Theater Nights & Blood Sugar Spikes: Why Running High Is a Bad Strategy
The Situation: The Play’s the Thing—But So Is Blood Sugar
For many people with type 1 diabetes, certain situations feel like glucose traps. The theater is one of them. It’s dark, it’s quiet, and the last thing anyone wants is a shrieking CGM alarm or the glowing blue light of a pump screen ruining the experience.
Meat Bag, an avid theatergoer, has been using a flawed strategy to avoid mid-play disruptions: he intentionally keeps his blood sugar high before the show. This way, he figures, he won’t go low, won’t need a snack, and won’t have to worry. Unfortunately, this approach is about as smart as skipping insulin for cake—great in theory, terrible in execution.
The Problem with "Riding High"
🔹 It’s disruptive in its own way. High blood sugar isn’t exactly a pleasant experience. Blurry vision, fatigue, irritability, and a desert-dry mouth can turn an enjoyable show into an endurance event.
🔹 It wrecks Time in Range (TIR). Right now, Meat Bag sits at an impressive 93% TIR—but that number won’t hold if he’s consistently running at 180+ mg/dL for hours at a time. These deliberate spikes undo all the hard work put into glucose control.
🔹 It’s unnecessary. Meat Bag recently purchased glucose tabs and (in a rare show of discipline) has committed to using them. This means there’s now a reliable, rapid solution to mild lows—so there’s no need to preemptively sabotage control out of fear.
The Fix: A Smarter Approach to Theater Nights
Instead of self-sabotage, here’s a data-driven approach that balances stability with peace of mind:
✅ Start at a reasonable level. A pre-show range of 100-120 mg/dL is ideal—not an artificially inflated 180+. Control-IQ is already adjusting for potential dips, so there's no need to add a manual overcorrection.
✅ Preemptively reduce the risk of lows.
If eating before the show, pre-bolus correctly and choose lower-glycemic foods that won’t cause rollercoaster swings.
If past trends indicate a drop during long periods of sitting, set a temporary lower basal rate before the show.
If glucose is on the lower side (~90 mg/dL), proactively eat one glucose tab (4g) rather than waiting for a full-blown low.
✅ Use glucose tabs instead of fear-based overcorrections.
If a drop is actually happening, treat it conservatively. One tab, wait 15 minutes, reassess. No need to demolish an entire pack in blind panic.
✅ Silence alarms without ignoring them.
Set pump volume to vibrate for minimal disruption.
Use the t:connect mobile app to discreetly check glucose without pulling out the pump in the middle of Act II.
✅ Analyze post-show trends and adjust accordingly.
If repeated lows occur, tweak insulin doses ahead of time.
If anxiety about lows is driving the behavior, track glucose patterns and test a more controlled pre-theater strategy.
Final Act: Keeping the Drama on Stage, Not in Blood Sugar
Meat Bag now has the tools to enjoy the theater without glucose theatrics. Running intentionally high isn’t a solution—it’s a trade-off that sacrifices control for a false sense of security. With glucose tabs in hand and a smarter plan in place, there’s no reason to sabotage TIR just to avoid a hypothetical problem.
Let’s keep the drama where it belongs: on the stage.
