Am I getting worse? Higher morning numbers

Type 2
1

Help me guys! I am worried.

For the last week, my waking numbers have been higher than normal. Some of you know me as the girl who wakes up at very normal numbers - in the high 70s or low 80s.

For those of you that don't know me - I am a thin T2 (genetic) and I was diagnosed back in Feb 2010 and my latest A1C was 4.9 (still waiting for the results of the one I did last week!). I eat low carb vegan and my numbers are almost always very good. I am on Met 500mg at twice a day.

Last week, (wed I think) I woke up at 96 (I know not a huge deal but different for me) even though I went to sleep at 94.

I hadn't changed anything except that day I started taking some new vtiamins for my hair. And I had some coconut butter (trying to add some more fat to my diet to gain weight and oil for my skin and hair). Normally I was eating the coconut oil which was fine so I thought the new wake up number was because of the butter (which has some carbs because it has the meat in it and I ate it right before I went to bed - I had very little) so I didn't have that the next day and I went to bed at 102 and woke up at 92 (keep in mind normally even if I went to bed with a number of say 118 I would still wake up in the low 80s).

So the next day I didn't take the hair vitamin becuase I thought that might be it. I track my numbers all day and they were pretty normal (I had stopped testing in the afternoon to save money on strips but I am still eating and doing the same things). I went to bed at 100 and still woke up at 94.

The next day was my b-day so I treated myself to some Starbucks in the afternoon so I had some higher numbers. Still didn't the take the hair vitamins or coconut anything. Dinner I had 118 and 92 two hours later. Went to bed at 92 (I eat late btw). Still woke up at 90 the next day. (a bit bitter but still high than normal for me if I go to bed in the 90s).

The next day my friend took me out to dinner and dancing for my bday. So I definatley overdid it for dinner and I had a beer! Ugh. Although I thought I would burn it off dancing but that didn't happen (probably was the beer - I just had one)I was at 152 went I went to bed and couldn't sleep. I had started taking the hair vtiamins again that day because I figured they weren't what was causing my high numbers in the morning.

Anyhow, next day (yesterday) I woke up at 103 - not surprising since I went to bed so high. I took the vitamins again yesterday.

I went to bed at 116 and woke up at 103. ugh. (normally I would wake up in the 80s even after a number like that)

So, I am not sure what is going on. Is it the hair vitamins? (they are time released). I thought maybe it is because I am pre-period. But I haven't had higher waking numbers before my period before (just higher pre-breakfast eating numbers maybe) but it is also a little early before my period for this to happen I think (unless I will be early this month).

The only other thing I have changed is that I scaled down my exercising and muscle toneing a bit that I was doing because I thought I was losing too much weight and wanted to stop it. Although even before I was doing all the exercising and muscle toning I had my normal high morning numbers (well, what is normal for me) - in fact, I had ever lower morning numbers because of it for a while (some maybe a bit too low - some high 60s). Plus, I also played a mean vball game that I was super sore for days and couldn't exercise because I could hardly move!. :)

Sorry so long but just trying to explain what I have been doing so maybe you guys could think of what it might be. Am I just getting worse? I think someone said that your 'basal insulin at night is responsible for your morning numbers?

I have been sort of depressed the past few days (which will sometimes happned to me a week before my period) and of course, my numbers changing are not helping.

I know my numbers aren't bad - and some of you guys would kill for them - but of course, it is viable to be concerned at any change (esp. if it isn't a one time thing).

Of course, I am not going to go running to the doctor just yet.(esp. since I have no insurance and can't really afford it) and see what happens. But I am still worried - it makes me scared that I am getting worse. (worse in that there is nothing I can do about it). wah! *crying*

2

Stress and worry can raise your numbers. Inaccurate test strips can give higher or lower readings. Have you been tested for LADA? You mention that you are a thin T-2. I would want to make sure I have the correct diagonsis.

3

How about Dawn Phonama? (SP I know) I don’t know if it happens in Type 2’s but in Type 1’s it does and can make us run a little bit higher in the morning. Ant Type 2’s out there know the answer to my question there.

4

Hi Pauly,

Yes, everyone says that because I am thin. But I have a c-peptide of 12 and Type 2 runs in my family so I don’t think I am 1.5 (same thing as LADA right). I am thin but the fat I do have is around my middle (funny how when I was losing weight none of it came off from there! ugh) but I have always been thin all my life. We do have our Thin T2 group on here btw. There are few of us but it is possilbe. Fatness does not a T2 make. Mine is age related. Everyone is my family that is or has T2 got it around age 40. I was 40 when diagnosed.

But no I haven’t been tested for lada because I have no insurance or money for those sorts of tests. Plus my Met treat was working well for me. But I am on a definate ‘eye out’ for that in the future becuase I read people stories on here. The doctor said I don’t need insulin so I dont know how different of a treatment I might get even if I was diagnosed as a LADA.

