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Confused

Wendyjw66

Wendyjw66

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Hi, I have been diagnosed with prediabetes, so I have gone on a low carb diet and bought a glucose meter to check how my levels are affected.
I have checked two hours after meals and they are fine. However if I check again first thing in the morning (having not eaten or drank anything) my levels are on average 7.2. Can someone explain what is happening - thanks guys.
 
Hi - your morning level is not always the lowest in the day..it's much to do with the behaviour of the liver getting our ancient hunter-gatherer body ready to get up and seek food for energy. I have found that over time sustaining a drop in numbers over the day helps lower the "norm" on waking. I was ending the day on about 7.5 and waking with about 8.5, but now after a while on very low carbs..I can end the day on 5.4 and start it on 5.8 (but often my waking level is up at 6 plus despite low night readings. it's not unusual at all. Nothing to worry about. What will gradually shift it in the right direction is a low carb diet and plenty of fluid. let us know hoe you get on. Paul
 
Thank you Paul, I find it all very confusing, but will carry on with the low carb and more exercise. Is it worth stopping the morning test, so I don't freak out?
 
Hi, Wendy. I stopped taking morning levels initially when they were a wee bit high because they were pretty consistent and I saw no point, but I decided months ago to note levels at key times (ie. a morning reading always around 8am-8.30am, and before and 2.5 hours after food..I also tested around midday to rack a spike I get from steroids I have to take). By keeping records of what I ate, when I ate and what the levels were I could identify patterns and act accordingly with regards to diet - really really recommend this.Change sin my morning level were good to see and very encouraging. So keep doing it...or stop until other levels come down...my advice is don't see the negative....see the whole thing as a trail and error approach until it pays off (and it will)...they are numbers....indicators.. we can use them. Also..don;t freak out if its 7. anything - it's not mentally high at all and you can get it down. I'm interested in exactly what you eat. I'm happy to give my opinion on it (coz i feel I have learned a lot from knowing nothing at all at diagnosis, and I do talk a lot, eh?). Bottom line is feel good the number isn't 15.5, and focus on getting it to change. If you want to know what i'm eating, right down to calories, carbs, fibre etc...message me..only too happy to respond. Good luck. Paul oh yeah - have you had a HbA1c test yet..what were you at diagnosis in terms of average reading? More detail would help.
 
Hi and welcome. I would be inclined to stop the morning tests as they don't tell you too much; the 2 hour post meal tests are far more use and test before as well occasionally to measure the effect of the meal.
 
Hi people don't worry so much about a small up and down it will hurt you more to worry. Any one tried olive leafes water. ..half a cup twice with meals taste good and does wonders for Pre or type 2... be happy excersize and breathe deap.
 
Your morning level is usually the last to come down, and the one you have least control over as it's your liver deciding to be "helpful" , so if it's bothering you, just don't test then. Stressing about higher levels will do you no good. Just keep on with your low carb diet and check before and after meals as these readings will give you the most useful information. You can always start testing again when you wake up, if you ever decide it may be helpful.

I like to test first thing as my meter can give me averages over time and these help me to see an overall picture of how I'm doing - however that's my personal choice. But there's now law that says you have to!

Robbity
 
I do test first thing although I have the same problem with liver dumps. The only thing that seems to stop them is if I have a couple of glasses of red wine and a bit of dark chocolate relatively late in the evening but i'm not recommending it - just something I've noticed! Basically the liver is too busy dealing with the alcohol to dump glucose.
The other thing I noted is that if i wake early say 5am and test then it can be quite low but if I go back to bed and get up a few hours later it has invariably risen despite not eating anything. This proves it is a morning liver dump.
If testing at that time has you worried then you are probably best to skip it and concentrate on the low carb diet which will definitely have very beneficial effects.
 
Just remember nobody can have perfect control , higher morning levels are a fact of life and it takes a while to get them down but even then you will have spikes in blood glucose than you can't account for.
 
Thanks for all the replies they are very helpful. I have stopped taking the early mornings test, but will continue on the low carb & exercise routine and check levels. My reading last night post dinner was 5.8 so it is working - yay.
 
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