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3.6 reading when not on meds

peterjdickinson

Member
Messages
13
Location
Shropshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
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
 
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/
 

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.
 
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.
 

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.
 
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