Why Is My First Test of The Day So High

[KevinPotts]

I was diagnosed yesterday and so signed up to the site immediately, being a little overwhelmed.

Could any body help me whats happening with the following:

I have just woken up and my before breakfast test was: 8.7 (after 8 hours of sleep)

My results yesterday were:

First ever test by nurse which was +2 hours after breakfast 10.6 (breakfast was 50/50 oats and bran with skimmed milk in a normal sized bowl) - that scared me!

So before dinner it was 7.1 (dinner was grilled chicken breast, loads of veg and a few new potatoes, and small bowl of raspberries nude)

+ 2 hours after dinner (9.15pm) sugars were 8.7

So I am sure you can guess what my question is, why wouldn't my sugar levels drop during the fast of the nights sleep?

I know I am a completely newbie, but I was just shocked 15 mins ago by the absence of any drop over night.

I am just about to have breakkie again, same thing slightly smaller amount, but expecting the number to be over 9 in 2 hours, which I simply have to avoid.

Nurse has started me off on no medication as I am lean, do 4 hours in the gym, but have had too many carbs so diet has changed instantly.

Thanks so much to you all, for what seems like a very warm, supportive and friendly community.

Kevin

 

[Mike d]

Called the dawn phenomenon ... essentially dumping of glucose in prep for day ahead. Do a forum search or google it and if you hit troubles, ask more.

They are hard to control initially, but you'll be fine. Welcome aboard. This is familiar territory for all of us

@Administrator .... can we please do something about this query as it happens every day of the week or script something so we can cut and paste to newbies?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

Mike has answered your question about raised levels in the morning. There is a lot of information about this on the forum and also on Google.

Great to see you testing. It's the only way to learn which foods affect our blood sugar levels. I'm afraid it is looking like your oats, bran, skimmed milk breakfasts are going to be off limits, or at the very least greatly reduced in portion size. They are all very carb laden, and skimmed milk has added sugar. The worst carb culprits are the starchy ones such as rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, things made with or thickened with flour. We also need to be careful with fruits and milk. Use your meter to test these foods out, record your levels and keep a food diary. Patterns will emerge and you can work out what is suitable for you. As you are already lean, be careful you add back some calories from fats and/or protein to compensate for any carb reduction or you will find yourself losing weight and energy.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. You say you are lean. Can I ask how old you are to put a context on that?

 

[KevinPotts]

Thanks for all your responses which are much appreciated. Daibell, I'm 54, 6ft, 80kg. By the way I have no symptoms of any kind, but of course I do accept I am diabetic, just wanted to provide a bit more context.

Right, time to start researching the Dawn Phenomenon!

 

[Mike d]

Just remember @KevinPotts ... they are the last numbers for many that are elusive to attain. Get into a routine and when you see some low figs, you'll know you're on your way so make sure to keep a diet diary. Don't be over the top about it. Anything in single figs is pretty good. Under 8 is exceptional. 6s and 5s are the holy grail (consistently) but controlling the spikes post meal are the main target. Patience and if you have diet Qs, go ahead

 

[muzza3]

Hi @KevinPotts

Welcome to the forum. I have tagged @daisy1 who will post a info pack for newbies that is really great info. It is fantastic that you are self testing so that you can be in control and know how you are doing . So in the short-term it will be all about your diet and what impact it has on your Blood Glucose levels which you can test. Have a look at the forums on diet etc and ask any questions you may have. Reducing carbs is a great place to start
Cheers

 

[KevinPotts]

So, overnight results were interesting:

I finished my evening meal at 7.30 and + 2 hours before bed my reading was 7.1, so I was pleased.

My pre-brekkie this morning was 5.8, so again positive.

I then enjoyed my usual, but smaller oat and oat bran with .25 pint of skimmed milk ( no sugar added to this in the UK) .

+2 hours I,d spiked to 11.1 OMG.

So even though I am meant they are meant to be slow release carbs for breakfast and excellent for helping me reduce my very high triglycerides (3.6), I'm going to have to experiment and think about that all important meal.

 

[daisy1]

@KevinPotts

Hello Kevin and welcome to the forum Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[Bluetit1802]

So, overnight results were interesting:

I finished my evening meal at 7.30 and + 2 hours before bed my reading was 7.1, so I was pleased.

My pre-brekkie this morning was 5.8, so again positive.

I then enjoyed my usual, but smaller oat and oat bran with .25 pint of skimmed milk ( no sugar added to this in the UK) .

+2 hours I,d spiked to 11.1 OMG.

So even though I am meant they are meant to be slow release carbs for breakfast and excellent for helping me reduce my very high triglycerides (3.6), I'm going to have to experiment and think about that all important meal.

It is all looking positive Kevin. Well done.

You will get there, but I would change your breakfast completely. Skimmed milk may not have added sugars, but has more carbs (lactose) than full milk, and your meter is showing you that this meal is not a wise choice. Breakfast is a funny old time for most of us, me included. I personally cannot eat any carbs at all before lunch time. I used to have a full fat yogurt and a couple of berries but found I spiked and didn't come down much before lunch, which then impacted on my post lunch levels. I then tried the same yogurt and berries for a dessert after lunch or tea, and hey presto. It is fine. I now just have a boiled egg for breakfast. Why not try having eggs (cooked any which way) and perhaps some bacon/a tomato/mushrooms? The reason is, (I think), that our insulin resistance improves as the day progresses, which is why our pre-evening meal levels are often the lowest of the day.

