New to diabetes - worried about hypos

MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello all,
I have just been diagnosed with diabetes. I am 39 years old. I feel very anxious and frustrated. I haven't started medication yet. Need to be seen at diabetic clinic. My morning blood glucose levels tend to be high, today it was 6.8, that is good for me but normally they are in the 7's and 8's. Could someone help me and advise me on what can the lowest reading be before bed. Last night I had a reading of 6.3, I thought that might be low for night ( very scared of having a hypo at night)so I had a crumpet to raise my blood sugars. Struggling with what to eat. Very scared of getting complications.
 

Clivethedrive

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,996
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Jogging
Hello mNawaz2,welcome to the forum,
Ist let me ask. @daisy1
For the info pack for new posters ,please have a good read,and come back with your questions,clive
 
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Clivethedrive

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,996
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Jogging
3de3409e1c7b8b246eb950d03f220563.jpg
MNawaz2 you may find this chart usefull
 
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walnut_face

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,748
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome @MNawaz2 . You don't say whether you are on medication, and if so what meds they are. If you are diet and exercise controlled or metformin only then there is little risk of a hypo. Drugs designed to lower your blood sugars do carry such a risk. Have a good poke around the site, plenty of useful info. I will ask @daisy1 to post some useful info (call it a starter pack :) )
Then ask all the questions you like. Knowledgable people (so not me) will then chip in
 
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Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If you are a type 2 and not on medication then you can stop worrying about having a hypo in the night. It won't happen because the body has a fail safe procedure and supplies sugar from the liver. Generally the only people who go hypo do so because they are on medication and have overdone the dose.

I can understand that you are scared of getting complications but you are a long way from that, especially with the numbers you get. When Daisy sends the information she gives to newly diagnosed people you will get an idea of what to eat. For the moment, don't worry, nothing is going to go wrong.
 
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MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome @MNawaz2 . You don't say whether you are on medication, and if so what meds they are. If you are diet and exercise controlled or metformin only then there is little risk of a hypo. Drugs designed to lower your blood sugars do carry such a risk. Have a good poke around the site, plenty of useful info. I will ask @daisy1 to post some useful info (call it a starter pack :) )
Then ask all the questions you like. Knowledgable people (so not me) will then chip in
Thankyou @walnut_face for replying. I really appreciate it. Up till now I have been diet controlled but my last hba1c has come back at 51. I need to go and see diabetic nurse for a review. Doctor has prescribed me some metformin but I haven't started taking it. I am waiting to see the diabetic nurse.
 
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MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If you are a type 2 and not on medication then you can stop worrying about having a hypo in the night. It won't happen because the body has a fail safe procedure and supplies sugar from the liver. Generally the only people who go hypo do so because they are on medication and have overdone the dose.

I can understand that you are scared of getting complications but you are a long way from that, especially with the numbers you get. When Daisy sends the information she gives to newly diagnosed people you will get an idea of what to eat. For the moment, don't worry, nothing is going to go wrong.
Thankyou for replying @Squire Fulwood. I have noticed that sometimes you wake up with a higher reading than what you sleep with. Is that what people call the the dawn phenomenon? If you have a reading in the 6's before bedtime, would that be ok?
 
D

debrasue

Guest
Hiya, it's first time I am posting on here. I have been diagnosed with type 2 now. My morning blood glucose level is 6.8 (usually it's in the 7's or even 8's)But looking at everyone's readings, I think mine's on the higher side. I am newly diagnosed, so need help with what to eat. My blood glucose levels were 6.3 last night, before bed so i had a crumpet. I feel very scared in case I have a hypo during the night. Whats the lowest a blood sugar can be before bed without a chance of having a hypo?
Hi, @MNawaz2 and welcome to the forum!
I'm tagging @daisy1 who will send you some information to help you make sense of all this.
Don't worry, though - you have come to the right place and you'll very quickly get the hang of it. Browse the forums and ask any questions you want - you'll find we're a friendly bunch!
Good luck with your journey - and keep sharing.
Big hugs x
 

MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, @MNawaz2 and welcome to the forum!
I'm tagging @daisy1 who will send you some information to help you make sense of all this.
Don't worry, though - you have come to the right place and you'll very quickly get the hang of it. Browse the forums and ask any questions you want - you'll find we're a friendly bunch!
Good luck with your journey - and keep sharing.
Big hugs x
Thankyou @debrasue , you are so kind. Thank you for tagging @daisy1 for me. I've just posted a little while ago but I can notice you are a friendly bunch. Maybe I shouldn't worry too much about the diabetes because I have found myself a new bunch of friends x

Edited by a mod as threads merged and titled amended.
 
