Type 2 Low blood sugars after Intermittent Fasting

[varma21345]

Hi, I am type 2 diabetic diagnosed 1.5 years ago and my HbA1c has always been fluctuating every three months between 6.3 to 7.7 at max. Couple of weeks back it totally reached to new heights 8.8 due to my poor maintenance. I completely knew it would raise but not this high and my first medication has been issued 1000mg metformin per day. But , after researching a lot on internet and book i have decided not to take the medication and try intermittent fasting Instead. i am doinga warrior diet (23:1) in combination with LCHF. My blood sugars drastically went to normal directly on first day and i am more than happy to see results .But, after 4 days i am constantly receiving numbers in 70's and i feel alarmed. Fasting results are around 70 and after eating they just go up to 90. I came to know this is hypoglycemia but i have 3 questions regarding this.

1. Is it ok to have such low numbers constantly ?
2. How to tackle this ? is it ok to shift to LCHF ditching IF ?(I am not obese and my BMI is 20 so , weight loss is not my major goal)
3. What are the major symtoms I need to look out for to stop doing the Fasting Regimen.


please do answer my questions and i am ready to provide further details if any required. Thanks In advance

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi, I am type 2 diabetic diagnosed 1.5 years ago and my HbA1c has always been fluctuating every three months between 6.3 to 7.7 at max. Couple of weeks back it totally reached to new heights 8.8 due to my poor maintenance. I completely knew it would raise but not this high and my first medication has been issued 1000mg metformin per day. But , after researching a lot on internet and book i have decided not to take the medication and try intermittent fasting Instead. i am doinga warrior diet (23:1) in combination with LCHF. My blood sugars drastically went to normal directly on first day and i am more than happy to see results .But, after 4 days i am constantly receiving numbers in 70's and i feel alarmed. Fasting results are around 70 and after eating they just go up to 90. I came to know this is hypoglycemia but i have 3 questions regarding this.

1. Is it ok to have such low numbers constantly ?
2. How to tackle this ? is it ok to shift to LCHF ditching IF ?(I am not obese and my BMI is 20 so , weight loss is not my major goal)
3. What are the major symtoms I need to look out for to stop doing the Fasting Regimen.


please do answer my questions and i am ready to provide further details if any required. Thanks In advance

Personally.. and speaking from my own experience those numbers are fine and I would be very pleased to get them.
You may feel a bit odd the first few times your numbers go low as your body will not be used to running at those levels but once it does acclimatise it will be fine. Do you feel ok is the more important question?
As you aren't taking any medication your body will soon make some more glucose on demand if it is needed. My bloods did not go that low until I had been fasting for three days so you are obviously responding well to your new regime.

 

[varma21345]

I feel all the symptoms of hypoglycemia . Blurred eyes, Nausea and weakness continuously for 5 days for now and they are still present. Currently i am not engaged in any physically demanding tasks so coping up easily with the little strength. I am 26 now and in coming days i must start working and does following this regimen stop me from doing Things.

Thanks for the reply and you were the major research source for me on Intermittent fasting .

 

[bulkbiker]

Well everyone I have ever read on fasting says if you don't feel well then eat. So it may well be that fasting is not for you. Also you are very young to have been diagnosed Type 2 can I ask what your HbA1c was that led to your diagnosis?
Edited.. sorry just re-read your initial post with your HbA1c levels on it..
Your blood glucose levels that you are measuring and those HbA1c levels don;t seem to tie up.. I wonder if by low carbing you have managed to correct your HbA1c. Perhaps continue with the low carb and try and get another HbA1c in a month or so to see how it has changed.

 

[varma21345]

Well everyone I have ever read on fasting says if you don't feel well then eat. So it may well be that fasting is not for you. Also you are very young to have been diagnosed Type 2 can I ask what your HbA1c was that led to your diagnosis?
Edited.. sorry just re-read your initial post with your HbA1c levels on it..
Your blood glucose levels that you are measuring and those HbA1c levels don;t seem to tie up.. I wonder if by low carbing you have managed to correct your HbA1c. Perhaps continue with the low carb and try and get another HbA1c in a month or so to see how it has changed.

