Fasting blood sugar at 7.1—is this normal?

My fasting blood sugar was 7.1 this morning.

The night before I checked, my meal was nothing extraordinary—just some chard, potatoes, and a single beer.

Diabetes runs in my family on both my mother's and father's sides.

Sigh.

Generally speaking, I don't touch soda, and I try to avoid sweets and chocolate. I might have ice cream once in a while, and I don't take sugar in my coffee. Honestly, we don't even keep much sugar in the house.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

My advice? You really need to grab a referral for an OGTT and get your blood sugar checked after the glucose load.

Unfortunately, a fasting glucose of 7.1 could definitely point toward diabetes...

In any case, one single test doesn't tell the whole story. Just head back to the lab as soon as you can for a retest, then you'll know for sure.

Fingers crossed...🙂

My fasting blood sugar was 5.2 this morning.

That’s still considered too high, wouldn't you agree?

I am also currently fasting.

Does anyone have dietary recommendations? Besides cutting out sugar, what else should I be avoiding?

What is the consensus on fruit consumption?

To be honest, I am finding it quite difficult to resist strawberries at the moment.

crimsonorca12 hit the nail on the head 🙂

An OGTT, or oral glucose tolerance test, essentially tracks how your body handles sugar over time. A few hours after you consume the glucose, your blood sugar levels should drop back down to a normal range. If they stay elevated, it indicates an issue with how insulin is being produced or released.

Generally speaking, fruit intake is pretty strictly limited for people with diabetes. You're usually looking at smaller portions of lower-sugar options, like apples.
Figs and grapes are mostly off-limits.
But there’s no need to stress about all that right now until we see what the actual results show.

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:My reading was 5.2 this morning.

That's too high, right?

Not really. As far as I know, the normal range is anywhere from 3.5 to 6 (or maybe 6.5... I can't recall the exact number offhand)... 🤔

In any case, there’s no need to panic. If you actually had sudden-onset diabetes without any insulin or medication, you’d likely be seeing numbers well north of 10.

Blood sugar can spike for just about anything—stress, excitement, or even just thinking about dessert. For instance, after an IndyCar race, some of those drivers have blood sugar levels comparable to an average diabetic.

But, as they say, it wouldn't hurt to get a glucose tolerance test just to be sure...

Megan White4 said:Nah. From what I recall, the standard range is somewhere between 3.5 and 6—or maybe 6.5... honestly, my memory's a bit fuzzy right now... 🤔

Normal blood glucose levels for whole blood usually sit between 3.3 and 6.1 mmol/L.

Kevin Gonzalez79, you really gotta check what kind of device you're using for these readings—whether it's measuring whole blood or plasma (because concentrations run higher in plasma)

Usually, fasting numbers hover a bit lower than the upper limit. A 5.2 isn't cause for panic, but a 7.2? Yeah, that’s definitely stepping outside the norm...

Megan White4 said:Basically, don't sweat it too much—if you actually had full-blown diabetes without any insulin or meds, you'd probably be looking at something north of 10.

Actually, that's not quite right. With Type 2, early on, fasting levels (without meds) often stay under 10 mmol/L. Doctors won't even touch insulin for a Type 2 patient until they've exhausted every other option first.

With Type 1, you're on insulin immediately, but that's a completely different beast altogether—the symptoms hit you out of nowhere.

Megan White4 said:Plus, sugar can spike from pretty much anything—stress, getting worked up, even just thinking about dessert; apparently, Formula 1 drivers have blood sugar levels after a race similar to an average diabetic...

But like people say, it'd be a good idea to go get a glucose tolerance test just to be sure...

I have no clue what the sugar levels are for Formula 1 drivers. Besides, there's no such thing as an "average diabetic." You've got people who are well-managed—their peak glucose during the day doesn't even cross 8, maybe 9 mmol/L at most. Then you've got the poorly managed ones whose levels are all over the place, but those aren't "average" diabetics. Living like that for years leads to some seriously nasty health issues.

Kevin Gonzalez79, just go get an OGTT. If you're near a major medical center like Mayo Clinic or something, just call them and get it sorted.

You really ought to steer clear of foods with a high glycemic index because they cause those massive spikes in your blood sugar levels—things like beer 😳, baked potatoes, white bread, carrots, or corn. There are plenty of glycemic index charts available online if you want to do a bit of digging.

rustymoose54 said:Normal fasting blood glucose levels range from about 60 to 110 mg/dL.

Well, I suppose I wasn't entirely off base then...

rustymoose54 said:That isn't quite right. In the early stages of Type 2 diabetes, fasting levels (without medication) often hover below 180 mg/dL. Insulin isn't typically prescribed for Type 2 until all other options have been exhausted.

For Type 1, insulin is required immediately, but that is a completely different condition characterized by SUDDEN onset symptoms.