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magsiesss

Well-Known Member
Messages
388
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
People who drive with fog lights on when its only a bit of mist
Hi @MNawaz2

I usually start to go hypo when I get to about 4 - but last night my other half went hypo and he was at 3.25 .. everyone is different. But is sure as hell is scary - best thing to do is to carry glucose tablets with you at all times.

Are you on any medication that will make you go hypo?

Edited by a mod as threads merged and titled amended.
 
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walnut_face

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,748
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thankyou @walnut_face for replying. I really appreciate it. Up till now I have been diet controlled but my last hba1c has come back at 51. I need to go and see diabetic nurse for a review. Doctor has prescribed me some metformin but I haven't started taking it. I am waiting to see the diabetic nurse.
If it is any comfort, on diagnosis my HbA1c was 96! Change of diet has bought mine down. No doubt the metformin has played a part
 
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Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thankyou for replying @Squire Fulwood. I have noticed that sometimes you wake up with a higher reading than what you sleep with. Is that what people call the the dawn phenomenon? If you have a reading in the 6's before bedtime, would that be ok?
Yes it is the dawn phenomenon although you can get a liver dump anytime you don't eat for extended periods. The reading in the 6's before bedtime is fine and nothing to worry about.
 
D

debrasue

Guest
I was diagnosed in March of this year and I was very worried about hypos in the beginning, too. In fact, I have never had one, and I have since learned that, as I'm not on any medication and am diet-controlled only, it's very unlikely that I'll get one. If you are on medication the situation may be different...
But as other members have said, we are all different. I'm not sure that there is any hard-and-fast rule about the minimum BG to go to bed on to avoid a hypo - I think it's more to do with overall general control. But I'm sure other members with greater experience will be able to answer that for you.
I personally follow the LCHF plan and it's been really successful for me, to the extent that I can now include a small amount of carbs in my diet without it having too much of an effect on my BG levels. Sugar, however, is still out of bounds, and probably always will be!
You can find out more about the low carb programme here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/
Good luck - and keep sharing!
 

MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @MNawaz2

I usually start to go hypo when I get to about 4 - but last night my other half went hypo and he was at 3.25 .. everyone is different. But is sure as hell is scary - best thing to do is to carry glucose tablets with you at all times.

Are you on any medication that will make you go hypo?

Edited by a mod as threads merged and titled amended.
Ooh wow! 3.25 is scary. I do carry glucose tablets. Doctor has put me on a repeat prescription for metformin but I haven't got them yet. I've started anti depressants. They usually give me alot of side effects so I thought i'll have the metformin after i've got the antidepressants in my system.
 

MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was diagnosed in March of this year and I was very worried about hypos in the beginning, too. In fact, I have never had one, and I have since learned that, as I'm not on any medication and am diet-controlled only, it's very unlikely that I'll get one. If you are on medication the situation may be different...
But as other members have said, we are all different. I'm not sure that there is any hard-and-fast rule about the minimum BG to go to bed on to avoid a hypo - I think it's more to do with overall general control. But I'm sure other members with greater experience will be able to answer that for you.
I personally follow the LCHF plan and it's been really successful for me, to the extent that I can now include a small amount of carbs in my diet without it having too much of an effect on my BG levels. Sugar, however, is still out of bounds, and probably always will be!
You can find out more about the low carb programme here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/
Good luck - and keep sharing!
@debrasue what was your last hba1c?
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hello all,
I have just been diagnosed with diabetes. I am 39 years old. I feel very anxious and frustrated. I haven't started medication yet. Need to be seen at diabetic clinic. My morning blood glucose levels tend to be high, today it was 6.8, that is good for me but normally they are in the 7's and 8's. Could someone help me and advise me on what can the lowest reading be before bed. Last night I had a reading of 6.3, I thought that might be low for night ( very scared of having a hypo at night)so I had a crumpet to raise my blood sugars. Struggling with what to eat. Very scared of getting complications.

If you're not on any medication, you shouldn't need to worry about hypos :)

Even if you do start medication, only certain ones can cause hypoglycaemia, insulin being one obvious one.
 

MNawaz2

Active Member
Messages
30
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If you're not on any medication, you shouldn't need to worry about hypos :)

Even if you do start medication, only certain ones can cause hypoglycaemia, insulin being one obvious one.
Hello azure, thankyou for making me feel a bit better. I am not on any medication but I think I will have to start the metformin soon.