My blood sugar levels at the time of Hba1c 7.2 are around 130 fasting and 160 after eating . Later after 3 months i dropped to 6.4 then my readings were around 110 fasting and 140 after eating . Then after i stopped measuring and taking care resulting in Hba1c 8.8.


i am aware of the fact that my blood levels dropped drastically on day 1 itself and my present numbers represent an Hba1c around 5 . I am alarmed at first but came to know this as normal phenomenon in some people and i also rarely experience Dawn Phenomenon only with 3 to 4 points of raise from the night readings. My next test is due on Jan 31st 2018 and target is 6 . By the numbers is see now, i hope i will reach my goal but only worried about this temporary reactions due to sudden change in regimen .Which may lead to permanent damage if not attended. Will try to remain in IF regimen for this week and watch the changes.


And one more thing. can you please clarify if IF is only targeted towards type 2 diabetics with obesity. As for me I see IF is more towards weight loss and that helps in making the condition better. If this is true then Fasting is not for me .

At the time of diagnosis I am pre diabetic with Hba1c of 6.1

 

[DCUKMod]

My blood sugar levels at the time of Hba1c 7.2 are around 130 fasting and 160 after eating . Later after 3 months i dropped to 6.4 then my readings were around 110 fasting and 140 after eating . Then after i stopped measuring and taking care resulting in Hba1c 8.8.


i am aware of the fact that my blood levels dropped drastically on day 1 itself and my present numbers represent an Hba1c around 5 . I am alarmed at first but came to know this as normal phenomenon in some people and i also rarely experience Dawn Phenomenon only with 3 to 4 points of raise from the night readings. My next test is due on Jan 31st 2018 and target is 6 . By the numbers is see now, i hope i will reach my goal but only worried about this temporary reactions due to sudden change in regimen .Which may lead to permanent damage if not attended. Will try to remain in IF regimen for this week and watch the changes.


And one more thing. can you please clarify if IF is only targeted towards type 2 diabetics with obesity. As for me I see IF is more towards weight loss and that helps in making the condition better. If this is true then Fasting is not for me .

At the time of diagnosis I am pre diabetic with Hba1c of 6.1

Varma - I don't IF, although my eating style might qualify as mild IF, in that I generally don't eat after around 7pm, until maybe 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning. I never have snacked.

If you aren't trying to lose weight, then your challenge is probably to get enough food eaten in your eating window. Perhaps you could try widening your eating window a bit to allow you more options.

Just a thought.

 

[varma21345]

Varma - I don't IF, although my eating style might qualify as mild IF, in that I generally don't eat after around 7pm, until maybe 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning. I never have snacked.

If you aren't trying to lose weight, then your challenge is probably to get enough food eaten in your eating window. Perhaps you could try widening your eating window a bit to allow you more options.

Just a thought.

Yeah definitely. I ended up at 69 couple of hours back on fasting since yesterday night 8 pm and decided to change my IF from 23:1 to 16 : 8 . Will try this for a while and update what i am going through. Hope i stay between 80 and 100 atleast. I am also thinking to increase my carbs from 20 to 40 if i see no better change in numbers.

If anyone can suggest me please let me know what are the safe range of numbers for a type 2 diabetic on an IF (23:1 or 18:6) in early days and how long it may take to normalise .

Thanks for your replies they help me alot.

 

[DCUKMod]

Yeah definitely. I ended up at 69 couple of hours back on fasting since yesterday night 8 pm and decided to change my IF from 23:1 to 16 : 8 . Will try this for a while and update what i am going through. Hope i stay between 80 and 100 atleast. I am also thinking to increase my carbs from 20 to 40 if i see no better change in numbers.

If anyone can suggest me please let me know what are the safe range of numbers for a type 2 diabetic on an IF (23:1 or 18:6) in early days and how long it may take to normalise .

Thanks for your replies they help me alot.

I don't, and never have taken any diabetes medication, but I tend to run low numbers. It just seems to be how my body works these days.

Your quoted 69 equates to about 3.9 on the UK measurement scales. I'm often there, and lower. When I am much lower, I often feel very hungry, but that's fair, as when it happens, it's before a meal, so hunger could be quite reasonable.

My day to day, personal fasting range is, in UK terms, 3.5-4.5 (roughly 65-80), and I'm absolutely fine on that.

For anyone taking strong medication, like insulin, or a few others but Metformin isn't a medication that drives your bloods down too much. It helps more with the way your liver woks, and helps you use your own insulin a bit better, by reducing insulin resistance, which many T2s have.

If you are concerned, then have a chat with whoever you see about your diabetes. As you have drastically changed your lifestyle, they may want to review your medication. Nobody on here can do that for you.