Post Exercise Reactive Hypoglycemia (non-diabetic)

Newbie123

Newbie
Messages
3
Hi there, firstly I apologise if this has been covered in one of your many threads, I have looked but nothing stands out and my GP seemingly knows very little about blood glucose and what is normal. I'm 38, no history of diabetes, I workout 3/4 times a week and I eat healthily most of the time. However, I do vape cannabis and that can cause munchies in the evenings.

I have long thought my blood glucose levels dip to low levels. On these days I'm very weak, very pale, VERY shaky. It can come on at any time and sometimes I have to lay down to let it pass.

I recently purchased a FreeStyle Libre 2 to find out what is going on.

I have just finished a full week and the first 5 days was very uninteresting. My blood glucose levels ranged between 4-6 mmol. I drank fruit juice, ate chocolate, ate sweets... all the things we shouldn't do and my levels barely changed.

On Friday afternoons I eat at 11am a bowl of 100g of oats, berries and a large scoop of peanut butter as I have an extended workout at 1pm. I'm in the gym for 2 hours of intensive exercise then into the sauna/spa for a couple of hours which also gets your heart rate up.

Friday night I went to bed and from midnight - 7am my blood glucose dropped to 3-4 mmol range so marginally low.

Saturday I rested most of the day and my levels were fine, just once or twice they dipped below 4mmol.

Sunday I went for a 3-hour bike ride of medium intensity. I didn't eat beforehand, however, immediately after the ride, I ate 100g of oats, berries peanut butter from my rucksack. An hour later my blood Glucose dropped to 3mmol. For the rest of the day no matter what I ate, (Brown Rice and Chilli for Lunch. Sunday Roast for dinner and fruit juice, sweets, chocolate) my blood glucose got lower and lower, so low the Libre sensor couldn't give a reading for 2-3 hours. Of course i felt awful.

Is this cause for concern? why does my blood glucose go so low?

Any help would be greatly appreciated
 

urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi there, firstly I apologise if this has been covered in one of your many threads, I have looked but nothing stands out and my GP seemingly knows very little about blood glucose and what is normal. I'm 38, no history of diabetes, I workout 3/4 times a week and I eat healthily most of the time. However, I do vape cannabis and that can cause munchies in the evenings.

I have long thought my blood glucose levels dip to low levels. On these days I'm very weak, very pale, VERY shaky. It can come on at any time and sometimes I have to lay down to let it pass.

I recently purchased a FreeStyle Libre 2 to find out what is going on.

I have just finished a full week and the first 5 days was very uninteresting. My blood glucose levels ranged between 4-6 mmol. I drank fruit juice, ate chocolate, ate sweets... all the things we shouldn't do and my levels barely changed.

On Friday afternoons I eat at 11am a bowl of 100g of oats, berries and a large scoop of peanut butter as I have an extended workout at 1pm. I'm in the gym for 2 hours of intensive exercise then into the sauna/spa for a couple of hours which also gets your heart rate up.

Friday night I went to bed and from midnight - 7am my blood glucose dropped to 3-4 mmol range so marginally low.

Saturday I rested most of the day and my levels were fine, just once or twice they dipped below 4mmol.

Sunday I went for a 3-hour bike ride of medium intensity. I didn't eat beforehand, however, immediately after the ride, I ate 100g of oats, berries peanut butter from my rucksack. An hour later my blood Glucose dropped to 3mmol. For the rest of the day no matter what I ate, (Brown Rice and Chilli for Lunch. Sunday Roast for dinner and fruit juice, sweets, chocolate) my blood glucose got lower and lower, so low the Libre sensor couldn't give a reading for 2-3 hours. Of course i felt awful.

Is this cause for concern? why does my blood glucose go so low?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Firstly, the Libre device. Many find that it simply isn't that accurate outside 'normal' blood glucose level ranges which is annoying but it's best to cross check with a finger prick and an actual blood glucose measurement. You may find that you aren't really as low as the Libre is indicating.

Secondly, it is not unusual for non-diabetic people to have blood glucose levels below 4mmol sometimes. Non-diabetic hypoglycemia is quite rare and maybe Reactive Hypoglycemia which normally happens within a few hours of eating a meal or Fasting Hypoglycemia which may be an indication of other issues.