I was wondering about my test strips. My current bottle that I had been using this past week isn’t a new one but doesn’t mean I can’t have any bads in there. I was wondering if my meter is losing it or something. :slight_smile: I must admit I am often quite lazy with it and toss it down on my wooden dresser. Its a cheapy Walmart one. I should get another one.

I haven’t been stressed this past week really. (just depressed for the past day - I think it is woman related really).

5

Keep in mind that home glucose meters are NOT 100% accurate. Even at readings around 100 there can be up to +/- 20% variation. That’s a variation of 20 points in either direction. So your readings may not have actually changed at all. A reading of 85 could really be as high as 102, and a reading of 95 could be as low as 76.

Home glucose meters were developed primarily so people with Type 1 diabetes could avoid dangerous highs and lows. Most people with Type 1 experience a very wide range in blood sugars throughout the day, so a difference of 90 versus 110 won’t matter much. It’s really only supposed to provide a guideline for treatment, not an exact diagnostic tool. You need to get bloodwork done at a lab if you really want to know whether your numbers are changing.

I am Type 1, but I can tell you that emotions, stress, and hormones all have a definite impact on my blood sugar. I definitely run higher in the weeks before my period than the weeks after. I also definitely run higher when I am emotional or stressed than when I’m not. So that could definitely have an impact.

Looking at your numbers, though: they are still falling overnight. If they were RISING overnight then I might be worried, but in my mind your A1c is to die for, your numbers are still in the normal range, and they are still falling overnight so your basal insulin production still seems fine … I wouldn’t worry unless they creep up consistently past 100 (above the normal range for nondiabetics) and/or begin to rise overnight, especially if you can’t do anything to change it at the moment – worrying about it will just make your numbers worse. :slight_smile:

6

I know Duck! I hate it when things are going good and than whack - they change. I didn’t really change much honestly. I am a pretty consistant person with many things and this is one of them. I am not random at all. I have been keeping a nice schedule and know what I can and what exercise works and than hear going my dum-dum body playing tricks on me! (my body and I no longer agree on health issues! haha!)

I parred down on my exercises (my butt was getting really firm doing those buns of steel! haha!) because I was at 100 pounds. (I gained back one pound - haha! big deal right?) I didn’t stop altogether but I was doing all of my exercises everyday so I took a break on a day or too or alternated some stuff. I also tried eating some more snacks since my A1C is so low and numbers good so I thought I could eat a little extra (plus I needed more protein and I was getting hungry more often) but it wasn’t that much -it was a small change- and this was a few weeks ago I started that - not last week. Just seemed weird that all of sudden the morning numbers changed.

On days I am tired, I will sometimes skip my exercises too but I normally will keep up with them everyday. But like I said in my OP, right after I was dx, I was too tired and exhausted to exercise at all. And doing the low carb and Met, my morning numbers went to their normal control of wakeups of 70s and 80s and have pretty much been like that since like March/April of this year.

My lowest number was in the fifties at wakeup once but I fine - I think I had a fifties once during the day too. But again, felt fine. I know our meters are not always in range so I don’t worry about those too much - I think about how I feel too. A few high numbers don’t phase me because I know that meter isn’t always right.

But boy that beer (I actually had some red wine with dinner too ) really dehydrated me - That never happened to me pre-dx. I could drink three pints of heavy ale and be good. This was a lighter brown ale. UGH. (no beer anymore - now THAT is getting me depressed! LOL! I hate light beer so I would rather drink water). This was my first beer since DX.

You know what Duck - I wish they would invent a pill that you could take right after you have something that automatically will bring your BG down to normal levels in two hours no matter what. How I want one of these. grrr…

I was complaining to my friend the other night about this.

7

HI Doris!

I don’t know. I thought about that too because I read about it on here so much. I am not sure what the difference would be. I guess right now I have about a difference average of anywhere from 10 to 20 points in my wake up numbers.

I am not going to worry too much about yesterdays number (the pre-beer number) or this mornings (because I am pretty sure I am woman hormonal - for some reason, about a week before my period I will get really depressed or sensitive, cry at the anything, for exactly 24 hrs and than it will stop. it is really weird) but I am wondering if there is something else that is going that that are changing my morning numbers for the past week.

8

THANK GOD FOR MENAPAUSE! I had really bad lows before that time of the month and would ALWAYS wind up in the hospital from them. My Dr walked in one day and ask me if I was having trouble with control. Ugh no It’s was just that time of the month. Then when I started getting night sweats my husband would touch me (yeah I sweat like crazy then or if I’m low) and tell me to check my bg. REALLY TICKED me off for awhile there. But I tried to remember he had my health at heart. (Didn’t work quite a few times though) Honestly I didn’t like the fact I was getting older and my baby producing days were over but now in hindsight it was the best thing that could happen to me. Yeah I’m older now and had menapause really early but in the long run it helped me.

