Type 2 High bloods on a morning

daffy1

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Im sorry if this has already been posted elsewhere. Im T2 and try to maintain a reasonable diet with very little sugar and very low carbs. I’m on metformin gliclZide and empagliflozin. But really struggle with my sugars. On an evening they are unusually between 7 and 8. But always on a morning they are as high as 13. The other night I got up at 4am and my sugars were 6.9 when I got up at 8am they were up at 13. Whenever I mention this at the clinic it’s always fluffed over and I’ve no idea why this happens and I’m sure this is affecting my hbac . I’m am on medication for mental health problems which is known to cause diabetes because of the weight gain and pancreatic problems it causes. Do others have this problem and how do I rectify it.
 
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This sounds to me like what is often called Dawn Phenomenon.
It is not a diabetes thing - I believe it happens to most people.
In order to start the day, the liver releases glucose into the blood stream to give the body energy to get going
For those with a healthy pancreas, the Islets of Langerhan react by creating insulin.
For those of us with a defect pancreas, we see our BG rise at the start of the day.

There are many threads about this and how to reduce the impact. Just search for "Dawn Phenomenon", "DP" or "Liver Dump" to find out more.
 

Arab Horse

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884
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I too found my glucose was always high in the morning. I am a skinny T2 so can't do the Newcastle diet as I am verging on being classed as "critically underweight" since I started low carbing and lost a stone and a half. I found that by just eating breakfast and lunch with nothing later in the day my glucose came down in the morning. It took a couple of weeks before I saw any improvement, in fact I was about to give up when I noticed the improvement! I had never had a fasting morning glucose in the 5 to 6 range, often it was in the 8 to 9 range, but it gradually came down and now if I am very good with my diet it will in the 5s

It is worth trying. I get up early, between 5 and 5.30, have my breakfast, go out and do the horses and by the time I come back in (particularly in the cold weather) my glucose is fine. The combination of the cold and the exercise is great. I then have my lunch between 1 and 2pm and then nothing else except drinks, black coffee mainly (as I hate tea) or water. Occasionally I do have something later but found after a while I am no longer hungry in the evenings.
 
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Assuming regular sleep patterns - at some time around 04:00 - hormones (predominantly glucagon, but I believe also cortisol and others) signal the liver to begin secreting glucose into the bloodstream so that you have sufficient energy when you wake from sleep. This process is normal. However, as a type 2 diabetic your somewhat fatty liver will continue to release the glucose even when the pancreas begins ramping up insulin. In addition to this, your whole body is also insulin resistant and so will not deal optimally with the rising glucose.This is why dawn phenomenon is a real issue for T2DM. The process runs away with itself and usually will not stop unless you eat.

DP is the greatest metabolic dysfunction to overcome in T2. Many people find success in mitigating the effects with meal timing, but in my experience the real solution lies only in returning natural insulin sensitivity through diet and exercise.
 
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daffy1

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Thanks for your replies I will look up dawn phenomenon. I have over the last year lost 2 stone and got my BMI down to 26 so I’m still overweight and need to lose another half stone but this has really helped with my sugars and hopefully it will help with the DP. Also I do usually eat in the evening but will start to eat at lunchtime and see if this helps
 

Energize

Well-Known Member
Messages
810
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My glucose level goes up as I wake and further up after my morning shower. I've now changed my routine! When I wake at about 6am or 7am, I take my prescribed Glipizide, then go back to sleep but before settling back down, I set the alarm on my phone for max 2 hours as I know it will take 2 hours for the Glipizide to start working. So, when I get up, my glucose levels are at a decent level. I then, after the loo, go downstairs, have my breakfast of cheese and coffee with cream before returning upstairs for shower and dressing.

This seems to work a treat in keeping my glucose levels at a decent level. As the Glipizide stops working, at about 5 - 6 hours, my levels stay down, depending on what I have for lunch, of course. Also, this way, I rarely go hypo, which I have tended to previously ;)

Hope that may help re Dawn Phenominan
 

Keith_Simpson

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Im sorry if this has already been posted elsewhere. Im T2 and try to maintain a reasonable diet with very little sugar and very low carbs. I’m on metformin gliclZide and empagliflozin. But really struggle with my sugars. On an evening they are unusually between 7 and 8. But always on a morning they are as high as 13. The other night I got up at 4am and my sugars were 6.9 when I got up at 8am they were up at 13. Whenever I mention this at the clinic it’s always fluffed over and I’ve no idea why this happens and I’m sure this is affecting my hbac . I’m am on medication for mental health problems which is known to cause diabetes because of the weight gain and pancreatic problems it causes. Do others have this problem and how do I rectify it.
I also have high fasting glucose levels which I believe is because the liver releases glucose when you haven't eaten for a long enough period. Essentially the alpha cells in the pancreas send a message to the liver to release glucose but when you eat, hormones are secreted that suppress these alpha cells & so stop telling the liver to release glucose. I am type 2 but with insufficient insulin production to deal properly with what my liver releases. I found the only ways to get my fasting level down was by either eating, which first puts my level even higher but subsequenly it is then lower OR in fact I now use insulin which provides far better control than any medication.
 

Venkat K

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,325
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Im sorry if this has already been posted elsewhere. Im T2 and try to maintain a reasonable diet with very little sugar and very low carbs. I’m on metformin gliclZide and empagliflozin. But really struggle with my sugars. On an evening they are unusually between 7 and 8. But always on a morning they are as high as 13. The other night I got up at 4am and my sugars were 6.9 when I got up at 8am they were up at 13. Whenever I mention this at the clinic it’s always fluffed over and I’ve no idea why this happens and I’m sure this is affecting my hbac . I’m am on medication for mental health problems which is known to cause diabetes because of the weight gain and pancreatic problems it causes. Do others have this problem and how do I rectify it.


I have used Glicazide and Metaformin in the past. I stopped medication since April 2018. Trying with exercise and diet.

I have similar blood sugars when i woke up. Have a look below link

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...and-what-did-you-eat-yesterday.117017/page-68
 

steve1972

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have the same issue.
Good control of my BG whilst awake & active. Currently on Sitagliptin & Metformin.

Low BG at bedtime then 9-11mmol every morning.

I'm up & about at 5am, but my high BG will hang around until 10am most days regardless of eating.....

The pattern is skewing my HBA1c but my DN says nothing can be done about it?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I eat early and late, as my meter showed that was the best option for me, unmedicated.
I used to eat lunch and dinner, so I could go out in a morning then come back and take the metformin, but my BG levels just kept on going up all the time I did not eat. I now have up to 10 gm of carbs in a morning if I fancy a stirfry, but usually have at least a tomato, along with eggs and cheese, and after that am content all day plus my BG doesn't keep going up.