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Dropping BG quickly/hypos T2

D

DebN

Newbie
Messages
3
Hi all.
New member here.
Background: diagnosed February 2019, T2. So overwhelmed and initially upset, don't even remember first HBA1C.
Reading in June though was 6.1. Not on any meds and no insulin, just diet and excercise.
Have worked hard, changed diet and exercise waaay more than I used to (usually at least 150 min cardio per week, and some resistance training). Lost 30 lb in 1.5 months (not meaning to so quickly, it just came off so fast). (now about 180). Weight loss stopped, Weight stabilized.
Initially, my sugars were kind of bouncing. I do test with glucometer, and would go as high as 10 after eating and as low as about 3.2.
Then for months it pretty much stabilized and I was usually in the the 4-7.5 range. Was doing well.
Recently, the past month, sugars a bit crazy again. As high as 9 and as low as 1.4 (I did test twice more right after, and both those said 1.9 so thinking fairly accurate). The times for lows are pretty predictable. 8 am, 12:15/12:30 and 4 pm ish.
The ones before lunch and dinner are easier for me for two reasons.
First, I can snack easily (remembering to do so is the trick for me).
The morning one though... It's kind of weird.
Fasting level is almost always 5.2-5.7.
Typically I wake at 6:50, hit snooze for 20min. Get up, shower, get ready for the day.
Hubby works st same place, so while he'd drive us in, I'd eat in the car (almost always a high protein wrap, no sugar oatmeal with nuts/cinnamon/hemp hearts or veggies with dip and cheese slices with whole grain crackers or an egg).
This was mostly good until last month.
I take a reading just before I eat at 8 am. Usually around 3.8 or so.
Then suddenly.. 3.2.... 2.7.... 1.9... 2.2. EVERY morning (but not on weekends when I sleep in).
I was feeling awful. Weak. Nauseous. Intensely irritable. Shaky.
So, decided to test to see what it going on,
Test at 6:50/7am. 5.5
Test at 7:45 when I'm starting to feel awful.... 5.7 Want to lay face down on the bed and not get up.
Test at 8 am... 2.2.
WtH????
Consistently.
So started to eat earlier.
Test at 6:50/7 am - 5.2
Eat at 7:25 am.
Test at 7:45 am - 7.2
Test at 8 am (feeling somewhat ******) - 4.2
At least not hypo but still steep drop.
Mostly it's like this now, though did have a2.7 this week at 8 am (maybe I ate too late???)
Talked to doc, he thinks it's all good.
"you're not on meds or insulin so I'm positive you won't pass out."
Yes this was after seeing my readings (and yes I had it glucometer tested and yes I have another one, similar readings).
I have been exercising more (now I jog about 15 min, walk 15 min, used to be all walking). My weight stabilized but I did drop 3 clothing sizes (2XL to L).
I do have some issues with regards to my menstrual cycles (this is being addressed tomorrow hopefully with a procedure, so hopefully they will lighten significantly). Seems to me that when I was more stable, if I did go hypo/near hypo it was during that time.
Anyone have any similar experience?
I hate how doc is so nonchalant.
Hypos SUCK. I am so tired the rest of the day.
I am pretty careful about not eating a lot of sugar.
I have been working SO hard to avoid hypos, and I don't always feel like eating when I am low but I do make myself eat nuts, cheese and crackers etc.
Strict keto seemed too much and I let myself have a bit more carbs sad it helped during my stable time.
That hasn't changed.
So confused and doc offering no help, no sympathy, and no ideas on how to fix or manage.
TIA for any thoughts.
 
