Intense Thirst Overnight

Type 2
1

So these days, I have very normalized blood sugars. I very rarely go past 120, after 1 hour, postprandial, and even less after 2 hours. I check my meter regularly, so I know it’s not defective, nor are my strips… and it has never been off from a lab test by more than 15 pts or so. I also check with other meters I have. My last A1C with a BayerA1CNow, is 5.3%. While these things are not 100% accurate, it IS accurate enough to know that I’m not in some kind of dangerous reading. I don’t have ANY other symptoms at all, of high blood glucose, or anything… I feel wonderful! Except for the intense thirst overnight (during the day, I am fine.)


Why am I waking up every night, around 4 or 5, incredibly thirsty? I drink enough water a day -- usually a lot more than 64 ounces, and sometimes even up to bedtime. Not really a good strategy, cus they I have to go pee right in the middle of the night. lol But... it doesn't help the thirst at 4 or 5 am, either. My blood glucose is fine at that time of the morning, too, but generally in the 90s... In the mornings, say 7:30 or 8 am when I get up, it will be past 100... Like this morning it was 109... and it has been known to be up as much as 115, first thing.

I've thought it was dawn phenomenon before, and had some piece of cheese, or peanut butter, before bed, and it seemed to help once, but not anymore. I've even had carbs, or a richer or heavier snack. None of that has helped. While I eat less carbs than most, I am not a regular low-carber, and the regular amount of carbs I have is generally slightly less than what woman my size should, anyway... about 70-90 g a day. I'm only 4'9 tall.

I've had elevated liver enzymes for at least 2 years now... that much I know, because I got tested when I was taking some anti-depressants for a while... though all they said was that I had a fatty liver, and that I needed to go on a diet (no one ever bothered to check for Diabetes). I have not gotten them retested since I was diagnosed, 3 months ago, but I will go back for more retesting in 3 weeks, and the elevated morning sugars have not been an issue at all, until about 3 weeks ago.

I also exercise regularly, about 30 min every other day, but not something so horribly intense as to drop my BG below 100 or anything (these days, it will never go below 100, after exercise). I exercise in the evenings, and now I am concerned that might be too close to bedtime... but then some people say that closer to bed time is better, for lower blood glucose... even on dLife they say that (for treating Dawn Phenomenon). So I don't know. I always test very carefully, before, and after, so to make sure I don't have any issues.. and I have snacks when needed... so I don't know what's going on.

Though the number itself is not atrocious or anything, I just want some ideas as to what is going on, and to know how to best start curbing it before it gets out of control, because it is always higher in the morning than right before bed... And believe me, I have tried a lot of things. I was taking a B supplement, and I ditched that, plus I ditched any moutwash and toopastes with sucralose and sugar alcohols, and that helped for a while... but not anymore.

Any thoughts as to what might be going on, before I go to the doc, are welcome...


Thanks.
2

I know it’s a long post… sorry guys. Now I wonder if it’s Diabetes Insipidus, as dehydration can raise blood glucose levels: “Diabetes insipidus, which is unrelated to the more common disorder diabetes mellitus, occurs when the hormone vasopressin is lacking or when the kidneys are unable to respond to it. Vasopressin prevents the kidneys from excreting too much water. The disorder may result in the excretion of several gallons of urine daily resulting in great thirst despite drinking large quantities of liquids.”

If I don’t get up and pee right away, on those days, the pain of a full bladder is incredible, and yes, I do pee for a long, long while. Can’t say that it’s several gallons, but it does feel like it. lol

3

The main reason for thirst in diabetes is that the body is excreting excess acids that it needs to dilute (with water) before it passes through the kidneys so they don’t become damaged. Have you checked for ketones? or taken a urine pH? I would lay money that somehow, despite your reasonable BG readings, you’re a little on the acidic side and that’s why you’re thirsty. You drink sufficient water during the day to keep your urine from becoming too acid but not at night. Suggest you test for ketones and/or overly acidic urine, and have your doc check your kidney function. That’s my thought, for what it’s worth. But I wouldn’t just let this lie because if it is incipient (or active) ketoacidosis, that’s not something to mess with. It’s unusual in a T2, but not impossible. Have you had any infections lately? That can sometimes do it…

