Understanding blood sugar

[Dave2014]

Hi all,

After a random hospital trip the nurse noticed my blood sugar was 5.7 even though i hadn't eaten that morning, she said to keep an eye on it so i purchased a kit to check this at home. I did do a H1BAC test last June which was 35.

Yesterday morning upon waking my blood sugar was 5.4. I did the same test again today first thing and it was 6.2 which i know is not normal so after having a breakfast of blueberries and yoghourt i tried it again 1.30hrs later and it was down at 5.3, perfect. i randomly did an ad-hoc one after eating nothing else maybe 2 hours later and it was 6 again after a hot bath.

I know only a H1bac test can truly diagnose me but wondered if these readings especially the higher ones without eating aren't the best sign?

 

[Inka]

I wouldn’t worry about the 5.7 at the hospital. That’s not high and the not eating or being at the hospital could have pushed it up. Hot baths/showers can raise the blood sugar a bit too. I think you’d be better off just having regular HbA1C tests. The blood glucose meters have a margin of error and aren’t for diagnostic purposes.

 

[harbottle]

Totally normal readings.

Meters are not fully accurate, and operate on a range based around a deviation from a lab result.

5.7 is fine.

 

[Dave2014]

Totally normal readings.

Meters are not fully accurate, and operate on a range based around a deviation from a lab result.

5.7 is fine.

Thanks Harbottle.

The 5.7 didnt worry me to much is was the waking 6.2 today that gave me more of a concern. Yesterday it was 5.4 waking and again 5.3 1.3hrs after eating just odd it then rose to 6 two hours later without any food. Am i right in thinking if you had diabetes it would be higher each morning if you didnt use insulin to regulate etc and after eating it wouldnt drop to a normal level as quickly?

 

[harbottle]

If you had diabetes, you would see readings over 7 in the mornings.

Blood sugar doesn't stay static all day, it goes up and down due to hormones & activity and many other factors.

 

[Dave2014]

If you had diabetes, you would see readings over 7 in the mornings.

Blood sugar doesn't stay static all day, it goes up and down due to hormones & activity and many other factors.

Oh ok i didn't realize they would be that high in the morning. The fact yesterdays was 5.4 waking i take as a good sign, this morning was a stressful child morning and a bad nights sleep so maybe the 6.2 due to that quite possibly.

 

[harbottle]

Oh ok i didn't realize they would be that high in the morning. The fact yesterdays was 5.4 waking i take as a good sign, this morning was a stressful child morning and a bad nights sleep so maybe the 6.2 due to that quite possibly.

Yes, I find after a bad night's sleep or if I wake up stressed it's sometimes a little bit higher.

 

[helli]

Yes, I find after a bad night's sleep or if I wake up stressed it's sometimes a little bit higher.

But you DO have diabetes.
I thought the variations in BG due to stress, a bad night's sleep, illness, ... were due to our body's inability to react to the liver dump due to our diabetes..
I would not expect someone the BG of someone without diabetes to be noticeably affected by such things.

Not that I am suggesting @Dave2014 needs to be concerned by a 6.4 (I dream of such low numbers in the morning). It could be a test strip anomaly (yes, they happen - the standard of 15% accuracy is only 95% of the time) or something on his finger or just a strip being on the edge of its 15% accuracy (the "true" reading could be 5.4).
Like anyone, the advice wen we see an anomaly is to wash your hands and retest before drawing any conclusions.

 

[Felinia]

Higher readings first thing in the morning are known as the Dawn Phenomenon where the body prepares you for the day ahead.

 

[silentsquirrel]

All those readings are very much the same. Meters are not that accurate, including the one used at the hospital. When I had my BG checked pre-op (cataract) I tested the same drop of blood with my own meter and it was 0.4 different from the nurse's meter. We both agreed that was pretty close.

 

[helli]

Higher readings first thing in the morning are known as the Dawn Phenomenon where the body prepares you for the day ahead.

People without diabetes do not see a rise in BG due to liver dump in the morning.
Someone without diabetes will release very fast acting insulin (faster than we can inject) to counteract the liver dump and their BG rise will not be as noticeable.
Dawn Phenomenon BG rise is a diabetes thing.

 

[harbottle]

But you DO have diabetes.
I thought the variations in BG due to stress, a bad night's sleep, illness, ... were due to our body's inability to react to the liver dump due to our diabetes..
I would not expect someone the BG of someone without diabetes to be noticeably affected by such things.

Not that I am suggesting @Dave2014 needs to be concerned by a 6.4 (I dream of such low numbers in the morning). It could be a test strip anomaly (yes, they happen - the standard of 15% accuracy is only 95% of the time) or something on his finger or just a strip being on the edge of its 15% accuracy (the "true" reading could be 5.4).
Like anyone, the advice wen we see an anomaly is to wash your hands and retest before drawing any conclusions.

It's actually possible for non diabetics to see a slight rise in the mornings, but it won't be much, perhaps 1, and people who do low carb diets/fasting can see raised levels due to 'glucose sparing'.

