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Feel shaky and light headed, but blood sugar fine. Prediabetic

T

Truffle 01

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi. I was first diagnosed as prediabetic 4 years ago. With strict keto I got my h1bac down from 43 to 34 in 6 months. I changed to low carb and it sat around 40 for ages, but it's now 42, and although I'm overweight, it's only slightly now that I've shed another 7kg.

My question is...why am I shaky, light headed etc 4 hours after eating and yet my blood sugar is 6.5-7 if I check it? I'm eating plenty of protein and fat, veggies etc, but this is happening every day by lunchtime (12pm), and again at 4pm. I get beyond hangry, I kind of shut down.

Thank you
 
Hi there @Truffle 01 it may or may not be related to your food. If you are just finger pricking you may not be getting the full picture. A finger prick, as I'm sure you are aware, just gives you your BS in the moment. Have you tried using a CGM device ? That will give you a far better idea what your blood sugars are actually doing throughout the day. Without a CGM you do not really know what's going on, other than how well your body is dealing with the carbs you are eating . That is all it tells you. A CGM would give you a better idea, if you haven't already just to see whats going on.

I would also add that not everything is related to blood sugars, blood pressure, lack of sleep , exhaustion and dehydration can also present with those symptoms.

Edited as I repeated myself
 
Can it be you simply need more food?
You're losing weight, being hungry can make you feel shaky even if blood glucose is fine. Food is energy so a lack of food means a lack of energy.

Are you on any medication?
Dietary changes and weightloss can change blood pressure so medication may need to be adjusted.

Or how about electrolytes? Keto can mean you lack some essential stuff (which I know hardly anything about), might be worth looking into.
 
It could be a false hypo.
Which means that your BG levels are above hypo levels, but because it might be a sudden drop, similar to a sugar crash, the symptoms are similar to a hypo.
Are you on any diabetic meds or another condition that might affect your BG levels?
 
As above re false hypo, if your body is or was used to higher sugar then it goes lower it is reacting as if in a proper hypo. I get them also
on 2 insulins a metformin
 
Thank you all for your replies.
I'm not on any medication (and hoping to keep it that way if I can). I think I've always been a bit like this, but it's definitely more pronounced now.....is this what progessing insulin-resistance looks like?
 
I hadn't thought of getting a CGM, I'll look into it, thanks.
 
Truffle 01 said:
Thank you all for your replies.
I'm not on any medication (and hoping to keep it that way if I can). I think I've always been a bit like this, but it's definitely more pronounced now.....is this what progessing insulin-resistance looks like?
Click to expand...
Don't think so. If your BG is in normal range (as yours is), that would be an indication that your insulin was working properly and doing its job. With increasing insulin resistance, you'd normally expect to see steadily rising HbA1c levels (and I don't mean within normal range).

There are many other possible causes. A CGM should give you a bit more information that ought to be helpful.
 
Probably not food....its taken me a year to shift 7kg, because 'oink'!
 
Truffle 01 said:
Probably not food....its taken me a year to shift 7kg, because 'oink'!
Click to expand...
Hi,

Are you currently taking any medication for anything else? Another condition?
Just adding; appreciate they don’t normally prescribe for pre-D?
 
Mark Rawlinson said:
As above re false hypo, if your body is or was used to higher sugar then it goes lower it is reacting as if in a proper hypo. I get them also
on 2 insulins a metformin
Click to expand...
I have had them twice and made me feel pants but on no meds. Nearly keeled over during a work out at the time early on in diagnosis and lately also.
 
Lainie71 said:
I have had them twice and made me feel pants but on no meds. Nearly keeled over during a work out at the time early on in diagnosis and lately also.
Click to expand...
Does the class instructor or PT know you have this problem (gym staff) ?
 
Mark Rawlinson said:
Does the class instructor or PT know you have this problem (gym staff) ?
Click to expand...
I have home gym in my garage so no, but I have been running a wee bit high of late then dropping to 5.8s later on during the day. Also I cannot cope with artificial sweeteners and had a few sugar free glasses of bitter lemon so it may have been due to that. When first diagnosed I had the same thing shakes, disorientation, feeling sick almost like a panic attack but not a panic attack, not at that time anyway. When that happened I had had two sugar free sweets Ricola ones. I keep off the stuff now.
 
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