8 weeks complete but blood sugars leaving me confused

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  • posted by Mrspepper
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    I was diagnosed with T2 10 weeks ago and have just finished 9 weeks on bsd (hoping to continue to 12)

    My blood sugar level was apparently 7 when I was diagnosed and since starting the 8 week bsd my measurements (using my own monitor) have been 6.2, 5.7, 5.6, 5.8, 5.4 so going down but are now creeping up to 6.2, 6.5, 6.1, 6.8 and today 6.4.

    I’ve lost over 10% of my body weight but don’t understand my my blood sugar levels are rising, not falling or normalising. Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated as feeling a little confused.

    Thanks in advance 🙂

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Welcome to the forum Mrspepper
    You have made a very good start. Losing 10% of your bodyweight is excellent.

    Are all your readings from blood tests taken first thing in the morning? If so – you might be experiencing the dawn phenomenon. If you search for it in the search box at the top right hand corner of the page you will find a lot of information on it. A lot of people do experience it and it doesn’t mean your blood sugars are getting worse. Is the 7 the result of an HB1aC test?

  • posted by Mrspepper
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    Hi

    Thank you. Yes the reading of 7 was after my HB1aC test.

    The results I’ve mentioned are a mix of first thing and then 2 hours after food but my average is just over 6 for fasting.

    I’ll take a look at the dawn phenomenon that you’ve mentioned.

    Thanks.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Your after meal blood sugars are so good. It took me months to get blood sugar readings under 8 when I tested two hours after meals. This is because my diabetes nurse thinks that I had undiagnosed diabetes for 15/20 years before I was diagnosed. My HB1aC was 125 (or 13.5%) which means my average blood sugar was 19.0. A random test when I was admitted to hospital was 26. So well done for tackling this straight away. It is so much easier to go into remission If you tackle it sooner rather than later.

    Did your doctor prescribe Metformin?

  • posted by marie123
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    Hi Mrspepper (btw, great name)

    Welcome to the Forum and like Krysia says, what a great start – completing 9 weeks and losing over 10% of your body weight. You must be pleased as punch!

    It’s good that you started the BSD so soon after your T2 diagnosis – I did the same following my T2 diagnosis last August.

    As far as your blood sugar levels go, those numbers seem pretty good to me, too.

    I used the diagrams and tools on diabetes.co.uk to check my progress last year – still do, in fact.

    I’ve just looked at all your blood sugar results on here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html (scroll part way down this page to diagram titled ‘HbA1c as an Indicator of Diabetes Control’) which allows you to see how your home monitor blood sugar results (below) compare to HbA1c numbers (above) – as you know, the HbA1c numbers are the ones usually used by GP practices/healthcare teams (in UK) to monitor progress. I also used the second calculator here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html to do the same thing.

    The HbA1c 7% on your diagnosis would be equivalent to a home monitor bgl figure of 8.5/8.6

    If you compare all the home monitor bgl numbers in your post they all come out as an HbA1c equivalent of below 42 (6%) which would put you back in the normal range. So, looks to me as if the BSD is working really well for you. So, well done that woman!!

    As far as your blood sugar numbers going up, it could be the dawn phenomenom as Krysia says. I never really had that (just as well because I’m not sure I can spell it!). But I did experience my bgls going up; for me it was about 4 or 5 weeks in and lasted for approx. 2 weeks before they came down again. I’ve read about that happening to quite a few other people on here at different points. The theory is that as your liver gives up its stores of fat, so it releases the sugar into your blood stream so your bgls rise again. So, if that’s right, it’s a positive thing. They do come down again.

    The only other thing I guess is to check your carbs and portion sizes haven’t started creeping up again. But, I’m sure you’ve got that.
    I’ve also read that illness, stress etc can impact on your numbers.

    But like Krysia says it seems to me you’re doing brilliantly.
    Marie xx

    nb Diabetes.co.uk do identify to be aware that the HbA1c and home monitor bgl tests measure different things (and in different time frames – bgl – single point in time, HbA1c – over a 3-month period) but they do believe the calculator etc can give a good indication of progress in relation to HbA1c.

  • posted by Squidge
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    Sorry, I’m not diabetic so te numbers don’t mean anything to me – but (assuming you were overweight to start with) congratulations on the weight loss.

  • posted by Mrspepper
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    I am confused about mt blood sugars in general, I’ve done lots of research but probably have overloaded on information, so the information and links are really appreciated

    I’m not on any meds for diabetes I was told to manage with diet and get retested in 6 months, hence doing lots of my own research as it felt like they’d lit the touch paper and ran out the door 🙂

    It’s great to hear that the readings seem good and yes I am happy with the weight loss as I was and still am in need of losing even more, it’s all going from everywhere but my tummy which is frustrating but hopefully that will come off as I continue to 12 weeks.

    Thanks so much, not feeling quite as lost right now x

  • posted by marie123
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    Hi Mrspepper,
    There’s such a lot to take in isn’t there? and at the same time you’re having to deal with the shock of being told you’re Type II, get used to what seems like a foreign language, follow a new way of eating etc. But you really are doing well xx

    Let us know how you get on with your bgls, ask any questions you want – there’s always someone who will help – and if you fancy it, join in any of the threads you like the look of – you’ll always be made welcome.

    Marie
    n.b. yes, that pesky tummy fat always seems the last to go!

  • posted by InTheHeartOfADyingStar
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    Hi all – mrspepper well done one the weight loss! Great achievement!
    I just wanted to ask about the dawn phenomenon…is the raised sugars a problem i.e. Lead to the diabetes complications we’re trying to avoid by cutting carbs? If we experience this, should we try increasing carbs to reduce this phenomenon, and make those morning blood sugars lower?

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