May I suggest that you look at this page for information on non-diabetic hypoglycemia. If you have any serious concerns then please discuss them with your medical team as forum members cannot offer diagnosis over the internet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newbie123

Newbie123

Newbie
Messages
3
Thank you for the response!

I will look into the page you suggested.

It's a shame Libre isnt accurate outside normal levels... If that's the case, it seems like a waste of time?

I would say my bg levels were low as I fel pretty larthargic. See attached screenshot of my bg levels over the last 24 hours
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20211220-103713.jpg
    Screenshot_20211220-103713.jpg
    137 KB · Views: 201
  • Like
Reactions: urbanracer

Rokaab

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,159
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Unfortunately the libres are just tech and are calibrated against 'Mr Factory Man' and well not everyone is the same as 'Mr Factory Man'

I used to find for me the libre showed 1mmol/L lower than I actually was and if it showed less than 5 (I think) it did say you should check it with a blood glucose meter as it may well not be quite what it showed

Also these things (like any tech) can just fail - when I used them Abbott were very good at replacing ones where the sensor readings were out by a way, but you did need verification from a blood test meter (I use a different one now that talks and works with my pump)
 

Newbie123

Newbie
Messages
3
Unfortunately the libres are just tech and are calibrated against 'Mr Factory Man' and well not everyone is the same as 'Mr Factory Man'

I used to find for me the libre showed 1mmol/L lower than I actually was and if it showed less than 5 (I think) it did say you should check it with a blood glucose meter as it may well not be quite what it showed

Also these things (like any tech) can just fail - when I used them Abbott were very good at replacing ones where the sensor readings were out by a way, but you did need verification from a blood test meter (I use a different one now that talks and works with my pump)

Thanks every so much. I'll start regular tests using my Nuxus BGM.

Haver a great day
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,796
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi there, firstly I apologise if this has been covered in one of your many threads, I have looked but nothing stands out and my GP seemingly knows very little about blood glucose and what is normal. I'm 38, no history of diabetes, I workout 3/4 times a week and I eat healthily most of the time. However, I do vape cannabis and that can cause munchies in the evenings.

I have long thought my blood glucose levels dip to low levels. On these days I'm very weak, very pale, VERY shaky. It can come on at any time and sometimes I have to lay down to let it pass.

I recently purchased a FreeStyle Libre 2 to find out what is going on.

I have just finished a full week and the first 5 days was very uninteresting. My blood glucose levels ranged between 4-6 mmol. I drank fruit juice, ate chocolate, ate sweets... all the things we shouldn't do and my levels barely changed.

On Friday afternoons I eat at 11am a bowl of 100g of oats, berries and a large scoop of peanut butter as I have an extended workout at 1pm. I'm in the gym for 2 hours of intensive exercise then into the sauna/spa for a couple of hours which also gets your heart rate up.

Friday night I went to bed and from midnight - 7am my blood glucose dropped to 3-4 mmol range so marginally low.

Saturday I rested most of the day and my levels were fine, just once or twice they dipped below 4mmol.

Sunday I went for a 3-hour bike ride of medium intensity. I didn't eat beforehand, however, immediately after the ride, I ate 100g of oats, berries peanut butter from my rucksack. An hour later my blood Glucose dropped to 3mmol. For the rest of the day no matter what I ate, (Brown Rice and Chilli for Lunch. Sunday Roast for dinner and fruit juice, sweets, chocolate) my blood glucose got lower and lower, so low the Libre sensor couldn't give a reading for 2-3 hours. Of course i felt awful.

Is this cause for concern? why does my blood glucose go so low?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi @Newbie123
I don't know know how, but I missed this thread.

With the information you have listed, the only real advice I can give you other than change your diet because if you are food related non diabetic hypoglycaemic, what you may deem healthy. But it is not.
Return to your GP and ask for a referral to a specialist endocrinologist who has had experience with non diabetic Hypoglycaemia. If you show your doctor your cgm results, he will understand more of what is going on.

Again, read our forum, there is a great deal of information concerning all aspects of dietary advice and what is capable due to control.

Stay safe.