False Hypos

[62Rose]

Whilst using a CGM for a week I found I was waking as normal throughout the night, sweating, palpitations etc but my blood sugar was stable. Is that what is meant by a false hypo?

 

[urbanracer]

Whilst using a CGM for a week I found I was waking as normal throughout the night, sweating, palpitations etc but my blood sugar was stable. Is that what is meant by a false hypo?

Kind of - but to be clear, a hypo is clinically defined as being below 4mmol/L (in the UK) so if you had those symptoms and you were above that level then it could indicate a false hypo. Might be something else of course?

 

[Tophat1900]

False hypos, the only hypo I'm happy to have...

 

[phdiabetic]

Did you check your blood sugar at the time or just trust the CGM reading? It's important to test if you feel funny because CGMs are not always accurate and you could be low in reality when it gives a normal reading.

 

[Lamont D]

Whilst using a CGM for a week I found I was waking as normal throughout the night, sweating, palpitations etc but my blood sugar was stable. Is that what is meant by a false hypo?

Usually a false hypo is when you are above hypo levels and get the symptoms of a hypo. It is usually caused by a sudden drop in blood levels. But not always.
With RH, any fluctuating blood levels could give you similar symptoms.
But I agree, check your bloods if you start getting symptoms, mainly to give you piece of mind that you are not continually going hypo.
It could be, that your blood levels are getting stability and even having the symptoms, will make you feel a little bit worse.
Remember stability is important, don't go treating a hypo if you haven't got one.
Take it easy, I think you are doing really well!

Best wishes

 

[62Rose]

Thanks I think I get the idea. Sadly I didn’t check at the time and don’t have the monitor now. But I only ate when I felt I needed to, I didn’t go by the numbers, thankfully I have never passed out. At night I just can’t get back to sleep when I go too low so that’s when I know i have to eat. Actually had a better night last night than I have for a long time, with a 4hr stretch at one point!! Back to the consultant on 22 for the results, not holding my breath, but maybe he’ll have an idea of what’s going on.

 

[leinadsedalb]

I was once told if blood sugars are constantly high for a long period of time the body will reset itself. It resets itself as it thinks the high blood sugars are normal so the threshold for a hypo becomes higher giving symptoms of a hypo when your not.

 

[Lamont D]

I was once told if blood sugars are constantly high for a long period of time the body will reset itself. It resets itself as it thinks the high blood sugars are normal so the threshold for a hypo becomes higher giving symptoms of a hypo when your not.

Hi, that is descriptive of what is known as a false hypo.
Regardless, the symptoms of a hypo would be the same.
You are correct that the body does adjust to higher levels.
The awareness of those lowering levels does cause false hypos.
Even different experts, can't agree to what is a hypo levels. Then again we do have different hypo levels. Some diabetics can be symptom free in the low threes.

 

[62Rose]

I was getting symptoms in the 5’s I definitely felt better in the high 5’s and 6’s. So as the body adjusts to the new levels should the hypos lessen? Only I seem to worse than I was in June when I started the LCHF.

 

[Kaz261]

After I was diagnosed with RH I reduced my carb intake and for quite some time afterwards would feel hypo when my BS was low 5’s. This of course baffled my Endo, but looking back I now realise that it was just my body adjusting to being at lower levels.

Providing I eat what I know keeps me steady I can now go up to 5 hours between meals on a good day. My levels can be mid 4’s and I don’t get that horrible shaky, anxious feeling that used to get.

Hopefully your body will start to adjust to your new eating regime and you’ll soon become happier at lower levels.

It so hard, but try not to get anxious about it (easier said than done I know. I was the worlds worst for worrying about my bs levels in the early days!). Stress and anxiety makes it so much harder to control your levels. If I’m stressed or worried, I’m so much more likely to have a mild hypo. Thankfully they are very few and far between these days.

Good luck and I hope you start to feel better soon.

Kaz

 

[62Rose]

Thanks. I have been low carb since June 2017 and thought things would have settled down by now. I wake a lot in the night but my readings are fine, the other day I ate 3/4 slice wholemeal toast and peanut butter butter at 1am as I was so hungry. I then slept for nearly 4 hours and when I got up in the morning felt better than normal. Do I set my alarm for 1am every night, or is that giving in? I ate the toast at 11pm last night and had an awful night never asleep for longer that 2 hours, sweating every time I woke. Exhausted and sweaty this morning now
I didn’t see my Endocrinologist at my appointment two weeks ago and the replacement promised to contact him to ask what to do next as she wasn’t sure what his plans were and then get back to me, but I’m still waiting. He hasn’t been through my CGM results with me still and I feel just as rubbish as ever with no real answers in over a year from my referral. I’m really struggling to stay positive and to believe I can get through this. Met my new GP who isn’t that dynamic either so all looks pretty hopeless. Sorry to moan, I need to get moving on this so desperately, sleep deprived should be my new user name!