First Blood Glucose test of the day before foot on the floor?

[Bubbleblower]

I have a greater need to go to the toilet when I get out of bed first up in the morning.

I wash my hands after going to the toilet.

Then I wander out via the kitchen and hit the 2 button on the microwave, so the preloaded mug of water boils for my first coffee of the day.

While the water is cooking, I test my fasting bgl, then I make my black coffee.

By then your "fasting" glucose could already be 2 points higher, it takes less than a minute or so, or at least in my case.

I have a feeling the FOTF effect is bigger when the room is colder.
May be there is no such thing as FOTF and it's all temperature related, like the spike after a shower.

 

[Granny_grump_]

Sometimes I prick finger then wipe away first drop of blood hopefully with any contaniments then squeeze out a second drop and test that.

Good idea John will give that a try.K

 

[Granny_grump_]

By then your "fasting" glucose could already be 2 points higher, it takes less than a minute or so, or at least in my case.

I have a feeling the FOTF effect is bigger when the room is colder.
May be there is no such thing as FOTF and it's all temperature related, like the spike after a shower.

I’m the same exactly but I managed to test fist to give this test before you step out of bed I will carry on doing it the way I’ve always done it can’t always hang on .K

 

[SaskiaKC]

Is that when your meant to do your first test of the day before you even get out of bed? I’ve never been told to do that. I get up, go to the loo, get dressed, make my bed, put kettle on, take my dogs out for a wee, do there food and water and then I test.

I've never been told that either.

 

[Jaylee]

Serious question. If the first test is meant to be before you put a foot on the floor, it suggests it ought to be whilst still in bed. So how do we wash hands before the test? What do others do? I have noticed that if I get up and wash hands first the reading can be higher than if I don’t wash first.
Would add that I always wash hands at other times, before testing.

Hi @Pipp ,

Hope yer well..?
I'll be honest with you. Since the advent of using a Libre. It basically fills the "blind spots" twix meter testing for me?

I've always suspected my BGs scoot op around 3mmol after waking, morning routine & (back when I had a dog.) walking the hound.. That's with nill by mouth & on a work day..

I only use my meter to check my sensors in line..?

With regards to washing hands.? There can be risk of contamination with residue from food prep & wot not.
Then there is the risk of avoiding infections in a puncture wound.. I'm my case I can be up to my elbows in all sorts of muck at work..

Work days waking tend to be a bit of a "fight or flight" situation for me.. Basically the liver dumping the something like the equivalent of a 30g snack into my system?

 

[Riva_Roxaban]

By then your "fasting" glucose could already be 2 points higher, it takes less than a minute or so, or at least in my case.

1 or 2 points are not going to bother me, it's when they jump whole mmol/L numbers that they might be of concern, but so is voiding my bladder first up in the morning.

I have a feeling the FOTF effect is bigger when the room is colder.

I live in the sub tropics of Australia, so all of our rooms are cool to cold.

May be there is no such thing as FOTF and it's all temperature related, like the spike after a shower.

My GP woud most probably call it sheep dip as well, as most of out showers are on the cool side.

 

[Pipp]

Hi @Pipp ,

Hope yer well..?
I'll be honest with you. Since the advent of using a Libre. It basically fills the "blind spots" twix meter testing for me?

I've always suspected my BGs scoot op around 3mmol after waking, morning routine & (back when I had a dog.) walking the hound.. That's with nill by mouth & on a work day..

I only use my meter to check my sensors in line..?

With regards to washing hands.? There can be risk of contamination with residue from food prep & wot not.
Then there is the risk of avoiding infections in a puncture wound.. I'm my case I can be up to my elbows in all sorts of muck at work..

Work days waking tend to be a bit of a "fight or flight" situation for me.. Basically the liver dumping the something like the equivalent of a 30g snack into my system?

All good here, thanks @Jaylee .
I get it that anyone using a continuous glucose monitoring device has the advantage of those using the old fashioned finger stab method as no foot on floor conundrum if you aren’t needing to stab a finger.
I have, even before covid pandemic, always been a bit obssessed by hand hygiene. The reason I have been pondering this foot on floor business is that my fasting levels have been a bit erratic of late. My routine was previously to get up, use loo, shower, teeth clean, dress, then go downstairs to test. Clutching at straws, started to test as soon as I wake. Fasting numbers slightly improved. Then the hand washing / feet on floor query got to me. I guess I overthink things.

 

[Jaylee]

May be there is no such thing as FOTF and it's all temperature related, like the spike after a shower.

Hi Bubbleblower.

There have been mentions of the Libre readings being possibly affected in a bathing situation. Although... It could also be "what" the shower is taken for?? Prepping for a stressful job? Maybe an apointment for the docs? (White coat syndrome?)

Heat for me, makes me more insulin sensitive. my liver still likes to bang me up at the prospect of another day "on the clock."
Though my recovery from a dump is quicker with a correction on a warmer day. I can wake at 5mmol & by the time I'm heading for the door, closer to 9.

