Clueless

[Venta]

I recently had a HbA1c test - result 56. Nurse prescribed me Metformin (this was a phone call only, no follow-up or face to face, or advice, just a prescription) but I don’t want to take it.
Instead, I have drastically cut my carbs and am determined to lose weight and hopefully take control without medication.
However, I’m so confused. I’ve tested for the past 4 mornings having not eaten for at least 12 hours and every day it’s got higher: started out at 7.9, next day 8.7 then 9.2 and today 10.1. I don’t know why, or what to do about it.
If eating spikes levels, why doesn’t not eating keep it low?

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

I can’t help on your dilemma on the prescription meds.. but I do know the liver can kick out glycogen causing BG rise in the morning.
Which the prescription may help you with?

It great you have access to a meter.

I’ll tag in @Goonergal & @bulkbiker . There could be something missed with your diet tweak?

 

[ajbod]

Your first test in the morning is what's known as dawn phenomena. Your liver dumps glucose into your system to get you going. THIS is usually the last figure you will see drop, and can take months to see any difference. Try testing before and after a meal to see the effects of cutting Carbs.
Your body controls the glucose level in your blood, but due to Insulin resistance, the message the brain gets from the starving muscle cells is give us more sugar, hence our levels rise but the message doesn't reach the control system.

 

[KennyA]

I recently had a HbA1c test - result 56. Nurse prescribed me Metformin (this was a phone call only, no follow-up or face to face, or advice, just a prescription) but I don’t want to take it.
Instead, I have drastically cut my carbs and am determined to lose weight and hopefully take control without medication.
However, I’m so confused. I’ve tested for the past 4 mornings having not eaten for at least 12 hours and every day it’s got higher: started out at 7.9, next day 8.7 then 9.2 and today 10.1. I don’t know why, or what to do about it.
If eating spikes levels, why doesn’t not eating keep it low?

Hi, welcome to the forums. As Jaylee says, it's not as simple as not eating. Our livers are always attempting to ensure we have the right level of glucose in the blood (some are better at this than others) and will (in an effort to be helpful) store the raw product and then dump some if it seems necessary.

I appear to drop very low overnight and sometimes in the morning my BGs will rise and rise and rise, as the liver tries to get me to where it thinks I should be. I confirmed this by trying a Constant Glucose Monitor (CGM, Libre) for a month. This rise is nowhere as dramatic as it used to be (for me) and generally I can stop the rise by eating something/anything. Cheese works for me.

The thing is that our bodies very often react differently to the same circumstance. For this reason, I think it's important to learn how I operate, rather than how anyone else does. It can be useful knowing that there are a range of possible experiences, but to me anyway it seems clear that you can't beat learning your how your own system works. It's like us both owning different cars: some things are pretty much the same for most cars, but there are big and important differences between makes and models as well.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Don't test in the morning or after a long fasting period. Test 2 hours after a typical meal. Going low-carb is good. Metformin is a very safe drug but only has a small effect.

 

[Resurgam]

I think that Metformin is the revenge HCPs dole out for us daring to be unwell on High carb low fat diets.
I took it for about 5 weeks and it was dreadful. Some people do not react, others respond in different ways.
I was explosively incontinent and needed to buy a really good carpet and upholstery cleaner and various laundry products, so if you do decide to try it, or get told you really need to even with the change in diet, until you know how you react to Metformin, don't make plans for being out of the house for any length of time.
The increase in glucose could be down to lower levels of carbs resulting in lower levels of insulin, so allowing the glucose to leave storage and galivant around in blood and other fluids - which is the start of good things.
Checking how you respond to food might be more useful at this point though. Two hours after starting to at seems to be a good way to see both how the meal suits your ability to cope with carbs and if the foods and the amounts eaten were good choices.

 

[bulkbiker]

I recently had a HbA1c test - result 56. Nurse prescribed me Metformin (this was a phone call only, no follow-up or face to face, or advice, just a prescription) but I don’t want to take it.
Instead, I have drastically cut my carbs and am determined to lose weight and hopefully take control without medication.
However, I’m so confused. I’ve tested for the past 4 mornings having not eaten for at least 12 hours and every day it’s got higher: started out at 7.9, next day 8.7 then 9.2 and today 10.1. I don’t know why, or what to do about it.
If eating spikes levels, why doesn’t not eating keep it low?

How long have you been low carbing..?
It could well be that your body is trying to dump as much sugar out of storage as it can. Hence when you don't eat it is using stored glucose for energy.

