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BG high in morning more than usual

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devil vinoth

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
I was prediabetic 44 value 2 months - started doing excercise and food control and was well under control , recently the morning BG level is hovering around 6.5-6.7 consistently ( i tried eating small portion during night , tried taking reading after 10 hours no change) , surprisingly after eating its only around 6.6 around consistently after every meal ( i tried low medium and big portions) , i did try a big buffet and it shoot upto 9...

Is this something i need to worry about ? why is this high in the morning ? does this mean i have high BG?
 
It is not unusual to be higher in the mornings. What ranges have you told to aim for?
Most people are higher in the morning, and find that less carbs for this meal is the best way forward.
As Type 1 I would not be concerned about those levels in the morning. But I am not sure what you have been told.
 
i dont have a range i am just wondering if my BG is high or not due to that fact the morning BG is high my average is now for hb1ac -40 and average (6.6-6.9) levels for BG levels overall
 
I think you’re simply seeing the dawn phenomenon. Is the 5.7 two hours after breakfast?
 
I think you’re simply seeing the dawn phenomenon. Is the 5.7 two hours after breakfast?
yes correct 2 hours after the break fast
Also i did do a check 1 hours later ( 3 hours after breakfast ) and was around 5.1
 
I'm Type 2 so the target ranges are between 4 and 7 fasting and below 8.5 two hours after a meal. I don't know what targets would apply for someone pre-diabetic. Have you been told what target ranges to aim for?
Yes , my Hb1ac was 44(pre diabetic) 2 months , now i have brought it down to 40
Since recently my fasting BG is higher i was confused if this is any indication i need to consider alone for me to be moving into prediabetic zone again or diabetic zone( not taking into account PP sugar readings which are normal)
 
I think you’re simply seeing the dawn phenomenon. Is the 5.7 two hours after breakfast?
yes correct 2 hours after the break fast
Also i did do a check 1 hours later ( 3 hours after breakfast ) and was around 5.1
 
Your readings 2 hours after eating will vary a lot depending on what you ate. You'd expect a higher reading 2 hours after a pizza or fish & chips than you would 2 hours after a salad, for example. Under 7.8 is often given as the expected level for non-diabetics, although that's not an official NICE guideline.

The fasting test is an accurate measure of how well your body is managing your BG in the absence of food or exercise. Testing on waking for most people would be on the back of several hours without food or exercise (8-10 is recommended). According to the WHO:-
  • Normal is below 5.5 mmol/l
  • Impaired fasting glucose (a form of pre-diabetes) is between 5.5 and 6.9 mmol/l
  • Diabetic is 7.0 mmol/l and above
If you're concerned you may have gone back the other way you should ask your surgery for another HbA1c test as this is the only thing that will tell you for sure, one way or the other.

Martin
Tks martin i am repeating my HB1AC coming 25th and will know .
 
Fasting BG depends upon lots of factors which can make your liver dump more glucose into your blood in order to give you the energy to go and hunt your breakfast.
It is quite normal for somebody on a low carb way of eating to find their BG goes down after they break their fast even if they eat protein (or a tiny amount of carbs e.g. a few berries with full fat cream or greek style yogurt). This is because it signals that you have found your breakfast and no longer need the liver to raise your BG.

Personally I take no notice of my fasting BG - just the difference between the pre and post meal readings since it is only this that I have any control over (since I don't overload with carbs in the evenings).
 
Fasting BG depends upon lots of factors which can make your liver dump more glucose into your blood in order to give you the energy to go and hunt your breakfast.
It is quite normal for somebody on a low carb way of eating to find their BG goes down after they break their fast even if they eat protein (or a tiny amount of carbs e.g. a few berries with full fat cream or greek style yogurt). This is because it signals that you have found your breakfast and no longer need the liver to raise your BG.

Personally I take no notice of my fasting BG - just the difference between the pre and post meal readings since it is only this that I have any control over (since I don't overload with carbs in the evenings).
Tks its quite confusing as it thought that would be the case simply beacuse they only measuring fasting BG would be enough to confirm diabetic conditions and no Post meal readings , i was just confused how my BG level can be normal through out the day even after consuming meals and only during fasting could be high -- and does this mean i am diabetic or prediabetic (or) is my BG level under contorl as my average BG levels for 30,60,90 are around 6.6
 
Tks martin i am repeating my HB1AC coming 25th and will know .
Your readings 2 hours after eating will vary a lot depending on what you ate. You'd expect a higher reading 2 hours after a pizza or fish & chips than you would 2 hours after a salad, for example. Under 7.8 is often given as the expected level for non-diabetics, although that's not an official NICE guideline.

