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Any Ideas

T

THE_G

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Morning to all, can anyone tell me what is considered a" normal" blood sugar level after fasting through the night and operating during the day. I never seem to be able to get an answer to this question. It must be different for all, so what is the mark. I'm type 2 and currently running low 5's during the day, however, 8.8 this morning. I'm fit, cover 8/10 miles a day, have trained all my life and eat a clean diet. Is this just the road to doom!!
 
Hi @TH_G and welcome to the forum.
Is it just this once, or do you usually have a higher BG level in a morning?
If so, then it's likely just Dawn Phenomenon, which many people get even if they don't notice it.

This is where the liver decides to be 'helpful' and release some energy (in the form of glucose) into the bloodstream to help us go hunt/gather our breakfast. In this case, the morning BG level will be the last one to react to your lifestyle. So just make sure that your meals don't spike your BG (by more than 2 mmol at 2hrs post prandial) and be patient and wait for your liver to take the hint.

Alternatively have an early non carb snack and see if that will turn off the liver glucose tap. - It does for quite a few of us.
 
ianf0ster said:
If so, then it's likely just Dawn Phenomenon, which many people get even if they don't notice it.
Click to expand...
"Many People" (people without diabetes) will experience the liver dump in the morning.
However, those with fully functioning insulin production will not see the rise in BG because their pancreas will release enough insulin to convert the glucose into energy.
So, Many People will not notice the Dawn Phenomenon because it does not result in anything measurable with a blood glucose meter.
 
THE_G said:
Morning to all, can anyone tell me what is considered a" normal" blood sugar level after fasting through the night and operating during the day. I never seem to be able to get an answer to this question. It must be different for all, so what is the mark. I'm type 2 and currently running low 5's during the day, however, 8.8 this morning. I'm fit, cover 8/10 miles a day, have trained all my life and eat a clean diet. Is this just the road to doom!!
Click to expand...
What's "normal"? I'd suggest that "normal for you" is more relevant than "normal for everyone else". I agree there's a general lack of understanding about what most people's blood glucose does most of the time. It can be hard for people to grasp that it's not a constant.

I have dawn phenomenon, and if I don't eat in the mornings (I usually don't eat until 1-2pm) my BG will go on rising (slowly) for hours as my liver adds glucose to my blood stream. I'm OK with this, as it's using up stores. I can stop it with a small piece of cheese or a couple of almonds, if I want to.

It's also possible that your BG is higher for other reasons - stress is one, or you might have a minor infection that you don't notice, but your body is aware of. I get raised BGs when ithe weather is hot.
 
You say you eat a clean diet - but what about the amount of carbs? That is usually more important for T2s as we don't deal well with carbs, so for example the Eatwell plate isn't good for many of us.
 
KennyA said:
What's "normal"? I'd suggest that "normal for you" is more relevant than "normal for everyone else". I agree there's a general lack of understanding about what most people's blood glucose does most of the time. It can be hard for people to grasp that it's not a constant.

I have dawn phenomenon, and if I don't eat in the mornings (I usually don't eat until 1-2pm) my BG will go on rising (slowly) for hours as my liver adds glucose to my blood stream. I'm OK with this, as it's using up stores. I can stop it with a small piece of cheese or a couple of almonds, if I want to.

It's also possible that your BG is higher for other reasons - stress is one, or you might have a minor infection that you don't notice, but your body is aware of. I get raised BGs when ithe weather is hot.
Click to expand...
Thank you, Kenny, more research I think
 
TriciaWs said:
You say you eat a clean diet - but what about the amount of carbs? That is usually more important for T2s as we don't deal well with carbs, so for example the Eatwell plate isn't good for many of us.
Click to expand...
I eat little to no carbs and fully understand we are a country of fast food consumers. My diet is truly mediterain that's what is so infuriating
 
ianf0ster said:
Hi @TH_G and welcome to the forum.
Is it just this once, or do you usually have a higher BG level in a morning?
If so, then it's likely just Dawn Phenomenon, which many people get even if they don't notice it.

This is where the liver decides to be 'helpful' and release some energy (in the form of glucose) into the bloodstream to help us go hunt/gather our breakfast. In this case, the morning BG level will be the last one to react to your lifestyle. So just make sure that your meals don't spike your BG (by more than 2 mmol at 2hrs post prandial) and be patient and wait for your liver to take the hint.

Alternatively have an early non carb snack and see if that will turn off the liver glucose tap. - It does for quite a few of us.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that, very useful. So when you get called to the docs for a blood fasting test eat nothing for 12 hrs, and you come out 8.8 then spend 1/2 an hour fighting with them not to prescribe tablets. It might be this Dawn Phenomenon.
 
THE_G said:
Thank you for that, very useful. So when you get called to the docs for a blood fasting test eat nothing for 12 hrs, and you come out 8.8 then spend 1/2 an hour fighting with them not to prescribe tablets. It might be this Dawn Phenomenon.
Click to expand...
8.8 sounds like a finger-prick blood test, (in any case an HbA1C is like a 3 month average so there would be no need to fast for it).
With a finger-prick BG test result of 8.8 I would not expect a GP to be talking about diabetes medications because it's only a little high (though some might suggest Metformin at those levels).
 
Yea im in same boat got the libre 2 on for the trail during afternoon and even goes from 6ish to 5 then in morning upto 7 or 8 but so can't tell if normal come down from 22 units of lantus to 0 now so step in right direction until I can get my bloods checked earliest at my gp is November
 
If you train before taking a reading, then this can raise the blood levels due to (a) liver supplying glucose for the exercise or (b) adenaline inhibiting the action of the insulin which thus prevents storage of glucose,
 
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