Why Am I So Hungry?

[AndBreathe]

On diagnoses I was taking 500mg of Metformin twice daily but I found it made me light headed, dizzy and unsteady on my feet, so my GP changed my medicine to Diamicron for a couple of weeks but that messed with my memory.

My GP then decided to give me 500mg of Metformin once daily and this suited me.

I then got a hba1c of 35 and my Metformin was reduced to just 3 tablets a week.

In May I got an Implanon implant (contraception) and my blood sugar started to rise before I went to bed - day readings were fine. After 6 weeks my GP increased my Metformin to 500mg 4 times a week.

Thanks for the fulsome explanations.

As I controlled my condition, like others doing the same, my numbers reduced, and in fact I run quite low most of the time. I'm regularly in the 3s and can be in the 2s and feel fine, but I seem to be a bit different from most others. However, I appreciate if you are in the 3s and feeling bad you need to do something about it. On the few times where I've felt and been low, I've just been able to wait, if my meal has been due. To be fair, I've only ever felt this way a couple of times, and each time, it's been pretty much a mealtime. On the very odd time it hasn't been, I have tried very hard to avoid glucose tablets or the like. Whilst we might feel a bit rough, it's unlikely we'd experience a medically worrying hypo.

In your situation, the other day, it looks like you treated your hypo with around 16 grammes of carb. According to the Boots site, Gluco tabs are 4gr a tablet. I would try to take a bit less than that if I were you - really just enough to nudge my body out of the wobbly zone. When we take a hefty carb hit our numbers usually rise pretty quickly, but if we are only using fast acting carbs, they can then shortly thereafter fall equally quickly, and create almost a further rebound hypo. But moreover, if you have been low carbing, it might nudge you into wanting more carbs; such is the addictive nature of carbs.

So, I think what I'm saying is it's worth trying a gentler approach should you go low again. On the odd time, I have felt I've had to deal with a low, I've just had a cup of tea, with milk (no sugar). The milk just lifts my sugars a bit out of the wobbly zone and lets me get on with my life, until I'm next due to eat. At that next mealtime, I eat as usual - no additional carbs, and carry on.

It's worth a try. If you're thinking of something you can easily keep in your pocket or bag, as a go-to food for low moments, instead of a pack of GlucoTabs, I have a small packet or roasted, salted peanuts. They give my tummy something to work on, are cheap, under 5gr carbs, in total, and won't go off or melt in my handbag. In fact, I have a pack in most of the bags I use from day-to-day, and just replace them if I eat them.

Good luck with it all.

 

[MsPrim]

Thanks for the fulsome explanations.

As I controlled my condition, like others doing the same, my numbers reduced, and in fact I run quite low most of the time. I'm regularly in the 3s and can be in the 2s and feel fine, but I seem to be a bit different from most others. However, I appreciate if you are in the 3s and feeling bad you need to do something about it. On the few times where I've felt and been low, I've just been able to wait, if my meal has been due. To be fair, I've only ever felt this way a couple of times, and each time, it's been pretty much a mealtime. On the very odd time it hasn't been, I have tried very hard to avoid glucose tablets or the like. Whilst we might feel a bit rough, it's unlikely we'd experience a medically worrying hypo.

In your situation, the other day, it looks like you treated your hypo with around 16 grammes of carb. According to the Boots site, Gluco tabs are 4gr a tablet. I would try to take a bit less than that if I were you - really just enough to nudge my body out of the wobbly zone. When we take a hefty carb hit our numbers usually rise pretty quickly, but if we are only using fast acting carbs, they can then shortly thereafter fall equally quickly, and create almost a further rebound hypo. But moreover, if you have been low carbing, it might nudge you into wanting more carbs; such is the addictive nature of carbs.

So, I think what I'm saying is it's worth trying a gentler approach should you go low again. On the odd time, I have felt I've had to deal with a low, I've just had a cup of tea, with milk (no sugar). The milk just lifts my sugars a bit out of the wobbly zone and lets me get on with my life, until I'm next due to eat. At that next mealtime, I eat as usual - no additional carbs, and carry on.

It's worth a try. If you're thinking of something you can easily keep in your pocket or bag, as a go-to food for low moments, instead of a pack of GlucoTabs, I have a small packet or roasted, salted peanuts. They give my tummy something to work on, are cheap, under 5gr carbs, in total, and won't go off or melt in my handbag. In fact, I have a pack in most of the bags I use from day-to-day, and just replace them if I eat them.

Good luck with it all.

Thank you AndBreathe

On medical advice from a doctor I was told to take 4 glucose tablets - he said it's better to be a bit higher then lower. I also use tabs as I shake with my hypos and it's just easier for me to take a glucose tab and safer

Although I will take one glucose tablet at a time to see how I go. I tend to have hypos during the day in between meals so I take the tabs, test after 15 minutes to make sure my blood sugar level is above 4 and then I feel awful for an hour and then the hunger starts. I then eat my next meal and usually I am fine food wise. I feel a bit weak the next day and then I am fine.

I keep a diary of the food I eat and my diabetic nurse said I was eating fine.

It's just this last hypo things happened differently and my body is behaving differently.