 

[Venta]

How long have you been low carbing..?
It could well be that your body is trying to dump as much sugar out of storage as it can. Hence when you don't eat it is using stored glucose for energy.

I’ve just been low carbing for a little over a week, but I didn’t have a working monitor the whole time.

 

[Venta]

I think that Metformin is the revenge HCPs dole out for us daring to be unwell on High carb low fat diets.
I took it for about 5 weeks and it was dreadful. Some people do not react, others respond in different ways.
I was explosively incontinent and needed to buy a really good carpet and upholstery cleaner and various laundry products, so if you do decide to try it, or get told you really need to even with the change in diet, until you know how you react to Metformin, don't make plans for being out of the house for any length of time.
The increase in glucose could be down to lower levels of carbs resulting in lower levels of insulin, so allowing the glucose to leave storage and galivant around in blood and other fluids - which is the start of good things.
Checking how you respond to food might be more useful at this point though. Two hours after starting to at seems to be a good way to see both how the meal suits your ability to cope with carbs and if the foods and the amounts eaten were good choices.

Oh dear! The nurse did say it can cause diarrhoea and ‘wind’. Well I’m away for the weekend, so if I was going to consider it it won’t be until next week, but again I have lots going on . . . ‍
I’ll start Monday to test pre & post food, and try to see what works for me and what doesn’t. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Venta]

Hi, welcome to the forums. As Jaylee says, it's not as simple as not eating. Our livers are always attempting to ensure we have the right level of glucose in the blood (some are better at this than others) and will (in an effort to be helpful) store the raw product and then dump some if it seems necessary.

I appear to drop very low overnight and sometimes in the morning my BGs will rise and rise and rise, as the liver tries to get me to where it thinks I should be. I confirmed this by trying a Constant Glucose Monitor (CGM, Libre) for a month. This rise is nowhere as dramatic as it used to be (for me) and generally I can stop the rise by eating something/anything. Cheese works for me.

The thing is that our bodies very often react differently to the same circumstance. For this reason, I think it's important to learn how I operate, rather than how anyone else does. It can be useful knowing that there are a range of possible experiences, but to me anyway it seems clear that you can't beat learning your how your own system works. It's like us both owning different cars: some things are pretty much the same for most cars, but there are big and important differences between makes and models as well.

Thanks for the welcome. And thanks for the advice - it makes a lot of sense.

 

[sue512]

I thought metformin helped to suppress helpful little livers dumping glucose. It’s taken me 5 months of low carbing for the morning rise to be less dramatic but was one of the last times of day to be lowered. Abbot do a free trial for 2 weeks for a continuous glucose monitor that can be useful in learning what your blood glucose patterns are and gives an estimated hba1c that helps me. I’ve now stopped metformin and haven’t seen any dramatic rises since. Give it time, we’ll worth the effort

 

[Venta]

Your first test in the morning is what's known as dawn phenomena. Your liver dumps glucose into your system to get you going. THIS is usually the last figure you will see drop, and can take months to see any difference. Try testing before and after a meal to see the effects of cutting Carbs.
Your body controls the glucose level in your blood, but due to Insulin resistance, the message the brain gets from the starving muscle cells is give us more sugar, hence our levels rise but the message doesn't reach the control system.

Thanks, I will - starting next week as I’m going to see Peter Kay tomorrow night! I’m still planning on behaving, though it’s difficult when eating out, especially as I’m vegetarian.

 

[Venta]

Hi,

I can’t help on your dilemma on the prescription meds.. but I do know the liver can kick out glycogen causing BG rise in the morning.
Which the prescription may help you with?

It great you have access to a meter.

I’ll tag in @Goonergal & @bulkbiker . There could be something missed with your diet tweak?

Thanks for your help

 

[bulkbiker]

I’ve just been low carbing for a little over a week, but I didn’t have a working monitor the whole time.

In that case just keep on low carbing.. maybe try and reduce a bit more and your sugars will get back to normal eventually.
My FBG's were the last ones to come back to regular levels after about 6 months so... give it time.

 

[Resurgam]

Oh dear! The nurse did say it can cause diarrhoea and ‘wind’. Well I’m away for the weekend, so if I was going to consider it it won’t be until next week, but again I have lots going on . . . ‍
I’ll start Monday to test pre & post food, and try to see what works for me and what doesn’t. Thanks for the advice.

At least you got some sort of a warming - and not everyone has problems, mine were just the top end.
The most galling thing was that I never needed the tablets in the first place. I was no longer diabetic in 80 days, back to normal at 6 months.