A very confused none-diabetic with AC1 at 5.1
I had some blood test done last year and my A1c reading was 5.2, I repeated the blood test last week and my A1c came back at 5.1, which seems to be normal, but....
I have always been worried of becoming a diabetic because I eat too much sweets and pasta, and I have some people around me with diabetes and it's no fun, so I take it very seriously. In the last 2 months I have been checking my blood sugar in the morning and throughout the day, I have reduced the sugar and carbohydrates intake by at least 60% because I was getting morning readings from 95 to 102.
But something strange has been happening for the last 3 days, I have been eating small amounts of foods low in sugar and carbohydrates and fasting from 6:00 PM until 10:00 am the morning, when I go to sleep I have readings of about 87 to 92, but my glucose readings have been 102, 103 and 107 the following mornings, I am very confused to say the least, and have no idea what's going on, I know about the dawn phenomenon, but is isn't a non-diabetic supposed to wake up with glucose under 99 in the morning.
We appreciate you reaching out with your concern.
Fasting blood sugar (in the morning, before eating): Less than 100 mg/dL
1-2 hours after a meal: Less than 140 mg/dL
2-3 hours after eating: Less than 100 mg/dL
Many people will experience their glucose levels going up and down and the reason for this can be such a mystery. Your doctor would be able to give you more insight with further review of your health and possible testing. But I think you may find this article helpful, it talks about the many factors that affect one's gulose levels. You can access it here- https://type2diabetes.com/living/factors-affect-blood-glucose. With the current change you have made in the last couple of days, this could also be playing a factor. I encourage you to consult with your doctor to get a more definitive answer as everyone's experience status is different. I hope you get the clarification you need soon. Warmly, Latoya (Team Member)You are likely experiencing the dawn phenomena. It’s when your body releases cortisol to get you started for the day. It will drive your blood glucose up. It’s completely natural.
That being said, if you want to see if your lifestyle will lead to type 2 diabetes down the road, do a fasting insulin or c-peptide blood test. That will tell you if your insulin levels are normal or abnormally elevated. Abnorm insulin levels leads to insulin resistance and eventually to type 2 if untreated.
You are doing the right thing with cutting carbs though. Also frequency of meals is important ; don’t eat more than 2-3 times a day to let your body recover from blood sugar spikes.Thank you for your response. doing all I can to prevent this disease.
Keep up the good work. I was on medication for 30 years. I decided to do some lifestyle changes. Long story short my numbers were out of whack in the morning. My doctor explained the dawn phenomena effect to me and explain that so many things can cause this. I have been off of medication for a few months, and want to stay that way. Thanks for sharing with us and let us know how you are doing. Diane (Team Member)
