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Dawn phenoenum

juliekem

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Location
Nottingham, England
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been low carbing for a month now and have lost half a stone or so but I was really hoping to reduce my blood glucose readings. Last night my BG reading was 4.9 but this morning it was back up at 9!
I am probably suffering from this dawn phenomenon I have heard about but what can I do about it?
I am having am Hba1c test this week - will it be high like my own morning tests?
I too have to buy the testing stuff, btw! The awful thing is we are pensioners and the needles in particular are very expensive.
 
The Hba1c is an average of your blood sugar for the last three months or so. Hopefully it won't be as high as your highest reading. There is always the possibility that something is happening in the moments that you are not reading but let's not be gloomy.

I have found that I can lower my fasting level in the morning by paying attention to what I eat the night before. If I am the only one this works for then ok. I avoid carbs in the evening, say, from 4pm onwards.

It is far too late to influence the Hba1c blood test you are having later this week so I should stop worrying about it now.
 
Re: Dawn phenonemum

Thanks for the reply. I am not eating much in the way of carbs at all, having cut out bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, anything containing flour or sugar and most starchy veg such as beets and parsnips. This is why I am so surprised at the morning high levels.
Last night for example, my dinner consisted of roast gammon, cabbage carrots and swede - no potatoes. I had a sachet for dessert that are from a well known diet company and are very low in terms of carbs, the blood reading I took two hours after my meal was 4.9.
What I really want to know is what causes these morning rises in BG and what I can do about them on top of what I am already doing. The evening meal couldn't have been the cause otherwise wouldn't my bg have been higher after 2 hours?
You see the GP has put me on additional medication (which I am NOT taking, btw) and this is based on the Hba1c which of course is always done in the morning before eating.
Just out of interest, I once took the dogs for a walk before breakfast (a 40 minute brisk walk) and my bg went UP from the initial reading - only by a little but it seems insane.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
I have found that I can lower my fasting level in the morning by paying attention to what I eat the night before. If I am the only one this works for then ok. I avoid carbs in the evening, say, from 4pm onwards.
Click to expand...

Ive found the opposite to be true, I managed to get my morning readings down by eating my evening meal later and found that it stopped my liver releasing its glycogen when my bg levels dropped overnight. So I would say try having a carby snack before bed, by that I dont mean a plate of potato or a white bread sandwich but just a few low GI, long acting carbs. One or two oatcakes perhaps, the Tescos own Scottish Rough Oatcakes have 5.8g carbs per biscuit so one or two of them before bed may help to hold your bg levels steady.

If it is the DP then there is probably little you can do as it will be your liver releasing its glycogen stores to help get you ready to wake and face the day, some people have this and others dont seem to be bothered with it. I imagine it is all down to how your pancreas and adrenal glands are working and the levels of hormones released in the early morning as it is hormones like cortisone that trigger the liver to release glucose.
 
Re: Dawn phenonemum

juliekem said:
Just out of interest, I once took the dogs for a walk before breakfast (a 40 minute brisk walk) and my bg went UP from the initial reading - only by a little but it seems insane.
Click to expand...

Again this is caused by your liver doing its job, you might find it better to have breakfast first before walking the dog as when you exercise without sufficient energy to fuel it ie carbs, or at the very least some protein your liver and muscles will just release their glycogen stores to fuel the exercise (of walking).

A small amount of carbs will stop this from happening. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the name itself means breaking fast so you have effectively fasted overnight and you need fuel otherwise your liver simply releases its store of glucose (glycogen).
 
yes thanks - it was only once. I am always hungry for breakfast (come to think of it, I am always hungry.)
 
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