Am I having hypos?

[MaryCanary]

I was diagnosed type 2 a month ago and for now it is diet controlled. I've done really well with the LCHF diet and increasing my walking distance and speed. Generally, I am floating between 6.4 pre-prandial and 8-ish post-prandial, which is not too bad since when I started on this, I was 7.8 - 9 or even 10. My HB1AC was 60 at diagnosis so I have been trying hard to address that.

However, today I woke up feeling very weird and sort of weak, like when you are about to get the flu. It did cross my mind that I might be a bit low as I hadn't eaten much yesterday - I was 7.2, however, so I had a poached egg and two slices of bacon, and tested again three hours later as I was still feeling strange.This time it was 4.1. I have never been that low, so I ate two glucose tablets followed by a tangerine and sat outside in the sun for a while with some sparkling water. By 6 pm I realised I had not eaten anything for four hours and once again I was feeling weak and slightly faint. I tested as I was just about to eat - this time it was 3,2.

I bolted down another two glucose tablets and some cherry tomatoes (all I had to hand that I could just grab). I instantly felt better though very tired. I waited 15 mins and tested again, and this time it was 6.2.

I would like to know, are these hypos and should I be concerned or should I just make a point of eating more regularly? Thanks.

 

[Enclave]

could be false hypos .. as your body is getting used to the lower sugar levels

 

[MaryCanary]

Yes, I wondered about that, Enclave. I did feel kind of strange though but when I think about it, I have been getting those strange feelings for quite a while, long before diagnosis anyway! I used to grab a sugary drink when I felt like that.

 

[MaryCanary]

The other strange thing is that last week I shot up to 17 after eating a 'double nougat' ice cream! It all seems a wee bit erratic at times!

 

[Lamont D]

Keep testing and recording your results, give us a rundown on what you are eating.
It could be as Enclave says false hypos.
But keep an eye on your testing.

 

[MaryCanary]

I have effectively removed all carbs from my diet other than what you get in veg. I am eating stir fry veg, curried veg, chicken, fish, cauliflower, eggs, bacon, full fat greek yogurt and cream and only a couple of tangerines a week now (used to be three or four pieces of fruit a day!)I have lost 4 kilos in a month but I feel that is because I have removed all sugar and starch from my diet. I test usually 4 times a day but now and again have taken a day off to let my fingers heal as I can only use one hand (the other is attached to my lymphoedema arm and you must never have any kind of needle in it!) I am a bit puzzled by the lows that have come out of nowhere really. I read your blog on RH just now, nosher. Very interesting.

 

[June_C]

We are all different. 4.2 is on the edge of a hypo for me, so 4.1 and 3.2 would definitely be hypo land in my case. I think you should consider eating more regularly. Perhaps you may have reduced your carbs too much.

 

[MaryCanary]

Yes, I suspect that is what may have happened, June. because I am still new to this whole thing, I suppose I didn't realise that it can take a while for your levels to come down to a healthy level and stay there. I will try and up the carbs a bit (some days I have had only 2g). Thanks for your advice.

 

[Lamont D]

I have effectively removed all carbs from my diet other than what you get in veg. I am eating stir fry veg, curried veg, chicken, fish, cauliflower, eggs, bacon, full fat greek yogurt and cream and only a couple of tangerines a week now (used to be three or four pieces of fruit a day!)I have lost 4 kilos in a month but I feel that is because I have removed all sugar and starch from my diet. I test usually 4 times a day but now and again have taken a day off to let my fingers heal as I can only use one hand (the other is attached to my lymphoedema arm and you must never have any kind of needle in it!) I am a bit puzzled by the lows that have come out of nowhere really. I read your blog on RH just now, nosher. Very interesting.

I didn't want to suggest it as an answer, keep your mind open.
As I suggested, you have to keep a watch on your bloods.
Only tests can diagnose it.
Hope that my blog helped, have a read of the reactive hypoglycaemia thread.

 

[Lamont D]

Yes, I suspect that is what may have happened, June. because I am still new to this whole thing, I suppose I didn't realise that it can take a while for your levels to come down to a healthy level and stay there. I will try and up the carbs a bit (some days I have had only 2g). Thanks for your advice.

If you have any form of hypoglycaemia, then carbs are the last thing you should eat!

 

[Enclave]

Sorry .. I missed the 3. level .. that is going quite low .. are you eating enough fat ? if you increase your carb intake to around 20 to 30g a day and record what your eating and what your sugars are then you will see whats going on ... UNLESS you do have hypoglycaemia then nosher is the person who can advise you

 

[MaryCanary]

Thanks for your help, everyone! I'll up the carbs a wee bit and see what happens over the next few days.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi again @MaryCanary,

If you are eating more carbs, have a break between meals up to fours hours and check your bloods every half hour, till the four hours is over.
If you go lower than 3.5 at any time, take immediate action and eat something.
Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes.

 

[AndBreathe]

Whilst the 3, in itself doesn't raise an eyebrow for me, it's a different story if you feel unwell when you get to 3.

My comments would be if you get low, and feel the need to do something about it, please try to avoid the glucose tablets and juice if you can. Try having something much gentler on your numbers, like a cup of tea with milk, and if that's not enough, something to nibble, like some nuts.

My rationale is that when we're low and throw in a decent hit of fast acting glucose (e.g. your glucose tablets and juice), our bloods head up fast, but once they reach their peak, they can also fall just as fast, because of the fast acting nature of the carbs we've eaten. It is my belief that dealing with lower numbers, in non-insulin dependent diabetics in this way, can put us onto a blood sugar roller coaster where we can't catch the drops.