4

You do need to get this checked out. I only have those symptoms when my BGs are over 300

5

No infections right now… that I can think of, anyway. No potential infections, either, that I can think of needing to get checked out. Will do the ketone check in a bit… Won’t take long, the way I drink water. lol

6

Small level of ketones… But this is to be expected for people who low carb… and it has never affected me before… so, I just don’t know. I guess I’ll have to see at the doctor’s in 3 weeks… (or test again for ketones at 4 am, or something, when the thirst and need to urinate wakes me up.)

7

It may be caused by a medication. Do you take something at night?

8

No… I take Levothyroxine (used to be 150 mcg, now it’s 125 mcg), and Cyclessa (birth control, for my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)… but I do that in the morning, when I get up, after I test. I’ve taken them forever, pretty much… Since I was 15 yrs old.

9

I’m 33.

10

It’s possible… still means you need a kidney function test. Good luck.

11

Well, the problem is that the PCOS causes me to develop these follicles on my ovaries, and the follicles will cover up the whole ovaries, and prevent eggs from being released, causing missed periods… and cysts to develop where those eggs implanted themselves in the ovaries, where they couldn’t get out… I have to take birth control pills regularly, because the birth control pills burn up the follicles, allowing the eggs to release, and then have periods. If I were not to take those, in time, my body would think it was approaching an early menopause, and cause other complications, as well.

12

Yeah, I will certainly push for this at my next appointment… thanks for all the good suggestions. :slight_smile:

13

Just a thought…do you by chance sleep with a c-pap machine? I know that mine dries out my mouth at night and I wake very thirsty. I don’t use the humidifier attachment currently which I assume is why the drying action.

14

I don’t… I don’t have any insurance, but my husband is pretty convinced I have sleep apnea. He says, though, that since I have lost 51 lbs, I know longer stop breathing or snoring extremely loudly (embarrassing, I know). I had been doing just fine, for the first 2 months since my diagnosis… and my thirst and higher BG issues in the am (not horribly high, just a tad higher than usual) are basically a month old. I sleep on my side now, and it helps with a lot issues, but still…

15

Have you tried just using a humidifier in the room that you sleep in? Maybe that might help with the dry mouth?

16

We’ve definitely been thinking about that, Unicornzzz. My unemployment just ran out, so I can’t purchase it… I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll get a job soon, so I can buy all those things I need to care for myself. Thanks.

17

Have you considered joining Freecycle to see if anyone is trying to give away a humidifier (or other things you might need)? Most communities have a local group you can join online, and when you have things to get rid of you can also do that.

18

I’ll look it up, Ellie! :slight_smile: I sometimes use Craig’s List, but they have just a limited amount of stuff… Thanks for the head’s up! :slight_smile:

19

UPDATE: I’ve started having an 8 oz serving of Powerade Zero, which has a lot of electrolytes, every evening before bed, and right after exercise, and my fasting blood glucose levels have slowly started dropping below 100, and this morning they went as far down as 86 mg/dL, again. The Powerade Zero has a very slight amount of sodium, potassium, and vitamin B complex. It seems to really help control my thirst overnight, by controlling the extreme dehydration… and thus, lower my BG numbers. I had tried the snacks at bedtime, but there were nights when it really didn’t work, or it only dropped a couple of points, so I was kind of unsure this was it… I had tried 5 ounces of red wine, and it actually made me really sick, instead, and didn’t make too much of a difference to make the sick feeling worth it. I figure this is because alcohol dehydrates, as well. For now, I’m going to stick with the electrolytes and hopefully, when Spring and Summer kick in, and no need to have a heater on, with it’s accompanying dryness, I won’t have as many troubles. :slight_smile: Thanks all, for all your suggestions, and ideas… I will probably also get a humidifier at some point. :slight_smile: