Please can you help, high reading in the morning…

JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Good morning all,

I’m three weeks in now having being newly diagnosed with Type 2. I seem to be doing really well apart from my morning glucose readings which are really high. For example, Saturday was 8.1 and this morning 9.6 which really shocked me.

This is what I did Yesterday starting with 8.1 reading.
Brunch 11am: scrambled egg, smoke salad and some baby tomatoes I’d cooked in the oven, cup of tea, semi skimmed milk (no carbs)
Afternoon, 2 hours of gardening
Took reading again, it was 4
A few Almonds and Walnuts cup of tea, no sugar skimmed milk
Then went to a concert in the evening and had dinner out and ate the following:
Starter: Mozzarella salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, grated carrot and a splash of olive oil on the top)
Main: Salmon and Vegetables (mangetout, brocolli and carrots, no potatoes, bread etc)
Dessert: nothing just a cup of tea
Drank sparkling water, no alcohol all evening.
Reading when I got home was 6.9
Slept awful as going through menopause at the moment
Reading this morning 9.6

I wasn’t going to take the Metformin that the nurse has prescribed 1 tablet in the mornings, but I’m having second thoughts now.

I was going to try porridge with almond milk and strawberries for breakfast, but not sure now,

Any advice would be most welcome, I’m not sure if it’s my body getting used to the new regime. To be honest, the no carb eating I’m not finding difficult as I love cooking and it’s s new challenge.

Thank you all.
 

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Lookup Dawn phenomenon. Your liver thinks it's doing you a favour. It will get the message eventually. Ignore it for now.
 

Grant_Vicat

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,176
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Dislikes
Intolerance, selfishness, rice pudding
Good morning all,

I’m three weeks in now having being newly diagnosed with Type 2. I seem to be doing really well apart from my morning glucose readings which are really high. For example, Saturday was 8.1 and this morning 9.6 which really shocked me.

This is what I did Yesterday starting with 8.1 reading.
Brunch 11am: scrambled egg, smoke salad and some baby tomatoes I’d cooked in the oven, cup of tea, semi skimmed milk (no carbs)
Afternoon, 2 hours of gardening
Took reading again, it was 4
A few Almonds and Walnuts cup of tea, no sugar skimmed milk
Then went to a concert in the evening and had dinner out and ate the following:
Starter: Mozzarella salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, grated carrot and a splash of olive oil on the top)
Main: Salmon and Vegetables (mangetout, brocolli and carrots, no potatoes, bread etc)
Dessert: nothing just a cup of tea
Drank sparkling water, no alcohol all evening.
Reading when I got home was 6.9
Slept awful as going through menopause at the moment
Reading this morning 9.6

I wasn’t going to take the Metformin that the nurse has prescribed 1 tablet in the mornings, but I’m having second thoughts now.

I was going to try porridge with almond milk and strawberries for breakfast, but not sure now,

Any advice would be most welcome, I’m not sure if it’s my body getting used to the new regime. To be honest, the no carb eating I’m not finding difficult as I love cooking and it’s s new challenge.

Thank you all.
Looks like you are still doing very well! The morning readings suggest your liver is raising your glucose to make sure you can actually wake up (glucose dumping). By the way, skimmed milk has more carbs per 100ml than full cream milk, in other words a lot! Porridge and all cereals are also full of carbs. I'm sure that several Type 2s will be along with much experience and advice once they have risen... Good luck!
 

JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Looks like you are still doing very well! The morning readings suggest your liver is raising your glucose to make sure you can actually wake up (glucose dumping). By the way, skimmed milk has more carbs per 100ml than full cream milk, in other words a lot! Porridge and all cereals are also full of carbs. I'm sure that several Type 2s will be along with much experience and advice once they have risen... Good luck!
Thanks for the advice, I’ve seen so many conflicting reports about porridge (good for getting cholesterol down), think I will give it a miss. Trying to think of different breakfasts for when I go in the office twice a week as I would have breakfast there. I didn’t realise that about skimmed milk, I only have it in tea, nothing else, I don’t drink coffee. Something else to think about.
 
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In Response

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,374
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@JayBee28 there are many things which affect our blood sugars.
As others have mentioned, time of day can be one as our liver dumps glucose to give us energy to start the day.
Other things are illness, stress, exercise, alcohol and a bad night’s sleep.

So, one reason why this morning’s readings are higher than yesterday, may be your “awful” night’s sleep.

Take care and try not to stress too much - stress doesn’t help your levels. Don’t try and cure yourself overnight - diabetes management is a marathon not a sprint.
 
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JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
@JayBee28 there are many things which affect our blood sugars.
As others have mentioned, time of day can be one as our liver dumps glucose to give us energy to start the day.
Other things are illness, stress, exercise, alcohol and a bad night’s sleep.

So, one reason why this morning’s readings are higher than yesterday, may be your “awful” night’s sleep.

Take care and try not to stress too much - stress doesn’t help your levels. Don’t try and cure yourself overnight - diabetes management is a marathon not a sprint.
Thank you so much for the advice, very helpful.
 

