Fake hypo

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lisapalmer

Newbie
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hi
guys i am new to this forum
i see you are all very helpful
so maybe you can help me!!!
i have just had to have more medication added to my system due to an OTT xmas
but my body keeps telling me im hypo when i hit a figure below 5
how long will this last for?
 
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viviennem

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If you've been running very high sugars you may well get false hypos as you get back to better levels. Give your body time to adjust.

Otherwise I can't help - sorry :) . I've never had a hypo.

Viv 8)
 
L

lisapalmer

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi
thanks for your replies
i have been advised to let the hypos take thier course and only panic when really low. !!
its a scary experience, when you dont know what will happen
Any way i tried this wednesday - Whent shakey at 5.8 at 10am in the morning - managed to hold my own till lunch time. (noon) by nibbling carrots and drinking coffee
Thursday - went shakey at 4.8 - 10-30am - sat down to let it takes it course - very odd experience after about 30mins by tummy let out a hugh grown - i had a spasam in my arm muscles and then i was fine!!!??? (could have ran a matharon) :thumbup:
no idea what happened but i guess my liver kicked in
I wonder what today will bring.
i was told not to panic till 2-3 blood reading :?
why is there so many different views??????
 
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carb-counting-mum

Well-Known Member
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88
Not to panic until 2-3 mmol/L? Hmmm... So only then you're allowed to treat?

When my daughter feels shaky, we were told we could treat it as a hypo if her levels are below 4.5. But she is newly diagnosed and so had been running very high for some time. Even if she does not feel shaky, we were told to treat if below 4 (4 being 'the floor').

I would be VERY uncomfortable waiting until she dropped to 2 or 3! Perhaps you could just have a light snack when you feel really rough, let's say below 5? Rather than treating it as a full-blown hypo and then overtreating? But personally I wouldn't let it drop much below 4 before treating as a hypo. But then I'm not a DSN.
 
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lisapalmer

Newbie
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4
morning carb-counting-mum :thumbup:
strangely enough the recomedation came from the diabaties help line!!!
i personally would rather reduce the medication that has made me like this in the first place!!! (but what would i know)
there arguament to me is 4.8 is nearly 5!!!
5.8 is nearly 6 so what was i worrying about!!!
4 and 5s are apparently "normal" reading (whatever normal may be)
she is adament i am having fake hypos as im coming done from the 18 readings.
maybe its also because i am T2 so they would be expecting my natural defences to kick in?
who knows? not me i have been diabetic for a number of years and now im having this blip i am having to learn about the disease all over again!!
 
V

viviennem

Well-Known Member
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Type of diabetes
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Football. Bad manners.
Non-diabetic (possibly what your nurse meant as "normal") levels are as follows:

3.5 - 5.5 before meals/fasting;
less than 8, 2 hours after eating.

"Four is the floor" is a good rule-of-thumb to follow as your BGs begin to stabilise at a lower level. If you take a reading and it's below 4 - or if you feel really "hypo" - crunch up 2 glucose tablets. Test again 15 minutes later; the tabs should have pushed to up into the 4s or even 5s again by then. If not, eat another. They do act fast; even faster is liquid glucose eg Lucozade; many people carry a small bottle with them for emergenciy use.

I always carry glucose tabs (available from chemists and many sweet shops) - I have I pack in my handbag, 1 in the car, and 1 in the house. The first time I tested at 3.5 I did as above, even though I didn't feel at all hypo, and my BGs were safely back up within the 15 minutes.

Once you stabilise and your body becomes accustomed to lower levels, you should lose the hypo feelings. I don't see why, if 3.5 is acceptable for non-diabetics, it shouldn't be acceptable for well-controlled Type 2s as well, provided there are no hypo feelings. For Type 1s it's a different matter - if I had a daughter with Type 1 I'd agree with you completely, carbcountingmum.

Better safe than sorry is a great cliche for all of us!

Viv 8)
 
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carb-counting-mum

Well-Known Member
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Yes, Viv makes a very good point actually. I was thinking of type 1! Obviously if you are a type 2 things might well be different. I too was told that for non-diabetics 3.5 was still acceptable.
 
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