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

Why are my blood sugar readings all over the place

Hiitsme

Hiitsme

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,986
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was diagnosed over 7 years ago with type 2. From an HbA1c of 95 it reduced to normal but then for a few years I had an incredably high stress levels but tried to keep to similar food and exercise. Now as I get back to normal and a new start I have been posting my fasting levels in the Type 2 forum. These levels don't make any sense.
I went to bed last night on 4.8 (unusually low for a before bed reading) and woke up this morning to 6.6. By the time I ate it was down to 5.6. Before evening meal, my main meal it was 6.1 (a bit higher than normal at that time) and 2 hours later 4.5. Food does not seem to be the problem.
Do others have wierd readings? What can I do?
 
Hiitsme said:
I was diagnosed over 7 years ago with type 2. From an HbA1c of 95 it reduced to normal but then for a few years I had an incredably high stress levels but tried to keep to similar food and exercise. Now as I get back to normal and a new start I have been posting my fasting levels in the Type 2 forum. These levels don't make any sense.
I went to bed last night on 4.8 (unusually low for a before bed reading) and woke up this morning to 6.6. By the time I ate it was down to 5.6. Before evening meal, my main meal it was 6.1 (a bit higher than normal at that time) and 2 hours later 4.5. Food does not seem to be the problem.
Do others have wierd readings? What can I do?
Click to expand...
Those sound like normal daily fluctuations to me, nothing strange, and close to non diabetic.
 
Hi @Hiitsme
Although food is the main driver of bg, there are many other factors that can affect it:
Exercise, duration, intensity or lack of
Sleep duration, quality or lack of
Stress, both good and bad
Medications,
Infections or other health issues
Temperature, even a hot shower can send it up, but only for a few minutes
To name but a few.
Bg is very variable. For a type 2 anywhere between 3 and 8.5 is good. Some like to aim for slightly tighter but that borders on the obsessive and can over take your life. It will naturally go up and down many times a day and night. Even when fasting it can rise
So , for me I am OK if I get anything up to 7.5 or 8. Above that I might try to discern why ( last night it was a 4th square of chocolate) but I wouldn't worry too much. Over 9 and I try to understand why and aim to correct, and keep those occasions to a minimum.
Others may allow themselves higher and more often.
It really is a constant roller coaster. Try to keep to gentle bumps. Straight and level is impossible.
 
At diagnosis my fasting reading was 18. My fasting readings now are usually my highest of the day. When at the highest stress levels I accepted this but I have moved over 8 months ago and settling down into my new life. My questions are why should my reading be lower 2 hours after a meal? My average readings would now be pointing towards a non diabetic level but unless I fast my readings on waking are my highest. My BMI is in the normal range (and has been at diagnosis and since) and although I would like to lose a little bit of weight I don't want to keep fasting.
Would I be better not posting my fasting readings as I feel very discouraged by them.
 
If you haven't used one before you might find the Libre interesting. They do a 2 week free trial, but subsequent ones are £50 for 2 weeks. The ups and downs are fascinating.
I use one for holidays . Keeps me focused.
Some users swear they can see patterns, I can't. I'm just happy to be anywhere 3-8!
 
Hiitsme said:
My fasting readings now are usually my highest of the day. When at the highest stress levels I accepted this but I have moved over 8 months ago and settling down into my new life. My questions are why should my reading be lower 2 hours after a meal? My average readings would now be pointing towards a non diabetic level but unless I fast my readings on waking are my highest.
Click to expand...
Many diabetics (of all types) experience dawn phenomenon and/or foot on the floor effect.
It's your friendly liver pumping some glucose in your bloodstream to give you an energy boost to get you sterted for the day.
Liver isn't the smartest so it doesn't realise you don't deal too well with glucose.

If it only raises you to 6.5, a perfectly harmless number, I'd be happy with that and celebrate the very healthy numbers you see the rest of the day.
 
According to my understanding @Hiitsme, your fasting levels upon waking reflect your liver releasing a wee bit of glucose (and when I say 'ae o wee bit' I mean that - if it's too much it's just a very wee bit) to get you up and about. As you probably know it's called 'dawn phenomenon' and perfectly natural.

If you wake up and your fasting level is 8.5 or even up to double digits - then you know you have impaired fasting blood glucose, and yeah, that is a real downer. But even then there are things you can do to help your old liver and your blood glucose signaling system get healthier. (Plenty of threads on this site on the topic, for sure.)

(Actually, I can't remember what the level of BG is depicting impaired - I just threw in the fasting BG number that scares me into some kind of treatment change action. But I'm sure there are folks in here who know the actual number....)
 
if my levels were that most days I think I would be happy with that result
 
Mine are behaving like yours, 7.1 at 6 am.I have eaten breakfast this morning and will now spike, sometimes between 9-12, which is scary. My daily carbs are about 20-30 per day, breakfast 5 or fasting. I’ve recommenced metformin and glic for the last week in the hope to stop extreme spike.. come this afternoon they will be back down in to 4 to 5’s. Like some others here I’ve assumed it’s from my helpful liver! I’d just hoped I could achieve remission. Sadly my very helpful supportive diabetic nurse has left practice and her successor hasn’t completed her training yet, so I’m winging it with guidance she left me! I’ve stopped posting fasting levels because they are doing so well in comparison, even though we are all very diferent there is an emotional impact.
 
Hiitsme said:
I was diagnosed over 7 years ago with type 2. From an HbA1c of 95 it reduced to normal but then for a few years I had an incredably high stress levels but tried to keep to similar food and exercise. Now as I get back to normal and a new start I have been posting my fasting levels in the Type 2 forum. These levels don't make any sense.
I went to bed last night on 4.8 (unusually low for a before bed reading) and woke up this morning to 6.6. By the time I ate it was down to 5.6. Before evening meal, my main meal it was 6.1 (a bit higher than normal at that time) and 2 hours later 4.5. Food does not seem to be the problem.
Do others have wierd readings? What can I do?
Click to expand...

Hi-

What medication are you on? Your blood Reading are into normal range . When u eating it goes andnyhan down
 
As well as dawn phenomenon take a read about adaptive glucose sparing aka physiological insulin resistance (as opposed to pathological) that occurs in low carbers. Fundamentally it’s ok and not harmful.
 
Thank you for all the comments.
May well be dawn phenomenon.
@BrianDoc I do go for a 10 mins walk after evening meal most days. Today was unusually high 6.7 before evening meal but 5.5 after 2 hours.Although the walk helps post meal reading for me it doesn't help my fasting reading the next day. If I fast for a whole day then I do get low readings for the next day.
@mansingh01 I am not on any medication. I often have lower readings after a meal than before, so I don't think it's food that is affecting my readings.
@sue512 I think we both may have to accept that our bodies are not following the normal pattern for blood sugar.
Thank you all for your help
 
Back
Top