Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
I bolus for about 3g of carbs, I’m that sensitive.
Also, I have to ask what beans are used: Arabica vs Robusta, the most common beans.
Arabica, no problem, as above.
Robusta I don’t touch. No matter how much I bolus (safely), even extended bolus, for hours I run high unpredictably. Robusta has more caffeine and tyramine, and I have tyramine sensitivity (it’s in hard aged cheeses, too). Craziness, this T1D of mine!
If I can remember, I bolis 10 g for coffie. Only in the morning. I have stopped drinking 2 cups in the morning. Being retired and not getting up O-dark-thirty also helps. 😉
My blood sugar rises if I drink it without food so I know I need to bolus. Usually I have it with breakfast so I don’t notice if coffee has as much affect.
I don’t need insulin for the first cup of coffee. If I drink another cup or have coffee (Even decaf) later in the day, my blood sugar spikes 100 points and takes tons of insulin to bring down.
Caffeine raises the blood sugar in many people because it increase over glucose production. The effect varies from person to person and would be affected by the amount as well. I see a 20-30 point increase over the following hour from 1 large cup black coffee nearly every AM
I don’t drink coffee but I do drink black tea (with nothing added). I have to bolus for the cup I have in the morning, but not any tea I have the rest of the day.
Before getting a CGM, I made many diet choices based on finger sticks. I was totally unaware of things like “morning effect” At 68 I’m not too excited to go back and again experiment with what does and does not frick up my BS levels, though I am willing to listen and learn from others. That’s why I listen to this board
Count me in the Yes column. Started back before I’d ever heard of Dawn Phenomenon, and I’ve never actually tried to test whether it was that or the coffee itself because it’s kind of moot. From long before I was DX’d (at age 28) I was pretty much a coffee-only person at breakfast time and that was one thing I found it really hard to change, beyond substituting Splenda for sugar in my cup. It might just be DP (or Feet-on-the-Floor, which I gather is somewhat different), but if it turned out that in reality I was bolusing for that instead of the coffee I’d still do the same thing.
When I was younger I did not have to bolts for coffee unless of course I was drinking a latte. Now I have to bolus at least a unit for my morning coffee.
I haven’t had coffee for a number of years for various reasons, one being that I would have to bolus for 15 c when I had a couple of shots (decaf americano here).
I don’t like being dependent on caffeine because if I don’t have it, I get a headache. I drank International Coffee, sugar free caffeine free and it was kind of a guilty pleasure without the guilt, except I just discovered aspartame now gives me headaches. Have to stick to all natural foods but it takes discipline and willpower. Fall off the wagon…get back on.
My day doesn’t start without coffee with half & half. I drink it with my breakfast, bolus for the carbs in the food but not the caffeinated coffee or tbs. of half and half. Because of CKD I now limit daily coffee to two cups (1 mug) every morning.
Morning cold brew coffee has 4 oz atkins vanilla shake instead of cream. Yum. Maybe 4g carbs. Depending on my cgm graph and everything stable, I would bolus a small amount even for black coffee.
I do bolus in the morning. 1 to 2 large cups of coffee will raise my BG by 50 points. To tell the truth, I am not sure if that is the coffee or the dawn phenomena, but I want my coffee.
I drink coffee in the morning almost daily sitting on the back porch. I notice a slight bump up in the morning also, but haven’t tested whether its just getting up (feet on the floor) or the coffee. It’s usually 10-20 points and compensate with my breakfast bolus if it seems to continue up (once in a great while).
I don’t drink coffee, but I do drink caffeinated beverages especially in the morning.
My tests on whether the rise in blood sugar is caffeine, dawn phenomenon, or “boots on the ground” phenomenon (I don’t think this last one is recognized…??? not sure) are inconclusive.
My endo said it wasn’t caffeine, so I am tempted to say it’s because it takes a whole lotta something for me to be able to wake up in the morning… and that something raises my blood sugar.
I said “Other” since I never drink coffee without adding a tiny splash of milk and cream which means I need to give myself a bolus for 9 carbohydrates even though I’m drinking only 2. The dawn phenomenon is why I require that much to cover for my much needed dose of caffeine every morning.
I drink 2 cups every morning of Folgers half cafe with Splenda and some half n/half. I make homemade keto muffins for my breakfast food. Right now I take NO insulin and stay around 100. My basal may be slightly higher which covers it.
