Hello all I have a question

[dawnyp]

I was diagnosed at the beginning of October with a hbA of 109! I’ve been put on empagliflozin and metformin. I have also altered my diet and started exercising (just walking 5 days a week and and a few beginners workouts on YouTube at the moment as I am very overweight)
I am testing my blood everyday at home and the numbers are coming down, I’ve had daytime readings between 7&8 mmol/l and this afternoon was the lowest at 6.4 but my morning/fasting readings are always higher, this morning it was 10. Does anyone know why this could be? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[MrDaibetes]

Hey and firstly welcome to the forum. There are various reasons why your sugars could be higher in the morning. Also there is Dawn Phenomenon where the body produces hormones that result in higher numbers in the morning.

 

[Ditto]

Hello and welcome to the forum @dawnyp 🙂

 

[dawnyp]

Hey and firstly welcome to the forum. There are various reasons why your sugars could be higher in the morning. Also there is Dawn Phenomenon where the body produces hormones that result in higher numbers in the morning.

Thanks for your reply. Yes I’ve read a little about the dawn phenomenon. Does this mean my morning readings will always be higher or should I contact my diabetes nurse. Maybe it’s a bit too early, I’ve only been on the meds just over 4 weeks.

 

[Vonny]

Hi @dawnyp and welcome from a fellow type 2 🙂 As @MrDaibetes says, the Dawn Phenomenon could well be to blame for the higher readings in the morning. When I started on my medication and diet, mine was comparatively high in the mornings too, and the longer I left breakfast, the higher it went. Since my hba1c has come down it's all changed and I'm now between 5.3 and 5.7 in the mornings, even if I don't eat for a couple of hours.

It's early days yet, but it sounds like you are getting it under control, so give yourself a big pat on the back. It's not easy to start with so well done and keep at it

 

[dawnyp]

Thank you so much for your reply. Am I right in thinking it will take a few months for my hbA1c to come down? All these different measurements are very confusing

 

[Vonny]

Your Hba1c is like a snapshot of the last 3 months of what has happened. Somehow (don't ask me how, I am completely ignorant about biology!) sugars stick to your bloods. I started out at 76 and am now at 37, 7 months later. It will depend on your diet and exercise. I am one of the very low carb brigade on this forum, having given up spuds, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. Very hard to start with, but now I wouldn't thank anyone for a bag of chips (well, maybe just a small one!)

 

[MrDaibetes]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I’ve read a little about the dawn phenomenon. Does this mean my morning readings will always be higher or should I contact my diabetes nurse. Maybe it’s a bit too early, I’ve only been on the meds just over 4 weeks.

It's never to early to question things, there are ways to manage dawn phenomenon but again it's different for each person. If you are worried and what to see what the diabetes nurse suggests, then I would contact them. They are there for you and will appreciate you asking questions, and trying to manage your diabetes.

 

[dawnyp]

Your Hba1c is like a snapshot of the last 3 months of what has happened. Somehow (don't ask me how, I am completely ignorant about biology!) sugars stick to your bloods. I started out at 76 and am now at 37, 7 months later. It will depend on your diet and exercise. I am one of the very low carb brigade on this forum, having given up spuds, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. Very hard to start with, but now I wouldn't thank anyone for a bag of chips (well, maybe just a small one!)

Your Hba1c is like a snapshot of the last 3 months of what has happened. Somehow (don't ask me how, I am completely ignorant about biology!) sugars stick to your bloods. I started out at 76 and am now at 37, 7 months later. It will depend on your diet and exercise. I am one of the very low carb brigade on this forum, having given up spuds, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. Very hard to start with, but now I wouldn't thank anyone for a bag of chips (well, maybe just a small one!)

The nurse told me I didn’t have to cut out carbs (after I’d searched the internet for every bit of info I could find) so I have just cut down to small portions of pasta or potatoes and I’ve bought the reduced carb bread, I do have porridge for my breakfast every morning though. I’ve cut out sugar in coffee and tea and haven’t touched a biscuit, cake or chocolate since I was diagnosed. Thanks again x

 

[dawnyp]

It's never to early to question things, there are ways to manage dawn phenomenon but again it's different for each person. If you are worried and what to see what the diabetes nurse suggests, then I would contact them. They are there for you and will appreciate you asking questions, and trying to manage your diabetes.

Thanks. Yes if it doesn’t start coming down I will ask her. It has come down a bit.. just not as much as the daytime readings x

 

[Drummer]

If you can still eat that amount of carbs and stay in the normal range of blood glucose them that is fine, but when you get your Hba1c level tested, if it is not as low as you would like you can then remove more carbs and see if that helps.
I reduced my carb intake from 50 gm a day to 40 gm when my Hba1c was 42 after seeing 41 the precious year - it didn't help, but I stick to it as by the end of another year, it was what I had become used to. Maybe something is broken after all those struggles to eat low fat high carb over the decades. I am, after all, almost 70 and feel more like 40, which is good enough for me.

 

[rebrascora]

Morning fasting readings are usually the last to come down.
As @Vonny says, you are doing great. Keep at it and those fasting readings should come down some more too.
If your HbA1c was as high as 109 last month then you have already made an amazing amount of progress but it is still very much early days and to be honest it can be best to come down more slowly rather than a sudden reduction because a dramatic change can damage the delicate fine blood vessels in the body.

 

[dawnyp]

If you can still eat that amount of carbs and stay in the normal range of blood glucose them that is fine, but when you get your Hba1c level tested, if it is not as low as you would like you can then remove more carbs and see if that helps.
I reduced my carb intake from 50 gm a day to 40 gm when my Hba1c was 42 after seeing 41 the precious year - it didn't help, but I stick to it as by the end of another year, it was what I had become used to. Maybe something is broken after all those struggles to eat low fat high carb over the decades. I am, after all, almost 70 and feel more like 40, which is good enough for me.

Well you’re obviously doing something right. I’m 48 and feel more like 70 Thanks for your reply

 

[dawnyp]

Morning fasting readings are usually the last to come down.
As @Vonny says, you are doing great. Keep at it and those fasting readings should come down some more too.
If your HbA1c was as high as 109 last month then you have already made an amazing amount of progress but it is still very much early days and to be honest it can be best to come down more slowly rather than a sudden reduction because a dramatic change can damage the delicate fine blood vessels in the body.

Thanks for your reply. I thought it had come down quite fast. I have found a conversion chart online that converts the hbA1c figures to the mmol/l figures I get on my monitor ( nurse said you couldn’t do that ‍♀️) and it is quite a big drop. I’m just taking the meds, lowering the carbs, cutting out sugar and getting a bit of exercise.x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @dawnyp

You’ve had lots of helpful suggestions so far, so i just wanted to say hello 🙂