I'm sorry you're having a tough time. Here are the symptoms of hypoglycaemia:
Early signs of a low blood sugar include:
- feeling hungry
- sweating
- tingling lips
- feeling shaky or trembling
- dizziness
- feeling tired
- a fast or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
- becoming easily irritated, tearful, stroppy or moody
- turning pale
If not treated, you may then get other symptoms, such as:
- weakness
- blurred vision
- difficulty concentrating
- confusion
- unusual behaviour, slurred speech or clumsiness (like being drunk)
- feeling sleepy
- fits (seizures)
- collapsing or passing out
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/low-blood-sugar-hypoglycaemia/
Everyone is different. I sweat profusely under 3.5. That's when I'm aware something's wrong. If you've been running your blood sugars high, then you could experience symptoms at a much higher normal BS level, which is called a false hypo.
There is a difference between the severity and deepness of a hypo for anyone who is insulin dependent, and those that might be experienced by a diabetic controlling by diet or orals,
With insulin users, the drop in blood glucose depends on the insulin dose, the amount of carbs being digested. The only way to treat an insulin hypo is to give extra carbs, either by mouth, or as injected / infused. Once sugar levels have dropped down to the floor, then they struggle to recover without intervention simply because the insulin is slow to clear and the liver is low on stored glucose.
For gliclazide users, hypo's do indeed occur if dose is too strong for the carbs that are being digested, but the insulin causing the drop is your own and so there are mechanisms to turn off the taps. Glic itself only lasts about 3 hours before it is filtered out, so even if you do nothing, the effect of the drug wears off naturally, and then the liver can act to bring levels back again. There is more feedback control systems to reduce the depth of the hypo
If you are low carbing, then hypo's become more likely when taking any sugar controlling drug. I used to be on max dose (320mg) and gradually reduced to 40mg as my liver started working properly. I decided to keep with this low dose for several reasons, one of which is that it allows me to share meals with my family who are non diabetic carb worshipers. I do not need keto diet and can have toast and potatoes in small quantities so meal shopping and planning is easier.
Glic is my friend. I do not fear it. I understand it and can work with it. The low dose is not caning my pancreas. In the 5 years I have been using both Low Carb and Glic I have not had a single hypo that needed any assistance
