Confusing readings

I had no problem with Metformin but for months the morning reading was always very high. Tried late snack and occasionally that worked. However, my morning reading suddenly collapsed to within the normal range. The only plausible explanation I could come up with was weight loss.

Try doing some readings throughout the night. Its a pain - but you will get an indication of when the increased level is occurring. If its high in the very early hours you might find a late snack helps.

That said, don't let it get to you - it might well just disappear as your control through meds and/or weight loss improves.

Claire, the high morning readings can be caused by two things (that I am aware of). Firstly your sugar levels can drop quite low during the night (generally around 3-4 am) causing the liver to think the body is being starved. In response the liver dumps uncontrolled quantities of glucose into the bloodstream in response.

The other effect is hormonal. When we sleep, hormones are released to help maintain and restore cells within our bodies. These hormones (growth hormone, cortisol and catecholamines) cause glucose levels to rise. For diabetics who don't have enough circulating insulin to control this increase of glucose, the end result is a high glucose reading in the morning. For pregnant women this hormonal response becomes even more exaggerated.

The recommended counter-measures for both causes seem to be the same:
- exercise later in the day, which may have more of a glucose-lowering effect in the night (but may also trigger a hypo)
- before bed have a protein/fat type of snack (nuts, cheese, or meat).
- eat breakfast to limit the dawn effect. By eating, your body will signal the hormones to turn off.