DebN said:
Hi all.
New member here.
Background: diagnosed February 2019, T2. So overwhelmed and initially upset, don't even remember first HBA1C.
Reading in June though was 6.1. Not on any meds and no insulin, just diet and excercise.
Have worked hard, changed diet and exercise waaay more than I used to (usually at least 150 min cardio per week, and some resistance training). Lost 30 lb in 1.5 months (not meaning to so quickly, it just came off so fast). (now about 180). Weight loss stopped, Weight stabilized.
Initially, my sugars were kind of bouncing. I do test with glucometer, and would go as high as 10 after eating and as low as about 3.2.
Then for months it pretty much stabilized and I was usually in the the 4-7.5 range. Was doing well.
Recently, the past month, sugars a bit crazy again. As high as 9 and as low as 1.4 (I did test twice more right after, and both those said 1.9 so thinking fairly accurate). The times for lows are pretty predictable. 8 am, 12:15/12:30 and 4 pm ish.
The ones before lunch and dinner are easier for me for two reasons.
First, I can snack easily (remembering to do so is the trick for me).
The morning one though... It's kind of weird.
Fasting level is almost always 5.2-5.7.
Typically I wake at 6:50, hit snooze for 20min. Get up, shower, get ready for the day.
Hubby works st same place, so while he'd drive us in, I'd eat in the car (almost always a high protein wrap, no sugar oatmeal with nuts/cinnamon/hemp hearts or veggies with dip and cheese slices with whole grain crackers or an egg).
This was mostly good until last month.
I take a reading just before I eat at 8 am. Usually around 3.8 or so.
Then suddenly.. 3.2.... 2.7.... 1.9... 2.2. EVERY morning (but not on weekends when I sleep in).
I was feeling awful. Weak. Nauseous. Intensely irritable. Shaky.
So, decided to test to see what it going on,
Test at 6:50/7am. 5.5
Test at 7:45 when I'm starting to feel awful.... 5.7 Want to lay face down on the bed and not get up.
Test at 8 am... 2.2.
WtH????
Consistently.
So started to eat earlier.
Test at 6:50/7 am - 5.2
Eat at 7:25 am.
Test at 7:45 am - 7.2
Test at 8 am (feeling somewhat ******) - 4.2
At least not hypo but still steep drop.
Mostly it's like this now, though did have a2.7 this week at 8 am (maybe I ate too late???)
Talked to doc, he thinks it's all good.
"you're not on meds or insulin so I'm positive you won't pass out."
Yes this was after seeing my readings (and yes I had it glucometer tested and yes I have another one, similar readings).
I have been exercising more (now I jog about 15 min, walk 15 min, used to be all walking). My weight stabilized but I did drop 3 clothing sizes (2XL to L).
I do have some issues with regards to my menstrual cycles (this is being addressed tomorrow hopefully with a procedure, so hopefully they will lighten significantly). Seems to me that when I was more stable, if I did go hypo/near hypo it was during that time.
Anyone have any similar experience?
I hate how doc is so nonchalant.
Hypos SUCK. I am so tired the rest of the day.
I am pretty careful about not eating a lot of sugar.
I have been working SO hard to avoid hypos, and I don't always feel like eating when I am low but I do make myself eat nuts, cheese and crackers etc.
Strict keto seemed too much and I let myself have a bit more carbs sad it helped during my stable time.
That hasn't changed.
So confused and doc offering no help, no sympathy, and no ideas on how to fix or manage.
TIA for any thoughts.
Click to expand...
This is going to sound weird, but you could have reactive hypoglycemia... That's when you eat carbs, (like crackers, oatmeal, wrap...) your pancreas produces a lot more insulin than you actually need. So then you hypo. Thing is, as a T2, you overproduce insulin as a matter of course, but were insensitive to it. With the weight you lost though, your sensitivity may have improved. So now you're seeing spikes, your pancreas overreacts, and you dip too low after eating. It's not about when you eat, it's about what you eat. And I am sorry, but cutting down the carbs further is pretty much the only way to solve it: when there's no spikes in bloodsugars, there's no spikes in insulin production. Just an educated guess here though... Most doctors have never heard of RH, so don't expect much help from there.

I wish I had better news for you, but yeah... Cut out the remaining carbs, dare I say, go keto, and you won't hypo again in all likelihood... Worth experimenting with it for a week or two, surely, to see what happens. Then maybe go from there.

