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Posted 10/24/2010 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
My fasting this morning after a good diet yesterday and nothing to eat for 8 hours = 132

My bgl now, 6 hours after a breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns = 96

Can't win on that AM BGL, it seems.

Posted 10/25/2010 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Well for Pete's sakes, how and why does that happen?  I wonder if the fasting/dawn phenomenon is really something to worry about if your blood sugar the rest of the day is normal.  Do you follow what I mean?  If your post-prandial a couple of hours after breakfast is well within normal readings, is the higher fasting really something to worry about?  Of course, you wouldn't want it higher than 132 and if it were consistantly higher than that, then I could see that meds would have to be adjusted, but for those who only wake up to just elevated blood sugar and then see it go down to normal readings and stay there during the day, is this harmful? 

PS  Did you put oregano on those hash browns?  tongue

Posted 10/25/2010 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
LOL, no oregano this morning. I did sprinkle it on my side dish for dinner, though.

2 hour tonight was 116 - go figure!
Posted 10/25/2010 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
My before breakfast BGLs are consistently higher than my before dinner ones. For the last couple of weeks without meds I’ve been running around 130 in the morning and around 100 in the evening. I think it’s because I’m not exercising while I’m sleeping, but that’s just speculation.
Posted 10/26/2010 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
Are you being funny wodin?  tongue
Posted 10/26/2010 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
No, I can't think of another reason for it to be higher after fasting for 8 to 12 hours. I usually have a fairly large meal at lunch time, and after only 4 or 5 hours it's consistently 30 points lower than in the morning. rolleyes
Posted 10/26/2010 2:25 PM (GMT 0)
I'm thinking it could be because of the way I wake up in the morning. I have to lie still for a couple of minutes, then start gently stretching body parts to check what is painful today. Then I slowly sit up and move my joints a little more vigorously. Then I get up. My body may be releasing glucose in preparation for dealing with pain.
Posted 10/26/2010 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know, it's weird. I have a VERY loud alarm clock which I have to put across the room so I don’t hit the cancel button and go back to sleep, so I jump up and run over and turn da buggah off. No luxurious stretching for me. Recently I’ve been trying to take my BGL 45 min to an hour after waking, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

I’m thinking, though, when I do fasting labs I should just skip breakfast and do the labs just before lunch.
Posted 10/26/2010 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
Luxurious stretching? Oh, I see, you missed the part about the pain. If I don't check things out and stretch before I start moving around in the morning, I could strain a muscle or pull a tendon. My days of jumping out of bed are, sadly, past.
Posted 10/27/2010 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
I too experience this phenomenon and have no idea why. Perhaps part of the reason is that all three of us suffer ulcerative colitis. It is a well known fact that intestines affect blood sugar even to the point that gastric bypass patients sometimes experience remission of their diabetes.

I noticed my fasting blood sugar beginning to increase several years ago when my UC was first diagnosed. Since then I have worked hard thru diet and exercise to keep it in the 85/95 range. I have had perhaps two sodas in the past 3 years when I used to drink it everyday.

I measure my FBL first thing every morning. For me the first sign of a UC flare is not gas, cramps, or loose stools, it is my fbl spiking from 85/95 to 105/115 1-2 days before the onset of UC symptoms. Sometimes I can track it down from eating too much meat and not enough salad, or perhaps HFCS candy, but other times it just shoots up for apparently no reason. Strange.
Posted 10/28/2010 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
Wow! Way to go Babe, your certainly doing better on the diet than I.

As I haven't flared since being diagnosed type 2, I can't corroborate an increase in blood glucose being a precursor to a UC flare. It could be the case, but I hope not as my BGLs have been slightly elevated of late.
Posted 10/28/2010 3:00 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, but I was never a diabetic. Five years ago I could eat anything I wanted without worrying about blood sugar. Now I can easily become prediabetic if I am not careful. Probably in a couple of years or sooner I will need Metformin.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would now have full blown diabetes if I continued with my old lifestyle drinking soda.
Posted 10/28/2010 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know about UC and the needed diet for it, but I can tell you that the meat wouldn't cause spikes unless it was slathered with sauce that had sugar in it, like barbecue or sweet and sour.  Regular sodas have lots of carbs, so you're wise to stay away from them, but you already know that. 
Posted 11/5/2010 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
My fasting blood sugar is always higher.  I've checked it in the middle of the night and it is lower than when I get up in the morning.  The other day, my morning blood sugar read 119.  I got dressed, took my dog for a one mile walk, came back and fixed breakfast and before I put anything in my mouth, I checked my blood sugar again.  It was 225!  I hadn't even had a swallow of water since the first reading!  I have absolutely no idea about that except I'm having a really bad patch of chronic pain!  Thank goodness it seems to be calming down again.  

