BS Increasing overnight

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
BS Increasing overnight
1
Mon, 06-25-2007 - 11:07pm

I've been monitoring my BS a lot closer than my doc suggested--partly because I don't really trust her opinion on anything anymore and partly because I'm trying to get a better handle on BS fluctuations.


I always 1st thing in the AM, then test 2 hours after lunch, but sometimes again right before dinner, then again 2 hours afterwords (depending on what I've been eating & my activity level); then always again at bedtime, which is usally 4 hours or after dinner.  However, even though I'm not eating or drinking a thing other than water (and a handful of prescription pills) after dinner more than 1/2 the time my BS in the AM is 20-30 higher than it was the night before. 


Any idea what would cause this and is it of any concern?  Most of the time when it's higher it's in the mid 140's-to mid 150's--obviously not within the desired range, but the rest of the time it is and the numbers are gradually improving across the board. 


When I went to my diabetes class last week they suggested I talk with my doc about doubling my dosage of metformin from 500mg twice a day to 1000mg twice a day because my BS hadn't been dropping to normal levels, although they'd dropped a lot from pre-med levels.  She said metformin doesn't have to build up in the blood like some meds and I should have seen a very rapid response to it.  My doc hasn't bothered to return my call so far and this week, my levels have been much closer to the desired range, even when my diet has been worse and with less exercise than the previous week and I fully expected the opposite to happen!?!


Thanks,


Marci

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 1:30am

Marci,


The advise from the diabetes educator was appropriate. What you are seeing is the effects of insulin resistance. Your liver gets busy converting fats into sugar at about 3- 4 AM and your pancreas makes insulin, usually more than you really need, but isn't able to breakdown the glucose because of resistance to the insulin. Metformin decreases insulin resistance and so that is why it was suggested that the doctor increase your dosage. It is important to stop the insulin resistance because this can wear out your pancreas and cause you to need to go on insulin. This is different than what happens to type 1 diabetic who's body turns on their pancreas and destroys it.


I hope this makes sense to you. Please ask away!




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