Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group T2 Diabetics:Blood Glucose goes up when flaring?

Hello Fellow Type 2 Diabetics who take their blood glucose readings. Either fasting blood glucose each morning or that plus before and after meals throughout the day.

I've been taking my FBG (fasting blood glucose) most mornings, especially lately. This past week I was fighting a flare and my FBG was usually between 110-120. Before that, it would often fluctuate between being in the 90s and being in the 110s, which didn't make a lot of sense, since I had ruled out what I ate, how much exercise I was getting, etc etc.

Anyway, yesterday I had a FBG of 132 (which I'd never seen above 120) and was feeling pretty bad. Then I did the Humira and this morning it was 113, still high, but not as high and I feel a lot better today. Will see what my FBG is in the morning.

But for those of you with diabetes and spondyloarthropathy, have you noticed that when you flare, your blood glucose seems higher?

I'm thinking this might be a really good marker for how my inflammatory arthritis is doing.

Sue, that's an interesting question. My sweetie might have some insight into that as he is T2 Diabetes with Psoriatic Arthritis.

It wouldn't surprise me if there were a direct connection. Blood sugar levels are affected by almost everything from diet to emotional fluctuations to exercise to stress. It seems to me that being in flare puts stress on the system which would affect your blood sugar levels.

Do you know if any studies have ever been done?

Love and warm hugs,

Hi Sue,

I take insulin, victoza, and Metformin. With each passing year my pancreas is dying and I need for medication. I do find if I am sick with a cold etc. my sugar does go up. I don't really have flares now. I just am sore most of the time. My blood sugar doesn't seem to change with my joint pain. I have lots of ankle pain today and my sugar is good.


Janet

Thanks Kat,

I haven't found anything to read on this, but I will ask my rheumatologists his thoughts when I meet with him next time.

If I had an endocrinologist / diabetes doctor, I'd ask him / her as well, but since my diabetes isn't too severe, my GP is handling it.

Thanks for responding

Janet,

thanks for responding. I know others on the diabetes forum say that when they are sick (head cold / flu), their blood glucose is worse, so what you are saying sounds familiar.

On Humira, the first week is really good, the second week is a struggle, and my blood sugar seems to fluctuate as well, and seems to trend with how I feel, though I do need more data to confirm my initial data.

The rheumy said we could switch me to every 10 days instead of every 14 days like he does for his crohn's patients, but then the risk of Humira wearing off for good (antibodies against) increases or so it seems, so I told him we'd try to stick to the 14 day schedule.

Thanks for responding

My Blood Glucose is effected by pain or stress. I do get an A1C test every few months at the Health Fair. That seems to be a better indication of how well one is controlling their blood sugars/

Hi Smed,

Yes, I agree; I get my A1c done as well.

But doing it daily has allowed me to see these sort of connections that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. And I found it interesting.

thanks for your feedback as well.

I also test every morning after fasting during the night. I have also noticed if I take blood sugar after I walk on the treadmill it spikes up. My one son does diabetic counseling says that if you eat a large meal at night overloading the stomach distends the colon causing a release of insulin larger than normal 4 to 5 hrs later. If no food has been eaten then that will also raise blood sugars in the morning. After a large meal he suggest 4 hrs later eat a small snack.

thanks Smed for the advice. I have noticed a few things by taking my FBG in the morning and taking it before and after meals on the weekends. I've noticed that the more I eat at the beginning of the day and the less I eat at the end of the day, the better my BG is in general.

For some reason, my body is really good at regulating BG after I eat, before say 4 or 5 pm and then after that its really downhill. So I usually try to eat more at breakfast, lunch and less at dinner, after that. When I eat too much at dinner time or have a late dinner, my BG takes a long time to come down in the evening (much more than the typical 2 hours) and my FBG in the morning is too high. If I eat a snack right before bed, my FBG seems to be even worse, especially if there is any sugar in it.

Still learning…..

Testing in mornings may have it's on set of factors that will result in high blood sugar levels. Diabetes has an aspect to what is called a leaky liver. I have one myself. For some reason when people go to sleep their system shuts down for the night but for some of us the liver forgets to go to sleep for some reason. The liver keeps producing sugar more than the body needs and results in higher glucose levels in the morning. I have gone to bed with good levels and tend to wake up with high levels.