 

Sherrine 

Posted 11/6/2010 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
Ugh, Sherrine, how frustrating.  Well, you know that pain can cause blood sugar to rise but also exercise.  I read that blood sugar will rise after exercise because the body is helping the surge of energy by raising the blood sugar.  Of course, it will go back down as it's only a temporary spike.  In the long run, the exercise will bring the total glucose levels down.  So, don't take your blood sugar right after exercise or you'll be discouraged.  mad
Posted 11/6/2010 10:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Lanie!  Uh, I feel stupid!  I didn't know that exercise raised your blood sugar!  I know that pain does but didn't know about exercise!  BUT, there have been times I have been walking my dog and my blood sugar drop has dropped so I now carry food with me...just in case.  That's why I thought exercise lowered your blood sugar.  Confusing, huh?

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/7/2010 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine,

Hi, I just wanted to share an experience w/ you. I have mentioned in the past that my DH is a T1. The past cpl of yrs have been a rollercoaster ride, and he has been a diabetic for 26 yrs. Sometimes, when we walk he will go low during the walk, so we always carry glucose tablets on us - Yes - both of us carry them. I also carry the syringe w/ glucose in it. Just in case.

A cpl of wks ago he and I went to the boardwalk for a walk. He tested before we started - because I asked him to do it. We walked about an hr, no food, drink or tablets. Upon our return to the car he tested again. His numbers was up like 350 or so. I had recently read here that you can have that reaction after exercising, so I asked him not to take any insulin (he's on the pump). He got upset, saying he can't have his numbers up that high. I couldn't talk him out of it. By the time we got home - maybe 15 min - he had dropped like a rock.

We had an appt w/ his endo a wk later and I explained what had happened and what I had read. She said, Sometimes, ppl have an immediate reaction to exercise, but sometimes there is a delay. Take you readings before and after, but if the number is high after you exercise, hold off for an hr and then retest and treat IF necessary.

Being sick, being in pain, lots of things can cause your numbers to go up. This is a constant learning process, for the person and for those who love them.

I would still suggest you take food or the glucose tablets w/ you when you go out for your walk or anytime. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sherrine, pls don't feel stupid, that is the last word I could think of to describe you. Just keep enjoying those walks w/ you baby girl. They are good for both of you.

This is one of the many things I love about HW, we can all learn something new each day. Everybody brings something to the table.

God bless.  Alice.

Posted 11/7/2010 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, people have different reactions.  Type 1s, type 2s on meds and type 2s on no meds will have varied responses.  Anyone on meds, insulin especially, has to be careful of  lows during and after exercise.
Posted 11/7/2010 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
Thank  you, both!  I've been a diabetic for 18 years and the past few months have been confusing.  I've had more pain and I really think that is playing into all of this.  But, I'm glad I learned that exercise can make the BS go up.  I also know that I've had it plummet when walking, to the point of shaking, so I'll take food or tablets with me...just in case.  I'm on glyburide so perhaps that needs some adjusting for when I'm having bad pain.  I'm going to talk to my doctor about that when I see him in a few weeks.  Yes,  you sure do learn something new every day!  And Alice, thanks so much for sharing your story with me.  It helps to put my mind at ease.  I LOVE HealingWell! 

 

Sherrine

Posted 1/26/2011 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
I too experience this phenomenon and have no idea why. Perhaps part of the reason is that all three of us suffer ulcerative colitis. It is a well known fact that intestines affect blood sugar even to the point that gastric bypass patients sometimes experience remission of their diabetes.

Since going gluten-free for my UC I have noticed that my fasting blood glucose levels have dropped. I no longer have that 'Dawn Phenomenon'. I could not find anything on the internet that would explain it but Suzy Cohen's book Diabetes Without Drugs has a chapter explaining why people with a gluten, casein, or lactose intolerance might have elevated blood sugar levels. All I know is that it worked for me.
Posted 2/23/2011 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
Re: Dawn pheonomenon - last night before bed (11pm), my BG was 68, I took 10 units of Lantus. I had eaten about 10 strands of spaghetti (yes, I count them!) with dinner (7pm), and had had a handful of raw, unsalted nuts around 9:30pm. This morning, BG before breakfast (6:15am) was 320!!!!! This happens a lot, I have fairly low BG before bed, but no matter how much Lantus I take, it always turns out high in the morning. VERY FRUSTRATING!!! Can anyone relate? Can anyone explain????
Posted 2/23/2011 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
Actually I'm still dealing with this.  I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and he probably will be changing my meds.  I'm high all of the time now.  Bummer.

 

Anyway, I heard that it's your body gearing up for the day.  I don't know how true that is.  I looked to see what the Mayo Clinic had to say about dawn phenomenon.  I know it exists because I sure have it.  Here's what they had to say.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dawn-effect/AN01213

 

Sherrine

Posted 2/24/2011 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
And here is an old article from David Mendosa's blog about the dawn effect.  http://www.mendosa.com/blog/?p=232

His website is interesting and you might want to spend some time reading some of his many articles.  The link above is from a few years ago.

Posted 2/24/2011 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Lanie!  I hadn't seen that before.  Vinegar tablets?  I might look into that.  I can't stomach taking regular vinegar.  I tried that a few years ago but only lated a few days.  Yuck!

 

Sherrine

Posted 2/24/2011 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
I drink a glass of wine with dinner but I don't know if that's why I haven't had this dawn effect.
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