Average glucose levels

[Lxly18]

Hi newly diagnosed here, approx 3 weeks been put on metformin twice a day. My hbA1c levels were 118. I’m now averaging 13.5 blood glucose levels over the last 7 days.

How quick should levels becoming down? I know diet is a massive factor which I’m still trying to get my head around. I’m worried that they aren’t coming down quick enough. I tend to be in the 11’s in a morning before eating and around the 14’s 2hrs after eating.

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[Lainie71]

Hi newly diagnosed here, approx 3 weeks been put on metformin twice a day. My hbA1c levels were 118. I’m now averaging 13.5 blood glucose levels over the last 7 days.

How quick should levels becoming down? I know diet is a massive factor which I’m still trying to get my head around. I’m worried that they aren’t coming down quick enough. I tend to be in the 11’s in a morning before eating and around the 14’s 2hrs after eating.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Hia well I think you are doing really well and levels in the morning are for me dominated by the dawn phenomenon, which I suspect is whats happening to you. Others will have better advice but my advice would be that its only been about 3 weeks or so, don't be so hard on yourself its early days.

 

[Lxly18]

Hia well I think you are doing really well and levels in the morning are for me dominated by the dawn phenomenon, which I suspect is whats happening to you. Others will have better advice but my advice would be that its only been about 3 weeks or so, don't be so hard on yourself its early days.

Thanks, it’s a lot to get your head around isn’t it. Think my diabetes nurse put me in panic mode when she said “ooh your lucky your not in a coma in hospital ” and that my random bloods were 16.4 and too high!! I completely forgot to ask how quick should I see them come down.

 

[Lainie71]

Thanks, it’s a lot to get your head around isn’t it. Think my diabetes nurse put me in panic mode when she said “ooh your lucky your not in a coma in hospital ” and that my random bloods were 16.4 and too high!! I completely forgot to ask how quick should I see them come down.

Yes well mine were a lot higher than that I can tell you. Nothing like putting someone in panic mode when they've just been given a diagnosis out of blue, makes my mind boggle I can tell you! You will get there in time, you are doing okay. Stress can contribute high bg as well as lack of sleep, diet, illness there are lots of factors. As I said I think you are doing well. I take it you have a meter to test before and after etc. I had to push for mine, as I am not on meds my DN told me if I was on meds I would automatically get one. Its good to test to see whats going on

 

[Lxly18]

Yes well mine were a lot higher than that I can tell you. Nothing like putting someone in panic mode when they've just been given a diagnosis out of blue, makes my mind boggle I can tell you! You will get there in time, you are doing okay. Stress can contribute high bg as well as lack of sleep, diet, illness there are lots of factors. As I said I think you are doing well. I take it you have a meter to test before and after etc. I had to push for mine, as I am not on meds my DN told me if I was on meds I would automatically get one. Its good to test to see whats going on

Yes it was the first thing she gave me the monitor. It’s definitely a learning curve. It’s a good excuse for a lie in and a holiday then to de stress

 

[Mrs HJG]

Hi @Lxly18 I'm another given a diagnosis along the lines of 'you're levels are so high we don't know why you haven't been hospitalised!'

Have you changed your diet? Metformin will help a little, but won't take you down to non-diabetic levels without a good decrease in carbs and probably some exercise thrown in for good measure.

Check the threads about low carb, as this should probably be your first port of call. Stress has a big effect on my BG levels, and I'd say the first weeks after diagnosis have to be up there with all the usual life biggies, moving home etc! So this could be having an effect.

Keep testing, try not to obsess and keep at it - there are perils of coming down too quickly, and remember that any decrease is going in the right direction.

 

[Lxly18]

Hi @Lxly18 I'm another given a diagnosis along the lines of 'you're levels are so high we don't know why you haven't been hospitalised!'

Have you changed your diet? Metformin will help a little, but won't take you down to non-diabetic levels without a good decrease in carbs and probably some exercise thrown in for good measure.

Check the threads about low carb, as this should probably be your first port of call. Stress has a big effect on my BG levels, and I'd say the first weeks after diagnosis have to be up there with all the usual life biggies, moving home etc! So this could be having an effect.

Keep testing, try not to obsess and keep at it - there are perils of coming down too quickly, and remember that any decrease is going in the right direction.

Hi, thanks. They must think putting the frighteners up people will scare the levels back down ‍.
I had already changed my diet before my diagnosis. I hit 10000 steps most days and exercise 3-4 days a week. I’d lost 38lb and had given up smoking 5months previous. Talk about a slap in the face
I’m making more tweaks to my diet. Will have a look at the low carb threads see if there’s anything I’ve missed already.
The nurse did mention they may change my medication as it hadn’t come down enough (I’d only been on it 4 days).

 

[Mrs HJG]

The nurse did mention they may change my medication as it hadn’t come down enough (I’d only been on it 4 days).

Thinking 4 days is a little too soon to know if Metformin is working at all, I'm sure it takes a few weeks to build up in your system to make much difference at all!

It's the NHS all or nothing approach - nothing, nothing, nothing, panic! - and a lot will depend on the experience and knowledge of who you speak to - my nurse check-in today said I should maybe increase my carbs or reduce my metformin at teatime as I get lows on my Libre in the night - they are 100% compression lows and not real, but she didn't understand and got in a tizzy about hypo-awareness! I'm not on insulin, am a side-sleeper but she did not have the knowledge as 99% of the T1s she sees are on insulin and actually at risk of hypos.

My main advice is to educate yourself, and this website and forum have been the best for me, so that you can always go armed with questions or knowledge and it lets the medics know you are not a walk-over - yep I am probably (definitely) one of 'those' patients

 

[Guilty]

Hi, thanks. They must think putting the frighteners up people will scare the levels back down ‍.
I had already changed my diet before my diagnosis. I hit 10000 steps most days and exercise 3-4 days a week. I’d lost 38lb and had given up smoking 5months previous. Talk about a slap in the face
I’m making more tweaks to my diet. Will have a look at the low carb threads see if there’s anything I’ve missed already.
The nurse did mention they may change my medication as it hadn’t come down enough (I’d only been on it 4 days).

Great work @Lxly18 - it all adds up! Definitely heading in the right direction. I find that diet is the one that makes the most difference for me in the short term. If you're looking for changes on top of diet (and weight loss / exercise you seem to have nailed) - a regular good night's sleep makes a difference to many people's bloods

 

[MissMuffett]

It could take weeks or months and everyone is different. Stress and lack of sleep can affect your BG too. Research low carb and try cutting out the obvious, rice, pasta and potatoes, sugar and cereals. Some people can tolerate more carbs than others, that’s why it’s good that they’ve given you a monitor so you can test before you eat and then 2 hours after to see if youv had a reaction.