confused re high early morning readings

[babyflowers]

Hi,
I am newly diagnosed (HBA1C 56). I have been really good with my diet over the last few weeks, no breakfast, green salad for lunch with protein, then very low carbs for dinner.

I bought a meter and every morning my reading is around 7-7.5 - when looking on this site for people's morning readings, they seem to be in the 5s generally.

I am on 1000mg metformin SR - have been for 5 days now. My question is does that take a while to kick in and/or what am I doing wrong on the diet. My HBA1C reading didn't seem so high as to have such high morning readings when i'm not eating hardly any carbs, no sugary drinks etc.

Very confused, should I call GP if they continue as perhaps meds are not enough?

Thank you for any advice.

 

[catinahat]

As we're getting ready to face the day our bodies release certain hormones which prompt our liver to release some stored glucose. It happens to everyone but because we're diabetic we have a problem dealing with the extra sugar. Try not to compare yourself with anyone else, we all have different levels of insulin resistance, weight, metabolism. Just because your numbers are higher than someone else does not mean you are doing anything wrong. Focus on keeping your numbers as low as possible after meals, eventuality you should see an improvement in fasting levels

 

[In Response]

The morning levels are often the last to come down.
This is due to something called Dawn Phenomenon which is very common (it even happens to non-Ds but they have healthy pancreases to manage it).

Whlist it is useful to track your fasting levels, it is also recommended to test to discover (and tweak) the impact foods have on your levels.

 

[Lisa69free]

I'm recently diagnosed diabetic since June and my diabetes nurse said anything around 4 to 7 is in a good range. Worry when it's much higher. You are doing fine, don't be so hard on yourself

 

[Maris Piper]

I too have higher fasting readings than I expected. I’m 75 and fairly fit and don’t look overweight. I also had no obvious diabetic symptoms My last Hba1c reading was 67 back in April and I was put on Metformin sl 500 mg. I bought a meter and realised if I didn’t have the high fasting level the no carb diet I was on was fine.The GP increased the Metformin dose by another 500 mg. I decided I maybe had too much visceral fat so have been on a low fat, low carb diet and have lost an inch round my waist but my fasting levels are still the same around 8 to 9 every morning and returning to that last thing at night. I’ve just had another Hba1c test. Results next week. I have stopped looking enviously at other people’s low fasting levels. Some morbidly obese people don’t have type 2 diabetes. Some really obese people can control their insulin levels by diet and exercise. Ditto some slightly overweight people. If everyone was tested for diabetes there’d be thousands more. ( GPS are paid extra to diagnose diabetes in patients) I am lucky to be on medication to help. I think there could be a thread for people who other than a higher Hba1c reading have no other symptoms.

 

[MBlaik2021]

Hello, I've had type 1 for over 20yrs. What I would say is that not eating breakfast may be working against you, as the lack of food after a night of fasting causes the body to release cortisol, which will result in elevations to blood sugar levels. Hope you are able to find a resolution.

(mod edit)

 

[babyflowers]

Hello, I've had type 1 for over 20yrs and am a nutritional therapist. What I would say is that not eating breakfast may be working against you, as the lack of food after a night of fasting causes the body to release cortisol, which will result in elevations to blood sugar levels. Hope you are able to find a resolution.

Thank you, I find everything so confusing - I was trying to do the 16:8 diet (to lose weight) so not eating form approx 8pm to 1 or 2pm but if this is causing sugar spikes then obviously I need to rethink this. What is odd though, is the high readings are at about 8am, and then by 12ish they have dropped to 5.5-6.5 normally and I wouldn't have had breakfast before 8am anyway but I haven't tested what they are doing between 8-12?

 

[MBlaik2021]

Diabetes is a complex condition and with type 2 you are dealing with insulin resistance. Not eating breakfast could worsen this.

[Moderator edit in alignment with forum rule.]

 

[ianf0ster]

Thank you, I find everything so confusing - I was trying to do the 16:8 diet (to lose weight) so not eating form approx 8pm to 1 or 2pm but if this is causing sugar spikes then obviously I need to rethink this. What is odd though, is the high readings are at about 8am, and then by 12ish they have dropped to 5.5-6.5 normally and I wouldn't have had breakfast before 8am anyway but I haven't tested what they are doing between 8-12?

How high are your pre first meal of day BG figures? If you don't know then test them.

From my personal experience I disagree with those who say you need to eat breakfast or your T2D will get worse, sinc it appeared to help me get down from the pre-diabetic levels (achieved on LCHF) to the normal range. Do they base their views on personal experience?
For me, so long as they are no higher than 8.0 then I am happy to eat 1 meal per day, fasting from 20:00 to as late as 16:30 on weekends. On weekdays I eat a 'brunch' at approx 12:30.
I find that if my first meal is very low or zero carb, then my BG drops after the meal.
Once I had been low Carb for a few weeks I became 'fat adapted' and so no longer felt hungry in the mornings - so why eat?

I feel that there is a huge difference between your liver producing glucose for you versus eating carbs which convert into glucose. In the first case you are actually burning stored fat and using excess protein not required for mu7scle mass etc.(so long as you eat enough protein in the first place). Thus the effect is beneficial and will lower visceral fat or keep it low!.
In the second case it is spiking insulin, halting 'fat burning' and actively storing more body fat. That is a great way to become heavier and more Insulin resistant and so is not a good thing!