I'd just like to add, for the two people who posted yesterday with questions about the subject of this thread, that the original thread is quite controversial and is in any case very old, so you might not get a reply from the Original Poster (OP).
Going back to today's discussion: I don't get hypos if I go below 4 - but I used to get night-time hypos quite frequently, pre-diabetes, from drinking too much. So I do know what they feel like. I certainly wasn't diabetic then - I've had my BGs tested every 6 months for the last 12 years, which is why I was caught so quickly.
I too used to carry glucose with me at all times, and over-treat if I went below 4. As I've got more experienced, I know I'm okay even in the mid-threes. Both my liver and my pancreas appear to be functioning quite well at present.
You sound just like one of our former Moderators, Angeleyes, who used to emphasise "4 is the floor" all the time in discussions like these. I think it's a good rule of thumb for newbies - but no need, either, to panic them into thinking something awful is happening to them right now. Getting stressed will only make things worse.
If you go below 4, test - then test about 15 minutes later, and if you're still dropping chew 2 or 3 glucose tabs, test again after 15 minutes to make sure you're going up, and then eat a small carby snack to stabilise yourself.
What people who aren't given testing kits are supposed to do I don't know.
Sorry, Grazer, I have a Type 2 friend (diagnosed for 9+ years) who has random hypos, paramedics and all, without any warning at all. She was diet-only to begin with, is recently on Metformin, and follows the NHS diet guidelines. She never tests. I am beginning to think there is more wrong there than the diabetes, or she's been misdiagnosed, but she won't discuss it at all. She is the exception - I've never heard of another Type 2 with exactly that problem.
For levels in general, HbA1c or daily, there is nothing wrong with a Type 2 aiming for non-diabetic levels unless there is another medical reason why they shouldn't. Discuss with your doctor.
Viv 8)
Good post, Bystander - this is getting slightly beyond helpful.