You go high like lots of other’s here. I ALWAYS went low.

9

Thank you Judith! You made me feel less worried!

Actually I do eat thing with vinegar in it. I make vinegared cucumbers which I love. I make them with white vingear though - I tried making them with the apple cidar vinagear and they weren’t as tasty (they are an old family recipe and I am used to them with the white vinegar taste). But I do notice that I can eat a bunch of the vineagared cukes and still have great post numbers. In fact, that one day where I started dinner at 118 and ended at 92 - I added my vinegared cukes to my salad. :slight_smile:

I’ll try the apple cidar vinegar trick at night though. I do have some. It is the raw kind with the mother in it. :slight_smile: I eat my dinner late so pretty close to my bed time (which I have always been doing so it isn’t that) but I am thinking if maybe I will just start to include my cukes in my salad now every time.

I don’t actually buy red wine to drink at home - I only have it out. So I think I will stick with the vineagar when I am eating dinner at home.

Funny you mention the weather. Last week, I had lots of dry nasal passages even though I don’t have allergies and my one ear is blocked up than I can’t sleep well. It seems better since yesterday though. I am watching and waiting - to see if those numbers go back down.

I am still wondering about the hair vitamins though since they are time released. I think they release more at night than after I take them (i take them in the afternoon to try to space out my pills since they horse pills)

10

Thank You Judith. I didn’t want to give out the wrong advice here. KimKat lesson to Judith here. Yeah Judith the weather patterns have something to do with mine too. And like you sometimes I feel it’s just the air I breath.

11

Thanks Jen!

I didn’t know that about the meters and the Type 1’s! Hmm, interesting. I still can’t understand why they haven’t now made a more accurate meter since so many people use them now.

Thanks for the info on rising vs. falling numbers. I will definatley keep that in mind. So, guess as long as my numbers go down a night (even if not as much as they were before?) than I shouldn’t worry too much. If they are higher than what I go to bed at, than I can worry?

For the past 100 - you mean past 100 in the morning. I am not still not completely understanding the difference between the basal insulin at night and insulin sensitivity/resistance in general. I have to get myself a copy of that Blood Sugar 101 book. Will ones basal insulin go down the longer one has had D? Or does it just vary throughout the life of a diabetic in general? Is it related to your beta cells dying in your pancreas?

12

I do do this. I do random on my left fingers all day. I think maybe I will switch to the right hand fingers for a week maybe. :slight_smile:

13

It’s interesting… I was always quite lower, in the lower 80s sometimes 70s, and then… I also took a vitamin B complex… I forget which one it was… It’s around somewhere… and my numbers went up to the 90s and 100s, sometimes 110s… and they never went back to 80s, easily, without me having to do a lot of work to get them lower… even without the vitamin.

14

I am looking forward to menopause - 30 years of blood and pain are plenty for me. I never wanted any kids so that part won’t bother me. But it does sounds like menopause has it problems too! Those hot flashes and night sweats do not look fun! But I definatley won’t be missing my periods that is for sure! I have another ten years to wait though probably… :slight_smile:

15

When I was first diagnosed I had this lovely belief that if I figured out everything and did it all right, my numbers would be consistent and logical and if they were too high or too high there would be a clear reason for it. WRONG! I think this is a bit more the case for Type 1’s, but numbers vary; sometimes we can see why and correct that factor; more often they just vary because that is diabetes. I know that won’t make you happy, because you are probably like me a logical person who wants everything to make sense. Part of the difficulty of diabetes (its worse difficulty if you ask me) is that it doesn’t always make sense. That really bothered me when I first realized it, but now when I remember that I feel less stressed.

The other thing is that one number, two numbers here and there don’t make a pattern. Occasional off numbers bother me but I know they are to be expected and not a real problem. When they start falling into a consistent pattern (a few days) is when I feel that something new is going on and some action needs to be taken.

And, yes, numbers around 100 or less in the morning are what we all aim for!

16

You and I really do have similar tastes in food, Kat. People talk about light beer and I look at them like they are crazy. I only drink dark beers. Unfortunately I can only drink one of them now and I bolus for 14 carbs along with my meal. I know how you feel!

17

Don’t believe the hype! Some of us have absolutely effortless menopause and couldn’t be happier to be beyond all that!

18

OK Zoe you had it easy some ppl have it harder. Let’s just agree to disagree.

19

Actually, as a Type 1 I don’t have wide swings usually and I do consider my meter quite accurate. If I test close together the numbers are always close. (I use the Accuchek Aviva). I don’t stress over small changes, only when I am out of target range, but I do consider my meter to be giving me as close to exact info as possible.

20

HA! I didn’t either! I’m like u 30 years of bleeding and pain (yes had pms) was enough for me! LOL!