Help/Blood Levels

[FrancesB]

Hey all,

Well, after poring over the forum, here I am. It's the end of my first week, and I've been following the dietary advice on here, along with taking metformin (which will be increased in dose today).

The trouble is my readings. They are so high compared to all the chat on here, even those reading from other people who are worried.

At the beginning of the week.

Fasting: 15.7
After food: 19.2

Now:

Fasting: 10.4
After food: 16.3

I've been living on homemade stew (no potato), salad, boiled eggs, oily fish, cheese, sugar free jelly and water. ETA: Honeydew Melon.

Question 1: Should I be expecting a more dramatic drop in levels than I've seen?
Question 2: Should I be dead?

I'm seeing the doctor again later, so she should be able to advise me, but I was also hoping a few of you could offer your experience. Am I expecting too much too soon? Has anyone else had levels this high?

Confused and kind of frightened here (an understatement),

Frances x

 

[LaserMum]

Hi FrancesB, you have done so well bringing down your FBG so far in one week! That's amazing. Well done. :clap:
It'll soon be down in single figures.
I'm no expert as I've only just started this journey myself so I'll leave it to the others to advise you.
Welcome. :wave:

 

[FrancesB]

Thank you, lasermum,

I still feel all "dangerous" and scared, but I'm glad someone replied. I'm twisting myself into knots :/

GraceK, if you're reading:

I've been charting my mood this week on the same graph as the bg, and my mood seems to be slightly elevated when my bg reading is up, though unlike the bg it's not on a downward trend. Although that's probably due to my mood hovering around -3 to -4 and the scale only goes down to -5 (unable to do anything at all).

Frances x

 

[CambridgeLass]

Hi Frances,
You have done so well in one week. I think you'll find it takes a while to come down from first diagnosis, it doesn't happen straight away, even though you're doing all the right things! You're body is adjusting, effects are not immediate but in a couple more weeks I think you'll be seeing those lower numbers. My daughter is T1 and even on insulin it definitely took a good couple of weeks before we were even on single figures.


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[FrancesB]

CambridgeLass,

Thank you so much - that's such a relief! I feel a lot less "on the verge of disaster" now.

I shall keep on chipping away at it.

Frances x

 

[Susiebabs]

Frances,

I had been well in control last year but let things go a bit over christmas and was clocking up fasting readings close to yours. I started eating very controlled low carb/high fat (but delicious) on the 2nd of January. It took a few weeks for my readings to respond and my body to adjust. Now happily sitting in the 5-6 category every morning. I was a bit worried too at first that they didn't drop straight away, but after doing a bit of research realised that it can take a wee while. Best of luck as you continue.

Suse x

 

[sw11bloke]

Hi FrancesB

Do you possibly have dawn phenomenon? This is when your body starts waking up and due to the release of hormones such as cortisol etc.... causes your BG to rise.

Test you BG at 3am. Then if its starts rising naturally from about 4am then you probably have a bit of DP
or
test at 3am, if your readings are really low, then chances are you may be going hypo at that time so you liver starts dumping glucose which inturn leads u to wake up with high readings. Known as somogyi phenomenon.

I have terrible dawn phenomenon. My BG is stable until about 4:30am then it starts rising slowly. I have to wake up at 6am every morning then inject 3units then at 8am take another 3 units. Only at 10am does my DP stop and then only do I eat otherwise my morning readings would be as high as yours.

You just have to study your patterns for a while.

 

[FrancesB]

Thank you for your help and support Suse and sw11bloke,

Suse, I'm definitely feeling that I'm more "normal" now and that I'm doing the right things to get it down. Actually, it's kind of reassuring if it happens slowly, like you say. It means there's a good bit of warning before they go too low, so that you can correct it. It'll just take practice, kind of like driving a boat.

sw11bloke, that's a really helpful suggestion, and I'm definitely going to try it. Even if it isn't what you say, it will be interesting to see what does happen when my body is in sleep mode. It'll probably give me more insight into what's going on and what's involved. Your mornings sound difficult - I hope that one day it'll ease off, or they'll be able to do something to make it easier so that you can at least have an occasional lie in.

Frances x

 

[Finzi]

Frances, you're doing really well! You've brought your sugars, especially your fasting sugars, down lots in just a week!

Try not to be anxious (easy to say, I know!) and just keep plugging away at the low carbs. Have you been to the thread "What I've eaten today"? That should give you lots of inspiration. Remember the people here with lower figures have probably been at it a lot longer than you have. You can't reverse insulin resistance in a week.


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[jeannie3009]

Hi Everyone

I have been having nightmares (if I could sleep - more than 1 and a half hours a night) I have Fibromyalgia as well as being Diabetic - I am on Gliclazide 160 mg Metformine 2000mg and for the last month Exenatide (Byetta) injections 5mcg twice a day.
My readings are diabolical averaging out per day at around 12.5 to 16.5 daily.

I can't get them down further, what can I do. I need Help

Really really depressed
Jeannette

 

[Finzi]

Hi Jeanette, tell us a little about your diet and what you eat and drink on an average day


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