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Low Blood Glucose on Keto

CotswoldsBloke

CotswoldsBloke

Well-Known Member
Messages
61
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi

I’m experiencing dips in BG below 4 during the day and night (I’m T2 and controlling through diet). I’m fairly newly diagnosed so I don’t know if I’m having a hypo or not. Reading about the symptoms of one, the only thing I feel is a little tired. I use a Libre 2 and at first I just thought that it was reading on the low side, but for the last few days I have been using a finger prick test to validate and while the Libre is always slightly lower, the finger prick also shows a low reading).

I started proper keto (<20g of carbs per day) about 3 weeks ago (before that I was just in low carbs <50g per day). I eat two meals a day and have been feeling good on it.

My gut feel is to eat some more carbs to try and get control of the levels, but I wondered if anyone has experienced anything similar. Clearly, I don’t want to come out of ketosis, but more stable BG levels are obviously more important.

Thanks for any help.
Nick
 
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If you’re not on medication and feeling OK then it’s highly unlikely you’re having a hypo. I quite regularly drop into the 3s without issue.
 
Hi there, if it's any help my Diabetes Nurse said a non diabetic (or a well controlled type 2 not on meds I guess) can go down into the mid 3s and that for them that would be normal. What are your readings? x
 
KK123 said:
Hi there, if it's any help my Diabetes Nurse said a non diabetic (or a well controlled type 2 not on meds I guess) can go down into the mid 3s and that for them that would be normal. What are your readings? x
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That’s interesting.

My levels when I do go below 4 are normally 3.6/3.7 and I range between 4 and 5.4 for the main.
 
CotswoldsBloke said:
Hi

I’m experiencing dips in BG below 4 during the day and night (I’m T2 and controlling through diet). I’m fairly newly diagnosed so I don’t know if I’m having a hypo or not. Reading about the symptoms of one, the only thing I feel is a little tired. I use a Libre 2 and at first I just thought that it was reading on the low side, but for the last few days I have been using a finger prick test to validate and while the Libre is always slightly lower, the finger prick also shows a low reading).

I started proper keto (<20g of carbs per day) about 3 weeks ago (before that I was just in low carbs <50g per day). I eat two meals a day and have been feeling good on it.

My gut feel is to eat some more carbs to try and get control of the levels, but I wondered if anyone has experienced anything similar. Clearly, I don’t want to come out of ketosis, but more stable BG levels are obviously more important.

Thanks for any help.
Nick
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I’m not on keto and today after work I had levels of 3.7, I’d eaten avacado and some Mexicana cheese for breakfast and soup and a creme egg (I know I shouldn’t but I’m weak for them) for lunch as well as having a large latte

levels mid 3s now after work haven’t been unusual since I stopped meds, I actually asked about it on the forums and was reassured like you are being

so yeah, possible for someone not on meds, I also feel absolutely fine. I actually when I was on drugs pre fitness got hypo symptoms when I was in the 5+ so not feeling strange is different.

I lie, I got weird feeling once and I was 2.7, double tested. So I ate something. Not sure what my body is doing anymore

it’s a bit weird though isn’t it, hypo is something we are warned of but diet controlled can get such low levels
 
Thanks for that reply. What meds were you on? I was prescribed Metformin, which I didn’t want to take (determined to manage it through the thing that got me there in the first place) and have now stopped.
 
CotswoldsBloke said:
Thanks for that reply. What meds were you on? I was prescribed Metformin, which I didn’t want to take (determined to manage it through the thing that got me there in the first place) and have now stopped.
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I was on metformin 2000mg, weekly bydureon and daplaflaglozin before I got back into non diabetic levels. I lowered carbs and lost a lot of weight, for me I seem to be able to tolerate a lot more carbs than many though so I am very much now a fan of lowering carbs as a way to improve diabetes type 2. I also though do a fair amount of cardio which seems to help me keep the levels at bay and tolerate more carbs. I can see from testing what carbs can do though, some carbs like potatoes I can easily see into the next day

I don’t know If longer term my body will lose the ability to cope though so keep an eye on things
 
Andydragon said:
I was on metformin 2000mg, weekly bydureon and daplaflaglozin before I got back into non diabetic levels. I lowered carbs and lost a lot of weight, for me I seem to be able to tolerate a lot more carbs than many though so I am very much now a fan of lowering carbs as a way to improve diabetes type 2. I also though do a fair amount of cardio which seems to help me keep the levels at bay and tolerate more carbs. I can see from testing what carbs can do though, some carbs like potatoes I can easily see into the next day

I don’t know If longer term my body will lose the ability to cope though so keep an eye on things
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Inspirational stuff.

I’m 4 stone down but have another 7 to go. Walking has helped me enormously and I’ll up the exercise as more weight comes off.

Determined to get this thing understood and controlled.
 
CotswoldsBloke said:
Inspirational stuff.

I’m 4 stone down but have another 7 to go. Walking has helped me enormously and I’ll up the exercise as more weight comes off.

Determined to get this thing understood and controlled.
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I’m one of many on the forum, but thank you
Sounds like you are doing really well too
 
LaoDan said:
Libre 1 isn’t very accurate below 5ish. It told me I was dead a few times. I verified with a prick, and I was indeed alive. Verify with a prick when you get low,
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Just had to laugh at your description - sorry I do tend to laugh when I shouldn't and it is not personal just my warped sense of humour.... that keeps me going :hilarious:
 
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