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Avoiding refined sugar while having a hypo

A

Atrack

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all

I am struggling and have been for some time. I’m struggling with, I think, depression, linked in ways I don’t fully understand to my type 1 diabetes. My hb1ac (or whatever you call it) is good, very good even perhaps, but it’s taking a real toll on my life and hence I’m struggling.

I feel like refined or processed sugar is making my conditions worse, ie making me feel more depressed, possibly by causing inflammation. The problem is my control is tight and I have hypos a lot, sometimes several a day. As I type this I know this is not good.

I need help. I’ll take any advice anyone can offer as I really need a lift right now.
 
Atrack said:
Hi all

I am struggling and have been for some time. I’m struggling with, I think, depression, linked in ways I don’t fully understand to my type 1 diabetes. My hb1ac (or whatever you call it) is good, very good even perhaps, but it’s taking a real toll on my life and hence I’m struggling.

I feel like refined or processed sugar is making my conditions worse, ie making me feel more depressed, possibly by causing inflammation. The problem is my control is tight and I have hypos a lot, sometimes several a day. As I type this I know this is not good.

I need help. I’ll take any advice anyone can offer as I really need a lift right now.
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Hi @Atrack and welcome to a very lifting place. Although I am not allowed to advise you regime wise, I would like to offer 2 thoughts. Firstly hypos can cause unusual depression. I was once doing a puzzle and suddenly felt the world was coming to an end. When I tested myself and had a reading lower than 2. Once I had returned to normal levels, my equanimity returned. Have you thought of using fruit juice rather than sugar? I always found it worked more quickly.
Does any doctor know you are getting so many hypos? I think they should be adjusting your regime/dosage. Good luck.
 
Thanks Grant.

I know what you mean about hypos like that - you feel so bad it's impossible to explain to people. They are awful. My issue is probably more to do with depression if I'm honest, and I think I just wanted to get that off my chest - that I'm struggling. I'm not the type of person who can communicate these things easily, if anyone is.

I think the fruit juice is the best bet, as at least it's 'natural', or more so than chocolate or whatever. It's harder to carry that around than glucose tabs or whatever though, and that's a factor for me.

I speak to the diabetes clinic every six months or so, and they say I could maybe ease up on my control. I find that very difficult psychologically however, which might be part of the problem.
 
Atrack said:
Thanks Grant.

I know what you mean about hypos like that - you feel so bad it's impossible to explain to people. They are awful. My issue is probably more to do with depression if I'm honest, and I think I just wanted to get that off my chest - that I'm struggling. I'm not the type of person who can communicate these things easily, if anyone is.

I think the fruit juice is the best bet, as at least it's 'natural', or more so than chocolate or whatever. It's harder to carry that around than glucose tabs or whatever though, and that's a factor for me.

I speak to the diabetes clinic every six months or so, and they say I could maybe ease up on my control. I find that very difficult psychologically however, which might be part of the problem.
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A lot of people on this forum swear by jelly babies. Maybe if you carried them in a small resealable container/pouch?
Often an excellent HbA1c can mean erratic levels since it is only an average over 3 moths. It's possible to have readings at extreme levels and not alter the average. This is almost certainly why they have suggested easing up. This happened in my case and undoubtedly has kept me alive this far!!
 
Hello @Atrack I second what Grant has said, hypos in themselves can cause me to contemplate very dark places, but that said so does swinging blood glucose levels can really bring me down too, it's an enormous strain trying to manage glucose levels and swinging levels, my happy place has come from stability, so the more I can keep my levels as stable as possible the better, that for me means eating low carbs so less insulin = less room for error. I tend to focus these days on Time in Range (TIR) instead of the HbA1c as its best to focus on this to keep control stable. In regards to hypo treatments, I too am not keen on pure sugar, juice comes in small cartons so they are easy to carry and one carton brings me up fine as does ripe bananas and grapes as alternatives. Another thought with hypos, do you find you get more than one a day ? few things to consider, the liver pumps glucose out when low so when we treat a hypo we get the added bonus of a glucose hit so levels can soar, if we correct then when our liver replaces it's depleted store then we go low again, so best to run around 9 mmol/l afterwards, try not to over correct otherwise you will be swinging high/low.
 
