Am I a Diabetic?

[Trooper150]

My doctor ordered blood work, my glucose result was 103.  Doc wanted to put me on a Diabetic pill.  I told him No, I would watch what I eat and we'd go from there.  I used to junk out bad at night; candy, chips, drink regular cokes, ect...  Now I drink Diet Coke and I don't eat anywhere near like I used to.  I'm probably 10 pounds overweight.  I have a physical job.  I'm in good health, I have high blood pressure that is controled by meds.  I bought a AccuCheck Active tester.  I check my blood sugar regularly 2 hours after I eat, it usually ranges between 118-125.  In the mornings when I wake up, usually sleep 5 - 6 hours, my test reads anywhere between 111-118.  My question is am I a Diabetic?  I don't have increased thirst, I don't frequently urinate.  I have noticed when I get hungry I have a burning sensation in my stomach.  Its like a uncontrolable hunger that I get.  This has been driving me crazy.  I don't know whether I am a diabetic or not.  I don't understand after I eat, my levels are good (according to the booklet below 140 is good 2 hours after you eat) my ranges are 118-125.  Just in the mornings its 111-118.  If I fast for 12 hours it will be in the 103-107 range.  Your opinions would be appreciated.  Thanks

[Zoelula]

In general it's best to go with the first thing reading. Some people see a rise in blood sugar from caffeine, some do not. Yes, meters can be 20% off, but my suggestion is to take it at its word and just use it to compare changes. AccuCheck are among the more reliable ones. 'Testing is great, but don't drive yourself nuts. One useful thing to do is to see how different foods affect you by testing two hours after eating. Lowering your carb intake, finding what foods don't spike your blood sugar, having regular exercise, losing weight are all things you can do to slow the progression of diabetes. I would focus on that and consider knowing that you are pre-diabetic as an opportunity to make positive changes.

[Trooper150]

Thanks for your replies.  I kinda figured the medication was premature also.  I have a question about morning testing.  If I'm up for 30 minutes, not drink or eat anything and take my glucose it's below 100.  If I take it and have only been out of bed for 5 minutes it's the 111-118.  So which is correct?  Is it o.k. to wait 30 minutes after you wake up to test as long as you don't drink or eat anything?  Or what happens if I drink a cup of black coffee, nothing added, and test for my morning reading?  Is that o.k. to do?  Another question in during the day, say 3-4 hours after I have lunch and before supper my glucose level is 77-87.  So is all this still pre-diabetic?  I don't have a family history of this.  I've been reading that the meters can be 20% off.  How can you tell if you have a good meter?  I have a AccuCheck Active.  Its one of the one's that you don't have to use a solution with.  20% off reading levels could make a big difference. Thanks agian for your help.

[WaveRider]

Testing prior to bed will give you a good baseline to determine what’s going on in your body overnight. Most people’s blood glucose will fall throughout the night or remain steady. Your body, specifically your liver, will attempt to produce glucose over the course of the evening to keep your blood sugar somewhat stable throughout the night.

Toward morning, our bodies tend to gear up just prior to waking. Hormones begin kicking in to prepare the body for the coming day. The liver will dump its store of glucose to get things started. That’s a normal process in most people.

Many Type 2 Diabetics will notice very high fasting (morning) blood glucose numbers. This is the result of the liver producing/dumping glucose into their system at some point in the night. Once again, the insulin resistance works against you, so that glucose remains hanging out in your bloodstream in the morning instead of feeding your body’s cells. This high morning, fasting blood glucose is referred to as the Dawn Phenomenon. MedHelp does not allow posting of links to other web sites. I suggest you Google search Dawn Phenomenon.

[Zoelula]

Fasting blood sugars should be under 100, so anything from 100-125 is considered pre-diabetic. 126 and over is diabetic. So you fall in the pre-diabetic range and should be learning about what you can do to keep your blood sugar from rising or slow its rise. This would include diet and exercise. You've made a good start limiting the junk. I would suggest eliminating sugar altogether and reducing your carb intake. I also suggest losing the 10 pounds overweight which will also help. Some doctors like to nip it in the bud with medication but I think it's premature. Try diet, exercise and weight loss first and see how your numbers go.