Newbie Background and question about high FBG

Eniala

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi I’m new but have been reading everything for weeks.

I am 51 and have suspected I was at least pre-diabetic for over a year, mainly due to family history, being overweight and the symptoms of dry mouth and tiredness. I was just burying my head in the sand, I know it’s not good, but ridiculously I just didn’t want to stop eating sugar and all the carbs I love. Anyway, after my uncle died of Covid in April (he was diabetic), it took a while but I realised I needed to do something, but having tried to see my doctor about something unrelated and it taking weeks of arguing and pushing I just couldn’t face it and so I decided to just buy myself a glucometer and measure my BG myself so at least when I saw the dr I would be armed with data.

I quickly realised I had pre-diabetic levels. Anything between 5.6 mmol and 6.4 FBG then relatively normal before meals (4.9-5.4) but spiking after meals (containing carbs) my highest level was 9.2mmol one evening two hours after a takeaway. Generally it didn’t go over 7, with a handful in the 7’s over a two week period. I then started eating low carb (mild ketosis) I have lost 2 stones in weight which is great, with more to go. After nearly three months my blood sugar readings are pretty good. I only had a few 7’s in all that time, generally I’m mid 6’s 1 hr after eating and 5.6-6.1 2 hrs after eating. Before bed I am always back down to between 5.1 and 5.4. My concern is that I go to bed at say 5.1 and wake up with 6.2, I have tried to take my reading before I get up and that is typically around 5.0, but as soon as I’m upright (literally 10 minutes later) it will be over 6.0 again. I know this is probably dawn phenomenon, but my question is, does this matter? As long as my waking BG is less than 5.4 is that ok? If it was measured at the dr’s it would be in the mid 6’s by the time I was at the surgery.

I have also noticed that if I walk the dogs early my BG rises and is in the mid-6’s all morning, only going back down by lunchtime. So, getting up and exercising raises my blood glucose? Generally I don’t eat until it’s back down to 5. I’m quite comfortable doing 16/8 intermittent fasting so don’t need to eat in the morning but I’m wondering if I should? Would a boiled egg make a difference? Does it matter? We’re obviously not talking huge spikes here. I also think that my average numbers are very slowly dropping over time so I expect that to carry on while I’m still losing weight. We’ll see. The morning numbers are stubbornly high though.

I have not had an HbA1c, my meter shows an estimated 5.1% but I realise I can’t rely on its accuracy at all. I’m planning to go to the dr in the New Year, but I’m guessing with my readings I’ll be sent away and told to just carry on. I don’t want to worry if I don’t need to.

my biggest concern is not now, or even for the next 6 months it’s that I will follow my normal pattern which is to stick to an eating pattern for up to a year and then just stop and then before I know it, I feel rubbish again. How do people stay on this long term? I must admit having a glucometer watching over me does help a lot. I would dearly like to be able to do this. I’m just hoping that because my blood will give me away I won’t be able to regress. I just have to do this for life.
 

Carpetsalesman

Active Member
Messages
41
Most people I've read who experienced DPhenomenon need to eat something asap and that stops the rise.

So yeah, wake up and eat a hardboiled egg in bed if you have to. If you have a partner, he/she will no doubt be delighted with this change in routine. If you don't have a partner, well there's someone out there for everyone or so they say.

Or just get up and go straight to the fridge and have a few spoonfuls of yoghurt to get you going. Does it matter? Well I would say every little positive contribution helps. If you can start the day off at 5.0 it's easy to hold it there. If you start the day off at 6.0 you have to do something to drag it down. Over days and weeks and months and years that surely makes a difference?
 

DanW13

Well-Known Member
Messages
119
Hi I’m new but have been reading everything for weeks.

I am 51 and have suspected I was at least pre-diabetic for over a year, mainly due to family history, being overweight and the symptoms of dry mouth and tiredness. I was just burying my head in the sand, I know it’s not good, but ridiculously I just didn’t want to stop eating sugar and all the carbs I love. Anyway, after my uncle died of Covid in April (he was diabetic), it took a while but I realised I needed to do something, but having tried to see my doctor about something unrelated and it taking weeks of arguing and pushing I just couldn’t face it and so I decided to just buy myself a glucometer and measure my BG myself so at least when I saw the dr I would be armed with data.