The way I see it. 4-10 is the law. Being too low or too high are just as bad. I'm only at the start of the journey. But greatness doesn't come in one day. I'm also sure one day I'll probably think of these comments are stupid. But we can only try our best and learn to trial things. If things are not how we'd like them. It ain't going away unfortunately. Good luck and hope you find the better path soon.
 
Juicyj said:
Hello @Atrack I second what Grant has said, hypos in themselves can cause me to contemplate very dark places, but that said so does swinging blood glucose levels can really bring me down too, it's an enormous strain trying to manage glucose levels and swinging levels, my happy place has come from stability, so the more I can keep my levels as stable as possible the better, that for me means eating low carbs so less insulin = less room for error. I tend to focus these days on Time in Range (TIR) instead of the HbA1c as its best to focus on this to keep control stable. In regards to hypo treatments, I too am not keen on pure sugar, juice comes in small cartons so they are easy to carry and one carton brings me up fine as does ripe bananas and grapes as alternatives. Another thought with hypos, do you find you get more than one a day ? few things to consider, the liver pumps glucose out when low so when we treat a hypo we get the added bonus of a glucose hit so levels can soar, if we correct then when our liver replaces it's depleted store then we go low again, so best to run around 9 mmol/l afterwards, try not to over correct otherwise you will be swinging high/low.
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Hello and thanks for your advice.

I agree about the strain caused by hypos, and swinging bg levels are not helping me either. I have had period of eating low carb but I find it hard to maintain that as you need to plan your life like a bank robbery to get by and I find that difficult. It's hard to get low carb meals when you're out and about so I often end up eating a sandwich etc., which seems to do more harm than good.

I am having more than one hypo every day, sometimes several, as my control is tight - too tight probably. I find it hard to let go of the tight control, especially at the moment, as it feels like a failure to me when it's out of control. Consciously I know this is wrong of course but emotionally I feel differently.

It's all getting on top of me a bit right now.
 
Atrack said:
Hello and thanks for your advice.

I agree about the strain caused by hypos, and swinging bg levels are not helping me either. I have had period of eating low carb but I find it hard to maintain that as you need to plan your life like a bank robbery to get by and I find that difficult. It's hard to get low carb meals when you're out and about so I often end up eating a sandwich etc., which seems to do more harm than good.

I am having more than one hypo every day, sometimes several, as my control is tight - too tight probably. I find it hard to let go of the tight control, especially at the moment, as it feels like a failure to me when it's out of control. Consciously I know this is wrong of course but emotionally I feel differently.

It's all getting on top of me a bit right now.
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Do you use Libre2?
 
Screenshot_20220921-160931.jpgThis is how i set my alarms. As for me treating a hyper is easier than a hypo. Having my low alarm at 5.6 gives me loads of time when not active to treat a hypo from happening. Yet when active I react straight away. My A1C is 5.6 That's down from 6.9 in 8 months
 
I second @Ipodlistener 's question about a libre. If you use a libre or a dexcom you should be able to stave off hypos so that you get alerts and can treat before you go hypo.

From personal experience, I start losing hypo awareness if I have too many hypos (plus they make me fell like <insert favourite expletive here> ) so I prefer to run a little higher and just not get them.
 
EllieM said:
I second @Ipodlistener 's question about a libre. If you use a libre or a dexcom you should be able to stave off hypos so that you get alerts and can treat before you go hypo.

From personal experience, I start losing hypo awareness if I have too many hypos (plus they make me fell like <insert favourite expletive here> ) so I prefer to run a little higher and just not get them.
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I like the libre 2, but it's a double-edged sword as often it's a bloody nuisance. I get sick of alarms as, similar to you, every time I get one it might as well be singing 'you're a total failure' to me in an annoying voice. In the middle of the night it's particularly annoying as if my bg goes above ten (where I set it) it keeps waking me up, sometimes more than once in the night. It means that I just get more tired and more cranky, which is probably exactly how I sound here.
 
Adjust your alarms. It makes so much difference. I only got diagnosed last November. But I haven't had to adjust my diet by much. If anything I eat more now. If very active obviously I don't bolus for carbs atm. As I'm using the energy they create. Straight away. Biggest break through was getting my basal rate right for me. I'm on multiple daily injections.
 
