5.6 in the morning

[Daz333]

Good morning all,

I posted on here last week as my blood sugar readings were 5.6 after I had eaten a fair amount of sugary foods about an hour beforehand. That say, my readings were 5.6 and this morning I decided to test myself again but only this time, before I'd eaten anything. To my dismay, the reading was 5.6 again and I'd hoped it would have been below 5.6. However, I did eat a small chocolate bar last night around 11:30 just before going to bed (I'm trying to get away from this habit - perhaps now I've learnt my lesson). Is this reading normal first thing in the morning? I'm a 28 year old guy and I'm around six foot tall. I'm very very slightly overweight according to my body mass index which was at the top end of the normal range. I exercise regularly and I'm now worried that with a reading of 5.6 an hour or so ago before eating that I could be heading for trouble,

Any opinions or advice most welcome,

Thanks

 

[Sarah69]

That's a good reading, wish mine was like that everyday!

 

[borofergie]

Still pretty sure that you don't have diabetes (although I'm not a Doctor so my opinion counts for little).

If you were taking a Glucose tolerance test, you'd be expected to fast for 12 hours. One of the criteria they are looking for is a fasting BG of > 6.1mmol/l (to diagnose Glucose Intolerance, not diabetes). Your self test is less than that despite nailing a chocolate bar before bed. Those of us that get morning scores of <6mmol/l do so by working really hard at it. None of us get <6 by eating chocolate before bed.

You're right to be concerned that as a big-guy who is starting to put on weight you might be at risk of Diabetes in the future. I suggest that you save yourself a whole lot of heart-ache now by:

1. Cutting down on the ****** carbs and chocolate
2. Trying to lose some weight and getting your BMI down (although (1) should do that almost by itself
3. Trying sleep more (everyone should do this, apart from work-shy students)
4. Stop putting your cortisol levels up by testing your blood and stressing that you have diabetes, when you don't

Even though your Dad is diabetic, it doesn't mean that you are going to be too, especially if you take the necessary steps to avoid it now.

 

[Daz333]

Thanks to both Sarah69 and Borofergie for your inputs,

Borofergie, what is a glucose intolerance test? I'm interested to know about this. So, does the fact that I didn't fast for 12 hours and my reading was 5.6 this morning mean that it is a good thing? (With regard to the intolerance test). I'm going to start really cutting down on things and I've managed to change my diet for the better recently by eating wholegrain based breakfasts (Wheatabix etc), having a bowl of salad or tin of soup with some brown bread for lunch and having some pasta and Dolmio low fat pasta sauce for my evening meal etc. I need to get the chocolate/sugar intake down and I've just obtained a new bike so that I can go out cycling a couple evenings each week. I do play football twice a week for at least an hour at a time and because it's 5 a side I end up running around to a very high intensity most of the time. Thanks so much for the advice, it is very much appreciated

 

[andyjmortimer]

5.6 is the value shown on all test-kit packaging - because it's near perfect. Don't fuss with it. 4 to 7 is fine. I sometimes have values in the 20s, and I'm sure others do too. I'm pleased if I'm near 10 or so.

 

[borofergie]

Glucost Tolerance Test is where they starve you for 12 hours, give you a big does of glucose and see how your BG spike decreases over the next 2 hours:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose_tolerance_test
Like most T2s I have never had one, as I was diagnosed on a 24.6mmol/l self test and a HbA1c of 10.2%. They sensibly don't waste money fllling obvious diabetics full of glucose.

5.6mmol/l (non-fasted) isn't high, and would not be enough to get you classified as "Glucose Intolerant", let alone diabetic.

 

[Daz333]

5.6 is the value shown on all test-kit packaging - because it's near perfect. Don't fuss with it. 4 to 7 is fine. I sometimes have values in the 20s, and I'm sure others do too. I'm pleased if I'm near 10 or so.

Is that the near perfect scores for non diabetics? I only ask because I wasn't sure if you are aware that I'm not classed as diabetic at present

 

[borofergie]

Is that the near perfect scores for non diabetics? I only ask because I wasn't sure if you are aware that I'm not classed as diabetic at present

At present? You're not classified as a diabetic because you aren't one...

 

[andyjmortimer]

4 to 7 is the normal range for non-diabetics. If your blood glucose is in that range you're good. Don't fuss.

 

[david1241]

Relax mate you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Relax mate you have nothing to worry about.

I wonder if the original poster is still a poster?

This thread is 5 years old. The original poster did another thread in 2016 and hasn't been back.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/blood-sugar-query.93052/

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I think his meter was broken, resulting in every reading being the same.