Are you perhaps a specialist, an endocrinologist or a diabetologist? What is the protocol if someone is still sitting between 180 and 270 mg/dL despite using insulin and strictly following their diet? I ask because my father is currently dealing with that exact issue.

As an aside, my father's diabetes was discovered purely by accident when his blood sugar hit 450! And that was fasting. For the first ten years, everything was perfectly managed with oral medication. So much for "sudden symptoms." About two or three years ago, he had to switch to insulin because the pills simply stopped working.

rustymoose54 said:I have no idea what the glucose readings look like for Formula 1 drivers. However, there is no such thing as an "average diabetic." There are people who are well-regulated—meaning their peak daily glucose levels don't exceed 145 or 160 mg/dL. Then there are those who are poorly regulated, with numbers all over the place, but they wouldn't be considered "average." Maintaining that kind of instability over several years leads to serious health complications.

By "average," I meant a typical range somewhere between 180 and 360 mg/dL.

Megan White4 said:Are you like, some kind of specialist—a diabetologist or an endocrinologist or something? What’s the move when someone’s blood sugar is sitting between 180 and 270 despite being on insulin and sticking strictly to their diet? Asking because my dad is dealing with this exact mess right now...

Look, your old man has Type 2, and it just isn't under control. There are basically two big reasons why his numbers are spiking (which is pretty much the deal with Type 2 in general):

1. Insulin resistance—basically, his cells are just ignoring the insulin and can't use it properly.

2. Pancreatic burnout, where the organ just isn't pumping out enough insulin anymore.

Since the pills stopped doing the trick, they switched him over to insulin therapy. Honestly, it might be worth talking to his doctor about combining the insulin with meds that help tackle that insulin resistance?

Another thing: he really needs to be testing constantly—like every hour or two. I know that sounds totally insane, but sometimes that's the only way to actually get a read on his metabolism and find some kind of stability. And hey, if you run out of lancets for your fingertips, don't try using your toes—just use the side of your finger instead. Given those high numbers, it’s obvious he’s dealing with a RELATIVE lack of insulin—so he needs to dose up whenever he's above his target range.

Megan White4 said:By the way, they caught my dad's diabetes completely by accident when his blood sugar hit like 450! Total shocker!!! And for the first ten years, everything was perfectly fine with just pills. So much for "sudden symptoms"... About 2 or 3 years ago, he had to switch to insulin because the tablets just weren't cutting it anymore.

By "average," I meant that middle range of values between 180 and 360.

With Type 1, you gotta start insulin immediately or the patient is dead within a few months. Your dad has Type 2, which is just at the stage where he's become dependent on insulin.

That average range of 180–360 mg/dL usually only happens when patients aren't being managed properly.

And yeah, I'm not a doctor. I can shoot you a DM about what I do for work if you want. 🙂

And sorry if I sounded arrogant there, didn't mean to come off that way.

Understood. Thanks.

rustymoose54 said:And please forgive me if I sounded arrogant; that wasn't my intention.

No worries at all. When it comes to things I know I don't understand, I'm always happy to defer to someone who actually does.

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:I checked my blood sugar this morning and it was 7.1.

The night before, I didn't eat anything crazy—just some chard and potatoes and a beer.

Diabetes runs in my family on both my mom's and dad's side.

Oof.

I don't usually drink soda, and I stay away from sweets and chocolate. Every now and then I'll have ice cream, but I don't put sugar in my coffee, and honestly, we don't even keep sugar in the house.

Any advice?

Go get a referral for an OGTT immediately. Show up fasting, get your blood drawn, and then they’ll have you drink the glucose solution before testing you again.
Don't try to play games by starving yourself the night before the test. That kind of "fasting" is easy to spot because you'll end up with ketones in your urine, and at the end of the day, you're just lying to yourself.😉

How old are you?

rustymoose54, insulin isn't always started right away for Type 1; it depends on that stupid "honeymoon phase" and whatever attitude your endocrinologist has about it. I didn't start taking it until four months after my diagnosis—for those first four months, I managed strictly through diet.

banderas said:rustymoose54, look—it’s not like Type 1s just jump straight onto insulin every single time... it really depends on that whole "honeymoon phase" nonsense and whatever way your endocrinologist decides to play it. Personally, I didn't even touch insulin until four months after my diagnosis—just stuck to a strict diet during those first few months.

For real though, things were a little different like twenty years ago—especially if you spent a few months pretending you just had a nasty flu to dodge the doctor... 😉

By some stroke of luck, you actually got diagnosed early enough.

But honestly, that doesn't change the bottom line... if you're a textbook Type 1, once those beta cells are gone, they're gone for good, and insulin is basically the only thing keeping you in the game.

Anyway, welcome to the Alchemistry forum! 😁