Confused am I diabetic ?

ilan said:

I have been taking statins for over 20 years I had a triple bypass 5 years ago and in March I was told I was type 2 diabetic with a HbA1c of 48 Having brought a meter I find my waking gl is always over 6 .0 upto 6.8 whilst I do not seem to get Spikes after sensible meals highest I found was 8.8 even after two weeks of a low carb diet (less than 75 grms a day ) my fasting or waking gl has not changed so is it just a side effect of the statins Plus insomnia or is some form of insulin problem

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Hi. I am wondering what meds you might be on, for diabetes or anything else. Statins can certainly increase blood sugar levels. I understand why your on them. That said,a friend of mine who had a triple bypass only a few months ago is looking to stop taking them because they are causing some joint pain. Maybe you should talk it over with your doctor..see about a change of dose or chat about his view of stopping them altogether. Still, sometimes we need to tolerate certain drugs as they it's too risky not to take them. I got my diabetes from steroids post transplant...and still have to take them despite their impact on my blood sugar. I have managed to cut the dose right down, which is a great help. I refused statins. If this is your first two weeks on a low carb diet, your numbers aren't bad at all. Give it a bit longer and see if the waking level drops a little. Do you know about liver dump? it is common for the liver to act to prepare us for a day's activity and so the morning blood sugar can be higher than you might expect. Generally, the lower our daily average is, the more predictable it gets. The 8.8 mmols after a meal is higher than the recommended upper limit for Type 2s post meal, but it's not crazy high. I would say persist with the diet, drink plenty of fluid (water or very diluted no sugar juice like Robinsons) and see how it goes. It will probably improve over the next couple of weeks if you are strict. Make sure you test before and two to two and half hours after eating..and record what you are eating so you can look back at notes and see patterns. Good luck.

Though 8.8 is not excessively high, it is above the range of non diabetics. 6.0 in the morning is quite good, and that you are not spiking shows your meds are doing the job. Above 9 is reason for concern. I know from personal experience having risen to 30+ and being rushed to the hospital is not a good feeling. Are you maintaining low carb intake? Do you get regular excercise? These along with consistant fluid intake will assist in better control. If in doubt see medical advice to ensure you are on the right track.

ilan said:

I have been taking statins for over 20 years I had a triple bypass 5 years ago and in March I was told I was type 2 diabetic with a HbA1c of 48 Having brought a meter I find my waking gl is always over 6 .0 upto 6.8 whilst I do not seem to get Spikes after sensible meals highest I found was 8.8 even after two weeks of a low carb diet (less than 75 grms a day ) my fasting or waking gl has not changed so is it just a side effect of the statins Plus insomnia or is some form of insulin problem

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My hba1c was 48 which led to me being diagnosed as diabetic and statins increased it to 54. I stopped them due to having dizzy spells and sleep disturbance and my hba1c is now 38.

I wouldn't concentrate on your morning fasting levels. There are too many variables that affect these readings.
It is best to test before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite.
Non-diabetics do spike after eating, but rarely above 7.8 unless the meal was particularly carb heavy, and will normally be back down again by 2 hours or 2.5 hours.

Hi. As others have said, it's probably the overnight liver dump raising your morning BS. You are only marginally diabetic. Are you taking statins because your cholesterol lipids ratios are bad or has the GP just prescribed them regardless and guessed the dose? Statins do increase BS so only take the dose you need (if any) to keep your lipids ratios good.

ilan said:

Hi thanks for the replies I think I will have a chat with the doctor . I have had a busy morning with a lot of physical exercise missed lunch (just a peach ) and my level was 6.5 a few minuets ago with just a small bowl of porridge for breakfast .

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Physical exercise and missing lunch probably caused a liver dump, and how long ago did you eat your peach?. A random reading like your 6.5 a few minutes ago actually tells you very little I'm afraid.

ilan said:

Hi thanks for the replies I think I will have a chat with the doctor . I have had a busy morning with a lot of physical exercise missed lunch (just a peach ) and my level was 6.5 a few minuets ago with just a small bowl of porridge for breakfast .

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I agree with what @Bluetit1802 said above. I would add that while some Type 2s get away with porridge, many don't. If I have some, my blood sugar will definitely jump. Test before and 2-2.5 hours after and see if there's more than a 2mmol difference; that should let you know if you are getting a small spike form porridge. I was always more of a cereal junkie. Despite being Scottish, I can't stand porridge..so I'm actually glad it caused a spike when I tried it! When first trying to get my levels under control, I would have slices of smoked cheese and dried bacon strips for breakfast...no carbs at all. If I could be bothered, usually very unlikely -an omelette maybe.

ilan said:

Hi I had a peach at about 1.00Pm I can understand a liver dump in the mornings but how can I get the sugar levels down when I presume the liver get the glucose from body fat and mantains it at quite a high level do the statins cause it to do this ?

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On a low carb diet the liver can make glucose from protein and fat at times when it thinks the body needs extra energy. It isn't restricted to mornings. In normal healthy non-diabetics the pancreas secretes insulin continuously in small amounts (not just after eating). This is known as the basal insulin and is in order to maintain normal blood glucose levels at all times other than after food. This basal insulin deals with any glucose produced by the liver. In diabetics, very often the basal insulin is depleted or ineffective, and this is why we see higher levels after a liver dump.

It can happen at any time. I'm afraid I have no idea exactly how statins cause raised levels.

ilan said:

Hi I had a peach at about 1.00Pm I can understand a liver dump in the mornings but how can I get the sugar levels down when I presume the liver get the glucose from body fat and mantains it at quite a high level do the statins cause it to do this ?

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Don't get too stressed about this; 6.5 is not a bad level really. That's probably my average at the moment because I am less strict than I was...and it doesn't worry me at all. It is well inside guidelines. As has been said, a random reading tells you very little (unless its crazy high or ridiculously low). Test before and no more than 3 hour after food. I found that exercise often increased my levels. Some find it helps after food rather than before it. We all differ; variations on a theme. If you skip meals, your body adjusts. I found the best way to get more consistent levels was to eat at regular times so the body sort of gets used to it. Also, be aware that meters have error margins and some are better than others; my own (One Touch Verio) tends to be a tiny bit higher than some others..so 6.5 on that can be as low as 5.8 on others...and I can get a slightly lower of higher reading with a different finger (that is not uncommon)! So relax a bit and give it time. It's all about finding out what works for you individually. Test at appropriate times, record food details and readings and gradually it will come down...statins or no statins. Put it this way, if you just ate a normal diet your BS would be higher (again on statins or not). Take your time. Good luck.

my husband had high cholesterol and I cut his sugar right down and it went down, its an inflammatory thing when I googled it. inflammatory foods sugar gluten and dairy and bad fats/