KennyA

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,913
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Good morning all,

I’m three weeks in now having being newly diagnosed with Type 2. I seem to be doing really well apart from my morning glucose readings which are really high. For example, Saturday was 8.1 and this morning 9.6 which really shocked me.

This is what I did Yesterday starting with 8.1 reading.
Brunch 11am: scrambled egg, smoke salad and some baby tomatoes I’d cooked in the oven, cup of tea, semi skimmed milk (no carbs)
Afternoon, 2 hours of gardening
Took reading again, it was 4
A few Almonds and Walnuts cup of tea, no sugar skimmed milk
Then went to a concert in the evening and had dinner out and ate the following:
Starter: Mozzarella salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, grated carrot and a splash of olive oil on the top)
Main: Salmon and Vegetables (mangetout, brocolli and carrots, no potatoes, bread etc)
Dessert: nothing just a cup of tea
Drank sparkling water, no alcohol all evening.
Reading when I got home was 6.9
Slept awful as going through menopause at the moment
Reading this morning 9.6

I wasn’t going to take the Metformin that the nurse has prescribed 1 tablet in the mornings, but I’m having second thoughts now.

I was going to try porridge with almond milk and strawberries for breakfast, but not sure now,

Any advice would be most welcome, I’m not sure if it’s my body getting used to the new regime. To be honest, the no carb eating I’m not finding difficult as I love cooking and it’s s new challenge.

Thank you all.
That food would be fine for me with the exception of the skimmed milk - I use cream. Porridge unfortunately would be right out. I wouldn't worry too much about the "dawn phenomenon" reading. It's probably just your liver trying to get you going in the morning by dumping lots of glucose into the bloodstream. My morning readings even after 18 hours with no food were always high, and were the very last to come down.

Once I went low carb my total serum cholesterol increased (all other readings are in range) but in the last year has started to fall and is now below where I was before T2 diagnosis. I haven't ever used medication for either cholesterol or T2.

My advice FWITW, is to keep going. You're doing fine. Progress happens but it's often not linear - you see no change for weeks and then whatever it is drops sharply, and plateaus again.

And...Go Sox!
 
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JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
That food would be fine for me with the exception of the skimmed milk - I use cream. Porridge unfortunately would be right out. I wouldn't worry too much about the "dawn phenomenon" reading. It's probably just your liver trying to get you going in the morning by dumping lots of glucose into the bloodstream. My morning readings even after 18 hours with no food were always high, and were the very last to come down.

Once I went low carb my total serum cholesterol increased (all other readings are in range) but in the last year has started to fall and is now below where I was before T2 diagnosis. I haven't ever used medication for either cholesterol or T2.

My advice FWITW, is to keep going. You're doing fine. Progress happens but it's often not linear - you see no change for weeks and then whatever it is drops sharply, and plateaus again.

And...Go Sox!

thanks so much for your advice, I have some almond milk coming in my shopping delivery, so will try that. I do find it a bit confusing as I need to get my cholesterol down, it’s a bit high. Thinking skimmed milk is good and low fat things, but these seem to be bad for diabetes. I will work a way round things once I learn more.

The nurse wanted me to take statins as well as metformin. I told her I’m not yet as I want to try and do it myself first. I have more blood tests in 3 months to see how I have progressed.

Thank you and Go Sox!
 
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OB87

Well-Known Member
Messages
334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I wouldn't normally be worried about dawn phenomenon but as I'm pregnant at the mo I have strict targets for blood sugars and need it to be under 5.2 fasting. I've found that if I have a low carb snack before bed, I always wake up with fasting readings in the 4s. I have a seeded crackers from m&s and some cheese spread before bed.
 
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JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
I wouldn't normally be worried about dawn phenomenon but as I'm pregnant at the mo I have strict targets for blood sugars and need it to be under 5.2 fasting. I've found that if I have a low carb snack before bed, I always wake up with fasting readings in the 4s. I have a seeded crackers from m&s and some cheese spread before bed.
Thank you so much for the advice, much appreciated
 

TriciaWs

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,727
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Most GPs start us off on metformin and statins - I refused both and explained I wanted to try low carb first. And my diabetic nurse was amazed at my results in 3 mths. By that time all my blood sugars were down although I still occasionally had a high reading first thing. My triglycerides were down, other cholesterol figures better balanced (HDL up a little but the ratio was food).
Part of adjusting to giving up most carbs was to find things I liked that I'd thought were bad for me, as part of the diet is including more fat instead of all those carbs - oily salad dressing, double cream, butter. And I splash out on out-of-season berries plus a little good quality 85% chocolate.

I don't like a cooked breakfast much so have a mix of milled flaxseed and chia seeds with nuts or other seeds, cooked in water and a little coconut milk, served with cinnamon and added double cream on top. With a milky coffee (full fat milk) this is still under 18g of carbs.
I usually miss lunch and have fish or chicken for dinner with loads of green veg plus cauliflower rice or courgetti. After is usually full fat Greek yogurt with a few raspberries or a fake crumble (ground almonds) made with rhubarb or a low carb fruit served with cream.
 