But yes, for people with T2 diabetes who suffer from morning hyperglycaemia (Not all T2s see it) it's due to a poor response to the morning rise triggered by hormones and linked to the circadian rhythm.

I don't seem to get even thought I've got diabetes - this morning was 5.5, yesterday was 5.2. I've used sensors and seem to totally flatline all night.

 

[Dave2014]

It seems such a complex thing to the untrained like myself... one morning 5.4 and today firs thing 6.2...added by after breakfast it can go down to 5.3 after eating yet hours later for no reason and no food be 5.8/6.0 again.

I'm guessing worse case these numbers would indicate pre diabetes as opposed to Diabetes

 

[Leadinglights]

It seems such a complex thing to the untrained like myself... one morning 5.4 and today firs thing 6.2...added by after breakfast it can go down to 5.3 after eating yet hours later for no reason and no food be 5.8/6.0 again.

I'm guessing worse case these numbers would indicate pre diabetes as opposed to Diabetes

Those numbers are really the same and within the tolerance of home blood glucose monitors. People look for trends rather than absolute reading as all sorts of things can affect blood glucose, only one of which is what you have eaten and when but if you are dehydrated, stressed, the weather, what colour sock you have on. In other words blood glucose is fickle.

 

[Dave2014]

Those numbers are really the same and within the tolerance of home blood glucose monitors. People look for trends rather than absolute reading as all sorts of things can affect blood glucose, only one of which is what you have eaten and when but if you are dehydrated, stressed, the weather, what colour sock you have on. In other words blood glucose is fickle.

It’s all so variable which being a non diabetic for 41 years you take for granted I guess. The only thing I can add is last night I had a terrible nights sleep and then a grumpy kid to deal with upon waking up so I guess todays higher reading could be fuelled by these stressful events

 

[helli]

It’s all so variable which being a non diabetic for 41 years you take for granted I guess. The only thing I can add is last night I had a terrible nights sleep and then a grumpy kid to deal with upon waking up so I guess todays higher reading could be fuelled by these stressful events

I believe it is more likely to be an anomalous reading.
As I previously mentioned,
1. Your numbers are not anything to be worried about
2. 6.4 could be 5.4 given the accuracy thresholds
3. BG of most people without diabetes (like your numbers suggest) are unlikely to be significantly affected by stress, etc.

The one thing I forgot to mention is
- it is trends not a one-off unexpected BG reading that will suggest diabetes (HBA1c is an indication of trends)

It is a shame the hospital nurse made any comment about 5.7. In all I have read, it is not anything to be concerned about, especially given your HBA1c.

 

[Nayshiftin]

You would worry of you were me but i would be happy with your readings .
I aim to stay between 4 and 10 So if i was 4 id eat something above 10 i drink water and move or sleep. It usually goes down . if above 10 id usually think what high carb have I eaten.
if it was continuously above or below that id phone and chat with my health care provider . id be happy with your results . Blood tests at home are really for guidance .

 

[Dave2014]

I believe it is more likely to be an anomalous reading.
As I previously mentioned,
1. Your numbers are not anything to be worried about
2. 6.4 could be 5.4 given the accuracy thresholds
3. BG of most people without diabetes (like your numbers suggest) are unlikely to be significantly affected by stress, etc.

The one thing I forgot to mention is
- it is trends not a one-off unexpected BG reading that will suggest diabetes (HBA1c is an indication of trends)

It is a shame the hospital nurse made any comment about 5.7. In all I have read, it is not anything to be concerned about, especially given your HBA1c.

That's what i thought with the H1BAC numbers being a correlation over a 3 month period. Its just odd within the same day i have had a 6.2 upon waking,6.0,5.9 all more than 2 hours or longer without food yet 1.30hrs after food i had a reading in-between these of 5.3 i think that's the catalyst which made me ask the question as they seem to now follow what i would expect to be a consistent path

 

[harbottle]

I've done two tests on different fingers and seen 6.2 on one, and 5.4 on the other.
It's normal to get readings like this.

I was watching a TV show on channel 4 recently, where they took a reading for the presenter and it was 5.6. They made her do a small run and took another reading. It was 6.2.
They assumed it had gone up because she'd done some exercise, but those two readings could represent the same real value.

The nurse was idiotic to worry you with a perfectly normal reading of 5.7

 

[Inka]

It seems such a complex thing to the untrained like myself... one morning 5.4 and today firs thing 6.2...added by after breakfast it can go down to 5.3 after eating yet hours later for no reason and no food be 5.8/6.0 again.

I'm guessing worse case these numbers would indicate pre diabetes as opposed to Diabetes

That’s partly why you shouldn’t use glucose meters for diagnostic purposes. A) that’s not what they’re for; and B) they cause unnecessary worry.

As I said above, go by your HbA1C. Yours was 35. That not diabetic and it’s not pre-diabetic either. I know you’ve previously mentioned your concern about getting Type 2 because it’s in your family, so it’s right to be aware, but you might not ever get it or you might get it but not for 15 years. Enjoy being not diabetic and just wait until your next HbA1C.