I quickly realised I had pre-diabetic levels. Anything between 5.6 mmol and 6.4 FBG then relatively normal before meals (4.9-5.4) but spiking after meals (containing carbs) my highest level was 9.2mmol one evening two hours after a takeaway. Generally it didn’t go over 7, with a handful in the 7’s over a two week period. I then started eating low carb (mild ketosis) I have lost 2 stones in weight which is great, with more to go. After nearly three months my blood sugar readings are pretty good. I only had a few 7’s in all that time, generally I’m mid 6’s 1 hr after eating and 5.6-6.1 2 hrs after eating. Before bed I am always back down to between 5.1 and 5.4. My concern is that I go to bed at say 5.1 and wake up with 6.2, I have tried to take my reading before I get up and that is typically around 5.0, but as soon as I’m upright (literally 10 minutes later) it will be over 6.0 again. I know this is probably dawn phenomenon, but my question is, does this matter? As long as my waking BG is less than 5.4 is that ok? If it was measured at the dr’s it would be in the mid 6’s by the time I was at the surgery.

I have also noticed that if I walk the dogs early my BG rises and is in the mid-6’s all morning, only going back down by lunchtime. So, getting up and exercising raises my blood glucose? Generally I don’t eat until it’s back down to 5. I’m quite comfortable doing 16/8 intermittent fasting so don’t need to eat in the morning but I’m wondering if I should? Would a boiled egg make a difference? Does it matter? We’re obviously not talking huge spikes here. I also think that my average numbers are very slowly dropping over time so I expect that to carry on while I’m still losing weight. We’ll see. The morning numbers are stubbornly high though.

I have not had an HbA1c, my meter shows an estimated 5.1% but I realise I can’t rely on its accuracy at all. I’m planning to go to the dr in the New Year, but I’m guessing with my readings I’ll be sent away and told to just carry on. I don’t want to worry if I don’t need to.

my biggest concern is not now, or even for the next 6 months it’s that I will follow my normal pattern which is to stick to an eating pattern for up to a year and then just stop and then before I know it, I feel rubbish again. How do people stay on this long term? I must admit having a glucometer watching over me does help a lot. I would dearly like to be able to do this. I’m just hoping that because my blood will give me away I won’t be able to regress. I just have to do this for life.

Think you just need to get an Hba1c to be 100% sure, if you can’t get one at your GPS, there’s always the private route, cost circa £150.

Personally though post diet modifications you sound OK to me, think too much is made of the FBG issue, you say yourself you are below 5.5 when you wake, the subsequent increase is just your body revving up for the day ahead, which sounds natural & perfectly fine to me.

The rest of your readings look okay also, I spike up to 8 every now and then post a more carb heavy meal & my HBa1c is 37. I believe non diabetic people spike sometimes also, there was a thread by a GP on Twitter who was non diabetic but spiked over 10 on several occasions when he had things like a coke or Macdonald’s meal.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1163546496236752896.html

So relax, you’ve taken action to improve your situation, you’re well aware of the risk, so last but is just to confirm via an Hba1c blood test. My guess is you’ll come out at 35 or even lower which would be comfortably in the non diabetic zone. Then just stick with the low carb diet to make sure it doesn’t climb back up.

All the best & good luck!
 

HenrikS

Newbie
Messages
3
51 years old as well and have known about being in the prediabetes range for six and a half years. I did pay attention to food a bit more after the diagnosis, and eventually also started regular exercise, and every couple of years I spend a bit of time monitoring blood glucose levels, until they are back to normal because I watch my food intake at the same time. My weight was in normal BMI range a few years ago after successful dieting, but I then went back to being overweight, around 28 to 29 BMI. Not so unexpectedly, this year I am again in elevated FBG levels, higher than yours but (so far...) always below 7. I have since seen a few spikes as well after meals, but also many normal readings of 5.5 or below.
I have every intention to get my diet (I even signed on to Veganuary...) and exercise into a healthier range this year, and finally get below 25 BMI for good. Looking for some advice and reassurance on the forum!
 

