So confused by my blood sugar numbers!!

malem · 03-07-2009, 01:28 AM

Hello. I am new to this forum but I have been lurking for a long time. I am 24 years old and was diagnosed with Pcos and Ir ten years ago. I went to see a specialist in my hometown, and he put me on metformin. I have tried it every way possible for the past ten years but I CANNOT take that medication. It makes me deathly ill. I can't leave my home because of the vomiting, diarrhea, etc. I lost a lot of weight but it was only from being so sick all the time.

In the past year I have been experiencing severe hair loss even though my testosterone came back as normal. It is 70, and although I think that is high for me, my new endo does not seem concerned. I also have a very odd body shape, very skinny arms and legs, a tiny waist and HUGE hips. It is like I have shoved an inner tube down around my lower abdomen and hips. I do not have that apple shape that people talk about. I never lose weight though no matter how much I exercise or how much I control my food. My mom and sister lost a ton of weight each by eating EXACTLY what I do but my scale did not budge!

I am on bcp but that is all right now. I take a bunch of different herbs and supplements but I stopped everything for a few days to have blood tests taken recently. I decided to test my own blood sugar, for the first time, and see what it is like when I am off all meds and supplements so that I have a base line to compare it to.

I am very careful about my diet and although it is not low, low carb, I do not eat any white flour or sugars, only very whole grain, oats, bulgar, barley, beans, etc. I thought my blood sugar would go up after eating and then go down at 2 hours and 3 hours and that it would be lowest in the morning.

My mom and my brother and sister are testing their blood sugar with my meter right along with me so we can see if my readings are much different than theirs. Like my own little research group ! LOL

My blood sugar is usually 113 when I get up, after fasting all night.
103 after a meal
107 after 2 hours
105 after 3 hours

No raised blood sugar EVER after a meal, and it never really goes down, no matter what. That seems so odd. Everyone else in my family has blood sugar that goes up to 128-144 after a meal and then back down after two hours. We are all eating EXACTLY the same thing and the same portions during this experiment. ( God bless my very hungry little brother!!)

Everyone else has low blood sugar after fasting all night but not me. Mine is highest then.

Does anyone understand this?

I have read 100's of threads on this site and lots of books, over the past ten years and I think understand a lot about Pcos and what herbs and supplements to try but these blood sugar readings seem strange to me. I have been to five or six "experts" but they do not seem to be much help.

Thanks so much.

oldhousegirl · 03-08-2009, 01:32 AM

I don't monitor my sugar because it's normal. But my father is diabetic, and I'm active in his health care. I know that after meals his sugar typically goes up more than 100 pts (well, if he's eating carbs). Day after day this is his norm. He starts out about same as you (110 or so) but easily goes up over 200 after eating.

When you say you've seen experts, do you mean endocrinologists?

I think that even people with no IR issues have a spike in blood sugar immediately after eating.

God bless your family for doing this experiment with you.

Has your thyroid been tested?

malem · 03-09-2009, 12:15 AM

Hi, thanks for the reply. I live in Cincinnati and for years I saw one of the leading experts in the Pcos/metformin field. He did many many tests but he was impatient about answering my questions. Now I see a group of endo's at a research hospital but they are little help too. They think that my testosterone level is normal at 70, but that is way to high for me.
I have had my thyroid checked and it is normal.

The weird thing is that my blood sugar NEVER goes UP or DOWN. And the rest of my family has a more normal reaction. I am stumped....

Lane · 03-09-2009, 12:59 AM

Are you eating right before bed? If so, as your body releases what it needs to in order to deal with those nutrients, you might have higher blood sugar levels upon waking. Its interesting that it's only happening in the morning though. However, I think digestion might be slower while you're sleeping which may be why it happens when you wake up only.

Lane · 03-09-2009, 01:02 AM

I found this interesting. Actually, my mom has complained that this growth hormone issue has affected her sleep at night. She wakes up every night at 3am and has to drink a small glass of milk or eat a light snack in order to fall back asleep and stay asleep. Perhaps having higher blood sugar in the morning goes hand in hand with this as well?

http://www.steadyhealth.com/High_Blo...ly_t67413.html