Why Your Blood Sugar Won't Come Down (It's Not the Sugar You Eat)

Man checking why his blood sugar won't come down with a glucose meter at home

Almost every customer who finds us says the same thing:

"I'm watching what I eat. I'm taking my medication. So why won't my blood sugar come down?"

If your blood sugar won't come down no matter what you cut out, first thing: it's not because you're not trying hard enough. You've probably just been looking at the wrong problem.

Why blood sugar won't come down even when you eat less

The usual thinking goes like this: high blood sugar = too much sugar = cut sugar and it'll fix itself.

So a lot of uncles and aunties go less oil, less sweet, half a plate of rice, nothing sweet at all. Then they test, and the reading is still 9 point something, 10 point something. Worse, they feel weaker and weaker, drowsy after meals, up a few times a night to pee.

Why won't the blood sugar come down? Because the body has stopped clearing sugar on its own.

In a healthy body, blood sugar rises after a meal, insulin comes out to do its job, moves the sugar into your cells as energy, and the reading comes back down by itself.

But if your blood sugar has been high for years, the insulin is still there. It's just that your cells have become less sensitive to it. Insulin shows up, the cells ignore it, and the sugar stays in your bloodstream. Doctors call this insulin resistance. At that point it doesn't matter how little you eat. The problem isn't the sugar going in. It's the sugar your body can't clear. That's the real reason blood sugar won't come down for so many people.

Signs your sugar-clearing system is stuck

When blood sugar stays high for a long time, the body sends signals one by one:

  • Tired and sleepy after meals, foggy by 2 to 3 pm
  • Dry mouth, always thirsty no matter how much water you drink
  • Waking up several times a night to urinate
  • Numb or tingling hands and feet, sometimes cramps
  • Blurry vision, not as sharp as before
  • Itchy skin, wounds that take longer to heal

Many people put this down to "getting older." These are actually signs of long-term high blood sugar damaging the small blood vessels. Ignore it, and that's when the real trouble starts.

Related reading

References

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please consult your doctor before changing your diet or medication.
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