In the last two weeks the temperature in Germany climbed from -4 to +15°C max. This is all very pleasing and I feel relieved that the winter has been defeated. On the other hand this change in temperature messes with my morning blood glucose. I am taking vitamin D supplementation for a month now. In combination with the higher temperatures and the increased sunlight this triggered an unusual dawn reaction for me.
The next chart shows you the glucose control of the last 6 months. The yellow circle shows you the rise in the morning in the last weeks:
This trend in the morning can also be seen in the mean glucose per hour. The red line shows the mean for the last 30 days. The blue line shows the mean for the 30 days before. The yellow arrow shows the development:
I have reduced the vitamin D supplementation from 2000IU to 1000IU to see if this makes any difference. Since I am feeling better with the vitamin D I am reluctant to give it up.
This is the first time that this seasonal tendency has caught my attention. It this just a coincidence? Is the seasonal change the real cause or do you suspect the vitamin D? I can clearly state that I have reacted to the D supplementation with some severe dawn reactions. It felt as if my adrenal gland has woken up. But this evened out and than with the rise in temperature it came back.
I’ve been taking 5000 IU of Vit D3 daily for about a year & haven’t noticed any effect on BG.
My insulin needs go down some when the days get longer, or it’s that my insulin needs increase in the winter. Would be interesting to know what chemical reactions take place with increased daylight since all living creatures react to this.
Very interesting discussion. I have started to take some Vitamin D3 (1000IU) on days when I don’t get any sunshine at all, so not every day, and have seen a big increase in my dawn phenomenon over the last three weeks, too, from about 100 after breakfast to 120s and 130s (I’m not on any medication, just diet). How long did your “severe dawn reactions” go on for before evening our?
Interesting. That’s such a low dose to be having that much of an effect, especially since you don’t take it daily. Wonder if this is actually due to D3.
I always have to make insulin dose changes in the spring. Haven’t noticed any difference since I’ve started taking D3 but will take a closer look at my CGM results.
You may be right. Then again, the increase in dawn phenomenon may - as Holger suggests - be down to the increase in temperature. Here in Rome, we have gone from 12 to 20 degrees over the last week. But that would only explain the last week. And last but not least, it could just be the end of my beautiful LADA honeymoon… What makes me nervous is that I have no way of controlling it since I’m not on any medication, so I was just thinking going back on metformin, which seems like a big step IF I can bring the morning bs down by simply stopping D3 or by waiting until my body adjusts to the higher temperatures…
Many doctors will not look at vitamin D levels at all. I am thinking about having my levels tested after some months of supplementation with D3. What was the level your doctor recommended to achieve in your blood? Was he surprised by the high levels of supplementation you need?
It evened out after some initial spikes. So I had 4 spikes in 1 1/2 weeks and then I was back at normal levels but two week later the spiking came back. Interestingly the situation seems to calm down again.
I think that you should wait until your body has adjusted to the new temperatures. In your situation you can expect that your control will gradually deteriorate (not meant as bad prophecy). Due to the bad accuracy of current meters it needs more higher values to make the right decision. You can compensate certain developments with dietary adjustments. But there will be a turning point where Metformin and later Insulin needs to be taken again. Please do not avoid carbs totally. In a way your reaction to carbs helps to find the right treatment for you.
I don’t take vit D3 but over the past two weeks my morning BS have sky rocketed! (right along with the first warm days) I’ve been doing fantastic up until then. Tested at 3am to see if I was bottoming out and bouncing back but no, it seemed to just increase through the night. And you’re right, this seems to happen every spring and then I think it changes again in the fall. I know this has been discussed before and others seem to have the same issue. I asked my Endo about it and he seemed to think it’s do to more activity, but I disagree. There has been no more activity than all winter - same scheduled of exercise, it’s not like I take up softball every March! I’ve had to increase my morning dose quite a bit to get it down. Don’t know what to do to lower the morning, maybe increase lantus at bed?
@Barb: I think your are right. It must be the switch between the seasons. It seems as if our body has to adjust and this causes some fluctuations in blood glucose.
I’ve had to increase my morning dose quite a bit to get it down. Don’t know what to do to lower the morning, maybe increase lantus at bed?