The other thread on hypoglycemia is a very good, informative thread that people should be aware of. I'm starting this new thread to see if anyone out there has experienced a related situation.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. Right around that time (and before I went on glucophage for the diabetes), I came home from practice one night feeling lousy. I checked my glucose level and found it to be 279, which is very high. I continued to test every 15 minutes to half hour to see where it was going and it gradually came down to a normal level. This happened even though I ate a meal after seeing that it was going down (and I felt like I needed food). I never eat for a few hours before a workout, and my glucose levels had been at or near normal for days before this happened.
After this incident, I started testing immediately before and after a workout and found that my glucose level ALWAYS goes up after a workout, with nothing but water taken in during the workout. I had several times back then where it went over 200. Nowadays it doesn't go that high, but I am taking glucophage now.
My doctor just shakes her head and says "that's not right, it should go down with a workout". Tell me something I don't know! I saw an endocrinologist that thought that this could be consistent with a delayed insulin response that diabetics have, hence the start of my medication.
Has anyone else out there seen such a response with their glucose levels?
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Former Member
I hesitate to make much of a reply, as I am confused too.
I manage diabetic patients (primary care) and have some experience with the disorder. I am a little fascinated by your glucose findings. My very first initial thought is to make sure your glucometer is properly calibrated.
Next, you say that you don't eat for several hours before a workout, and only consume water during. If so, then elevated glucose is unlikely to be from anything exogenous (ie eaten) after your exercise, especially if your glucose was normal (assuming you mean less than 150 or so) before your exercise.
That leaves gluconeogenesis (your body making its own sugar) as the sole cause of the elevated blood sugar. Generally with type II DM, you have resistance to insulin which then leads to both elevated insulin levels and elevated glucose levels both. The other hormones that promote use instead of storage of sugar then become relatively overpowered. You can usually see this in action best with your fasting (first thing in the morning) glucose readings, which I would bet $10 are some of your highest sugars (owing to overnight gluconeogenesis).
Looking at this in a similar way, the imbalance between insulin resistance and the other counter regulatory hormones are what is leading to your high blood sugar after exercise, since your body is currently more sensitive to the other hormones (glucose raising) versus insulin (glucose lowering). Over time, metformin (glucophage) and exercise are known to lower this insulin resistance, so you are doing the right thing for sure. I doubt dehydration is doing this, although it is possible when your glucose gets over 200, as then you lose sugar in the urine, which causes an increase in fluid loss. This takes more time, though -- hours to days.
This is still kinda weird. Wish I had an easy answer, but if you were my patient I would be delighted that you are exercising!
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Former Member
I hesitate to make much of a reply, as I am confused too.
I manage diabetic patients (primary care) and have some experience with the disorder. I am a little fascinated by your glucose findings. My very first initial thought is to make sure your glucometer is properly calibrated.
Next, you say that you don't eat for several hours before a workout, and only consume water during. If so, then elevated glucose is unlikely to be from anything exogenous (ie eaten) after your exercise, especially if your glucose was normal (assuming you mean less than 150 or so) before your exercise.
That leaves gluconeogenesis (your body making its own sugar) as the sole cause of the elevated blood sugar. Generally with type II DM, you have resistance to insulin which then leads to both elevated insulin levels and elevated glucose levels both. The other hormones that promote use instead of storage of sugar then become relatively overpowered. You can usually see this in action best with your fasting (first thing in the morning) glucose readings, which I would bet $10 are some of your highest sugars (owing to overnight gluconeogenesis).
Looking at this in a similar way, the imbalance between insulin resistance and the other counter regulatory hormones are what is leading to your high blood sugar after exercise, since your body is currently more sensitive to the other hormones (glucose raising) versus insulin (glucose lowering). Over time, metformin (glucophage) and exercise are known to lower this insulin resistance, so you are doing the right thing for sure. I doubt dehydration is doing this, although it is possible when your glucose gets over 200, as then you lose sugar in the urine, which causes an increase in fluid loss. This takes more time, though -- hours to days.
This is still kinda weird. Wish I had an easy answer, but if you were my patient I would be delighted that you are exercising!
