Why would a type 2 diabetes blood sugar level be high in the morning but way lower throughout the day?
My grandpa will wake up in the morning and find his blood sugar level (which I believe is what he measures with type 2 diabetes, correct me if im wrong) to be high, like 150-160, but he will go to his job which he does in the morning and comes home around 1pm most days, and when he measures it it is down to 110-130 already.
He has been continuing a very good diet full of fiber and fruit and vegetables, and doesn’t eat late night snacks anymore(which makes this more confusing) but from day 1 he has had this problem.
He asked his doctor and he seemed clueless. Anyone know anything about this?!?!?
sorry if i mixed up the details :/ i dont know what kind of doctor hes seeing or anything
Yes, he would be checking his blood sugar every morning and hopefully before each meal. He should also check at 1 hour and 2 hours after supper at least once a week. This will tell him how well his body is handling what he eats and if he needs to make any changes to his diet or meds.
This higher morning blood sugar is called Dawn Phenomenon. The solution for most diabetics is to have a small snack of about 15 carbs from whole grain, with some fat or protien. This reduces the amount of sugar that the liver releases overnight, resulting in a better reading in the morning.
A good bedtime snack is one slice of WHOLE GRAIN bread with peanut butter (the type with NO sugar added). Or if he doesn’t like peanut butter, he could add a slice of cold chicken or roast beef, or some low fat cream cheese.
His blood sugar in the morning should be between 110 and 135, so its a bit high right now. Having a small bedtime snack should help bring it down. I know it seems unlikely, but it works.
IF he has any history of heart disease or is at risk, this fasting level will give him a better chance of surviving a heart attack, at least that’s what my endocrinologist told me just this week. Having really tight blood sugar control is a bit risky when you are older or having heart related issues.
Tight blood sugar means having a fasting level from 90 to 120. He shouldn’t be aiming this low. Right now he’s not doing that badly and the snack at bedtime should help.
If he was a much younger man, his morning blood sugar goal should be between 5.0 and 120, but given his age, that’s just too low. Recent studies show that having a more moderate approach to blood sugar reduces the risks for older people and increased the survival rate (in both studies).
As a diabetic, he needs to be very careful what fruits he eats and how much. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are good choices as they are high in fiber and low in carbs compared to other fruits.
He should stay away from things like dried fruits such as raisins, figs and dates. Bananas are also quite high in sugar and not a good choice. He should also avoid canned fruits that have syrup. Look for fruits canned in water or juice, and drain off the juice, as its full of sugars, whether natural or added. Fresh fruit or fruit frozen with NO added sugar is far better than canned.
You can look up the carb content of fruits, veggies and other foods online at
http://www.calorieking.com/
http://www.thedailyplate.com/
http://www.thedailyplate.com/
and of course, if he’s using frozen or canned fruit, the carbs are listed on the packaging. Make sure he’s using the serving size suggested and not more.
Your grandpa might have better results if he tests his blood sugar more often, and keeps a food log for a little while. If you want a testing guide you can print off, you can download a PDF here..
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/flyer.pdf
admin on January 21st 2010 in Diabetes Fruits and Vegetables
suzanne_una responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 7:11 pm #
It’s called dawn phenomenon. It is more common with type I diabetics but can effect all diabetics. Many diabetics have an increased need for insulin during the night as your body releases other hormones while you sleep that can make you more insulin resistant.
You didn’t mention if he sees a primary care physician or an endocrinologist. If he is not seeing an endocrinologist you may want to suggest that he does. They specialize in diabetes care and will be able to help him understand what is going on and how to fix it. Please be aware that many doctors think 150 to 160 is a good blood sugar but anything over 80 to 120 can cause complications. So a specialist is what grandpa needs.
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megsy responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 7:35 pm #
I have the same phenomenon but my doctor assures me that its ok as my haemoglobin blood average is right on target – that’s the one that averages the cells over a period of three months
References :
Miz Lamb responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 7:51 pm #
It is dawn phenomenom which is caused by him NOT having his late night snacks.
If I do not have a bedtime snack of protein, fat and a tiny bit of carb I will have super high glucose reading first thing in the morning.
He needs to go back to having his late night snack.
Yes, doctors are totally clueless about this problem. They don’t have to personally deal with it so they can’t know what the lack of bedtime snacks do to a person.
References :
FREDERICK T responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 8:03 pm #
The figures you quote look more like blood pressure to me, you sure he is not seeing a witch doctor!
References :
Past experiance
gingerpuffball responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 8:32 pm #
my sister has diabetes and that happens to her. it’s actually caused because the liver takes in sugar during the day then releases them during the night to keep you stable. he could be getting lower during the day if he doesn’t eat a lot of carbs and sugar. that’s really great that he keeps his blood sugar within that range and changed his diet! my grandpa has type two and hasn’t changed his diet at all and i’m kinda worried about him
References :
SugarBabie responded on 21 Jan 2010 at 8:50 pm #
Yes, he would be checking his blood sugar every morning and hopefully before each meal. He should also check at 1 hour and 2 hours after supper at least once a week. This will tell him how well his body is handling what he eats and if he needs to make any changes to his diet or meds.
This higher morning blood sugar is called Dawn Phenomenon. The solution for most diabetics is to have a small snack of about 15 carbs from whole grain, with some fat or protien. This reduces the amount of sugar that the liver releases overnight, resulting in a better reading in the morning.
A good bedtime snack is one slice of WHOLE GRAIN bread with peanut butter (the type with NO sugar added). Or if he doesn’t like peanut butter, he could add a slice of cold chicken or roast beef, or some low fat cream cheese.
His blood sugar in the morning should be between 110 and 135, so its a bit high right now. Having a small bedtime snack should help bring it down. I know it seems unlikely, but it works.
IF he has any history of heart disease or is at risk, this fasting level will give him a better chance of surviving a heart attack, at least that’s what my endocrinologist told me just this week. Having really tight blood sugar control is a bit risky when you are older or having heart related issues.
Tight blood sugar means having a fasting level from 90 to 120. He shouldn’t be aiming this low. Right now he’s not doing that badly and the snack at bedtime should help.
If he was a much younger man, his morning blood sugar goal should be between 5.0 and 120, but given his age, that’s just too low. Recent studies show that having a more moderate approach to blood sugar reduces the risks for older people and increased the survival rate (in both studies).
As a diabetic, he needs to be very careful what fruits he eats and how much. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are good choices as they are high in fiber and low in carbs compared to other fruits.
He should stay away from things like dried fruits such as raisins, figs and dates. Bananas are also quite high in sugar and not a good choice. He should also avoid canned fruits that have syrup. Look for fruits canned in water or juice, and drain off the juice, as its full of sugars, whether natural or added. Fresh fruit or fruit frozen with NO added sugar is far better than canned.
You can look up the carb content of fruits, veggies and other foods online at
http://www.calorieking.com/
http://www.thedailyplate.com/
http://www.thedailyplate.com/
and of course, if he’s using frozen or canned fruit, the carbs are listed on the packaging. Make sure he’s using the serving size suggested and not more.
Your grandpa might have better results if he tests his blood sugar more often, and keeps a food log for a little while. If you want a testing guide you can print off, you can download a PDF here..
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/flyer.pdf
References :