I do drink black coffee in the morning. I usually bolus about .5 to 1 unit after I’ve been up about 30 minutes or so. I think it’s “boots on the ground” not the coffee.,
I give myself 1 unit extra when I drink coffee, usually in the morning with breakfast meal. Same thing if later in the day with lunch or a mid-day snack. I usually only add regular milk. Same thing if at a restaurant and they serve 1/2&1/2.
If I’m at a place offering free coffee, I’ll drink it. Morning at home I just pop a caffeine pill (9 cents, cheap) which has the same amount of caffeine, 200 mg, as cup of tea or cup of coffee. As cooler weather returns, I’ll add a cup or two of green tea during the day. Late afternoon or evening, I might drink a decaf green tea. Too much caffeine can dehydrate you. Is it true too much caffeine can also interfere with calcium absorption and contribute to loss of bone density?
Caffeine raises my blood sugar, so I have mostly given up on drinking coffee. I wasn’t able to successfully bolus for it, as my levels would rise to over 200, then rapid decline leaving me with a low.
Coffee is a hard one because 80% of the time, it will affect my blood sugar even if I only add a splash of non sweetened almond milk. (Less than 1 carb) It then takes hours for it to come down even when I am treating for the high. Then the other 20% if I anticipate for the rise, my BG will fall way faster than I want.
I bolus in the morning to combat feet on the ground phenomenon and my coffee (no food). Usually 1-2 units of fast acting insulin.
Coffee itself will cause my big to rise about ten points. With nonfat milk Iusually give a .5 bonus, which works most of the time.
I bolus for about 3g of carbs, I’m that sensitive.
Also, I have to ask what beans are used: Arabica vs Robusta, the most common beans.
Arabica, no problem, as above.
Robusta I don’t touch. No matter how much I bolus (safely), even extended bolus, for hours I run high unpredictably. Robusta has more caffeine and tyramine, and I have tyramine sensitivity (it’s in hard aged cheeses, too). Craziness, this T1D of mine!
If I can remember, I bolis 10 g for coffie. Only in the morning. I have stopped drinking 2 cups in the morning. Being retired and not getting up O-dark-thirty also helps. 😉
I don’t drink a lot of coffee. But, when I do, I drink decaf. I have never bolused for coffee. It does not seem to effect my blood glucose.
I drink my coffee black and find that I do not have to bolus for it.
I drink my coffee black, caffeinated and often. I usually enter 8 crab grams in my pump to cover it. Coffee is my one splurge that I will not give up.
totally depends on glucose level prior to & also where coffee is purchased. I’ve drank black for many years. Cuppa day fella here.
My blood sugar rises if I drink it without food so I know I need to bolus. Usually I have it with breakfast so I don’t notice if coffee has as much affect.
I don’t need insulin for the first cup of coffee. If I drink another cup or have coffee (Even decaf) later in the day, my blood sugar spikes 100 points and takes tons of insulin to bring down.
Caffeine raises the blood sugar in many people because it increase over glucose production. The effect varies from person to person and would be affected by the amount as well. I see a 20-30 point increase over the following hour from 1 large cup black coffee nearly every AM
I drink coffee with some 35% cream in it. It doesn’t seem effect my BG in any way.
I only drink it black and only bolus if it calls for it.
I drink decaf coffee with a little milk/cream. Never had a need to bolus for it.
I don’t drink coffee but I do drink black tea (with nothing added). I have to bolus for the cup I have in the morning, but not any tea I have the rest of the day.
Before getting a CGM, I made many diet choices based on finger sticks. I was totally unaware of things like “morning effect” At 68 I’m not too excited to go back and again experiment with what does and does not frick up my BS levels, though I am willing to listen and learn from others. That’s why I listen to this board
Count me in the Yes column. Started back before I’d ever heard of Dawn Phenomenon, and I’ve never actually tried to test whether it was that or the coffee itself because it’s kind of moot. From long before I was DX’d (at age 28) I was pretty much a coffee-only person at breakfast time and that was one thing I found it really hard to change, beyond substituting Splenda for sugar in my cup. It might just be DP (or Feet-on-the-Floor, which I gather is somewhat different), but if it turned out that in reality I was bolusing for that instead of the coffee I’d still do the same thing.
When I was younger I did not have to bolts for coffee unless of course I was drinking a latte. Now I have to bolus at least a unit for my morning coffee.
