BS Levels

[Ricmel]

Diagnosed T2 back in March 2021 with Hba1c at 97. Last test in September Hba1c was 41 and due another test next week. I'm not on any meds but I do eat lowish carbs and have shed a lot of weight.

Between July and November last year my prick test readings were pretty consistent in the 5.5 - 6.8 range, the occasional 7 and just once or twice up to 8. Critically I did not seem to get morning spikes and I never spiked +2 after a meal.

In the last 3 or 4 weeks I have been getting spikes in the morning and at other times during the day when I am not expecting them. One thing I have found is that if I eat carbs at night my morning spikes go away. Last night for example I had pasta and this morning my BS was 5.8. The day before I had a no carb dinner before my morning spike was 6.6. The other thing that seems to have changed for me lately is I am getting high readings after exercising whereas previously exercise would bring my readings down. Today for example I do a 6.30am test on wake up and it is 5.8. I have a coffee with 200ml Soy Milk (10 carbs) at 7am and go on a 7km walk at 9am. At 10.30am I take a reading and it is 6.9?

I'm wondering if my body's response to BS levels has changed as it gets used to lower levels from previous very high levels. What I was doing 5 months ago to get pretty consistently low numbers does not seem to be working now.

 

[Ronancastled]

Diagnosed T2 back in March 2021 with Hba1c at 97. Last test in September Hba1c was 41 and due another test next week. I'm not on any meds but I do eat lowish carbs and have shed a lot of weight.

First of all, don't dial it down, that's a savage result, congrats

Between July and November last year my prick test readings were pretty consistent in the 5.5 - 6.8 range, the occasional 7 and just once or twice up to 8. Critically I did not seem to get morning spikes and I never spiked +2 after a meal.

For someone 6 months post remission that is astounding. Some would say normoglycemic, fancy word for non-diabetic.

In the last 3 or 4 weeks I have been getting spikes in the morning and at other times during the day when I am not expecting them. One thing I have found is that if I eat carbs at night my morning spikes go away. Last night for example I had pasta and this morning my BS was 5.8. The day before I had a no carb dinner before my morning spike was 6.6.

A few things, there's no difference between a 5.8 & 6.6 on a meter that has to be +/-15% accurate.
Have you just got a new batch of strips, have you seen a gradual trend over time

I have a coffee with 200ml Soy Milk (10 carbs) at 7am and go on a 7km walk at 9am. At 10.30am I take a reading and it is 6.9?

7km walk is @10 mins per Km 70 mins at a good pace. Your liver is dumping glucose from fat stores to supply energy for muscles. I've seen Olympic athletes CGMs that spike to 9 or higher during HIT. Your body is just fuelling itself & the byproduct is weight loss which further increases your insulin sensitivity.

I'm wondering if my body's response to BS levels has changed as it gets used to lower levels from previous very high levels. What I was doing 5 months ago to get pretty consistently low numbers does not seem to be working now.

Your body is in flux, it will find a proper medium. BG should function like body temperature until we break it. I can only offer the advice I found myself to keep persevering. Watch out for a big stepped decrease in BG once your pancreas reboots. Keep the faith.

 

[Ricmel]

Thanks Ronancastled for your detailed response, I really appreciate the advice. What is the "pancreas reboot"

 

[Ronancastled]

Thanks Ronancastled for your detailed response, I really appreciate the advice. What is the "pancreas reboot"

Only applies to T2s that have caused their insulin resistance by excess fat stores on their liver/pancreas.
Imagine duck liver patte which is fatty liver disease caused to birds by over feeding them grains.
There is a subset of T2s where their diabetes is caused by the deposit of visceral fat on their internal organs.
A dramatic weight loss in the early years post diagnosis has been shown to reboot the insulin producing beta cells of their pancreas.

There's been one large study called the Direct study that proved that a 15% weight reduction in obese T2s < 6 years post diagnosis caused an 84% remission.
Those successful candidates were followed up 12 & 24 months later where they found that their 2nd phase insulin production was the same as the non-diabetic control group.
So, if you're lucky enough to be an obese diabetic, that makes dramatic weight changes, have only been diagnosed recently, had a low diagnostic reading & has no underlying genetic disfunction then your prospects are great.

The human body is a fantastic machine & the spectrum is wide for recovery once the most important steps are made.