Why Your Low Blood Sugars Keep Rebounding High (and how to stop it)
If it feels like every low blood sugar ends with you stuck at 240 and wondering what just happened, you’re not imagining it. This episode breaks down why over‑treating lows quietly wrecks your graph, your energy, and your long‑term risk...
The episode, word for word
Happy New Year. Welcome to 2026. You know what nobody tells you about January? It's the only month where everyone's convinced this year is gonna be different. New gym memberships. New meal plans. New promises to finally "get it together" with diabetes management.
And you know what? I'm not gonna tell you to crush it. I'm not gonna tell you to be perfect. I'm gonna tell you something way more useful: your lows are sabotaging you, and you probably don't even know it.
I'm Neil Greathouse, and this is Your Best T1D Year.
Here's the thing most people don't talk about: Most of us over-treat our lows. And when we over-treat, we don't just fix the problem. We create a new one. We end up high. Really high. And that roller coaster? It's exhausting. It's dangerous. And it's making us gain weight.
Today, I'm gonna explain why your lows always end in highs. And this month, actually, the next two months, we're gonna fix it together. But first, you need to understand the problem.
Let me paint you a picture. You're watching TV. Or you're at work. Or you're trying to sleep. And your CGM goes off. You glance down. 65. Then 55. Then "LOW."
And your body, your beautiful, broken, fight-or-flight body, starts screaming at you. "EAT. NOW. EVERYTHING."
So you do. You grab the closest thing. A Capri Sun that's been in the pantry since 2019. A sleeve of Ritz crackers. Those Milano cookies you were saving for company. A Nature Valley bar that crumbles all over your lap. Maybe two. Maybe the entire family-size box of Cheez-Its because your hands are shaking and you can't think straight and your brain is convinced you're about to die.
Ten minutes later? You're 180. Twenty minutes later? 240. And you're sitting there thinking, "What just happened?"
I've done this. Hundreds of times. Maybe thousands. For years, I convinced myself that the "right" way to treat a low was to eat something, preferably something delicious, because hey, if my blood sugar's gonna crash, at least I'm gonna enjoy the rescue mission, right?
Wrong. So, so wrong.
Because here's what I didn't know for the longest time: When you over-treat a low, you're not just raising your blood sugar. You're causing an ischemia-reperfusion effect. You're creating oxidative stress. You're literally damaging your blood vessels.
And that's not me being dramatic. That's the science.
Here's what the research shows:
77% of adults with type 1 diabetes experience at least one low blood sugar event per week. That's not rare. That's most of us. And for a lot of us, it's way more than once a week.
Now here's the kicker: When you recover from hypoglycemia by spiking into hyperglycemia, you're doing more damage than the low itself.
A study published in Diabetes journal in 2012 found that when people with type 1 diabetes recovered from a low by going high, it caused endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation, and those effects lasted for hours even after blood sugar returned to normal.
The researchers compared two groups: one group recovered from a low by reaching normoglycemia, a normal blood sugar, and the other group recovered by going high. The group that went high? Their blood vessels were wrecked. Inflammation markers shot up. Oxidative stress went through the roof. And the damage stuck around even after they normalized their blood sugar.
The study's conclusion? "A gradual correction of blood glucose is preferred over rapid correction and hyperglycemia."
Translation: Stop eating the entire kitchen when you're low. You're making it worse.
So why does this matter?
Because every time you over-treat a low, you're not just dealing with a high. You're dealing with:
Weight gain. Extra carbs add up. Fast. We'll talk about the math in a future episode, but spoiler: it's 7 to 20 pounds per year if you're binging during lows.
Roller coaster blood sugars. Low high correction low again. It's exhausting.
Increased cardiovascular risk. That ischemia-reperfusion effect? It's the same thing that happens during a heart attack.
A messed-up relationship with food. When you use lows as an excuse to eat guilt-free, you start to blur the line between "I need sugar to survive" and "I deserve this snack." We'll dig into that can of worms later this month.
Here's the good news: There's a better way. And for the next two months, we're gonna build that habit together.
You know that scene in The Office where Michael Scott drives his rental car straight into a lake because the GPS told him to? And he's just sitting there, water pouring in, yelling "THE MACHINE KNOWS!"
That's us treating lows with whatever's closest. The body's screaming "EAT!" and we're just blindly following orders, even when it drives us straight into a 250 mg/dL.
Here's what I want you to think about this week. No pressure. No assignment. Just a question:
"How often do my lows end in highs?"
Pay attention. Notice the pattern. You don't have to fix it yet. Just see it.
And if you want, DM me on Instagram or TikTok. Tell me what you notice. I'd love to hear from you.
This week, we're building the case. Monday, I'll break down the science of glucose tablets versus food, and why one works way better than the other. Wednesday, I'm gonna tell you the story of the time I passed out in a Bob Evans restaurant, and what I learned from it. And Friday, we'll talk about the Rule of 15 and why we all ignore it.
And here's where this is all going: By the end of this week, you're gonna understand the problem so clearly that when I tell you what we're doing for the next two months, it's gonna make perfect sense. And you're gonna want in.
And hey, if the hardest part of diabetes for you right now is feeling like you're figuring it out alone? That's exactly why Blue Circle Health exists.
It's free virtual care for adults with type 1 diabetes. Real clinicians. Insulin help. CGM coaching. No insurance runaround.
It's available in 16 states, check if yours is one of them at bluecirclehealth.org. Because nobody should be white-knuckling this alone.
Type 1 diabetes is relentless, but managing it doesn't have to be. New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Get tools and templates at yourbestt1dyear.com, and follow along on social.
You're not doing a bad job, you're doing a difficult job. Nobody remembers easy.
// Year 33 Day 12389 #YourBestT1DYear
Week 47
Jan 5 - 140
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.