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Hypos - can someone explain them ...?

PenfoldAPD

PenfoldAPD

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,643
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
So I'm getting to grips with my diabetes but still don't really understand hypos. Could someone please point me in direction of some good info, or explain them

Am away on holiday, actually been eating good food - cooking myself. Ate at 8pm last night - when I went to sleep I felt rough, took my blood - down at 4.5. So I panicked and ate 3 jelly babies - now I'm at 8.6 this morning

Had a few instants of numb lips (a symptom I read online) but most of my knowledge has come from the Internet - GP never really discussed them.

I do have a slight cold/cough - can that affect readings? Should I not have worried at 4.5 2 hours after eating.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thought I was getting there, still so much to learn.

Thank you - and Happy Easter
 
So I've read more around the forums - someone says T2D on Metformin don't get hypos? My heart was pounding last night, maybe I was just over excited and those Jelly Babies pushed me over the edge?

Hoping a walk on the beach will calm me down!
 
@PenfoldAPD - I find that I start to hypo on 4.5 or under. I had my very first hypo on metformin and walked into a wall so yes you definitely can hypo on metformin. Hypo symptoms vary from person to person, but I can say that I recognise my hypo symptoms and they've not really changed ever since I've had my first one at 4.2 on the meter on metformin. I have since learnt my sugar drops real fast under 5. My endocrinologist wants me to stay above 5 at all times for this reason to try and avoid hypos... easier said than done at times though.

Hypo symptoms for me: panic/anxiety sensation, shaking, sweating, nausea, I lose my balance and pull to my left if I'm walking and I hypo (I've walked into a lot of things that way), I can't feel my feet on the ground sometimes if I'm walking, slurred speech, lack of concentration, yawning. I can get quite a few of these symptoms in the same hypo, or I can get just a couple.... it depends. Also I find the quicker I treat the hypo the less time it takes me to recover. The lower I drop, the longer I take to recover.

Basically you need to get to know your hypo symptoms and treat your hypo straight away. My endo explained once your body is reacting it is serious as your judgment has already gone, and it's the last thing to return when you recover from your hypo.

I hope this helps :)
 
ps... I think the rate the sugar is dropping is when your body tends to alert you that you're in trouble. It does that for me when I'm under 5. I've ignored it before and 10 mins later I've been in the 3's.... so never ignore it.
 
Hypo's are a collection of symptoms that occur when your blood sugar is too low (below 4 is often quoted). Typical symptoms might include vagueness, shaking or even passing out if severe. You are very unlikely to experience one unless you take insulin or one of the more powerful drugs since the liver will step in and regulate your sugar level. That's what a liver dump is, Your liver provides sugar if you haven't eaten for a longish time.

In my personal opinion you are in no danger if you are only taking Metformin for sugar level control.

Here is some light reading.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-and-Hypoglycaemia.html
 
Thanks @squire_Fulwood and @Mep - good reading for today! Maybe I just had a bad night (cold/cough) and freaked when I registered 4.5! Appreciate your reply.
 
It sounds like you are worrying too much, That's not a bad thing until you get to know the ropes. It gets easier, believe me.
 
My thought is if your blood sugar is getting so low that it is causing you concern, reducing the medication is preferable to eating jelly babies. You are firmly committed to LCHF and your new lifestyle, you may well not need the medication. Try dropping a tablet a day.
 
Thanks @AtkinsMo this is a one off recently. I've been consistently in the 5s - am also away from home so juggling diet more. Also Metformin is having effect on my stomach so couldn't take while travelling! I think when I'm home and things calm down it will be better.

Doc did mention reducing Metformin dose but I'd honestly worry about doing without advice from her. I'm aiming for drug free in due course - but I am only 10 weeks into all this
 
PenfoldAPD said:
So I'm getting to grips with my diabetes but still don't really understand hypos. Could someone please point me in direction of some good info, or explain them

Am away on holiday, actually been eating good food - cooking myself. Ate at 8pm last night - when I went to sleep I felt rough, took my blood - down at 4.5. So I panicked and ate 3 jelly babies - now I'm at 8.6 this morning

Had a few instants of numb lips (a symptom I read online) but most of my knowledge has come from the Internet - GP never really discussed them.

