If your blood sugar remains high even after taking insulin, it can be concerning and may indicate several potential issues. Here are the most common reasons:
🔄 1. Insulin Resistance
Your body may not be responding to insulin properly. This is especially common in type 2 diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, or during periods of stress or illness. The insulin is present but doesn’t work efficiently.
💉 2. Incorrect Insulin Dose
The amount of insulin you’re taking may not be sufficient for:
- The amount of carbohydrates you ate
- Your current weight or activity level
- Hormonal changes (e.g., during periods, menopause, or pregnancy)
🕒 3. Timing Issues
- If rapid-acting insulin is not taken before meals (usually 15–30 minutes before), blood sugar can spike.
- Delayed or missed doses can also lead to high sugar levels.
🍽️ 4. High Carb or Fatty Meals
- Eating a high carbohydrate or high-fat meal can raise blood sugar for longer periods.
- Fats slow digestion, causing delayed sugar spikes that insulin may miss.
🤒 5. Illness, Infection, or Stress
- Physical stress (like infection or fever) or emotional stress (anxiety, depression) causes your body to release stress hormones (like cortisol), which raise blood sugar.
🏃♀️ 6. Lack of Physical Activity
- Exercise helps insulin work better. Inactivity can worsen insulin resistance.
💊 7. Spoiled or Ineffective Insulin
- Insulin exposed to heat, freezing, or expired may lose its effectiveness.
- Improper injection technique (e.g., injecting into scar tissue) can reduce absorption.
🩺 8. Other Medical Conditions
- Conditions like thyroid imbalance, Cushing’s syndrome, PCOS, or fatty liver may worsen blood sugar control even with insulin.
✅ What to Do:
- ✅ Check your insulin dose and timing with your doctor.
- ✅ Monitor carbohydrate intake and reduce simple sugars.
- ✅ Stay physically active.
- ✅ Ensure insulin is stored and injected correctly.
- ✅ Discuss basal-bolus adjustments if using multiple injections.
- ✅ Do regular blood tests to rule out infection, inflammation, or other hormonal issues.
