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???? Dawn phenomenon

samantha13

samantha13

Well-Known Member
Messages
392
Hi. I've been type 1 for 4 years. My bm is always high in the morn no matter what. I go to bed around 7-9mmols and wake up 14-18mmols. I don't eat after 8pm and I take my levimer on 2 split doses. 10 units at 8am 10 units at 8pm. I stayed up one night and checked it 2 hourly. It stays around 5-7mmols then at 5 am onwards starts to rise. Sounds like dawn phenomenon (though I don't know much about it). My question is what do I do now? Thanks all
 
I have this too, I can take my BGL at 2am at 4am and it's on the lowish side but by the time I get up it's in the high teens. My DSN and Consultant have both said that the only way to deal with it is to go on an insulin pump as you can adjust the basal for the times you need to. So I have now been assessed and am on the waiting list - probably around another 6 months to go. In the meantime I have been taking my breakfast QA and Basal before I get out of bed and this means I don't go quite so high, also if I can face it I set my alarm for sometime in the night (have been doing 4am but I'm usually still have a BGL of around 4 then so need to try 5am).
I've also tried taking night time basal later - and taking humulin S at dinner as it lasts 6 hours instead of 4 - didn't like this too much though as I kept having night time hypos so now back to humalog.
Think I have to agree with my DSN/consultant - the only effective way must be a pump - can you try and get one?
 
Hi. I wonder if having |Metformin might help; I'm guessing. Metformin suppresses some of the liver's glycogen production so might help? Many on insulin are also on Metformin like myself mainly because my DN suggested the protective properties were worth having. Some Google research shows it does help a bit with BS control.
 
DP is a pain and I get the same if I sleep longer than 6.30am.

If you have difficulties overcoming this then speak with your diabetes team about the possibilities of a pump, you can set different basal rates throughout a 24 hour period, this way it can deal with problems like DP more easily than you can on MDI.
 
It's a pain isn't it. Like others have said I don't think there's really much you can do about it aside from going on a pump. I've kind of just got used to it and I just try and eat something and inject my bolus as early as I can (not always an option esp when I have my weekend lie in :-))
Good luck with getting a pump.


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