Strange glucose pattern overnight

[qimqim]

Type II - Metformin SR: 1 tablet w/breakfast; 2 w/dinner

Since last week, I have been monitoring my glucose levels several times a day trying to understand how to control it better. I have found that I wake up with a high reading; it gets higher, still, before lunch; decreases significantly to normal levels before dinner; but goes up during the night, leading to another high reading in the morning.

Take the last few days: readings before each meal (7 am, 12 am, 7 pm) and the last before going to bed (11 pm)

7.9 9.4 7.0
8.4 8.8 5.6
7.0 7.3 6.2
7.6 6.2 5.2 5.8
6.4 7.4 5.4 5.4
6.6 7.1

It seems, that my exercise and reduction in food are producing good results during the day, but not at night. In the fourth line, I decided to try a no-carb dinner. Yet, the result was the same: an increase of 1.2 from the reading before dinner, the day before, similar to those I had with a carb dinner.

The following morning, instead of my usual porridge with milk, I tried grilled bacon and tomatoes with fried eggs, to go non-carb. But the reading shot up!

Basically,I need to undestand why this increase during the night is happening and what I can do about it. Or, whether this is normal with most people, dabetic or not.

Thank you

q

 

[wallycorker]

Type II - Metformin SR: 1 tablet w/breakfast; 2 w/dinner

Since last week, I have been monitoring my glucose levels several times a day trying to understand how to control it better. I have found that I wake up with a high reading; it gets higher, still, before lunch; decreases significantly to normal levels before dinner; but goes up during the night, leading to another high reading in the morning.

Take the last few days: readings before each meal (7 am, 12 am, 7 pm) and yesterday before going to bed (11 pm)

7.9 9.4 7.0
8.4 8.8 5.6
7.0 7.3 6.2
7.6 6.2 5.2 5.8
6.4 7.4

It seems, that my exercise and reduction in food are producing good results during the day, but not at night. Last night, I decided to try a no-carb dinner. Yet, the result was the same: an increase of 1.2 from the reading before dinner, the day before, similar to those I had with a carb dinner.

This moring, instead of my usual porridge with milk, I tried grilled bacon and tomatoes with fried eggs, to go non-carb. But the reading shot up!

Basically,I need to undestand why this increase during the night is happening and what I can do about it. Or, whether this is normal with most people, dabetic or not.

Thank you

q

Hi qimqim - I'm similar to you - i.e. Type 2 on Metformin tablets.

The getting higher overnight is a well known thing called "The Dawn Phenomenon". You'll find details on this effect elsewhere by searching the internet. Here is one of them:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dawn-effect/AN01213

That happens to me too and I'm trying to reduce the effect. I've been trying to eat a little bit of cheese last thing before bed but it's not possible to tell you whether that will work for you.

On Monday morning my level at 3.30 a.m. was 4.7 - I didn't eat anything and drove to the airport - when I got back at 06.30 a.m. the reading was 6.2. I'm told that it is likely to keep rising throughout the morning unless I eat something. Because of that I've started to make certain that I eat some breakfast these days.

Compared with my results, I'm a little bit surprised at your levels before lunch - mine would be lower even though I'd be eating breakfast later 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Are you eating anything significant mid-morning between breakfast and lunch that could explain that rise?

My readings tend to be at the lowest in the afternoon - just before dinner.

I'm doing just the same as you - including a lot of testing. Recently, I've been having bacon and tomatoes for breakfast - with just a little bread or no bread - that has kept my levels down. I've found that I can't eat very much carbohydrate in the morning but I can eat significant amounts in the afternoon or evening without it puting my blood glucose levels up.

Keep experimenting and testing is my advice.

Best Wishes - John

 

[qimqim]

Hi John

I eat nothing mid morning and take a short run. The suprising thing is that until today I always had 6 spoonfuls of a mix of plain porridge oats/barley flakes either with milk or cooked in water and sprinkled with cinnamon. I will carry on on bacon & eggs for a week or so to see what happens. I may go back to my cereals which are nicer and easier to prepare.

What I am coming round to believe is that the body regulates itself to what it is used to, and therefore you will not get instant results. If you suddenly lower your carb intake the body will probably compensate by producing more glucose. So, my theory is that it takes a week or even more for the body to understand that you want to live on a lower glucose level. Does that make sense?

I am aslo considering taking the three tables together at dinner (which is the original recommendation) to see if that lowers overnight levels.

Let me hae your thoughts.

qim

 

[wallycorker]

Hi John

I eat nothing mid morning and take a short run. The suprising thing is that until today I always had 6 spoonfuls of a mix of plain porridge oats/barley flakes either with milk or cooked in water and sprinkled with cinnamon. I will carry on on bacon & eggs for a week or so to see what happens. I may go back to my cereals which are nicer and easier to prepare.

What I am coming round to believe is that the body regulates itself to what it is used to, and therefore you will not get instant results. If you suddenly lower your carb intake the body will probably compensate by producing more glucose. So, my theory is that it takes a week or even more for the body to understand that you want to live on a lower glucose level. Does that make sense?

I am aslo considering taking the three tables together at dinner (which is the original recommendation) to see if that lowers overnight levels.

Let me hae your thoughts.

qim

Your pattern is quite different to mine. I'd expect to be much lower before lunch if I'd eaten nothing since breakfast - perhaps even more so if I'd exercised but don't do very much of that so I wouldn't know really.

My HbA1c is now down to 5.5% from 9.4%. I don't have any idea what my BG levels were when it was high because I only started testing after I'd made some improvement.

I'd just stick with what you seem to be doing and see what happens.

Good luck - John

 

[Manogwent]

Hi, qimqim, i also had same problems of high BG in am , was in 7's and 8's coming down to 5's and 6's in evening before dinner. i tried eating cheese and oat crackers at night and was even worse. i saw diabetic nurse and got put on glicazide 80mg at night. since then my morning figures are in the low 5's and 6's ( if i ate carbs like chips or pasta ) . in evening now i am getting low 4's just before dinner. if the diet doesn't do it for you, then this might,