Help - need advice about my fasting BS level

[helenb]

Hi everyone
Hope you experts can help as I am a bit puzzled. As a newbie to my Type 2 condition I am still getting used to what and how things (food really) affect my BS levels. However, something I have noticed is the following.

If I test my blood as soon as I get out of bed in the morning it is usually about 6 to 6.3 (I'm not on meds so am trying to do things by diet for now) but if I then test again before I eat breakfast after having done a few chores (usually 30 to 60 minutes after I've got out of bed) my level has risen to 7 to 7.2? Any ideas why this would happen, its confusing as I haven't had anything to eat or drink except water.

 

[hanadr]

Dawn phenomenon?
look through the forum, there's loads about this very frustrating happening

 

[cugila]

Helenb.

As Hana said, could be Dawn Phenomenon. However, I'm more inclined to think that the household chores you mention is the culprit. You are basically exercising your body, this in itself is sufficient to elevate your Bg levels.

I know if I test immedieately on waking, the level is low, perhaps around 5. If I then do nothing but answer some posts on here, and am just sitting around if I test before my breakfast it has gone up by a point or two. That I put down to DP or sometimes stress. (You have no idea.... :wink: )

If on the other hand I get up, test, and then do my exercises my Bg also goes up, due to that exercise.
If it is too strenuous and I haven't had enough 'fuel' in my body then my levels will plummet after the exercise. So you have to try and keep a balance.

 

[helenb]

I did wonder if it was the Dawn Phenomenon but I sort of assumed that the DP was in the early hours rather than 7 to 8am! Will do some more searching and reading on the forum. It's another question to ask at my DESMOND session this week - they are going to love me - NOT :lol:

 

[cugila]

Hi Helen.

Here is a link to a previous post of mine about DP. Might help to explain it better.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7885&hilit=+dawn+phenomenon#p73438

 

[lilibet]

Hi I also assumed DP was early hours but I see no rise until I get up and then dont eat and can jump 2mmol in a hour

Tips for this (esp for T2) are to eat right away, or to have a snack before bed -nuts, cheese, some find oatcakes good for slow release

 

[helenb]

Hi I also assumed DP was early hours but I see no rise until I get up and then dont eat and can jump 2mmol in a hour
Tips for this (esp for T2) are to eat right away, or to have a snack before bed -nuts, cheese, some find oatcakes good for slow release

I think I will give this a try tomorrow evening and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Spiral]

My high morning numbers were one of the main reasons I decided to go on Metformin. I could be in the 5s on waking and then hit 7 on an empty stomach. Tried a couple of aways of managing it such as a late night snack, keeping some food by the bed for the morning etc.

Since I dropped the carbs, I don't have much of an appetite first thing. I was constantly hungry when I was doing starchy carbs. At weekends I sometimes don't eat until quite late morning :? But since startng metformin this is much easier - peak in the early to mid 6s these days as oposed to the 7s.

I hope that once I have lost a lot more weight that my insulin resistance will reduce further and I will be able to ditch the Met.

 

[helenb]

That's very interesting Spiral, my doc suggested when I saw him last week that he thinks that I will need to go onto meds pretty soon but in all honesty I was hoping not to so this. When I have my next HBA1c test done in 3 months I think that will be the moment when the decision is made. It was 7.3% but of course I had a few weeks included in this test when I didn't know I was diabetic and therefore hadn't adjusted my diet. Anyway, am hoping that diet will do but we will wait and see.

Do you feel physically any diffent yourself now you are on Metformin?

 

[welshtony]

Hi Helen

It sounds like you've found this out a lot earlier than I did!

Some of my experience in this thread may be of interest. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10733

 

[Spiral]

That's very interesting Spiral, my doc suggested when I saw him last week that he thinks that I will need to go onto meds pretty soon but in all honesty I was hoping not to so this. When I have my next HBA1c test done in 3 months I think that will be the moment when the decision is made. It was 7.3% but of course I had a few weeks included in this test when I didn't know I was diabetic and therefore hadn't adjusted my diet. Anyway, am hoping that diet will do but we will wait and see.

Do you feel physically any diffent yourself now you are on Metformin?

My other reasons for going on Met were being bored and lazy I want to lose the weight quickly and Metformin helps with that. It has also dropped my average readings considerably, and I feel bloody brilliant when I see readings consitently in the low 5s and high 4s.

I have had false hypo feelings from time to time, but that seems to have resolved in teh last few days and I now "feel" at 5.5 how I used to feel at 6.5 Which is great. I am having a few minor side effects which are quite managable (bloating and being a bit burpy), the only thing that is worrying me is a recurrence of my Rosacea - a long term skin condition and I'm planning to talk to the pharmacist about it. If it is down to the Met, I can't cope with that as a side effect. This has only been a problem since the full dose started a couple of weeks ago, so I may drop a tablet after I have talked to the pharmacist. It had an almost immediate benefit in my numbers in my first week of 1 500mg tablet a day.

I don't plan to take metformin long term, only until the weight has gone and the insulin resistance with it, I have a lot of weight to lose. I managed to get my Hba1c from 7.8% to 6% on diet alone, as well as lose 15 kilos on a low carb diet. So I'm hopeful that I will return to diet alone at some time in the future.

 

[helenb]

I too have a lot of weight to loose Spiral have lost about 15 kg since the beginning of August but still a long way (or should I say weigh) to go. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about taking meds as I was with how positive you are on them, I thought it was going to be better for me to try and hope diet would suffice, but perhaps not? Will see what my hba1c is in Jan and then go from there.

Thanks for your posts they have been really useful.

 

[Spiral]

This was the approach I took Helen.

I'm not anti medication but I wanted to see what I could do without it. I also didn't want the meds to get the credit for my hard work. When meds are necessary I prefer to take the minimum dose and work up from there.

I'm wondering if 1000mg (2 tablets a day) is my maximum dose.

 

[helenb]

It sounds like you've found this out a lot earlier than I did!
Some of my experience in this thread may be of interest. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10733

Thanks for your link Tony, yes I can see the same trend for me too. I will endeavour to test as soon as I wake up and try not to do anything until I do so for a truer reading.

Spiral, perhaps someone on Metformin might know something about dosage and post a note here too for you?

 

[Spiral]

There are some very knowledgeable people here, helenb and at http://www.lowcarbdiabetes.com where I also post, and I have had some very good advice both here and there about the doseages. There are quite a few threads about metformin on here and there. And quite a few people have reduced and come off the meds as their numbers have improved.