Hello everybody, I bought a continuous glucose monitor as I wanted to keep an eye on my blood sugars as I have had a lacunar stroke which apparently it is very important to regulate your glucose levels. I am not a diabetic but I noticed tonight the twitching and pulsing sensation in my left temple that I get from time to time corresponded to a raised blood glucose level of 10 which is the highest it has gone. Apparently hyperglycaemia constricts the vessels leading to headache. Has anybody had this experience? I have been careful with what I eat, but tonight I had some chips and curry sauce and ended up with the above symptom. Many thanks
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Hi @Loshy thank you for replying. I bought the dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor which costs around Ā£65 for 10 days monitoring via an app on your phone. I also bought an Accu Chek instant as that gives a fairly accurate result to compare to the CGM which you really need to calibrate against the Accu Chek I found. Good luck.
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Flo, Iām type 2 diabetic so monitor BS regularly.
When did you take this reading? Best time is just before a meal.
You need to leave at least 2 hours after eating and drinking anything.
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@EmeraldEyes Thanks so much for responding before the meal my BS was 5.0mmol/L and 2 hours later on the CGM it went up to 10. I had a headache and was out of the house, but when I came back I checked it on the Accu Chek and after 3 hours it had dropped to 6.6 it is now 5 hours post meal and it is down to 5.8. On average my BS sits at 5.5. I was alarmed at the rise as I was symptomatic of the pulsing feeling I had previously experienced prior to the stroke but i did not make the connection to the blood sugar being raised until tonight. If was definitely a feeling of the blood vessels being constricted as there was a strong pulse in the left temple.
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So if it was 5 before your and 10 some 2 hours laters then you ate well I take it 
Wouldnāt be surprised if it 15/20 straight after you put your knife and fork down 
But itās all good from the numbers youāve given, thatās about right.
Just remember it needs to ā5 before you driveā
And chips and curry sauce will definitely bring on the pulsing. I take it you ate a whole portion, thatās bound to do it, itās the same with rice and most starchy foods. You would have been better off eating just half a portion.
Iām on Metformin for my diabetes and that supresses the appetite so 6 chips would be enough for me, on the rare occasions I have them. I tend to bulk up on meat and veg.
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@EmeraldEyes I went back out to the freezer and weighed out what I ate and it was about 10 chips = around 30g of carbs the curry sauce was 7. What is concerning me is the constriction of the blood vessels with this small sugar load. Very frustrating and worrying. Iām not a diabetic although I have stressed to my doctor that my body is not responding well to carbs. They keep telling me Iām in range but I feel with the stroke it could have been a contributing factor as I had quite a sweet tooth before this. I just got fed up being good tonight and 10 chips blew it! According to the CGM 10 was as high as it went. You mentioned chips and curry sauce will definitely bring on the pulsing, is this how you are affected as well when sugars are high? What on earth do you eat. Small quantities of boiled potatoes are ok.
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Sorry, Iām not laughing at you, itās just the way I first read it.
The best advice I can give you Flo is to start a diary for a week.
Take 4 readings a day. First thing in the morning before food/tabs, just before lunch, just before evening meal and just before bedtime.
Take that diary to your doctor and if need be have the doc do a blood test to see what your HBA1c is like. That gives them a better picture of your overall BS levels are like for the past 3 month period . . . just donāt ask me how that works 
Like I said, Metformin supresses my appetite, if I could get away without eating I would.
The pulsing is the blood flow of your body digesting the equivalent of a big meal. Reduce the amount of carbs, smaller portions instead if you donāt want to cut them out. Instead of 10 chips have 6, instead of 2 pieces of toast have 1, instead of 2 serving spoons of rice have 1, 3 small new potatoes instead of 2 large. Thatās the sort of thing I used to do.
And those times I do get that head pulsing I just go lie down for a while and let my food digest. Itās never really worried or alarmed me and Iāve never even mentioned it to my doctor, I just assumed that sort of thing was the norm with age.
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Another thing I try to do, is if/when I have the ānaughty but niceā treats, I tend have them in the day time so Iāve time to burn some it off
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@EmeraldEyes thatās all good constructive advice thank you. Had an HBAic done and it was 37 doc was happy enough with that. So iām a little disappointed with myself because I was cutting down since I had the stroke and was doing well. I suppose I got careless. Thank you for your support and advice I really appreciate it, back to the smaller portions 
also great idea eating the treats earlier in the day time to exercise!!
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37 is good, thatās normal, keep it that way, glad I could help
We are none of us saints, not even the medical professionals who preach healthy living! We are human and we like occasional treats so donāt let them guilt you out. Just be mindful of portions, little and often is better for you than huge meals. I find my digestive system copes better that way in general.
My mother-in-law and I like to go for a latte and nice cake after our Monday morning workout at the strength & balance class 
Hello, @Loshy @EmeraldEyes , I was at an appointment today for an echocardiogram at the hospital and got speaking to a diabetic specialist nurse by chance and she advised the importance of balancing carbs proteins and fats at the one meal also the need for banking some exercise which helps to keep sugars balanced. Looks like yesterday I had too many carbs and not enough protein. She also advised keeping a diary @Loshy and keeping track of what spikes sugars and what does not, as what might elevate my blood sugars may not affect somebody else. She also mentioned not to avoid carbs but to adapt the diet to accomodate them. Looks like iāll be walking a lot more!! @Loshy you could nearly get a job with Diabetes uk
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Sheās right, low carb can be better than no carbs. You tend to hear a lot about low carb, high fat diets or low carb high protein. Low carb high protein works best for me, particularly with all the working out I do at the gym and what not. In the beginning I was coming home with BS 4.8 so now I up the carbs on the days Iām working out or hiking mainlyā¦thatās when my body forgives me the ānaughty but niceā treat
Itās good you got to speak with a diabetic nurse, I hope it helps put your mind at ease 
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