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Erratic blood sugars. Help.

Alisonjane10

Well-Known Member
Heading to see NUFC soon, but needed to post this first. My BG is driving me nuts. It's all over the place right now. Fasting this morning was 5.8, followed by a 6.4 thirty minutes later, even though I hadn't eaten. Had a drink & snack, BG then dropped to 5.1. Ate breakfast....BG shot up to 8.3. My stupid fault coz I just had to go and have a Pain Au Chocolat. Serves me right. Two hours after that, stinking headache, checked BG which had dropped to 4.1mmols. Aaarrgghh! This can't be normal. 4.1 is uncomfortably low for me. Feel grotty. Hopefully the fresh air at the footy will help. I don't know what's going on with my body to be having such erratic numbers. Help!! X
 
Hope your BS settles and you can enjoy the footy, take care
 
Sounds a bit like a Reactive Hypoglicemia swing...
You eat some carb loaded foods, which shoot your bg up in an hour, just to bang it down close to hypo levels after another hour... I have that, it being the reason for having to cut all carbs down to max around 40 gr a day, and that split, otherwise my head is cracking...
Careful AJ, this is what happens when you eat "pain"...
;-)
 

When are you seeing your DN to discuss ditching the Gliclazide, Alison? Whatever is going on, it looks like taking something which actively reduces your blood sugars may not be doing you any favours any more.
 
Hi aj I know you will take this in the way it is intended but I don't see anything untoward with those readings. 5.1 to 6.4 is arguably quite acceptable in the context mentioned. And as fast as a pain a chocci shots up then the reverse must also be considered.

Anyhow haven't you got enough to worry about being a nunc supporter?
 
AndBreathe said:
When are you seeing your DN to discuss ditching the Gliclazide, Alison? Whatever is going on, it looks like taking something which actively reduces your blood sugars may not be doing you any favours any more.
Click to expand...

Hi @AndBreathe. It's driving me nuts to be honest. Saw DN on Friday past for Hba1c bloods to be taken. Will be going back for results & medication review this coming Friday. Reduced my Gliclazide from 40mg BD to 20mg BD. Now taking 20mg OD. I decided to titrate downwards gradually to see how my BG would respond. Haven't had any since this morning prior to breakfast as my FBG was 6.4. But tonight, despite not taking any Gliclazide prior to eating, an hour after dinner my BG was 4.1, which leaves me with blinding headaches. I can't function very well that low. I like to be 5.0 or thereabouts. So, I can't blame the medication for the drop. Dinner was nicely balanced, baked cod fillet, mixed vegetables with grated cheese & a small potatoe Rosti. I have however, booked a telephone call on Friday evening to speak with my DN this coming Monday. I'm not planning to take even the 20mg dose after today. I will still take the prescribed Metformin until my DN advises otherwise. So, there should be no reason for the erratic BG this evening. Let's see what the rest of the week brings I suppose. X
 

Oooohh errr @Baruney. You leave my Magpies outta this. And yes, you're right, those numbers are acceptable. But when they fluctuate like that in such a short space of time, it can't be good. I did add that I went from over 8 to low 4's in less than an hour. I know many T2 would be happy with those BG results. Unfortunately, my optimum functioning range is between 5.0 & 6.0, which is quite a narrow window. Lower or higher than those figures slows me down, muddles me a little & I get the inevitable headaches. They're worse than they have been for many months & aren't particularly responsive to OTC analgesia. But I appreciate you taking the time to share your theory. It's possible of course. X
 

Thanks @MosheBenYehuda. Think it would serve me well to go read up on Reactive Hypoglycaemia. I never even considered that to be honest. Worth a look anyway. Best wishes. X
 
One of the ways to stop the swings and fluctuations in your blood glucose levels is as we RH ers do to stop it, is to not intentionally raise your bloods, so you don't have the lows. Eat to your meter to prevent the highs.
That is until you are comfortable with the 4s!
 
nosher8355 said:
Going the footie will always raise your bloods!

Especially if your team is constantly losing!!

It's called adrenaline!