 

[AndBreathe]

So, overnight results were interesting:

I finished my evening meal at 7.30 and + 2 hours before bed my reading was 7.1, so I was pleased.

My pre-brekkie this morning was 5.8, so again positive.

I then enjoyed my usual, but smaller oat and oat bran with .25 pint of skimmed milk ( no sugar added to this in the UK) .

+2 hours I,d spiked to 11.1 OMG.

So even though I am meant they are meant to be slow release carbs for breakfast and excellent for helping me reduce my very high triglycerides (3.6), I'm going to have to experiment and think about that all important meal.

Welcome aboard Kevin.

Just for added befuddlement, many people find they tolerate carbs less well, early in the day. I was certainly one of those.

You could try repeating the exercise, bit with a smaller portion, and if that's still somewhat elevated consider a lower carb breakfast. There are lots of foodie ideas on this site, including plenty on breakfast options - which probably could serve to demonstrate how common the issue is. So, a search could be in order?

Good luck with it all.

 

[KevinPotts]

Thank you both, I'll experiment along the lines you suggest and report back.

 

[andcol]

welcome. As everyone one else has said low fat is not always a good choice. I bet you will not rise so much with full fat milk.
Why not try and then test and see.

If you want to reduce your trigs then the answer is to reduce your carbs and increase your protein and fat levels. It really works and blows the mind of doctors bought up on the NHS un"healthy" plate. Fat does not cause you to get fat or have high cholesterol. That is the realm of high carbs especially when linked with high blood glucose levels!

Anyway good luck with your journey and keep discovering

 

[Bluetit1802]

My trigs are currently 0.54. (down from 2.01) and I certainly never resorted to any supposedly cholesterol reducing foods. In fact I stopped eating the recommended spreads and went back to butter. I simply cut the carbs down and increased my fat consumption. When I reached my goal weight I kept on losing, so had no choice but to increase my fats even more to avoid further weight loss. I admit to being concerned about this as far as cholesterol was concerned but had no need to worry. In fact, my trigs and other components have continued to improve. This is my personal story. I know from reading these forums it doesn't work for everyone.

 

[Neohdiver]

So, overnight results were interesting:

I finished my evening meal at 7.30 and + 2 hours before bed my reading was 7.1, so I was pleased.

My pre-brekkie this morning was 5.8, so again positive.

I then enjoyed my usual, but smaller oat and oat bran with .25 pint of skimmed milk ( no sugar added to this in the UK) .

+2 hours I,d spiked to 11.1 OMG.

So even though I am meant they are meant to be slow release carbs for breakfast and excellent for helping me reduce my very high triglycerides (3.6), I'm going to have to experiment and think about that all important meal.

I test obsessively - and use my pre-meal test to guide what I eat. 6.0 is about where I would not eat a meal with carbs. But if I start lower than that, I still would not eat more than 20 carbs in a 3 hour period (prior to my current diet - which is focused on remission) . I'm betting your breakfast had at least double that. As for slow carbs - they just stretch out the time it takes to turn into glucose, so they will continue adding to whatever glucose your body is creating for several hours, rather than in a compressed time frame.

On its own, my dawn phenomenon can create BG in the range of 6.9, so it wouldn't take many to push it beyond the normal range.

 

[KevinPotts]

Thanks again. This really is a supportive community and I'm on a compressed course of rapid education.

 

[Little_Lucy]

Don't worry about high blood sugars since you are newly diagnosed they will be high anyway and I'm assuming that you havnt got your carb metre yet so they will be ups and downs all over the place and just a little ahead reminder you will get this thing called the honey moon period were your pancreas starts producing tiny bits of insulin so you will be getting hypos at least 7 times or probably more a week hope this helps

 

[Neohdiver]

you will get this thing called the honey moon period were your pancreas starts producing tiny bits of insulin so you will be getting hypos at least 7 times or probably more a week

That's not likely for Type 2 on no medication. People with T2 diabetes (except those using certain meds) are no more likely than people without diabetes to have hypoglycemia. Within the diabetic population, hypoglycemia is a response to added or artificially created insulin that isn't present because of a response to eating. (Like injected insulin or sulfonylureas that force the pancreas to secrete a steady state of insulin.)

(Both people with and without diabetes can get reactive - or other forms of hypoglycemia unrelated to diabetic hypos.)

 

[Sirmione]

There isn't really that much real world difference in the sugar (lactose) content in different types of milk but full fat dairy products seem to have less of an impact on blood sugars. Low fat yoghurt is a must avoid as it has loads of sugar added.

One thing you will learn is that combinations of certain foods are beneficial in avoiding spikes, eating leafy salads with a meal especially if dressed with olive or walnut oil and vinegar seems to work for a lot of people.

 

[andcol]

It is slower to release its glucose because of the presence of fat. This goes for all foods so avoid low fat processed foods