• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Morning highs

Mrsc85

Member
Messages
13
Location
Surrey
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

I have been diagnosed with type 1 for just under 6 months but have recently been experiencing high blood sugar readings in the morning.
Usually I have pretty good control and the morning highs are worrying me. I have been told by my diabetic nurse to keep my blood sugar around 7mmol before bed, which I do. When I test before breakfast it is regularly between 8 and 9.
I have reduced my long acting insulin (levemir) back to 14 units, which did initially makes some difference but my levels have started to creep back up again. I have done a couple of 3am readings, which have been around 7mmol so I doubt whether it is night time hypos that are causing the increase in the morning.
My diabetic nurse has suggested that I 'play around' with my long acting insulin until I get my bloods to a good level but I don't know what else I can do. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
 
Are you having just one levemir or two?
What time(s)?

Do you take your blood test whilst still in bed or after you have actually got up and washed etc?
Only reason I ask this is because I can wake at 7am as I did this morn and as I was in a hurry I tested initially on waking and was 6.8. 40 minutes later when I thought about doing my injections my levels had gone up to 12.9!!
Normally as soon as I wake I test and give levemir and then also a 11/2 or 2 unit bolus as well. As soon as my wyes and brain are active in morning my levels will rise.

Some peoe call this waking phenomenon others get dawn phenomen...levels go up betwenn 3am and waking. This can be helped by splitting doses.
 
I am only take one dose of Levemir which I take at about 10pm.
I usually test before I eat breakfast, so after I have been up for about an hour or so. I will try splitting my levemir dose in two, half before bed and half as soon as I wake up.
I seem to find out more information on here rather than at the hospital, I guess they cant tell you what to do in every eventuality!
Thank you
 
Most (but not all) find that they have to split-dose their levemir as it doesn't give them a full 24 hour coverage, ask your DSN if this would work for you @Mrsc85 .
 
This information isn't new (to me), but a full day dosis at 10 p.m., shouldn't have a low coverage already in the morning, or?
 
I wake up, wash my hands, test and then eat. If I don't eat right away I go up. I would rather eat right away than inject again. I also cannot eat protein or carbs per se at BF or I will spike. I eat a smashed avocado/sea salt with a few celery sticks and that keeps me stable. I save animal P for L and D. Figuring out the morning and BF is the hardest part as that sets the tone for the day. The only thing that works for me is guac. Good thing I love it!
 

I don't eat breakfast and will go up, so I just have to do both basal and bolus in bed. The bolus isn't for eating its just to stop the pesky waking phenomenon.
 
How much do you give for your waking phenomenon? I have this same issue! 1u worked today but who knows if it'll work tomorrow!
 
I give a bolus for waking but it depends upon my next 3 hours activities. Also on waking levels. At the moment it can be anything between 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 units.
I have to do everything in routine though at the moment.
 
In Gary Scheiner's Think Like a Pancreas book, he suggests for every 1.6 mmol/l change in overnight levels, you should adjust your long acting insulin by 10%. I change my long acting dose nearly every day because it's sensitive to the amount of exercise that I do. The above rule works perfectly for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…