The description I use is to describe someone juggling, in a relaxed way with one or two balls. We get distracted and one of the balls drops a bit lower that usual, before we catch it. Sometimes our reaction, to get the rhythm back is to throw that almost dropped ball up a bit higher to try and create time to regenerate the rhythm. That's all very well, unless we hit the ceiling, because if we do that, the ball will plummet faster than we expect and we probably will miss it that time. Do you see what I mean?

I've never really had a hypo of any interest. When very low, I've sometimes felt very hungry, but it'll usually be around a mealtime, so I'll either just wait or have a cup of tea with some milk, which just brings me up enough to get me to my mealtime comfortably, at which time I can eat properly and get myself back into the zone.

As you aren't taking any medication (according to your profile), the risk of going medically dangerously low is quite low, but you have to decide how to manage yourself. Good luck with it all.

 

[Lamont D]

Whilst the 3, in itself doesn't raise an eyebrow for me, it's a different story if you feel unwell when you get to 3.

My comments would be if you get low, and feel the need to do something about it, please try to avoid the glucose tablets and juice if you can. Try having something much gentler on your numbers, like a cup of tea with milk, and if that's not enough, something to nibble, like some nuts.

My rationale is that when we're low and throw in a decent hit of fast acting glucose (e.g. your glucose tablets and juice), our bloods head up fast, but once they reach their peak, they can also fall just as fast, because of the fast acting nature of the carbs we've eaten. It is my belief that dealing with lower numbers, in non-insulin dependent diabetics in this way, can put us onto a blood sugar roller coaster where we can't catch the drops.

The description I use is to describe someone juggling, in a relaxed way with one or two balls. We get distracted and one of the balls drops a bit lower that usual, before we catch it. Sometimes our reaction, to get the rhythm back is to throw that almost dropped ball up a bit higher to try and create time to regenerate the rhythm. That's all very well, unless we hit the ceiling, because if we do that, the ball will plummet faster than we expect and we probably will miss it that time. Do you see what I mean?

I've never really had a hypo of any interest. When very low, I've sometimes felt very hungry, but it'll usually be around a mealtime, so I'll either just wait or have a cup of tea with some milk, which just brings me up enough to get me to my mealtime comfortably, at which time I can eat properly and get myself back into the zone.

As you aren't taking any medication (according to your profile), the risk of going medically dangerously low is quite low, but you have to decide how to manage yourself. Good luck with it all.

Totally agree, to relieve my hypos, not that I have had one for a while, is a cuppa, black, no sugar and a plain rich tea biscuit.
Low carb enough to bring you slowly up!
Otherwise you might yo yo your bloods up and down, this would and did happen to me.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi,

I would agree with @AndBreathe

Treating a low with carbs is a thorny issue. It is bad for people with reactive hypoglycaemia, but if you are waking up in the morning feeling wobbly, then I doubt if it is that is what is happening (although never say never)

I would say that for standard Type 2s and all Type 1s on meds to lower blood glucose, carbs to help a hypo are a good idea, because hypos are dangerous to them. The trick is to judge the amount, and generally the smallest amount possible is a good guide.

With Type 2s on diet or diet and just metformin, hypos are rare and the body will usually cope very well without stuffing carbs.
My own experience is that I ALWAYS eat too many, my blood glucose shoots up, and I was trying to avoid that...

It may be that you are cutting back a bit hard on food, or any one of a number of things.
Have a look at this thread (sorry folks, I keep linking to it today) which may give you some ideas of things that can go wrong when you start going low carb.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/why-does-low-carb-make-me-feel-so-ill.85078/#post-958534

 

[MaryCanary]

Lots to think about here - thanks very much to all of you! I do think I have cut back too severely on the food in general - barely making 900 calories a day - so I will try and eat more regularly and maybe just try the small plate thing. It looks like I would do best with a little, more often instead of seven hours of not eating! I have quite a bit of weight to shift (about 25 kilos!) so I will up the exercise and see where it goes from there. Thanks again.

 

[Totto]

Lots to think about here - thanks very much to all of you! I do think I have cut back too severely on the food in general - barely making 900 calories a day - so I will try and eat more regularly and maybe just try the small plate thing. It looks like I would do best with a little, more often instead of seven hours of not eating! I have quite a bit of weight to shift (about 25 kilos!) so I will up the exercise and see where it goes from there. Thanks again.

900 calories? No wonder you feel funny. I don't think it's hypos, it's starvation.

As to seven hours without eating that won't be a problem if you eat proper meals when you do eat. Proper, filling, low carb meals with vegs,fat and some protein.

 

[Lamont D]

Lots to think about here - thanks very much to all of you! I do think I have cut back too severely on the food in general - barely making 900 calories a day - so I will try and eat more regularly and maybe just try the small plate thing. It looks like I would do best with a little, more often instead of seven hours of not eating! I have quite a bit of weight to shift (about 25 kilos!) so I will up the exercise and see where it goes from there. Thanks again.

900 calories, wow!

Mind you I just don't count anything! Carbs, calories, fat, too much bother!
Oh yeah, I do count something, my meals!I have between 7-9 depending on how I feel and circumstances. But they are very small meals!

The thing with any blood glucose disorders is that is pertinent to only you. So you have to do all the tests, experiments, and working out what works for you.
Have fun doing that!

 

[4ratbags]

It can all be a bit of a rollercoaster ride at times. Definately increase the amount of fat in your diet and make a point to eat more regularly even if it is just a handful of nuts. I find I don't feel hungry throughout the day anymore but I still make a point to eat something like cheese or nuts just to give my body a bit of fuel and to try and keep my BS level. If you find you do go below 3.7 remember not to panic as it is easy to over correct and then you end up with high BS which will then make you feel very tired and lethargic. Its a fine balancing act that is unique to us all and just when you think you have it all figured out something else pops up.