3.6 reading when not on meds

[peterjdickinson]

Hi

I have been diagnosed with diabetes for the last 18 months. They are not sure what type I am as my symptoms were Type 1 when I was first diagnosed but am now managing it as though it was type 2. I was on max dosage Gliclazide for 2 months. With a low carb diet and exercise I came off the meds and test myself everyday. Apart from hiccups like Christmas and travel I am doing okay with good readings being 5.5 and not so good being 6.3 which I can generally get down into the 5s during the day.

However, when I told my specialist that I occasionally would drop below 4 he didn't believe me. But I do get the shakes and all the symptoms of low sugars and when it happened today I checked my sugars and got 3.6. Which as a diabetic makes no sense, especially when you think I have experienced this all my life (even when not diagnosed as a diabetic) and I am 55 now.

Has anybody else experienced this and if so what type are you? How are you managing your diabetes without meds?

The reason for the question is that I would like a better understanding of what type of diabetes I have.

Many thanks for any thoughts you can share

 

[Freema]

I am type 2 , nowaday on metformin and now I can´t seem to get under 4.7 , but I used to get very low many times when drinking any kind of alcohol and I think to a dangerously low level a few times... till I learned to take a few candy´s when beginning to feel extreemly tired as if my brain closing down... that solved the problem..

many people though not the main part, but many other type 2 diabetics do sometimes get too low too , I have red it more times in the forum where somebody mentions that but I do unfortunately not remeber exactly who...

there are also a group of people that has another similar condition where their blood glucose seems to be much more unstable having reactive hypoglychemia : http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/reactive-hypoglycemia.70/

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi

I have been diagnosed with diabetes for the last 18 months. They are not sure what type I am as my symptoms were Type 1 when I was first diagnosed but am now managing it as though it was type 2. I was on max dosage Gliclazide for 2 months. With a low carb diet and exercise I came off the meds and test myself everyday. Apart from hiccups like Christmas and travel I am doing okay with good readings being 5.5 and not so good being 6.3 which I can generally get down into the 5s during the day.

However, when I told my specialist that I occasionally would drop below 4 he didn't believe me. But I do get the shakes and all the symptoms of low sugars and when it happened today I checked my sugars and got 3.6. Which as a diabetic makes no sense, especially when you think I have experienced this all my life (even when not diagnosed as a diabetic) and I am 55 now.

Has anybody else experienced this and if so what type are you? How are you managing your diabetes without meds?

The reason for the question is that I would like a better understanding of what type of diabetes I have.

Many thanks for any thoughts you can share

If you mean, T2s going under 4, then that would have me in that bracket. I was diagnosed T2 in 2013, and have been having low numbers for most of the intervening period. I don't mean all day, every day, but I usually have at least one period in the 3s each day.

At those numbers, I feel absolutely fine, so I'm quite happy with it, as is my Doc and when disclosed to an Endocrinologist I saw a couple of weeks ago (for a non-diabetes matter), he didn't bat an eyelid.

From your perspective, going under 4 doesn't mean you're any particular type. It just means that when you tested, on that day, your meter gave you a reading of 3.6.

That's not being flippant, or dismissing what happened to you, just saying it it couldn't be construed as conclusive of anything, as a one-off.

 

[azure]

Hi @peterjdickinson

Type 1 is an auto immune disease. You can get more information about whether you're Type 1 by having tests to look for the antibodies. You can also have a C Peptide test to see how much insulin you're making, as that might help determine your type.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi

I have been diagnosed with diabetes for the last 18 months. They are not sure what type I am as my symptoms were Type 1 when I was first diagnosed but am now managing it as though it was type 2. I was on max dosage Gliclazide for 2 months. With a low carb diet and exercise I came off the meds and test myself everyday. Apart from hiccups like Christmas and travel I am doing okay with good readings being 5.5 and not so good being 6.3 which I can generally get down into the 5s during the day.

However, when I told my specialist that I occasionally would drop below 4 he didn't believe me. But I do get the shakes and all the symptoms of low sugars and when it happened today I checked my sugars and got 3.6. Which as a diabetic makes no sense, especially when you think I have experienced this all my life (even when not diagnosed as a diabetic) and I am 55 now.

Has anybody else experienced this and if so what type are you? How are you managing your diabetes without meds?

The reason for the question is that I would like a better understanding of what type of diabetes I have.

Many thanks for any thoughts you can share

Next endocrinologist appointment, do tell him that you have had hypo symptoms for most of your life, if I read properly!
If you keep a food diary, that will help your endocrinologist decide what tests you need.
I have not got diabetes, but I would approach the symptoms with reducing the carbs and sugars, as has been suggested, if you drink a lot of alcohol, it could be that, until a correct diagnosis we would only be guessing.

Do read the low carb forum.