Click to expand...
It's called NUFC. Sorry aj that one was put on a plate for me.
Know what you mean by former comment but don't forget that the powers that be are only interested in your hba1c's which if anyone with half a brain cell knows is an outcome of smbt and the pain in the a###e that is chocolate!
 


"Smbt?" Suck my big toe??? Giz a clue bonny lad. X And, why are the "powers that be" only interested in Hba1c results? I'm still learning & there's still alot I don't know. Why wouldn't the GP or DSN not be interested and/or concerned about a diabetic persons overall health? Then again, when I was diagnosed, I was prescribed medication, given a BG meter, then left to get on with it until I received my appointment letter to see the nurse specialist 6 weeks later. Thank God I had the wherewithal to access the Internet, where I found this forum. The people on here who supported, informed & advised me in those weeks quite literally saved my life. My DSN is lovely, but I had to wait far too long before I got that initial appointment with her. Perhaps I'm naive. Am I expecting too much to be looked after in a holistic manner. I'm not just a Diabetic...I'm Alison who has a long term, chronic disorder that needs to be effectively managed by doctors/nurses to help me remain in the best if health, for as long as possible. I really would expect that for EVERY Diabetic. And, if it isn't happening.....then why the hell not?! Please share your experience so I can prepare myself...and get myself ready to fight back. X
 
I agree with you, that is what we should aim for... effective and safe care. If we don't ask for it, who will?

Once a person's diabetes has stabilised, if their HbA1c is is the non-diabetic range, and they have no noticeable symptoms of diabetes or its complications, then I don't think they need much input from a doctor or nurse, beyond an annual review, and maybe a 6 monthly blood and urine test of the usual things they monitor. However, until they are stabilised, or if there is anything else going on, then yes, they do need input, and as much input as it takes to get things optimised. If a nurse then doctor can't sort it out, an endocrinologist should be involved, and any other specialists that are needed.
 
Hola.I'm Alison who has a long term, chronic disorder that needs to be effectively managed by doctors/nurses to help me remain in the best if health, for as long as possible. Don't mind if I call you alison for short do you?

Smbt is short for self managed blood testing. Which is what you are doing to work out the swing 4 to 8 for example. But as it is self managed it is therefor not accepted as a diagnosis that comes down to the hba1c.

It could be said that if your hba1c's is non diabetic then you don't need to smbt. But the again it could be said that your hba1c's os a result of your smbt.

That's from a medical point of view but on top of this you have to look at the budgets as dns GPs are under pressure to reduce prescription costs. Again this needs balencing out between short term costs if smbt and long term diabetic complications that may arise if you're only tested once a year but is someone else's budget problem.

But it doesn't end there. As you will see from this forum there are good dns and GPs. And the treatment you get may be as diabetic or it may be as alison.

Like you says there's a lot to learn.
 

Hi @Baruney. Thank you for the explanation & points well made. The reality of Diabetic care & the ability to smbt within the NHS is a bummer. But, thank God we have the NHS, who I just happen to work for. My DNS is a good one, & she arranges all tests, prescriptions & referrals onwards in respect of managing my Diabetes. I'd be hopeful that a reasoned & rational debate would see her allow me to carry on obtaining test strips etc, even in the absence of a Sulphonylurea. Guess that debate will be sooner rather than later. I appreciate you taking the time to respond so comprehensively to my question. You're very kind.

Alison. X
 
Hi Alison

I absolutely agree with everything written so far.

I am on metformin only, fortunately, but remember feeling the same frustration with BG levels you obviously are.

What I would add to the discussion is that I looked into the specs or meters are built to and somewhat to my shock I found they are only required to be +/- 15% accurate at 10mmol tightening to+/- 10% at 5 mmol.

To put this into context even without the issues around getting a perfect sample you could have a true reading of say 5.5 and your meter could read 4.9 or 6.1 and still meet the specs.

That's not to say the readings are useless though, rather I would say don't worry about the exact figures.

Record them, record what you did between them and ideally graph them- simple spreadsheet is ideal. Then watch the trend, not the numbers. If it's generally down, be happy. If there are definate spikes you can find a reason for, then you have learned something.

But I would not worry about fluctuations less than say 2 units too much.

HTH

TIM
 
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