Bit confused

[kateincornwall]

Wondering is anyone can advise please ? I am type 2 and have been offered meds but am controlling BG with low carbing and exercise at the moment and have had good results . I was put onto Crestor statin due to high cholesterol 6.8 with high LDL and trigs . The mix of crestor and diet have lowered the cholesterol dramatically over just a 12 week period, now down to 3.7 with low LDL and trigs so, due to some side effects, Doc has taken me off them . This past week , my BG have been low and I`m wondering if they are too low ? For example , yesterday, two hours after evening meal , it was 4.2 and this mornings fasting was only 3.4 . Are these alright or should i be eating a little more ? Just to add that I feel fine !

 

[John aka Wallycorker]

Hi Kate,

I'm a non-insulin dependent Type 2 on diet and exercise and metformin only. Because of that, my GP tells me that if my testing shows me to be low or if I feel differently then all I need to do is to take a little bit of something to eat - i.e. just like a non-diabetic person ought to do. He adds that I am no more likely to go low than a non-diabetic person.

Since I started testing, I also find that my blood glucose levels drop below 4 occasionally and my lowest ever recorded was 3.4 just like yours. I only ever know about such instances through my testing because my body tells me nothing about my level being low. In fact, I feel just the same when I am under 4 as I do when I'm in double figures. When my meter tells me I am low, I do just like my GP told me to do - I take a little bit of something to eat - usually a piece of fruit.

People on this forum have told me that my lack of hypo-awareness is something that I ought to be worried about. However, I must say I'm not worried about the situation hardly at all. Certainly I have no desire to experience the quite horrible sounding hypo symptoms that some people have described to me.

Do you yourself experience hypo' symptoms? Have you discussed the matter with your GP? Perhaps you ought to - I for one would be interested as to what he/she has to say.

By the way, I am fully aware that the situation is very different indeed for diabetics using insulin and some other blood-glucose-lowering medications. They need to treat hypos very differently indeed to people such as me and you.

Best wishes - John

 

[cugila]

This past week , my BG have been low and I`m wondering if they are too low ? For example , yesterday, two hours after evening meal , it was 4.2 and this mornings fasting was only 3.4 . Are these alright or should i be eating a little more ? Just to add that I feel fine !

Those levels are too low. What was your pre meal reading ? A hypo is a hypo whoever you are. Those that don't experience any symptoms are perhaps fortunate, and misguided if they think that is normal. It is entirely their choice, we just give you the medical opinion. The facts. The medical recommendation is that you don't drop below 4 mmol/l. Below that level is considered hypoglycaemic and is not a good place to be for anybody.

Here is some information from a previous thread which discussedHypoglycaemia:"How low can you go."
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11023#p103651

If you have no symptoms then that means that you are hypo unaware. As a T2 you should 'liver dump' and this will bring the levels back up to a more normal level. I certainly wouldn't want to be that low as my awareness is very good. I start to get the symptoms at around 4.5 mmol/l. and can do something to rectify it. I am also on hypo inducing Med's and a T2.

if you were a T1 it could quite simply be a life threatening situation if left and not treated.

 

[kateincornwall]

Thanks both for replies . My pre meal reading ( when I got 4.2 two hours later ) was 5.4 . I did feel rather unwell yesterday, not poorly and nothing I could really pin point either, just more tied than usual . OK , so it looks like I have to be more hypo aware and eat accordingly , thank you, I`ll try to be more vigilant from now