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dont non-diabetics have hypos too?

S

staying positive

Active Member
Messages
43
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
is the difference perhaps that non-diabetics arent watching their carb intake and just have a mars bar ...? I dont fully get this. Several times i have felt very disorientated with poor concentration and simply assumed it was tiredness after exercise..but decided to test this by sucking fruit pastilles and was amazed how much better i was after...I suppsoe a meter is essential so you can find out exactly.Neither nurse of GP suggested getting a meter but have now ordered one.
 
Non diabetics can get very low BG levels but their bodies automatically deal with it before it becomes a problem. The problem with diabetics is when they are taking meds/insulin which can possibly keep pushing BG down to dangerous levels.

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staying positive said:
is the difference perhaps that non-diabetics arent watching their carb intake and just have a mars bar ...? I dont fully get this. Several times i have felt very disorientated with poor concentration and simply assumed it was tiredness after exercise..but decided to test this by sucking fruit pastilles and was amazed how much better i was after...I suppsoe a meter is essential so you can find out exactly.Neither nurse of GP suggested getting a meter but have now ordered one.
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Hey, my mum gets hypos and she's not diabetic. Her readings get to as low as 3ish sometimes and gets the shakes, but nothing that a nice sandwich can't handle.

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I am happy to proved wrong on this, but as far as I know only people on certain meds like insulin get the proper hypos when bg fall to dangerous levels. All the rest of us can experience the shakes etc but this is due to adrenalin and not too low bg. There is a difference between being desperately hungry and having a hypo, isn't it? And for bg to down to 3.5 or so isn't out of normal really, for normal people.

Then there are the false hypos of course.
 
Why is there maybe a tendency to have these on waking? One supposes that having these often should cause dosage and medication to be reassessed?
Is the only way to measure BS? Symptoms could be from other causes?
 
There are two distinct other conditions that have a hypo as a symptom other than the T1,T2 etc.
They are Hypoglycemia and Reactive Hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycaemia is a diabetic condition which you constantly have hypos.
Reactive hypoglycaemia is a condition which is non diabetic.
Take my word for it, I do not take Insulin, and I had constant hypos, which made me very ill, if it wasn't for my current medication, any sugar or carbs would make me very ill.



LILAC. Life I Love Against Carbohydrates.
 
As i understand it hypos are where BS is under 4 and is caused by too much insulin at that time thro accidentally overmedicating or where adjustment is maybe needed,or where 2 little carbs have been eaten,a meal has been missed or where we have overexercised. Its main symptoms are giddiness,drowsiness and disorientation.To redress something sweet is needed or some kind of carb.This is why i carry pastilles in the car where i cant eat them casually as we are tempted to do with sweets,biscuits,cakes etc except by making a special effort to get them BUT the only sure way to know is by measuring BS.
 
You are correct, but there are other reasons than too much insulin. If I'm correct, you can have a hypo when no insulin is either injected or non can be naturally produced. During a fast, bloods can go down because of the body's natural reaction when you have pancreitis??
I believe this is so, if I'm wrong, I apologise.


LILAC. Life I Love Against Carbohydrates
 
The difference is that healthy people can regulate how much insulin they release (low blood sugar? no problem, just reduce insulin a bit) vs diabetics on insulin have to correctly judge insulin requirement every single time (can't refuce insulin, so better luck next time).
 
If I could just interject here.

For individuals who do not have hypoglycaemia, medication which could initiate hypos, and non-diabetics, the figure 4 less critical. For non-diabetics, the danger figure is in the 2s, with readings of 4 and the 3s causing no concern, provided the individual feels well, and is not physically or mentally impaired at that score. Since I wrangled my diabetes into some sort of shape, I regularly go into the 3s, feel fine, and am eating plenty.

But, I do repeat, for medicated diabetics, and clinical hypoglycaemic individuals, should definitely be monitoring how they feel at those levels. For T1s and those T2s on certain meds, 4 is definitely the figure to note.
 
thanks for your advice and help here- im seeing my GP asap to discuss this and would have seen her already but shes away and will start monitoring soon- i have decided to add a small amount of carbs to supper and avoid alcohol meantime.
 
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