fionahey said:
I am fairly newly diagnosed type 2 four months ago. I had a fright about 3 hours after eating dinner where I collapsed, though not passing out I couldn't speak or move. Is this a hypo? My doctor said he didn't know as he wasn't there. Also I noticed if my blood sugar level is less than 6 I feel ill. It has gone from 10+ to 8 and my doctor says it should be 6. I am very confused.
Hi Fiona
Yes it was probably a hypo you had. I know when I was 1st diagnosed last year, I was told I had probably been diabetic for a while. My readings at fasting were 18+. I threw myself into healthy eating & losing weight & my sugar levels fell dramatically like yourself to 7s & 6s, but started getting light headed feeling sluggish, almost intoxicated. Although 6 isnt low as a normal reading, it is if you have sustained a high reading for a substantial length of time, so fools your body into a hypo. This will settle as your body becomes used to lower readings. So much so that I now know without testing if my sugar has gone up by how i feel. Good luck with everything
Hi Fiona
An average non diabetics sugar level is between 3.8 and 5 so your doctor is right to try and get you to lower yours to around 6.
The symptoms you describe as feeling ill are quite common for people whose bodies have got use to running at high sugar levels. They will gradually subside within a short time as you reduce your levels. They can certainly make you feel ill but you are running risks with your eyesight, loosing your limbs and a lot of other nasty complications if you run your sugars at high levels. The recommended and generally accepted safe levels are under 7 but are allowed to rise a bit to 7.8 at two hours after eating. That 7.8 level is where research has shown all those nasty effects can start from. I'm afraid those risks of complications are real and do happen frequently so I would try and take your doctors advice.
A rapid fall in blood sugar levels can cause the collapse you said you had especially if you are on some of the more powerful diabetic drugs (not just Metformin). Given that you are running your sugar levels high it is more likely you suffered what's known as a false hypo rather than a real one. False hypos occur mostly in people who run high blood sugars when their sugars fall quickly for whatever reason and again the way to sort the problem out is to try and get your sugars down permanently into a safe range.
Unless you are on very powerful diabetic drugs (not just Metformin) then you have no more chance of having a real hypo than a non diabetic person. Diabetes does not cause hypos only the powerful drugs or insulin used to treat it can do that in the vast majority of people.
The best way of getting your sugars back into a safe range is to adopt a good diet. Cut out eating or drastically reduce anything with plain sugar in it, cakes, biscuits, pure fruit juices etc. Next significantly cut down of starchy foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, cereals and anything else made with flour. Replace with extra meat, eggs, cheese and especially vegetables. Change those starchy foods you have left to brown rice, brown or tri color pasta and wholemeal bread.
If you want more advice just keep asking questions. Lots of forum members started in the same way as you are now and have successfully controlled their sugar levels and made themselves safe.
