I am 49 yrs old male from south India. Diagnosed with diabetes type 2 in 2006. I am taking Metformin 850 and Gliclazide XR 60 mg twice a day before half an hour before food. Blood sugar level is on target except the result tested after having breakfast in the morning. Anybody has an idea why this happens and what its implications?
Some of us are much more insulin resistant in the morning than the rest of the day. For example, I have to take twice as much insulin per gram of carbohydraate for breakfast than I do for lunch or dinner. But someone on oral medications might have the same kind of reaction with their endogenous insulin.
Does your blood sugar increase at that time of day even if you don’t eat? If that is the case, then your rising blood sugar might be part of what is commonly referred to as “dawn phenomenon.” It is basically one’s liver kicking out extra glucose in the morning to get one up and going for the day. This happens in non-diabetics, too, but their normal bodies can take care of it by producing enough extra insulin to avoid much of a blood sugar rise.
I am a T1D so my experience is different than yours. The benefit of exercise, however, helps people of all types. I have a habit of walking after eating. I usually time it to start within 30 minutes of my last bite. I don’t walk hard and can easily carry on a conversation if I wanted. I walk 30-45 minutes and I’m amazed at the blood sugar magic it produces.
I know you don’t take insulin so your metabolism is much different than mine. But I have insulin resistance in the morning, too. I need more insulin per gram of carbohydrate for breakfast, almost 2x more, than I do for dinner.
I suggest that you experiment with walking if you can. It will do you no harm! You might consider getting a pedometer to measure your distance and steps. It can help motivate you to sustain your new habit.
I’ve read here that many people with T2D, along with their doctors, delay adding insulin to the mix. Many that start insulin often remark that they wish they had started sooner. Maybe you should consider it. Just a thought. Good luck. Please report back, especially if you have some success.
I definitely have more insulin resistance in the morning than later in the day. In my case, lunchtime is the time when I manage carbs the easiest, followed by dinner. Breakfast is rough, (though (again for me) not even close twice as much as other times). I am Type 2 and have been taking insulin since just 4 months after diagnosis; however, with or without insulin, I have found that the easiest way to manage this has been to just eat fewer carbs for breakfast. I still have some, but fewer that at other meals. (I usually have a low-carb yogurt and some blueberries for breakfast.) I recommend experimenting with different meal combinations to find what works best for you.
This is common. I blame hormonal changes that are associated with the sleep cycle. Or, perhaps increased adrenaline production upon waking. There are ways to deal with this with insulin, but I’m not sure how type IIs manage this? What do you guys do?
I’m on insulin, so I have the same ways to deal with it as you do, @mohe0001. When I was on orals, which was just a short time, I took extra walks in the morning, or waited and ate breakfast a bit later in the day to compensate.
I never trust my morning bgs. I will be 83 when I wake up and 140, 2 hours later without eating anything. It seems our livers are very busy in the morning dumping glucose.
Thanks for your suggestion. I am not sure if this walking after breakfast is possible for me in the long run. However, I will try and post the result soon.
Gosh, I thought this only happened to me! I’m glad you’ve explained this.
I’m walking now, as in the winter I’m not so active. I’m sure this will help me after the breakfast ‘high’.
Thanks
When I exercise my bgs usually go up, not down. So Inusually Aboid exercising in the morning so my spikes don’t go higher.