Grant_Vicat

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,176
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Dislikes
Intolerance, selfishness, rice pudding
thanks so much for your advice, I have some almond milk coming in my shopping delivery, so will try that. I do find it a bit confusing as I need to get my cholesterol down, it’s a bit high. Thinking skimmed milk is good and low fat things, but these seem to be bad for diabetes. I will work a way round things once I learn more.

The nurse wanted me to take statins as well as metformin. I told her I’m not yet as I want to try and do it myself first. I have more blood tests in 3 months to see how I have progressed.

Thank you and Go Sox!
Seeing @xfieldok 's post at the top, it has a link to @JoKalsbeek 's Type 2 nutritional thingy. I reckon this will help you enormously
 

JayBee28

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Most GPs start us off on metformin and statins - I refused both and explained I wanted to try low carb first. And my diabetic nurse was amazed at my results in 3 mths. By that time all my blood sugars were down although I still occasionally had a high reading first thing. My triglycerides were down, other cholesterol figures better balanced (HDL up a little but the ratio was food).
Part of adjusting to giving up most carbs was to find things I liked that I'd thought were bad for me, as part of the diet is including more fat instead of all those carbs - oily salad dressing, double cream, butter. And I splash out on out-of-season berries plus a little good quality 85% chocolate.

I don't like a cooked breakfast much so have a mix of milled flaxseed and chia seeds with nuts or other seeds, cooked in water and a little coconut milk, served with cinnamon and added double cream on top. With a milky coffee (full fat milk) this is still under 18g of carbs.
I usually miss lunch and have fish or chicken for dinner with loads of green veg plus cauliflower rice or courgetti. After is usually full fat Greek yogurt with a few raspberries or a fake crumble (ground almonds) made with rhubarb or a low carb fruit served with cream.
Thank you so much. I do get confused, as the DN has told me to avoid butter, cream, full fat milk, cheese, etc to lower my cholesterol. I am eating no carbs at the moment, but luckily love fish, chicken, vegetables and eggs (scrambled and omelette).

I need to find out more information on the different types of cholesterol, as the nurse told me mine was 3 and should be 2.

Thank you for replying
 

KennyA

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,913
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you so much. I do get confused, as the DN has told me to avoid butter, cream, full fat milk, cheese, etc to lower my cholesterol. I am eating no carbs at the moment, but luckily love fish, chicken, vegetables and eggs (scrambled and omelette).

I need to find out more information on the different types of cholesterol, as the nurse told me mine was 3 and should be 2.

Thank you for replying
I disagree with your DN. You might find this article interesting.
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/116/4/622/52546
 
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xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Unless you are lactose intolerant, the skinnier the milk, the higher the carbs. When they take out the fat out of stuff to make it healthy, they add back in lots of rubbish to make it taste better.

Always read the ingredients.
 

Languagelearner

Well-Known Member
Messages
143
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Good morning all,

I’m three weeks in now having being newly diagnosed with Type 2. I seem to be doing really well apart from my morning glucose readings which are really high. For example, Saturday was 8.1 and this morning 9.6 which really shocked me.

This is what I did Yesterday starting with 8.1 reading.
Brunch 11am: scrambled egg, smoke salad and some baby tomatoes I’d cooked in the oven, cup of tea, semi skimmed milk (no carbs)
Afternoon, 2 hours of gardening
Took reading again, it was 4
A few Almonds and Walnuts cup of tea, no sugar skimmed milk
Then went to a concert in the evening and had dinner out and ate the following:
Starter: Mozzarella salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, grated carrot and a splash of olive oil on the top)
Main: Salmon and Vegetables (mangetout, brocolli and carrots, no potatoes, bread etc)
Dessert: nothing just a cup of tea
Drank sparkling water, no alcohol all evening.
Reading when I got home was 6.9
Slept awful as going through menopause at the moment
Reading this morning 9.6

I wasn’t going to take the Metformin that the nurse has prescribed 1 tablet in the mornings, but I’m having second thoughts now.

I was going to try porridge with almond milk and strawberries for breakfast, but not sure now,

Any advice would be most welcome, I’m not sure if it’s my body getting used to the new regime. To be honest, the no carb eating I’m not finding difficult as I love cooking and it’s s new challenge.

Thank you all.
High reading in the morning, shepherd's warning!
High reading at night, shepherd's delight!
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
thanks so much for your advice, I have some almond milk coming in my shopping delivery, so will try that. I do find it a bit confusing as I need to get my cholesterol down, it’s a bit high. Thinking skimmed milk is good and low fat things, but these seem to be bad for diabetes. I will work a way round things once I learn more.
The nurse wanted me to take statins as well as metformin. I told her I’m not yet as I want to try and do it myself first. I have more blood tests in 3 months to see how I have progressed.
Thank you and Go Sox!

I went low carb and ate the normal fat which came with the various foods, and my cholesterol level went down. I had spent almost 2 years eating according to a printout from the GP, all low fat foods, and my cholesterol had gone up during that time.
At my first test after diagnosis my cholesterol went down, and then down again at 6 months. It went to slightly below average.
I have read of others having the same response, though it has put my GP in a snit to have me not taking the tablets he prescribed and being in normal numbers with BG and Hba1c.