Achieving Low BG Levels is Addictive!!

[viv1969]

Remember some weeks ago I posted abou how chuffed I was to have a BG level of 6.6 for the first time? Well my, how expectations change.

I now regularly have BG levels of around 5 - 5.5 (even a 4.8 a couple times), so what happens?....I get the hump when I get 6.6, thinking "******, that's a bit high".

Morning levels are still unacceptably high though...regularly over 8. I am seeing the DN tomorrow and will talk to her about it, but as she seems to accept that anything under double figures is OK, I suspect I will find the same brick wall as ever.

 

[Aadrgon]

Congratulations Viv

Sounds like you're getting there

 

[hanadr]

Hi viv
I'm just like that and I've managded to evade 6s for most of the last 2 years. Hit one last week, when I foolishly ate some dried figs.
Now I'm beating up the 5s and trying to keep in the 4s
3.8 this morning,. NO I am NOT feeling hypo1
I've just had 2 scrambled eggs and am going out for a health walk. did a hard uphill down dale, through the woods 4 miles yesterday.
Great isn't it the low number thing!

 

[Rick]

Well done that's good news that you're getting such good results but don't bite the 6s they're still good, just think how great your control would be if your readings were a constant 6. Keep it up though and congratulations.

 

[hanadr]

A steady 6 would give an Hba1c of about 5.6%. Not bad!

 

[nessa-lou]

this thread totally caught my eye!! im the same!!!!!!! im T1 and for 4 years i have had bad blood sugar levels, and my hba1c is 10.6% normally and recently my sugars have been amazin i have finally woke up!! ha! my sugar was 7.1 this morning and like you viv i wasn't happy i was kind of lookin at mum like :| what is this! but on the bright side i have had 5 and below normally so happy days for us all!!! and im addicted to getting it lower! plus my low sugars are helping my necrobiosis!! who would ever think talking to a nearly diagnosed diabetic would make me wake up!...well i can't give her advice if im doing it wrong can i! haha
so viv on congratulate you and we can celebrate together!!! if only we could celebrate with a big chocolate cake!!! haha x

 

[Trinkwasser]

Hahaha yes I totally freak out when I go over 6

it's like losing at Free Cell

 

[lilibet]

Laughed at this post :lol:

So unbelievably true. If I wake to mid 6's Im always like, hmm why am I not in the 5's.
Or im so used to 4's pre lunch that I put morning insulin up because I had a few 5's.

DNS do think anything up to 10 is fine, but okay - let them have sugars of 10 and see how RUBBISH it makes you feel.

Still, as far as addictions go - its not the worst

 

[wallycorker]

Morning levels are still unacceptably high though...regularly over 8. I am seeing the DN tomorrow and will talk to her about it, but as she seems to accept that anything under double figures is OK, I suspect I will find the same brick wall as ever.

My blood glucose level is always higher in a morning than it was the night before at bedtime. Not quite as high as yours - mine is very occasionally as high as 7.

I've read that it is a well known effect called the 'Dawn Phenomenon' and nothing much that we can do about it.

My lowest levels tend to be immediately before lunch or evening meal - especially if I haven't snacked between meals.

Stick with it - you will get there!

Best Wishes - John

 

[wallycorker]

Great isn't it the low number thing!

Hi hanadr,

Yes, I'm with you I too like "the low number thing!"

However, I do think that it is something that we all need to keep working on all the time - if not things are rapidly likely to change for the worse. I also consider that we need to try to keep one step in front and not become too despondent and depressed if the numbers sometimes give us a kick up the backside. Just get our heads down and work even harder at recovering the situation.

Best Wishes - John

 

[benniesmum]

Absolutely agree!

When diagnosed 2 and half months ago, I got early morning readings of 17.9. Now I feel disappointed with a 6.8 (like today), even though I'm now getting the occasional 4.something . I find measuring my BG levels is very gratifying for a control freak like me.

 

[MoanaMarie]

Wow. Reading this thread made me depressed. I was diagnosed 15 months ago, and rapidly got my bs fingerprick numbers down to normal or almost. But I was on 1000mg Glucophage x 2 a day, so along with the fallin bs also came FALLING HAIR!!!

Anyone had this side-effect on Glucophage or Metformin?? When after 4 months my A1c was 5.4% I cut down to 2 x 500 g Gluco. My hair sort of grew back, but it's not what it was at all: still fine and not in a good state.

Later I cut out 1 more tablet, to 1 x 500mg a day. I watched the carbs -- I am positively "allergic" to all grain products -- and I still managed to achieve 5.8% A1c, when tested in December.

Then things went downhill.

My psychological state for the last 3, 4 months has been BAD for various personal reasons, so I am somewhat depressed and very anxious and stressed.

Does that have an effect on blood sugars??? I'd love an honest opinion.