Temprature wise & still fasting makes no difference. I'm. A reasonably confident driver. Lol, if I find my duties in charge of a works vehicle (pick up/tipper) that's a pig to drive with jobs located on a "one horse" backstreet? My liver will also "help me out."

More like "foot on the pedal..."

 

[Antje77]

May be there is no such thing as FOTF and it's all temperature related

I need to inject for FOTF any time of year, and my sleeping room is close to outside temperature, (just above freezing at the moment) so a large difference between summer and winter.
If I forget to inject I'll rise and stay high until I rectify.

 

[MrsA2]

For me, I realised testing while still in bed was impracticable so I've opted for consistency.
Done in the bathroom immediately after first wee
Some mornings I wake slowly and can take an hour or more for foot to hit the floor, other mornings I have to leap out. My chosen routine fits both situations

 

[Jaylee]

All good here, thanks @Jaylee .
I get it that anyone using a continuous glucose monitoring device has the advantage of those using the old fashioned finger stab method as no foot on floor conundrum if you aren’t needing to stab a finger.
I have, even before covid pandemic, always been a bit obssessed by hand hygiene. The reason I have been pondering this foot on floor business is that my fasting levels have been a bit erratic of late. My routine was previously to get up, use loo, shower, teeth clean, dress, then go downstairs to test. Clutching at straws, started to test as soon as I wake. Fasting numbers slightly improved. Then the hand washing / feet on floor query got to me. I guess I overthink things.

I'll be honest Pipp. The sensors can have their foibles..It maybe more how one responds to that liver dump? & hopefully finding some progression.

The meter is just another "gauge.?" There may also be an element of "Pavlov's dog" involved with the meter being the bell & the liver, "salivating?"
The focus with the meter maybe, how one recovers from these FOTF, LD's.. & steering the A1cs, by positive degrees.

 

[EllieM]

For me, I realised testing while still in bed was impracticable so I've opted for consistency.
Done in the bathroom immediately after first wee

I agree with the consistency approach, though I guess it might be different if I had a dramatic (1mmol/L or more) foot on the floor response. Personally I definitely have to inject for dawn phenomena, but the actual getting out of bed doesn't make much difference. And as long as you are always doing the same thing you can detect trends. Also, given the accuracy limitations of most glucometers, you can do 3 tests one after the other and see quite a wide range.

And I totally sympathise with those who want to empty their bladders before pricking their fingers.

 

[Antje77]

if I had a dramatic (1mmol/L or more) foot on the floor response.

Goes to show how different we all are. I easily rise from 5 or 6 to 11+ if I forget to inject for FOTF, a rise of 1mmol/l hardly sounds dramatic to me!

 

[EllieM]

Goes to show how different we all are. I easily rise from 5 or 6 to 11+ if I forget to inject for FOTF, a rise of 1mmol/l hardly sounds dramatic to me!

Well I probably would too, but it doesn't happen in the 5 minutes it takes to get out of bed and go to the bathroom.....

 

[Antje77]

Well I probably would too, but it doesn't happen in the 5 minutes it takes to get out of bed and go to the bathroom.....

You're right!

 

[Jaylee]

Well I probably would too, but it doesn't happen in the 5 minutes it takes to get out of bed and go to the bathroom.....

Wow, OK..? I might not need to drain my bladder until i'm just about to head off out the door? (some 90 minutes later?)
Takes me a good half hour to just get my head around just being awake??

 

[Lakeslover]

Mmm. I use a libre and can see my BS starts to rise around 4 every morning beofre I wake, let alone FOTF. IT RISES, PEAKS AROUND 9am then starts to fall whether I am awake, asleep, in bed or up and about.

 

[Antje77]

Mmm. I use a libre and can see my BS starts to rise around 4 every morning beofre I wake, let alone FOTF. IT RISES, PEAKS AROUND 9am then starts to fall whether I am awake, asleep, in bed or up and about.

Yes, FOTF and Dawn Phenomenon are two different things, although they are both caused by our friendly liver thinking it's being helpful in getting us ready for the day with an energy boost.

I get FOTF always, but DP only sometimes, and I hate DP much more because it's much harder to inject for because of, well, sleeping .

For those not on insulin it must be even worse, as there's nothing you can do (except maybe take a brisk walk, but who wants to get up and take a brisk walk halfway through the night!).

 

[JohnEGreen]

Personaly I think we should be more concerned with fasting blood glucose rather than First Foot on The Floor BG as they are not the necessarily same thing fasting being your level before breaking your fast which can be at any time after waking. It may include DP but is stll a fasting level and maybe we should be less anxious about that. As DP is something largly beyond our control.

 

[Pipp]

To solve my dilemma, I am taking a drink of water to keep on bedside cabinet, and using that to wet a piece of kitchen towel to wipe finger ready for stabbing. What I have noticed is that if I test before stepping out of bed I am seeing lower figures, but the numbers rise until I eat breakfast. This will mean I need to rethink my fasting until 11:00 regime. More answers than questions.

Thank you all for your input. Most helpful, and enlightening.