can tell you virtually in an instant if you are or are not.