Black coffee
I haven’t had coffee for a number of years for various reasons, one being that I would have to bolus for 15 c when I had a couple of shots (decaf americano here).
I don’t like being dependent on caffeine because if I don’t have it, I get a headache. I drank International Coffee, sugar free caffeine free and it was kind of a guilty pleasure without the guilt, except I just discovered aspartame now gives me headaches. Have to stick to all natural foods but it takes discipline and willpower. Fall off the wagon…get back on.
I only drink coffee at breakfasr (iced coffee) so it is part of the breakfast bolus.
My day doesn’t start without coffee with half & half. I drink it with my breakfast, bolus for the carbs in the food but not the caffeinated coffee or tbs. of half and half. Because of CKD I now limit daily coffee to two cups (1 mug) every morning.
I mug black coffee = 5 CHO for me
Morning cold brew coffee has 4 oz atkins vanilla shake instead of cream. Yum. Maybe 4g carbs. Depending on my cgm graph and everything stable, I would bolus a small amount even for black coffee.
I do bolus in the morning. 1 to 2 large cups of coffee will raise my BG by 50 points. To tell the truth, I am not sure if that is the coffee or the dawn phenomena, but I want my coffee.
I roast my own so I try to avoid too much sugar development and I just use a teensy bit of milk. No sugar.
No, but I use mile and of course no sugar!
MILK!
I drink coffee in the morning almost daily sitting on the back porch. I notice a slight bump up in the morning also, but haven’t tested whether its just getting up (feet on the floor) or the coffee. It’s usually 10-20 points and compensate with my breakfast bolus if it seems to continue up (once in a great while).
I bolus only for the first morning coffee- 1 unit.
Always! I use sugar free sweetener/creamer, but it raises my bg by enough that I need a bolus for 6 carbs or so.
I drink coffee with stevia to sweeten. I’ve never taken a bolus for it. I make my own sf coffee drinks as well.
Yes. It takes 25 carbs to cover my coffee, Splenda and powdered creamer.
One large cup with Half-and-half and Stevia Usually one unit sometimes it’s not enough though.
Coffee needs some insulin for me
I don’t drink coffee, but I do drink caffeinated beverages especially in the morning.
My tests on whether the rise in blood sugar is caffeine, dawn phenomenon, or “boots on the ground” phenomenon (I don’t think this last one is recognized…??? not sure) are inconclusive.
My endo said it wasn’t caffeine, so I am tempted to say it’s because it takes a whole lotta something for me to be able to wake up in the morning… and that something raises my blood sugar.
I said “Other” since I never drink coffee without adding a tiny splash of milk and cream which means I need to give myself a bolus for 9 carbohydrates even though I’m drinking only 2. The dawn phenomenon is why I require that much to cover for my much needed dose of caffeine every morning.
I drink 2 cups every morning of Folgers half cafe with Splenda and some half n/half. I make homemade keto muffins for my breakfast food. Right now I take NO insulin and stay around 100. My basal may be slightly higher which covers it.
Usually drink coffee with a meal, so I bolus for the meal
I do drink black coffee in the morning. I usually bolus about .5 to 1 unit after I’ve been up about 30 minutes or so. I think it’s “boots on the ground” not the coffee.,
I give myself 1 unit extra when I drink coffee, usually in the morning with breakfast meal. Same thing if later in the day with lunch or a mid-day snack. I usually only add regular milk. Same thing if at a restaurant and they serve 1/2&1/2.
If I’m at a place offering free coffee, I’ll drink it. Morning at home I just pop a caffeine pill (9 cents, cheap) which has the same amount of caffeine, 200 mg, as cup of tea or cup of coffee. As cooler weather returns, I’ll add a cup or two of green tea during the day. Late afternoon or evening, I might drink a decaf green tea. Too much caffeine can dehydrate you. Is it true too much caffeine can also interfere with calcium absorption and contribute to loss of bone density?
Caffeine raises my blood sugar, so I have mostly given up on drinking coffee. I wasn’t able to successfully bolus for it, as my levels would rise to over 200, then rapid decline leaving me with a low.
Coffee is a hard one because 80% of the time, it will affect my blood sugar even if I only add a splash of non sweetened almond milk. (Less than 1 carb) It then takes hours for it to come down even when I am treating for the high. Then the other 20% if I anticipate for the rise, my BG will fall way faster than I want.