One thing I am getting concerned about is that my hypo awareness is getting lower - this worries me.

I wish I could eat nuts but I detest them

 

[AndBreathe]

Thank you AndBreathe

On medical advice from a doctor I was told to take 4 glucose tablets - he said it's better to be a bit higher then lower. I also use tabs as I shake with my hypos and it's just easier for me to take a glucose tab and safer

Although I will take one glucose tablet at a time to see how I go. I tend to have hypos during the day in between meals so I take the tabs, test after 15 minutes to make sure my blood sugar level is above 4 and then I feel awful for an hour and then the hunger starts. I then eat my next meal and usually I am fine food wise. I feel a bit weak the next day and then I am fine.

I keep a diary of the food I eat and my diabetic nurse said I was eating fine.

It's just this last hypo things happened differently and my body is behaving differently.

One thing I am getting concerned about is that my hypo awareness is getting lower - this worries me.

I wish I could eat nuts but I detest them

How do you mean your hypo awareness is lessening? Do you mean you don't get much warning, or your scores are now lower when a hypo occurs?

What level do you routinely run at, and how often are you having hypos?

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[MsPrim]

How do you mean your hypo awareness is lessening? Do you mean you don't get much warning, or your scores are now lower when a hypo occurs?

What level do you routinely run at, and how often are you having hypos?

Sorry for all the questions!

I don't mind the questions

My blood sugars during the day and evening are normally between 4.5 - 6.0 and before bed they can be anything from 5.0 - 13.5. I tend to spike at night.

I used to get hypo symptoms at 3.8 and then I could treat it, then that reduced to 3.6 and the last hypo was 3.4 so my blood sugar levels are getting lower over time before I get any hypo symptoms such as feeling weak, heart beating fast, sweats, shakes, legs turn to jelly and I get very irritable.

I could have 2 hypos in a week and then maybe one the next week and then
I'll have a break for a few weeks. I have had 2 hypos in one day on a couple of occasions also.

 

[AndBreathe]

I don't mind the questions

My blood sugars during the day and evening are normally between 4.5 - 6.0 and before bed they can be anything from 5.0 - 13.5. I tend to spike at night.

I used to get hypo symptoms at 3.8 and then I could treat it, then that reduced to 3.6 and the last hypo was 3.4 so my blood sugar levels are getting lower over time before I get any hypo symptoms such as feeling weak, heart beating fast, sweats, shakes, legs turn to jelly and I get very irritable.

I could have 2 hypos in a week and then maybe one the next week and then
I'll have a break for a few weeks. I have had 2 hypos in one day on a couple of occasions also.

In terms of your diet, what sorts of things are you actually eating, and does the composition of your meals differ later in the day than during the earlier parts, as that's when you say your bloods are highest?

Is there any time of the day you tend to have hypos?

 

[eddie1968]

I am hypothyroid brought on by Hashimoto's Disease and I am on levothyroxine for it - I know it slowed down my metabolism to the point I could only eat one meal a day and even that was a struggle but that changed over time once I was given the right dose of levothyroxine.

I will leave it for a few more days as I need to see my GP anyway and I will mention this to him and see what he thinks.

I think this is probably at the root of your problems. My oldest sister used to overeat when her thyroid was under performing. Get your T levels checked asap by your GP.

 

[MsPrim]

In terms of your diet, what sorts of things are you actually eating, and does the composition of your meals differ later in the day than during the earlier parts, as that's when you say your bloods are highest?

Is there any time of the day you tend to have hypos?

I eat eggs, bacon, mushrooms, salad, and on a rare occasion cereal if I'm in a hurry for breakfast.

For lunch I may have a sandwich or a roll with cheese salad, ham salad, tuna salad, soup with a roll and normally a yoghurt and a fruit after.

For dinner I eat various meat, with vegetables/salad with a small boiled potato.
I also eat fresh fish and prawn stir fried with vegetables and bean sprouts,

I rarely eat sweet things but if I have chocolate it would be one piece rather than the whole box/bar.

I only drink water, sugar free flavoured water, the odd cup of tea and coffee and fruit tea with no sugar.

As for blood sugar levels they are either fine or low 2 hours after I have eaten my meals - it only spikes before I go to bed and I have not eaten anything after my evening meal.

Hypos normally occur 2-3 hours after breakfast or lunch.

 

[MsPrim]

I think this is probably at the root of your problems. My oldest sister used to overeat when her thyroid was under performing. Get your T levels checked asap by your GP.

I go the other way when my thyroid is under performing- I can't eat. I literally would have to force myself to eat. I used to put on so much weight as my metabolism would slow right down and that one meal would be stored as fat.

It's amazing how things affect people differently.

I am due more thyroid function tests in a month so I will get that done then.

 

[MsPrim]

I went to my GP and I have to reduce my Metformin to one tablet 3 days a week and the excessive hunger is down to the hypo - it's made my brain panic into not wanting another hypo so I keep getting hungry - this will pass in time.

I have to go back in a month and if my blood sugars keep going low or too high I will have to go back to my Endo for further investigation.

He said not to give in to the hunger pains and continue what I have been doing - just three meals a day - otherwise my blood sugar levels will rise too high and this is no good.