Greetings.
I was told by my doctor that I have pre-diabetes, after I had several fasting tests done and my numbers were between 103 and 112. I have been testing at home now for about 6 months. I am a bit confused about my readings. My fasting numbers (first thing in the morning after an 8 hour fast) run between 98 and 107. But all other times that I test, like 2 hours after a meal and just randomly, my numbers are rather low, like between 93 and 103 - so my question is ...why are my fasting numbers usually higher than at any other time that I test :confused:

Thanks.
Rick

There is something called the dawn phenomenon. Your body dumps glucose into your system during the night and in the wee, small hours of the morning. It does this to help you prepare for activity when you get up. Your dawn phenomenon is probably quite strong and because you have pre-diabetes, your body can't handle the size of the dump. For that reason your fasting blood sugar is slightly higher than it should be.

Some people have success circumventing this by eating a small carb + protein snack before bed.

Cora

I'm anxious to see what others say about this, too. I have the exact same thing. At my physical, my fasting test came in at 112, but my A1C was 5.4, which is good according to the dr. I have been checking my levels at home, too and I can go to bed with a 90 reading, and wake up with a 112 reading. Two hours after meals it is anywhere from 90 - 123. I was told I probably am pre diabetic - but am not taking any medications. I just don't understand these numbers.

I don't see why a slightly elevated fasting reading is a problem as long as it is well within normal ranges all other times. I don't see how being slightly elevated during the wee hours of the morning is any different than if you got up at 3:00 or 4:00 am in the morning and ate something. Because after all, every time we eat, blood glucose rises. I think the problem is if your glucose level is steadily high 24 hours a day. I've never had a reading that was over 112 before I ate or after I ate, so I can't see why they call me pre-diabetic.

This morning I was 100, but two hours after I ate lunch today I was 99. And I'll bet when I go to bed tonight I'll be in the low 90's. So really the only thing I can derive from this is that my blood glucose never falls below say 93 and never goes above 112 to 120. So do I really have a problem??

Have you had an A1C test? Apparently, that shows what your average blood glucose level has been for the last 3 months. I THINK my 5.4 was pretty good --

.... This morning I was 100, but two hours after I ate lunch today I was 99. ... my blood glucose never falls below say 93 and never goes above 112 to 120. So do I really have a problem??

My suggestion would be, don't ignore this wake-up call. Normal blood glucose ranges are a lot lower than the diabetes diagnosis benchmarks. Normal fasting BG is 70-90ml/dl. And normal HBA1c is 4.3% - 4.6%. So your levels are definitely elevated. Your blood glucose is returning to normal, but it is taking a long tiome for your pancreas to make this happen - hence the HBA1c of 5.4%. So there is most likely some insulin resistance there there could already have been some beta cell death.

Bear in mind that, with the onset of T1 diabetes, blood sugar only starts rising after 80% of beta cells have been destroyed. The indications are that, while you aren't a diabetic yet, your body is having difficulty keeping blood glucose down. Ignoring this is not going to make the problem go away. It will just mean that by the time you eventually start treating it, you will have a much bigger problem to deal with.

Mark

My suggestion would be, don't ignore this wake-up call. Normal blood glucose ranges are a lot lower than the diabetes diagnosis benchmarks. Normal fasting BG is 70-90ml/dl. And normal HBA1c is 4.3% - 4.6%. So your levels are definitely elevated. Your blood glucose is returning to normal, but it is taking a long tiome for your pancreas to make this happen - hence the HBA1c of 5.4%. So there is most likely some insulin resistance there there could already have been some beta cell death.

Bear in mind that, with the onset of T1 diabetes, blood sugar only starts rising after 80% of beta cells have been destroyed. The indications are that, while you aren't a diabetic yet, your body is having difficulty keeping blood glucose down. Ignoring this is not going to make the problem go away. It will just mean that by the time you eventually start treating it, you will have a much bigger problem to deal with.

Mark
Mark,
So, essentially the more often your blood sugar goes above normal the more your pancreas has to work, which eventually wears it out. I was wondering how after awhile a person who is borderline and doesn't exercise or watch their diet becomes diabetic. If this is the case then the gentleman above will eventually get higher readings after meals too, correct?

:p

Keep in mind too, that you may still be producing lots of insulin and still be considered to have full blown diabetes. Once your insulin resistance becomes severe enough your blood sugar may very well be high enough to cause damage.

While it may seem to you that your blood sugar is "not very" high, this is a warning and things will get worse, not better, if you don't do anything about it.

Cora