Very low blood sugar reading

[mr_cat]

I cant recall the article ,but recollect reading that when the brain is running on ketones it is possible to endure very low blood sugars. I think an experiment was carried out in the 70s [considered unethical these days] where a pair of athletes on full keto diets were continually injected with insulin during exercise!
i remember finding the the resultant measured BS levels insanely low , sort of numbers any normal person would be dead at.
My own experience of lows are one measured at 2.4 and one when out walking when my vision went sparkly and i felt super hungry. I woofed a big mac n chips down and 2 hours later a 5 on my meter..
Maybe you were/are more resilient to lows because of the fasting low food consumption, i was in a similar state of not eating much or being interested in food when i had mine.
Not suggesting you don't take precautions as advised though.

 

[Patrick66]

I cant recall the article ,but recollect reading that when the brain is running on ketones it is possible to endure very low blood sugars. I think an experiment was carried out in the 70s [considered unethical these days] where a pair of athletes on full keto diets were continually injected with insulin during exercise!
i remember finding the the resultant measured BS levels insanely low , sort of numbers any normal person would be dead at.
My own experience of lows are one measured at 2.4 and one when out walking when my vision went sparkly and i felt super hungry. I woofed a big mac n chips down and 2 hours later a 5 on my meter..
Maybe you were/are more resilient to lows because of the fasting low food consumption, i was in a similar state of not eating much or being interested in food when i had mine.
Not suggesting you don't take precautions as advised though.

Interesting. Thanks for that.

 

[mariavontrapp]

Sorry it's me again. If you have a hypo that doesn't mean you have to wolf down a load of sugary foods. If you do that (for example a cream egg!!) you will just swing way up high and then come crashing down again. I would suggest some fruit juice or a simple digestive biscuit for the initial emergency, and you will feel a difference within 10 minutes if it was a hypo. I would then follow that up with something with a lower glycaemic load than the sweet stuff to settle things down - maybe a carb/fat/protein combination like a cheese sandwich.

 

[Patrick66]

Sorry it's me again. If you have a hypo that doesn't mean you have to wolf down a load of sugary foods. If you do that (for example a cream egg!!) you will just swing way up high and then come crashing down again. I would suggest some fruit juice or a simple digestive biscuit for the initial emergency, and you will feel a difference within 10 minutes if it was a hypo. I would then follow that up with something with a lower glycaemic load than the sweet stuff to settle things down - maybe a carb/fat/protein combination like a cheese sandwich.

I agree...but I go with what I have.

My mother carried mini mars bars with her at all times as recommended by her doctor. I now have mini eggs.

 

[Fievel]

@Patrick66 I read earlier that you have depression.. I also suffer from depression, if you'd like to speak in private about whatever you want, or want someone to vent to, feel free to send me a pm and we can talk abit, no obligation.

 

[Patrick66]

@Patrick66 I read earlier that you have depression.. I also suffer from depression, if you'd like to speak in private about whatever you want, or want someone to vent to, feel free to send me a pm and we can talk abit, no obligation.

That’s very kind of you, much appreciated.

 

[Listlad]

Sorry it's me again. If you have a hypo that doesn't mean you have to wolf down a load of sugary foods. If you do that (for example a cream egg!!) you will just swing way up high and then come crashing down again. I would suggest some fruit juice or a simple digestive biscuit for the initial emergency, and you will feel a difference within 10 minutes if it was a hypo. I would then follow that up with something with a lower glycaemic load than the sweet stuff to settle things down - maybe a carb/fat/protein combination like a cheese sandwich.

The digestive biscuit. That’s the kind of thing my work colleague has in her hambag arsenal.

 

[edan]

I don’t think just carrying mini eggs is enough, if you have another hypo you need to treat with fast acting carbs first such as glucose tablets. Then retest 15 minutes later and if it’s above 4, have some of the mini eggs then. The fat in chocolate slows the absorption so it won’t work fast enough to fix a hypo.

How did you get to work? Did you drive after a bg of LO? I know you don’t need to report to the DVLA if only on metformin but if you did drive I’d seriously reconsider this if it happened again. Many people with a bg of 1.7 or below would lose consciousness. I’m also autistic and can understand perhaps not recognising feeling ill, we tend to have difficulties recognising feelings in general, which I think makes it more important to have fast acting carbs for any readings under 4. At the time not 2 hours later.

 

[Patrick66]

I don’t think just carrying mini eggs is enough, if you have another hypo you need to treat with fast acting carbs first such as glucose tablets. Then retest 15 minutes later and if it’s above 4, have some of the mini eggs then. The fat in chocolate slows the absorption so it won’t work fast enough to fix a hypo.

How did you get to work? Did you drive after a bg of LO? I know you don’t need to report to the DVLA if only on metformin but if you did drive I’d seriously reconsider this if it happened again. Many people with a bg of 1.7 or below would lose consciousness. I’m also autistic and can understand perhaps not recognising feeling ill, we tend to have difficulties recognising feelings in general, which I think makes it more important to have fast acting carbs for any readings under 4. At the time not 2 hours later.