Donought

Active Member
Messages
41
Think you just need to get an Hba1c to be 100% sure, if you can’t get one at your GPS, there’s always the private route, cost circa £150.

Personally though post diet modifications you sound OK to me, think too much is made of the FBG issue, you say yourself you are below 5.5 when you wake, the subsequent increase is just your body revving up for the day ahead, which sounds natural & perfectly fine to me.

The rest of your readings look okay also, I spike up to 8 every now and then post a more carb heavy meal & my HBa1c is 37. I believe non diabetic people spike sometimes also, there was a thread by a GP on Twitter who was non diabetic but spiked over 10 on several occasions when he had things like a coke or Macdonald’s meal.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1163546496236752896.html

All the best & good luck!

really interesting read from the Dr with the CGM....surely he is insulin resistant or on his way....if it really is normal for a non diabetic to spike that high after sugar then are all the levels they give us wrong or is the body just entirely unable to manage any sugar at all? He seemed to spike pretty high. Also, the HBa1c is an average so as long as you spike high but spike low to you will be 'fine'. A friend who is a type 1 has super high readings but loads of super lows and her HBa1c is lower than mine. Personally it's a totally erroneous calculation which is likely why many people are actually diabetic for about 10 years before they are diagnosed. And finally, how on earth was any of that a surprise to a GP?? no wonder we're all doomed. Sorry rant over.
 

DanW13

Well-Known Member
Messages
119
really interesting read from the Dr with the CGM....surely he is insulin resistant or on his way....if it really is normal for a non diabetic to spike that high after sugar then are all the levels they give us wrong or is the body just entirely unable to manage any sugar at all? He seemed to spike pretty high. Also, the HBa1c is an average so as long as you spike high but spike low to you will be 'fine'. A friend who is a type 1 has super high readings but loads of super lows and her HBa1c is lower than mine. Personally it's a totally erroneous calculation which is likely why many people are actually diabetic for about 10 years before they are diagnosed. And finally, how on earth was any of that a surprise to a GP?? no wonder we're all doomed. Sorry rant over.

Another regular poster on the forum, think it was Ronancastled, posted a graph from a trial which showed a large % of the non diabetic population spike after carb heavy meals, there was basically a wide spread of responses within the group! Maybe the ones who spiked are potentially more susceptible to diabetes down the line, dunno tbh, best guess is some of us are likely better evolved at processing carbs than others.

Perhaps in a few years time all our Fitbit’s etc will have BG monitors as a standard function - think they’re heading that way, then we’ll all know a lot more about the population as a whole.
 
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Ronancastled

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,236
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Another regular poster on the forum, think it was Ronancastled, posted a graph from a trial which showed a large % of the non diabetic population spike after carb heavy meals, there was basically a wide spread of responses within the group!

There's the study you mentioned & the actually glycemic profiles which I pulled from the supplementary data.

https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2005143

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-n...el-glucose-spikes-seen-in-healthy-people.html

pbio-2005143-s004-jpg.39701
 
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Carpetsalesman

Active Member
Messages
41
Breakfast cereal is the enemy. If anyone reads this who is eating cereal - please stop immediately until you've tested the effect it has.

My symptoms entirely coincided with when we closed our work canteen's cooked breakfast service. I stopped eating sausages and eggs for breakfast and started eating mounds of Kellogs Fruit & Fibre, which I now know spikes me to 11/200!

Three years, seven days a week, of spiking myself to 11/200 every morning and here I am with you guys now and there's no road back.

Kellogg's, I know you will be reading this. There's a home diagnostic revolution going on and people can now see what your products do to them in real time.
 
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MrsA2

Expert
Messages
5,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Google Belinda Fettke and read what she says about cereals. Quite harrd hitting
 

Ronancastled

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,236
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My father used say "you'd be better off eating the box".
Turns out he was right.

Mind you he ate porridge so probably not any better.