I do have a slight cold/cough - can that affect readings? Should I not have worried at 4.5 2 hours after eating.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thought I was getting there, still so much to learn.

Thank you - and Happy Easter
Click to expand...

Hi @PenfoldAPD

If your blood sugars have previously been high for a good while then your body has to re-adapt to running at lower average glucose levels and this might go some way to explaining why you don't feel too good at 4.5. This is referred to as a false hypo.

It is 'false' because from a purely clinical point of view, you are not actually having a hypo unless your blood sugars are below 4 (the line had to drawn somewhere). Once we have adjusted to lower levels of blood glucose, many of us do start to feel the symptoms before we get as low as 4 and this is more about an individuals hypo awareness. You feel it coming on and you get a grace period to do something about it. There are some poor souls out there who don't have this luxury which is just plain scary.

It is true that Metformin should not drive your blood glucose levels down in the same way that insulin (or possibly Gliclazide) does - that's why you don't have to tell DVLA that you're using it. From my understanding, Metformin works by restricting the amount of glucose that can be released by your liver, so any decrease in ones average glucose levels ought to be fairly slow - over days and weeks.

Insulin on the other hand, has the capacity to drive an individuals sugar level down very quickly. One day last summer, I went from 8 to 3.5 in less than an hour. I was driving to work at the time so it was a bit worrying, but fortunately I felt it coming on and had found a layby to park up. I don't know what caused it and it hasn't happened since.

It might be that you need to reduce your Metformin dosage but you'll need to discuss that with your doc' if it continues to happen.

You can read more here ..............

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-a-hypo.html
 
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What did you do when you parked in the layby? Just wait until it went away? Or did you have a sweet?
 
FranOnTheEdge said:
What did you do when you parked in the layby? Just wait until it went away? Or did you have a sweet?
Click to expand...

Always keep Lucozade in the car (AND glucose tabs) - waited until I was above 5.0 again.

Edited: AND Jelly babies.
 
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Hi @PenfoldAPD

I don't think your figures after the JBs were that bad? Maybe a little "liver dump" in the morning?
"Cough & could". On the whole "infections" can drive up sugar levels? Again, the numbers are OK?
If your on "holiday" in a warmer climate? Can increase insulin sensitivity...

(Any T2s feel free to set me straight if I'm wrong?)

On the whole. I say keep doing what yer doing!
 
Don't forget most meters measure whole blood glucose, plasma glucose can be 15% to 20% higher than that and Arterial Glucose is higher than that again.
 
urbanracer said:
Always keep Lucozade in the car (AND glucose tabs) - waited until I was above 5.0 again.

Edited: AND Jelly babies.
Click to expand...

This is my wise advice regarding driving and hypos.......ALWAYS ALWAYS make sure that there is easy reach of some loose glucose tabs or sweets close to the steering wheel so that as soon as the hypo feeling starts to come on, eat some the hypo fixer FIRST and then look for somewhere safe to pull over. The roads in the UK are chock a block with cars and parked vehicles so think on a bit and drive safely.......far better to have a temporary high bg level through eating some sweets and getting to destination safely than come unstuck maybe dealing with the low bg after trying to pull over. Prevention is better than a cure......so be safe everyone
 
Hypos are in my ball park!
Up until a couple of years ago, I was having hypos daily. Due to my condition.

If you look in the RH forum, you can get a lot of information, especially in the beginners thread sticky.

Hope it helps.

I think as Tim says, you had a false hypo. And as Tim says always carry something that will help you in a situation, that you may be having one.

Most go by the carby sugary type of solution.
But us RH ers can't as it just gets into a yo yo episode of hypers and hypos.
You have to find out what suits you.
 
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