No I don't drive. I can but my partner does all that. I cant predict other road users actions so, after five accidents in 18 months, I stopped driving. Keep my licence more for emergencies and as proof of identity.

I had to get to work and didn't have anything fast acting to hand so I had to use what was available. Which was a cupcake. I live rurally so getting stuff has to wait until I can get in and do a shop in town. Mini-eggs are all that I could find at short notice.

No, I didn't feel at all ill. I have fibromyalgia which tends to disguise many other symptoms. Hard to think much else when you are in constant pain and stiff,/sore all over.

 

[Member496333]

Has your doctor not mentioned the possibility of reducing your maximum Metformin dose? It seems to be doing an extremely good job of preventing your liver from secreting too much glucose. Seems a typical topsy turvy approach to suggest eating more carbs while your liver is being artificially restricted from doing the exact thing you need it to do.

 

[Patrick66]

Has your doctor not mentioned the possibility of reducing your maximum Metformin dose? It seems to be doing an extremely good job of preventing your liver from secreting too much glucose. Seems a typical topsy turvy approach to suggest eating more carbs while your liver is being artificially restricted from doing the exact thing you need it to do.

Hi Jim,

No, that's not been mentioned. Not yet. I have a formal meds review on 11th March so I will bring it up then. Its not my usual doctor so we will see if I get anywhere with her.

 

[Member496333]

Hi Jim,

No, that's not been mentioned. Not yet. I have a formal meds review on 11th March so I will bring it up then. Its not my usual doctor so we will see if I get anywhere with her.

Ok cool. Please do bring it up. Being told to ingest more glucose while taking the maximum dose of a medication whose primary purpose is to discourage the liver from manufacturing glucose, is...erm...well. Unpublishable on a family forum.

All the best and stay vigilant with the hypos.

 

[ringi]

Metformin mostly reduces how much "background" glocose the liver makes, hence it also reduces the "background" inslin level. It normally has little effect on how the liver responds to a request for "emergency glocose" from the body.

I am thinking this is a "consultant level problem"........

 

[Rokaab]

Mini-eggs are all that I could find at short notice.

I carry a bag of sweets such as Haribo sweets cos they work very quickly for me in case that's an easier option for you (said sweets also don't mind getting warm in the summer, getting cold in the winter or being squished and squashed under whatever else I have in my trouser pockets )

 

[Gloucestergirl]

Going back to Patrick's 5th (I think) comment on the first page, he said "Monitor is virtually brand new so there shouldn't be an issue there. Possibly too few carbs (virtually none to be fair) and I exercised this morning before I tested. Before this I had read 3.3 twice, both in the morning".

Two things spring to mind. I was given a different meter after using the same one for several years with no problems but my surgery wanted everyone to have a meter that used cheaper strips. After a few days of using the new meter I felt hypo and checked on the meter and it said 5.8 but I knew that I was hypo so checked on another meter and had a reading of 2.5. Over several days I did other readings using two different meters and the same blood at the same time and the results varied wildly, for example 15 on one and 25 on the new one. I stopped using the new meter and am quite happy again with the old one, even if the strips are about twice the price.

The other thing was the comment about readings of 3.3. If I had a reading of 3.3 and had eaten no carbs I wouldn't exercise without getting my blood sugar up first or not exercising until later that day. 3.3 is hypo and needs addressing straight away. I have had diabetes for 23 years and the lowest I ever went was 1.8 and that was on holiday abroad, thankfully I managed to get some glucose down me and recovered but felt very tired all day. Many times after that I would find that even though I felt fine my blood sugar was below 3 and yet I had no symptoms at all so I had to keep my levels higher than I would have liked in order to start recognising hypos again and now I know when I have a hypo even when I'm above the "make 4 the floor" level.

By the way, Metformin is an appetite suppressant and was first given to obese people but as I have never been overweight I was still prescribed them for several years which I am pretty sure caused me to have B12 deficiency, a known problem with Metformin. I am also on insulin and asked my diabetes nurse if I could try stopping Metformin and noticed immediately that my appetite dramatically increased and my sugar levels didn't change.

 

[Alanem]

1.7 then re-tested and my machine said "LO"...no problem with the monitor as its virtually brand new.

So..what do I do ?.

I am at work. Salad and two sausages in the fridge.

Cupcakes in the kitchen..

Do I just let things go and see what happens, or should I have something sugary ?.

Advice please.

Hope all is now well. I didn't realise it at the time but I'd been having similar low readings for a long time and it was only discovered when the nurse showed me how to use a new meter. I didn't feel unwell but it read 1.6 and the clinic was in pandemonium. People pushing glucose tablets down my throat etc. It turned out I had become hypo intolerant and I had to follow a 6 month regime to get me back to recognising hypos. So mention it to your nurse just in case.

