Do any of you have problems getting your fasting numbers down, although over all your numbers are pretty good? My fastings are usually in the 140's and nothing I do seems to change that. I take Metformin 850 2 x day and then 500mg at bedtime.
Would fasting numbers like that cause any problems? The doctors don't seem to concerned, since my A1C's are around 6.0.
You may be experiencing the dawn phenomenan. That's when your body gets hungry over night. Your liver gets worried your bs is dropping, and therefore dumps glucose into your blood stream to raise your bs. Only, your bs wasn't dropping. So it's there and doesn't need to be, volia! High bs.
Usually a protein/ 15 grams complex carb snack at bedtime clears things up.
Last edited by blondy2061h; 04-22-2006 at 02:50 PM.
It isn't glucose that the liver dumps into your blood, it's glucagon, which is similar to glucose but the body doesn't use it quite as effectively. The bedtime snack as mentioned by blondy will help. A low carb diet will also help. I've tried typical ADA diets and low carb diets and I can get those fasting levels in line with either type of diet. However, if you eat too many carbs before bedtime, it backfires on you. Yes, I've tried cheating on both diets and it totally doesn't work when you cheat. Darn it!!!
It isn't glucose that the liver dumps into your blood, it's glucagon, which is similar to glucose but the body doesn't use it quite as effectively. The bedtime snack as mentioned by blondy will help. A low carb diet will also help. I've tried typical ADA diets and low carb diets and I can get those fasting levels in line with either type of diet. However, if you eat too many carbs before bedtime, it backfires on you. Yes, I've tried cheating on both diets and it totally doesn't work when you cheat. Darn it!!!
The alpha cells of the iselts of langerhans (endocrine pancreas) are what secrete glucagon, which in turn stimulates the liver to release glycogen, which is stored glucose. So yes, it is the liver that releases glucose.
Do any of you have problems getting your fasting numbers down, although over all your numbers are pretty good? My fastings are usually in the 140's and nothing I do seems to change that. I take Metformin 850 2 x day and then 500mg at bedtime.
Would fasting numbers like that cause any problems? The doctors don't seem to concerned, since my A1C's are around 6.0.
Thanks
Ramona
Hi Ramona,
The "Dawn Phenomenon" is common for a lot of us Diabetic's. My fasting numbers are 100-120. I use to test myself as soon as I woke (even before a cup of coffee) it made me uncomfortable to see the high numbers. Now I don't test myself until I get to my office 2 hours later and they are always within my normal range of 80-90.
I worried about it at first and tried everything to bring my fasting numbers down but nothing worked and I found out sometimes nothing would.
As long as my fasting numbers aren't above 120 - they return to normal with the next hour or so. It's when my normal fasting number is above 120 that offset my day of having higher number ranges. And luckily that has not happened in a very long time.
I take no Diabetic medication and control my BG with diet and supplements...my recent A1C was 5.4.
