Fasting Glucose 170!

(Rob Grantham) #1

Woke up this morning and decided to do a fasting blood glucose. I was shocked and very worried when it came out at 170.I retested a half hour later and it was down to 83. What’s going on?does anyone else have this?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #2

It’s called Dawn Phenomenon.

Just before waking around 4am, the body secretes higher levels of growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon, and adrenaline. Together these are called the counterregulatory hormones - they counter the blood sugar lowering effects of insulin, meaning that they raise blood sugar.

It’s a hormonal surge to prepare your body for the day ahead. Glucagon tells the liver to start ushing some glucose. Adrenaline gives the body some energy. Growth hormone is involved in cell repair and the synthesis of new protein.
Coritsol, the stress hormone, increases as a general activator. All of these hormones peak in the early morning hours and then fall to low levels during the day. Insulin also increases in the morning to make sure the blood glucose does not go too high.

The same phenonemum is seen during fasting, insulin levels drop, but the hormones are still causing stored sugar to be released into the bloodstream, raising blood sugar levels. Hope that helps :slight_smile:

#3

@ava_ad0re has described dawn phenomenon perfectly so I’ll just throw it out there that it could also have been an error - be it a dodgy strip or something on your finger. 170 is pretty high even for a diabetic so if you’re not diabetic I wouldn’t panic unless it happens again.

(Rob Grantham) #4

Thank you… yes I tested after about an hour after waking and it had gone back to 83.tested again now and it’s at 95. I havnt eaten since yesterday at 5pm so that could be why… I just was extremely alarmed with the 170

#5

83 & 95 are perfectly good numbers so if you see another weird one like the 170 it’s always worth washing & thoroughly drying your hands & checking again :slightly_smiling_face:

(Rob Grantham) #6

Yeah just tested again and it’s 76 so it’s dropped a fair but. I’ll be testing again tomorrow morning. Could be the fact that I just started IF again yesterday. My last meal was at 5pm

#7

Cool. Do let us know how it goes - I’d be interested to see if dawn phenomenon can cause a number that high in someone who has such good blood glucose otherwise.

(Rob Grantham) #8

When I tested 1 hour after eating it was at 86. Phew. I’m not diabetic :grin:

(bulkbiker) #9

Doubt it… mine usually drop when fasting… I’d second the dodgy test strip or something on the finger… I don’t think its possible to go from 170 to 83 in 1/2 an hour.

(Natasha) #10

170… My guess is that there something on the surface of your finger that messed with the text results

https://www.joslin.org/info/little_things_that_can_have_a_big_impact_on_your_blood_glucose_reading.html

(Rob Grantham) #11

It’s strange that 1 hour after my first meal I’m at 86 then at two hours 96. Isn’t it supposed to rise then fall after meals? Is 96 high?

(bulkbiker) #12

Not really …depends on what the meal was… what you did in the hour… and with the accuracy of your meter being ± 15% the blood sugar could have been at the same level for both readings…

(Bob M) #13

My blood sugar guess up all day until about noon, whether I eat or not. Then it goes down all day until around midnight.

(Rob Grantham) #14

Ok so as an update. I took several readings this am. I’m waking 86 around 1 hour later 95 then at 9am 86. Yesterday’s reading in guessing would have been an anomaly. Thanks everyone for your support. It would have been easy for me to panic and Chuck in the towel

#15

Mystery solved - good stuff.

(Bunny) #16

Try testing after you eat? “…So, if you eat a low-carb diet and have borderline high FBG (i.e. 90-105 )…” “…Your post-meal blood sugars and A1c levels are more important…”

See also: Blood Glucose Monitoring Protocols