What am I doing wrong?

[Frogs]

I'm wondering if this is normal, or if I'm doing something wrong.
I had a fasting blood test today at 8.55am, so I had nothing to eat after 8pm last night.
2 hours after eating my evening meal yesterday my meter showed 9.9......( the highest reading so far!) :shock:
At 11pm I went to bed and the meter showed 7.1
When I got up at 7.30 am I checked my levels and it showed 7.7.........it went UP overnight :? ???
I walked my dog ( appx 20 mins) and then headed out to the clinic.
By the time I'd got back from the testing it was 9.50am and my check before breakfast showed a reading of 7.1 again. How can it go up and down like that without eating anything?
( ......answers on a postcard please!! :wink: )........but seriously how, or more importantly WHY, does this happen?

 

[janabelle]

Hi Frogs,
7.1-7.7 is not that significant a rise. There's always room for error in meter readings too. It's not just food, carbohydrate that affects BG levels. Stress, physical or emotional can affect BG levels, as can excercise. Physical exercise can initally raise BG levels but help maintain lower levels throughout the day, so very beneficial.
I'm a type-1 of many years, and if I peaked at 9.9 after a meal I wouldn't be too concerned. I was told for years that keeping in single figures was fine, but I do llike to keep below 8 as I feel the effects otherwise.
Are you on any medication?
You're not doing anythng wrong, but your doc needs to give you more info about your condition so you don't stress about it- that'll cause your BG to rise
Jus

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Frogs, its not uncommon for your bg levels to creep up overnight, early in the morning before you wake your body starts to ready itself for the day ahead, to do this various hormones are released into your blood naturally, your liver will start to release some of its stored glucose into your blood, basically so you have the energy to 'get up'

And as janabelle answered, fluctuations in readings due to the + - 10% tolerances of most meters mean readings taken within seconds of each other can differ slightly.

Just out of interest, do you check your bg before and after meals as only then can you see how your meals are affecting your bg levels and adjust the carb content accordingly to keep your numbers down.

9.9 seems a little high for a 2 hours after reading but without a before reading it doesnt tell the whole story, if your before dinner reading was say 9.0 then it is very good but if it was 5.0 then perhaps you could reduce the carb portions for that meal the next time you eat it

Hope that all made sense.....

 

[Frogs]

Thanks for the answers, I am quite a new diabetic and at present I am on 2 x500 metaformin a day, with the option to increase to three a day, dependant on my blood results.
I see the doc again on the 9th July, but I'm trying to regulate with diet and exercise. I have got myself a meter so I can see whats going on with the food situation, and yes I do do a 'before' reading and a '2 hr after' reading :wink: I seem to be able to keep within the recommended guidelines for Type 2, except for this overnight business. I accept that eventually I may have to go onto Insulin, but if I can delay that day as long as possible I'll be more than happy
Unfortunately, my doc is new (to me), as I've just changed surgeries due to moving, and I find her quite difficult to talk to. She gives me the impression that she doesn't have time to waste, (which is probably true), but eye contact, instead of focusing on the computer screen would help a patient/doctor connection!..............oops!, starting to rant.......sorry
Anyway, point being, I've been given the tablets and sent off..........no info given, and not enough knowledge of my own to know what to ask.
This forum is God sent! I can ask about things, get coherent answers, and it's given me just enough knowledge to know what to ask next time i see her.
So...........Thanks again for the help, it is MUCH appreciated!

 

[Sid Bonkers]

It can be a steep learning curve Frogs, when I was first diagnosed in March last year I read everything I could about diabetes. This forum will give you lots of info and support but you might like to read some books too.

I found the following really helpful:

The First Year - Type 2 Diabetes by Gretchen Becker
Type 2 Diabetes - In adults of all ages by Dr Ragnar & Dr Charles Fox
Blood Sugar 101 - What they don't tell you about diabetes by Jenny Ruhl
Diabetes for Dummies by Dr Alam L Rubin & Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP

I bought all the above off Amazon but you should be able to buy or order them from any good bookshop

The single most useful piece of equipment I found was a smaller diner plate which I still continue to use

 

[Sue Morton]

I read on here that exercise makes your liver dump gloucose into your system as it sees that you need energy. Your 20 min walk with the dog may have been what led to your liver dumping sugar into you and made your BS go up.

See what your BS is after and before the dog walk and it may be that you see an increase and at least you will then know what it is. So next time take the dog after seeing your doc or nurse.

I'm new to this as well and have used this forum to find out things - best of luck.

Sue