Good luck!
Jo
 
JoKalsbeek said:
This is going to sound weird, but you could have reactive hypoglycemia... That's when you eat carbs, (like crackers, oatmeal, wrap...) your pancreas produces a lot more insulin than you actually need. So then you hypo. Thing is, as a T2, you overproduce insulin as a matter of course, but were insensitive to it. With the weight you lost though, your sensitivity may have improved. So now you're seeing spikes, your pancreas overreacts, and you dip too low after eating. It's not about when you eat, it's about what you eat. And I am sorry, but cutting down the carbs further is pretty much the only way to solve it: when there's no spikes in bloodsugars, there's no spikes in insulin production. Just an educated guess here though... Most doctors have never heard of RH, so don't expect much help from there.

I wish I had better news for you, but yeah... Cut out the remaining carbs, dare I say, go keto, and you won't hypo again in all likelihood... Worth experimenting with it for a week or two, surely, to see what happens. Then maybe go from there.

Good luck!
Jo
Click to expand...


Tbh I'd thought of that too, my doc never even questioned me on it but I have a friend who has it. But, I'm pretty careful with carbs (don't eat them by themselves, don't usually eat refined ones much, etc). If I DO have some juice, say, do to a low, I have a healthy meal or snack ASAP,

And, the worst lows are in the morning before I eat anything.

Could it be stress related maybe?
I'd heard stress tends to drive up your numbers though, and I'm not really spiking, at times I'm struggling to keep it at a 5 or more.
I have two challenging teen boys and also went through a very emotional situation in life that made my t2 diabetes disgnosis look like a cake walk.

On weekends when I can get up later, take it easy, I seldom have hypos.

Thanks so much for your response, I appreciate it very much.
 
DebN said:
Tbh I'd thought of that too, my doc never even questioned me on it but I have a friend who has it. But, I'm pretty careful with carbs (don't eat them by themselves, don't usually eat refined ones much, etc). If I DO have some juice, say, do to a low, I have a healthy meal or snack ASAP,

And, the worst lows are in the morning before I eat anything.

Could it be stress related maybe?
I'd heard stress tends to drive up your numbers though, and I'm not really spiking, at times I'm struggling to keep it at a 5 or more.
I have two challenging teen boys and also went through a very emotional situation in life that made my t2 diabetes disgnosis look like a cake walk.

On weekends when I can get up later, take it easy, I seldom have hypos.

Thanks so much for your response, I appreciate it very much.
Click to expand...
Hmm.. Stress usually drives numbers up, not down. How do you sleep? I'm just guessing here, but if you don't sleep well you might get your liver dump early, somewhere deep in the night. (Which is a spike, and might explain the lows later, if it is RH-related. But again, I'm just guessing).

You know what, I think you could do with two weeks on a continuous glucose monitor, so you also know what goes on at night, but they're expensive to self-fund... :( Try your GP again for a referral to an endo. Something's off here and it sounds like your doc isn't equipped to handle it.
 
JoKalsbeek said:
Hmm.. Stress usually drives numbers up, not down. How do you sleep? I'm just guessing here, but if you don't sleep well you might get your liver dump early, somewhere deep in the night. (Which is a spike, and might explain the lows later, if it is RH-related. But again, I'm just guessing).

You know what, I think you could do with two weeks on a continuous glucose monitor, so you also know what goes on at night, but they're expensive to self-fund... :( Try your GP again for a referral to an endo. Something's off here and it sounds like your doc isn't equipped to handle it.
Click to expand...


Yeah I think I will be asking for a referral.
If he won't, I think I'll be looking for a new doc.
I generally sleep ok... But, now that you mention it... There are nights I'm up 3-4 times due to a very heavy mebstrual cycle (just had a procedure done yesterday that *should* help.
And I have wondered if there was a hormonal connection because it does seem to run lower at that time.
I have debated the cgm and it is something I'd need to check in to with insurance,
I honestly don't think the doc would want to write a letter about a cgm since he thinks it's no biggie.
I guess I'll look into a possible referral and go from there.
I'm thinking someone who specializes in diabetes may have seen this before.
Thanks again.
 
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