Atrack said:
I like the libre 2, but it's a double-edged sword as often it's a bloody nuisance. I get sick of alarms as, similar to you, every time I get one it might as well be singing 'you're a total failure' to me in an annoying voice. In the middle of the night it's particularly annoying as if my bg goes above ten (where I set it) it keeps waking me up, sometimes more than once in the night. It means that I just get more tired and more cranky, which is probably exactly how I sound here.
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Mine kept giving me compression lows the other week. After testing twice. Also knowing I hadn't drank alcohol. I turned it off. I turn mine to vibrate at night. But like you say getting a goodnight sleep is better.
 
I use Dexcom with pump and agree that the alarms can be dementing but also that hypo and the anxiety caused by fear of hypo must be very draining. On one hand you get praise for having a fantastic hba1c but I don't think anyone who doesn't live with diabetes gets how hard it can be when constantly adjusting carb intake against bolus doses then corrections doses or hypo corrections (doesn't matter at all whether it is fruit juice or jelly babies/honey btw - it is all sugar!). Yes you will avoid nasty complications but at what cost to your stress levels and enjoyment of life? I do think there are better ways.
My solution has been to go low carb (30g per meal so not keto by any stretch). If the basal dose is okay then it can be a smoother ride. It just means I eat more fat and protein which is healthier in any case. If I try too hard with my diabetes I end up resenting it and getting angry so this is my own personal strategy for handling it. I hope you can find your own way through as I don't think its right to be having more than 1 hypo daily in order to maintain tight control.
 
Nicole said:
I use Dexcom with pump and agree that the alarms can be dementing but also that hypo and the anxiety caused by fear of hypo must be very draining. On one hand you get praise for having a fantastic hba1c but I don't think anyone who doesn't live with diabetes gets how hard it can be when constantly adjusting carb intake against bolus doses then corrections doses or hypo corrections (doesn't matter at all whether it is fruit juice or jelly babies/honey btw - it is all sugar!). Yes you will avoid nasty complications but at what cost to your stress levels and enjoyment of life? I do think there are better ways.
My solution has been to go low carb (30g per meal so not keto by any stretch). If the basal dose is okay then it can be a smoother ride. It just means I eat more fat and protein which is healthier in any case. If I try too hard with my diabetes I end up resenting it and getting angry so this is my own personal strategy for handling it. I hope you can find your own way through as I don't think its right to be having more than 1 hypo daily in order to maintain tight control.
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Thanks. The worst part for me is being so tired and then getting woken up two or three times during the night. I am getting a bit burnt out, if not there already. It is very hard to live with and because I look healthy (yet have to work so hard to manage it) people think you're fine. I'm not.

Low carb seems to be the only way. I'll need to try and get some good recipes as food is one of the few pleasures I've got left to enjoy! At least I can still enjoy a good moan
 
Hi. It does sound to me that you insulin regime needs tweaking a bit. Have you balanced the Basal? Do you split the Basal if Levemir? Do you inject 15 to 30 minutes before food and so on. Maybe you do all this but just in case. BTW I use Dextrose tablets. 100% glucose, neat, compact, cheap and come in different flavours.
 
Daibell said:
Hi. It does sound to me that you insulin regime needs tweaking a bit. Have you balanced the Basal? Do you split the Basal if Levemir? Do you inject 15 to 30 minutes before food and so on. Maybe you do all this but just in case. BTW I use Dextrose tablets. 100% glucose, neat, compact, cheap and come in different flavours.
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Thanks. I'm on Tresiba but might need to reduce it. I do use the Dextrose, prefer a bit of choco right enough, which isn't helping me!
 
A low HbA1c with lots of hypos is not going to be good for anyone :( ... probably time to have a discussion with your support team about insulin dosing and type as well as targets to reduce the number of hypos.
You will probably find low carb helps with blood glucose control but you may still need to at least initially run at higher levels to reduce the hypos.
Hope you get things sorted soon :)
 
Last night I had no carbs for my tea, just a big bit of salmon and vegetables & tomatoes which I covered with 4 units of insulin. I ate it about 6pm. I had nothing else to eat and went to my bed about 11pm, with bg at 5.7. I had two hypos during the night which I took some lucozade for. Bg was 5.7 when I woke up.

I really don't understand what's going on here but I need to get it sorted because I'm exhausted. I'm under a lot of stress at the moment but don't see how that could be causing all these hypos.
 
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