Curious BG drops

[friendlyfish]

My Libre starter pack arrived last week, I attached it on Tueday, it finally seemed to get 'sensible' on about Thursday.

Last night and this morning, I noticed that the Libre registered lower blood sugars when I lie down to read or rest - even when I am not sleeping. When I stand up and move around the blood sugar goes up again. (I have chronic fatigue - so resting is necessary).

Overnight my blood sugars seem to drop into the 3's several times each night.

I already know that one trigger for hypos is when I stand or sit still for too long - like when I need to be polite with visitors or in a meeting or in a queue. This kind of hypo gives me bad symptoms and needs a long rest to recover.

I am wondering if my autonomic nervous system is messing things up?

Anyone know of websites, research or books that cover this? Thanks.





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[Brunneria]

Sorry, no info or websites for you. Maybe @nosher8355 has some...?

Having had the Libre for a while, I have noticed that there are little blips and ups and downs around being sedentary and resuming movement, but I would give it a few days of observation before you draw too many early conclusions.

After (I think) a week of use, the Libre has built up enough data to offer you a download option, where you can download the entire week (or longer) readings, every 15 mins, in spread sheet form.

Excellent in your case, if you want to match specific times with readings, even if you didn't scan at that point.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the Libre is testing interstitial fluid, so it runs a few mins behind venous or capilliary blood glucose. Your rise/fall in bg on standing sitting would be well awkward to track using the Libre for this reason. Exact timing is probably impossible.

I regularly get my lowest daily readings (high 3s and low 4s) at night. I have no concerns about hypos, because my liver just dumps a teensy bit of glucose and I rise again. From what I understand, 3s during sleep are normal. Certainly the same is experienced by other Libre users on the forum.

I also sometimes find that sleeping on the sensor drops the score even lower. Presumably due to decreased circulation. Again, nothing I find worrying.

Hope that helps!

 

[Lamont D]

My Libre starter pack arrived last week, I attached it on Tueday, it finally seemed to get 'sensible' on about Thursday.

Last night and this morning, I noticed that the Libre registered lower blood sugars when I lie down to read or rest - even when I am not sleeping. When I stand up and move around the blood sugar goes up again. (I have chronic fatigue - so resting is necessary).

Overnight my blood sugars seem to drop into the 3's several times each night.

I already know that one trigger for hypos is when I stand or sit still for too long - like when I need to be polite with visitors or in a meeting or in a queue. This kind of hypo gives me bad symptoms and needs a long rest to recover.

I am wondering if my autonomic nervous system is messing things up?

Anyone know of websites, research or books that cover this? Thanks.





Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app

None that I am aware of!
I agree with Brun, to let your libre run for a few days, I wouldn't worry too much about levels around 3-4 overnight. I know I use to get these types of lows, during my REM sleep and dream stage, but because your brain is using the glucose, more insulin is in your blood until your liver detects and corrects the low.
That's quite normal. Don't correct these small blips.
If you start going lower than that, then, I would be worried a bit more.
Because a hypo is usually around 3.5, some RH ers can be ok at that level and not experience hypo symptoms.
I would rather be in high threes, than over 6s.
My normal range of fasting bloods is mid 4s.
So a drop of 1mmol is really slight especially if you consider that there is a variation of much more, in glucose monitors.
Please don't over think these little wobbles, it is too early to really see patterns.

Hope this helps and keep posting your results.

 

[Kaz261]

I too have suffered with CFS for many years, but thankfully for me it's been less of a problem in recent years. I have also suffered what could be hypo symptoms as a result of standing for long periods.

You may have read my posts about nearly fainting when changing position from sitting to standing and have always thought this to be bs related. Since having the libra I've found little evidence to support this, so have started to look elsewhere for answers. Have you checked your blood pressure? You can suffer from postural hypotension, where your BP drops when you change position or stand for long periods.

I've also read somewhere that low blood sugar can cause low blood pressure, so definitely worth checking if you haven't already done so.

I had a couple of readings in the 3's when I first fitted my libra sensor. They didn't correspond with how I felt at the time so I checked with my glucose monitor. Low and behold, I wasn't actually that low!

I also had one low reading during the night (I think it suggested I was in the 2's), but as Brun has already said, I think it was because I slept on the sensor as it hasn't happened since. Every other night I don't seem to have dropped much lower than mid 4's and remain very steady throughout.

My first two weeks have taught me that the libra is great for giving an overall picture of what is happening, but is by no means faultless.

Give it a few days and hopefully it'll start giving you some answers

 

[Robbity]

Not RH but type 2 using the Libre. I definitely get some seriously low blips over the first couple of days after starting a new sensor that occur when I sleep on that arm, or sometimes recline or lean against something when reading. I've assumed it must be related in the main to increased pressure on the sensor restricting blood flow. I've not seen these big dips though after the sensor has settled down. My sensors will generally run 1-1.5 points below my normal Contour Next meter.

Below are patterns I've seen this month on 1st and today (15th) - first days with new sensors, and yesterday (14th) which is last day of the older sensor:

Some people have suggested adding the sensor well before their old one's due to be replaced: I did this with my current one (about 22 hours before the old one expired) but haven't seen an improvement so maybe a longer settling period may be necessary. There's a very long Libre thread which I think is where I've seen this discussed, so it might be worth having a search?

Robbity

 

[Kaz261]

Not RH but type 2 using the Libre. I definitely get some seriously low blips over the first couple of days after starting a new sensor that occur when I sleep on that arm, or sometimes recline or lean against something when reading. I've assumed it must be related in the main to increased pressure on the sensor restricting blood flow. I've not seen these big dips though after the sensor has settled down. My sensors will generally run 1-1.5 points below my normal Contour Next meter.

Below are patterns I've seen this month on 1st and today (15th) - first days with new sensors, and yesterday (14th) which is last day of the older sensor:
View attachment 18956

Some people have suggested adding the sensor well before their old one's due to be replaced: I did this with my current one (about 22 hours before the old one expired) but haven't seen an improvement so maybe a longer settling period may be necessary. There's a very long Libre thread which I think is where I've seen this discussed, so it might be worth having a search?

Robbity

Thank you for sharing this Robbity. I fitted a new sensor yesterday and I had three hypos during the night last night, apparently! My first sensor showed me to be practically flatlining during the night, apart from once early on. I think I'll give it a day or two to settled down before I start to worry

 

[Brunneria]

Yes indeed. My current sensor is now on its last 24 hours - and showing some rather erratic highs. As usual.

Ah well, all in the typical life cycle of a sensor, eh?

 

[Kaz261]

Yes indeed. My current sensor is now on its last 24 hours - and showing some rather erratic highs. As usual.

Ah well, all in the typical life cycle of a sensor, eh?

They ought to be less temperamental at £50 a go! My new one can't make its mind up as to whether it's reading higher or lower than my codefree yet! It's a bit random!