The fasting test is an accurate measure of how well your body is managing your BG in the absence of food or exercise. Testing on waking for most people would be on the back of several hours without food or exercise (8-10 is recommended). According to the WHO:-
  • Normal is below 5.5 mmol/l
  • Impaired fasting glucose (a form of pre-diabetes) is between 5.5 and 6.9 mmol/l
  • Diabetic is 7.0 mmol/l and above
If you're concerned you may have gone back the other way you should ask your surgery for another HbA1c test as this is the only thing that will tell you for sure, one way or the other.

Martin
But are u saying then only fasting BG levels determine where a person is diabetic or not?
 
No. The standard test for diabetes is Hba1c, but I have seen it written that two successive fasting BGs of over 7.0 is a marker for diabetes, and this is also the WHO position.

During fasting, typically when you're asleep, the hormone glucagon raises your glucose levels. Your body responds with insulin to keep everything in balance. If you have diabetes your body either doesn't produce enough insulin or can't use it effectively. The glucose sticks around and will show up on the fasting test result (source: Diabetes UK).

Martin
Well understood but then how does the body produce enough insulin during day time and post meals to maintain the level and why not in the night? it is a bit confusing really , its the same body producing the same insulin during day and night ... isnt it?
 
If your fasting reads are 7 mmol/L or under you are likely not diabetic, as that is within the normal range, albeit at the high end. That could be a natural place for you, or it could be a sign of things rising.

As a blood glucose reading is just one moment in time it is not enough on its own from which to make a diagnosis, but it is a sign which can suggest further action such be taken, such as an HbA1c. But it sounds like that is already the case, with your doctor monitoring you for prediabetes, and you are taking monitoring your levels and diet.

As for morning levels being higher, the body does a lot of things overnight, different hormones are released to work whilst you sleep. Some of these have the effect of increasing the release of glucose whilst inhibiting the effects of insulin. This causes levels to gradually rise, but in a normal healthy body this is detected before waking and insulin released to compensate. However in diabetics, and regardless of type, this compensation may not happen which is what causes increased levels when waking. But precisely why this occurs, despite good control and taking medication or insulin, is not known.

Although a waking level of 7.2 mmol/L is outside the normal range, it is only slightly over and the margin of error for a glucometer of 15% means it could actually be as low as 6.1. Again it is only something I would worry about if it is a trending upwards or your normal fasting level, rather than treating readings as absolutes where 7.0 is still good (being in the normal range) but 7.1 is suddenly bad (being above it).
 
Yes but just because you are asleep, your body and your brain are still working (to do odd little things like pump your blood round your body and brain and keep you breathing in an out, or sorting out all the tangled connections in the brain which you've used a lot during waking hours) and hence all the cells in your body still need glucose so as to do that work - glucose is the fuel for them day or night, but in order for the glucose to enter the cells, insulin is the key that opens the cell doors to let the glucose in.
 
If your fasting reads are 7 mmol/L or under you are likely not diabetic, as that is within the normal range, albeit at the high end. That could be a natural place for you, or it could be a sign of things rising.

As a blood glucose reading is just one moment in time it is not enough on its own from which to make a diagnosis, but it is a sign which can suggest further action such be taken, such as an HbA1c. But it sounds like that is already the case, with your doctor monitoring you for prediabetes, and you are taking monitoring your levels and diet.

As for morning levels being higher, the body does a lot of things overnight, different hormones are released to work whilst you sleep. Some of these have the effect of increasing the release of glucose whilst inhibiting the effects of insulin. This causes levels to gradually rise, but in a normal healthy body this is detected before waking and insulin released to compensate. However in diabetics, and regardless of type, this compensation may not happen which is what causes increased levels when waking. But precisely why this occurs, despite good control and taking medication or insulin, is not known.

Although a waking level of 7.2 mmol/L is outside the normal range, it is only slightly over and the margin of error for a glucometer of 15% means it could actually be as low as 6.1. Again it is only something I would worry about if it is a trending upwards or your normal fasting level, rather than treating readings as absolutes where 7.0 is still good (being in the normal range) but 7.1 is suddenly bad (being above it).
Tks for clrafiying , looks like the case and its now down to 6.4 levels , naturally i have been around 5.7-6.0 even when i wasnt diagnosed with pre diabetes so i guess its a natural one , will check with GP and also check for the HB1ac levels once again
 
Thanks for all the replies , now my fasting levels have come back to normal around 6-6.2
But my after meal (PP) sugar sits around 7.8-8.2 , does this reversal mean anything ?
 
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