So disheartened. I'm type 2 and have been using Libre 2 for about 4 months. I managed to get my HbA1c down from 84 to 64 after three months as I found it very encouraging to see the levels and stick to my low carb diet. What is going on with these levels from last night? I ate around 9pm and as you can see the level was coming down, but why does it go up to 15 in the middle of the night and not once but twice? It only ever goes that high when I eat badly (which I now dont). How can I fight this? Usually my night time levels are lowish between 6 and 8 and it only goes up when I get up, which it has done and now I'm at 10.2 BEFORE breakfast. I havent experienced high levels in the night before and wondered if there might be a reason?
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Using Libre2 - why did this happen overnight?
- Thread starter Kittyrose
- Start date
Firstly, have you checked those readings with a finger pricks? It is possible for CGMs to get it wrong.
Assuming those readings are correct, there are many things that can affect our BG beyond what we eat. How well did you sleep? Are you stressed? Are you unwell? I find vivid dreams raise my BG.
Assuming those readings are correct, there are many things that can affect our BG beyond what we eat. How well did you sleep? Are you stressed? Are you unwell? I find vivid dreams raise my BG.
harbottle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
The only time i've seen something like this (Although the rise I saw was only to 8) was when I had a daal for tea. The effect on BG kicked in over 3 hours later when I was asleep. I put it down to the lentils and digestion being slow, or maybe the protein kicking in (Which can cause a rise.)
The second peak starts to rise at 3am, which is about the time hormones start to kick in that can cause BG to rise in people with T2D.
The second peak starts to rise at 3am, which is about the time hormones start to kick in that can cause BG to rise in people with T2D.
Hi - thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I have never seen this happen in the four months I have been using Libre - usually I get the odd hypo reading which I now know not to worry about. But this is a first - and to go so high not once but twice! Thats interesting to know that BG can rise as much as three hours after eating. I dont think I ate anything that I havent had before though. I also usually find that 3am is when I get my lowest readings so I don't think it can be hormones (probably havent got any left at 66!)
I didnt check the readings with a finger prick as they happened while I was asleep. I sleep fairly well and almost always dream but nothing too scary or upsetting. I am not stressed as far as I know - not worrying about anything specific and not ill, although I did have Covid two weeks ago.
So basically there could be many reasons for this, even though it hasn't happened before? Thanks again.
I didnt check the readings with a finger prick as they happened while I was asleep. I sleep fairly well and almost always dream but nothing too scary or upsetting. I am not stressed as far as I know - not worrying about anything specific and not ill, although I did have Covid two weeks ago.
So basically there could be many reasons for this, even though it hasn't happened before? Thanks again.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
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- Type 1
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- She/Her
I think the important thing with diabetes is not to worry too much about individual events. There are something like 42 factors which affect BG levels and many of those, you have no control over, so sometimes you do get odd results. What you need to be on the look out for are trends. If your body regularly goes high overnight, that would signal that something has changed, but a one off is not something to get too worried about.
As regards the double peak, it could be that you lay on your sensor during the night for a little while and it caused a compression low but because your levels were so high, it didn't drop below 4. The fact that it returns to the same level as it was before makes that more likely ie the 2 peaks are the same height.
What is particularly unusual is that it comes down into range by itself by about 6am, so your body clearly produced some insulin to trigger that drop, when you would expect Dawn Phenomenon kicking in and pushing them higher. Will be interested to see what happens tonight if you don't mind sharing those results tomorrow. It might also be worth setting an alarm through the night, maybe about 2am and doing a finger prick if Libre shows your levels are high to double check it.
Out of curiosity what was the meal you had? Was there a lot of protein? I eat low carb and as a Type 1 I have to inject extra insulin 2-3 hours after a low carb meal to deal with the slow release of glucose from the protein digestion. In the absence of enough carbs, the body will break down about 40% of protein into glucose. This only happens if you don't eat enough carbs, but how many is enough is individual but around 30 g carbs per meal. Protein and fat take 2-10 hours to digest and release their glucose and because it is much slower than the digestion of carbs which is usually over by 2 hours, most Type 2s on a low carb diet can produce enough insulin to manage that protein release without seeing any spike, but perhaps your pancreas went to sleep last night and didn't release any insulin to deal with the glucose from the protein until Dawn Phenomenon kicked it into gear.
Anyway, will keep fingers crossed it is just one of those anomalies and doesn't happen again, but do let us know tomorrow.
As regards the double peak, it could be that you lay on your sensor during the night for a little while and it caused a compression low but because your levels were so high, it didn't drop below 4. The fact that it returns to the same level as it was before makes that more likely ie the 2 peaks are the same height.
What is particularly unusual is that it comes down into range by itself by about 6am, so your body clearly produced some insulin to trigger that drop, when you would expect Dawn Phenomenon kicking in and pushing them higher. Will be interested to see what happens tonight if you don't mind sharing those results tomorrow. It might also be worth setting an alarm through the night, maybe about 2am and doing a finger prick if Libre shows your levels are high to double check it.
Out of curiosity what was the meal you had? Was there a lot of protein? I eat low carb and as a Type 1 I have to inject extra insulin 2-3 hours after a low carb meal to deal with the slow release of glucose from the protein digestion. In the absence of enough carbs, the body will break down about 40% of protein into glucose. This only happens if you don't eat enough carbs, but how many is enough is individual but around 30 g carbs per meal. Protein and fat take 2-10 hours to digest and release their glucose and because it is much slower than the digestion of carbs which is usually over by 2 hours, most Type 2s on a low carb diet can produce enough insulin to manage that protein release without seeing any spike, but perhaps your pancreas went to sleep last night and didn't release any insulin to deal with the glucose from the protein until Dawn Phenomenon kicked it into gear.
Anyway, will keep fingers crossed it is just one of those anomalies and doesn't happen again, but do let us know tomorrow.
Thank you for the detailed reply - it was very helpful. I will certainly let you know how it goes tonight. Not sure about setting an alarm though as I have work in the morning and also dont want to wake up my husband! If it happens again I will consider it! I had greek yogurt with mixed nuts and some strawberries and cream. I know - weird - but that's what I fancied and its usually OK.
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Hope things settle down and you don’t get a repeat performance tonight @Kittyrose
Sometimes the Diabetes Fairy just goes off on one of her little tantrums!
Sometimes the Diabetes Fairy just goes off on one of her little tantrums!