I’ve been scuffling with daybreak phenomenon (excessive morning blood sugars) for the previous few weeks. As a result of I’ve modified my health routine and food plan lately (extra carbs, heavy lifts to construct muscular tissues and little or no cardio), I’ve seen an general enhance in my basal wants, and mornings particularly have been tough to get proper.
To determine one of the best ways to cope with my daybreak phenomenon, I’ve experimented with completely different timings for my morning basal. At this time I need to share the outcomes with you, as I believe they’re fairly attention-grabbing. It hasn’t been simple, so buckle up, I’m taking you for a journey.
Adjusting my basal insulin timing to keep away from Daybreak Phenomenon
I’m on MDI (a number of each day injections) and cut up my each day basal dose in two. One shot within the morning, and one at evening. I don’t want as a lot insulin through the evening, so splitting my dose helps me keep away from combating lows all evening (assuming I take the correct quantity, in fact).
As I discussed earlier, my general basal wants have elevated lately and deciding on the best insulin dosage has been difficult. I’ve gone from taking 10 models whole (7 models within the morning and three models at evening) to twenty models (15 models within the morning and 5 models at evening). That’s a reasonably large soar for me, on condition that I’m nonetheless understanding 6 days every week and consuming clear.
Getting the each day dosage dialed in has taken me a while, in addition to some trial and error, however to me that was the simplest (though usually most irritating) half since I can all the time make corrections through the day if I have to.
What has been an actual ache is coping with Daybreak Phenomenon. Since I put on a Dexcom CGM, I do know precisely when it hits me. Each morning at 6 AM my blood sugars begin to climb. That’s my hormones kicking in to get me prepared for the day.
They’re like: “HI! It’s 6 AM, time to get your day began so right here’s some glucose to provide the vitality to exit and kick butt!” That will be effective and dandy if it wasn’t for the truth that I don’t begin my day till 8 AM. Tobias and I are extra into working at evening and sleeping in, in order that’s how we’ve structured our workdays.
As you possibly can see from the graph under, my blood sugar will spike like loopy even earlier than I get up if I don’t take my morning basal till 8 AM. I find yourself battling excessive sugars for hours, solely to crash at round 2 PM. I don’t should inform you how irritating that is!
If I had been on a pump, I’d have set a better basal fee for my mornings (this complete ordeal has virtually made me contemplate pumping), however since I’m not, I’ve discovered that the one method I can counteract this enhance is by setting an alarm to six AM, taking my basal then, and going again to mattress.
This implies interrupting my sleep, which isn’t that wholesome, however on day, it can enable me to catch my daybreak phenomenon earlier than it actually kicks in.
The draw back to this method (apart from having to get up at 6 AM) is that it’s going to generally make my blood sugars drop too low at round 9 AM (earlier than breakfast) like within the graph under.
So, tomorrow I’ll attempt setting the alarm to 7 AM to take my basal. I hope that I gained’t see the insane enhance in my blood sugars or the crash at 9 AM, however who is aware of.
My level with all of that is that if you wish to actually dial in your diabetes administration, then taking very detailed notes and being ready to do a number of trial and error is the way in which to go. It’s exhausting to get proper, however it may be completed.
I’d contemplate myself considerably of a black belt within the diabetes trial and error division, however, as you possibly can learn right here, even I battle generally. So, if this all makes you uncomfortable, or when you want a second set of eyes in your knowledge, I recommend working intently along with your medical crew. As a result of not solely are loopy blood sugars uncomfortable, annoying, and dangerous to your well being, in addition they mess along with your health progress. And we are able to’t have that, can we? 😀
To study extra in regards to the principle of daybreak phenomenon and the “textbook” method to coping with it, you possibly can learn the visitor submit Managing Daybreak Phenomenon with Basal Insulin by Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE
