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Glucose levels rising between waking and breakfast

A

Andrew0306uk

Member
Had the Libre fitted for just over a week and I’m a bit confused about the results.

Over night my glucose levels gradually lower (mostly) but then increase between when I wake up to my breakfast. Is this normal??

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Afraid so. Mine are the same, it is that old nemesis Adrenalin getting us going. Known around these parts as foot on the floor. Within a couple of minutes I can go up 2mmols. I try and take my insulin before I leave my bed. Also, need so much more insulin in the morning to counteract this and have had to change to a very small low carb breakfast.
 
I would think it's your liver producing sugar to get you ready for the days activity. It happens to everyone, it's just that we diabetics don't produce enough insulin to prevent our BG levels rising. T2 diabetics can sometimes reduce the effect by eating something just before they go to bed. I wouldn't worry about it unless the early morning reading stays high after breakfast. Talk to your doctor just in case.
 
becca59 said:
Afraid so. Mine are the same, it is that old nemesis Adrenalin getting us going. Known around these parts as foot on the floor. Within a couple of minutes I can go up 2mmols. I try and take my insulin before I leave my bed. Also, need so much more insulin in the morning to counteract this and have had to change to a very small low carb breakfast.
Click to expand...
This post is much more relevant to those taking insulin.
 
But - just to emphasis - it is absolutely normal.
I used to see it (when I was testing) so eat a small amount of carbs with breakfast, like 10 gm, and am confident that it stops, even reverses in my case. The way it is dealt with is individual, but the phenomenon is probably Human mark one standard issue.
 
I've also seen this clearly since fitting a Libre. I'm about to switch from Novomix to Novorapid & Abasaglar and was told to aim for about 7.5 at 7am. Switching on Saturday so it's just as well we ignore Xmas.....
 
Sugars rising in the morning pre carbs is also known as the dawn phenomenon (as above liver releasing glucose).
You don't say how often you have your background insulin to try to control your night time levels when you quick acting insulin is no longer having an effect on your BG.
For me I switched from 1 basal jab a day (40u levemir) to 2 as Levemir doesn't last 24 hours (24u at 6am and delayed the evening one (17u) until 10pm which helped minimise dawn phenomenon and kept levels stable through the night after my bolus (Fiasp) had worn off (5 hours)
I was on Novorapid too but the makers added a vitamin to it and released it as Fiasp so it works faster (claims from 2 mins) which is why I asked to switch to it.
Obviously seek your diabetic teams advice before changing anything as I don't know what background insulins you're taking or how often.
Also worth doing a DAFNE course where you will learn about insulins and how long yours are effective for and how to work out how and which ones to adjust and when to keep control including through the night and a whole lot more (carb counting ,sick day rules, etc etc.)
I find an extra 4u in the morning on waking corrects my dawn phenomenon rise.
Good luck
 
buckmr2 said:
Sugars rising in the morning pre carbs is also known as the dawn phenomenon (as above liver releasing glucose).
You don't say how often you have your background insulin to try to control your night time levels when you quick acting insulin is no longer having an effect on your BG.
For me I switched from 1 basal jab a day (40u levemir) to 2 as Levemir doesn't last 24 hours (24u at 6am and delayed the evening one (17u) until 10pm which helped minimise dawn phenomenon and kept levels stable through the night after my bolus (Fiasp) had worn off (5 hours)
I was on Novorapid too but the makers added a vitamin to it and released it as Fiasp so it works faster (claims from 2 mins) which is why I asked to switch to it.
Obviously seek your diabetic teams advice before changing anything as I don't know what background insulins you're taking or how often.
Also worth doing a DAFNE course where you will learn about insulins and how long yours are effective for and how to work out how and which ones to adjust and when to keep control including through the night and a whole lot more (carb counting ,sick day rules, etc etc.)
I find an extra 4u in the morning on waking corrects my dawn phenomenon rise.
Good luck
Click to expand...

Thanks for your detailed reply

I’m booked on a DAFNE course in September 2020

My background insulin is Tresiba, which lasts 48 hours, and I take it at roughly 6pm each day.
 
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