So my latest lab test was 6.1% .... Enough to make me even more depressed.

I've put myself back on 2 x 500g Glucop. a day.

Finger prick tests a little better on the higher dose -- but when reading those posted above, yikes. A small meal can send mine to over 9 or 8 after 1 hour, especialy before 12 o'clock. It's better with evening dinner, when I also have some wine. Maybe the wine does the trick, because then I can have my potato, and the bs does not seem to go as high.

But without at least 1000mg Glucoph. per day I will NEVER get below 5.

At best, if I eat only 3 small snacks and one decent meal, random prick tests (say 3 hrs after eating) hover around 5.5 - 6.

I'm 67, fairly active, and I try to walk briskly about 3 times a week, weather permitting.

Any advice?

 

[wallycorker]

Wow. Reading this thread made me depressed...........
So my latest lab test was 6.1% .... Enough to make me even more depressed.........Finger prick tests a little better on the higher dose -- but when reading those posted above, yikes. A small meal can send mine to over 9 or 8 after 1 hour, especialy before 12 o'clock. It's better with evening dinner, when I also have some wine. Maybe the wine does the trick, because then I can have my potato, and the bs does not seem to go as high...............At best, if I eat only 3 small snacks and one decent meal, random prick tests (say 3 hrs after eating) hover around 5.5 - 6.Any advice?

Hi MoanaMarie,

Sorry to hear about your problems with the side effects of the tablets.

However, I don't think that your readings are anything to get depressed about. They sound very similar to mine and those give me a HbA1c of 5.5% last time. Your reading of 6.1% is excellent control.

Just keep at trying to improve it especially trying to fine tune

Whatever you do - don't let it get you down.

Best Wishes - John

 

[samcogle]

I was also going to say Marie, they are good numbers. I have the odd 5 but mainly 6 and for some reason it is 9 at the moment so been for a long walk.
I have also just had a bath and come out of the bathroom with a load of hair and asked my son if I am going bald. I am on metformin so wonder if it is an effect! it is hard to tell with me as I have curly hair so I don't brush it so wasn't sure if it was a couple of days worth of hair. Going to keep an eye on that, but it is very dry and brittle at the moment.
I know stress makes my BS levels go up but then again your numbers are ok so I wouldn't worry about them too much...keep up the good work

 

[MoanaMarie]

Thank you for your replies!

In other diabetes forums I have seen a LOT of complaints about thinning hair due to Metformin (or Glucophage -- they are the same, just different brand names).

It does affect the hair of some people. What bothers me, is on a low dose and some VERY expensive supplements (it took a year!!) my easy hair has gone forever. It is dry and hard to control, and still so much thinner than it used to be. (I'm now using baby shampoo!!)

Thanks for the encouraging words about my numbers. I do go through "food depression", and don't take it well that I can't have that slice of choc mousse cake again ... But the thought of a finger prick test 1 hr afterwards stops me!!

By the way, I did lose 13 kg last year, and I'm in no way overweight. Seems unfair to have this **** disease!! I'm wearing a 34 size jeans!

 

[cugila]

Thank you for your replies!
In other diabetes forums I have seen a LOT of complaints about thinning hair due to Metformin (or Glucophage -- they are the same, just different brand names).
It does affect the hair of some people. What bothers me, is on a low dose and some VERY expensive supplements (it took a year!!) my easy hair has gone forever. It is dry and hard to control, and still so much thinner than it used to be. (I'm now using baby shampoo!!)

Hi moanamarie.

Not seen any complaints about hair problems with Met before, still always a first time.
Have a look at this link about hair and vitamins. This may be the root (no pun) of the trouble. It suggests remedies for you.

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitam ... -hair.html

Hope this helps.

Ken.

 

[samcogle]

That's a shame about your hair. Mine is ruined thanks to bleach and various random colours over the years. Hope that you find something to sort it.
it is a very unfair illness but on the bright side we are probably a lot healthier than most 'normal' people and you could try making some low carb mousse and I also have a recipe for chocolate cake somewhere which I am sure is quite low carb. I will try and dig it out. I have decided I am not going to avoid forbidden foods but adapt them and make my own Have you had a look on the recipe forum? There are some good suggestions on there and there's nothing quite like giving a few ingredients a good beating to get rid of stress

 

[MoanaMarie]

Ooops ... sorry ... I answered both of you, then hoped I could hit the back button to check on your posts ... and then my post was gone!!!

I checked out that website ... and guess what, I've been taking those supplements for at least the last 20 years. Yikes.

Oh well. You were both very kind to post -- the conversations do help one to feel less alone!!!

Fortunately I do not have a sweet tooth, but gee, I did like a slice of cake in a coffee shop sometimes!!

By the way, I am in South Africa.

PS: I see I can see your posts if I scroll down!!!