 

[Colin Crowhurst]

I have had one reading in my 8 weeks of testing at 1.6 ; I looked at my wife and both of us agreed there was no way it could be correct as I was walking/talking and feeling fine! I am sure that there are occasional dodgy readings, BUT if I was unsure I would have re-tested. I too have the emergency bag with so much sugar in I could get an elephant out of a Hypo! It never leaves my side/vehicle as neither does my meter. Finally do you have a Glucogon pen? I find it great as a security blanket but hope NEVER to use it!

Staying strong in my book means being prepared for all possibilities and staying healthy!

Finally with that reading in the UK remember DVLA don't want you driving (must be over 5) so you MUST re-test yourself before driving or they might have an excuse to remove/restrict your licence

 

[Patrick66]

Going back to Patrick's 5th (I think) comment on the first page, he said "Monitor is virtually brand new so there shouldn't be an issue there. Possibly too few carbs (virtually none to be fair) and I exercised this morning before I tested. Before this I had read 3.3 twice, both in the morning".

Two things spring to mind. I was given a different meter after using the same one for several years with no problems but my surgery wanted everyone to have a meter that used cheaper strips. After a few days of using the new meter I felt hypo and checked on the meter and it said 5.8 but I knew that I was hypo so checked on another meter and had a reading of 2.5. Over several days I did other readings using two different meters and the same blood at the same time and the results varied wildly, for example 15 on one and 25 on the new one. I stopped using the new meter and am quite happy again with the old one, even if the strips are about twice the price.

The other thing was the comment about readings of 3.3. If I had a reading of 3.3 and had eaten no carbs I wouldn't exercise without getting my blood sugar up first or not exercising until later that day. 3.3 is hypo and needs addressing straight away. I have had diabetes for 23 years and the lowest I ever went was 1.8 and that was on holiday abroad, thankfully I managed to get some glucose down me and recovered but felt very tired all day. Many times after that I would find that even though I felt fine my blood sugar was below 3 and yet I had no symptoms at all so I had to keep my levels higher than I would have liked in order to start recognising hypos again and now I know when I have a hypo even when I'm above the "make 4 the floor" level.

By the way, Metformin is an appetite suppressant and was first given to obese people but as I have never been overweight I was still prescribed them for several years which I am pretty sure caused me to have B12 deficiency, a known problem with Metformin. I am also on insulin and asked my diabetes nurse if I could try stopping Metformin and noticed immediately that my appetite dramatically increased and my sugar levels didn't change.

Well the monitor is working fine. I’ve tested it as suggested. Could have been a rogue strip..may have been a genuine reading. All I can tell people is what it said and how I felt at the time.
My diabetic nurse says anything under 3.0 is to be concerned at. 3.3 was, in her words, a bit lower than she would like.
My appetite is variable. I’ve been on Metformin for 5 years, I think, and at times I’ve felt very hungry hence my weight being more than I’d like. I started from a narrow range of foods to begin with so having changed diet quite considerably, it’s actually hard to find anything I enjoy eating.
Have a doctors review in 3 weeks or so and will talk to her then about things.

 

[Patrick66]

Hope all is now well. I didn't realise it at the time but I'd been having similar low readings for a long time and it was only discovered when the nurse showed me how to use a new meter. I didn't feel unwell but it read 1.6 and the clinic was in pandemonium. People pushing glucose tablets down my throat etc. It turned out I had become hypo intolerant and I had to follow a 6 month regime to get me back to recognising hypos. So mention it to your nurse just in case.

Thank you. I feel okay thanks. I will certainly mention it to my doctor.

 

[Patrick66]

I have had one reading in my 8 weeks of testing at 1.6 ; I looked at my wife and both of us agreed there was no way it could be correct as I was walking/talking and feeling fine! I am sure that there are occasional dodgy readings, BUT if I was unsure I would have re-tested. I too have the emergency bag with so much sugar in I could get an elephant out of a Hypo! It never leaves my side/vehicle as neither does my meter. Finally do you have a Glucogon pen? I find it great as a security blanket but hope NEVER to use it!

Staying strong in my book means being prepared for all possibilities and staying healthy!

Finally with that reading in the UK remember DVLA don't want you driving (must be over 5) so you MUST re-test yourself before driving or they might have an excuse to remove/restrict your licence

I don’t drive. Can but don’t.

I did retest and got LO as my reading. I know that’s worse lol. I’m a bit bemused by it all as my regime hasn’t really changed these last 6 weeks or so and my readings have been between 1.7 and 9.7 and the latter was definitely a dodgy strip.
My bloods always terribly reluctant to come out and although I wash my hands and dry them before testing I always worry about cross contamination getting in the way.

I take everything everyone has said on board and I feel fine. Well, no less well than someone who has had two strokes and has Fibromyalgia should feel.