Feeling ill when 5.6 or lower

[SheilaCanning]

I have become familiar with how my blood sugar is behaving in the last few months. So much so that I can tell if it's high or low. The issue I have is that what seems low to me is what is normal! When my blood sugar hits 5.6 or lower I get this trembly feeling inside and can be quite shaky. It's easily rectified with a bit of cheese or some peanuts, but I am curious to know why what should be normal feels so wrong for me?

My average day begins with a reading of 8 and then goes to between 5.5 and 7.5 usually. I guess I feel most normal at 6 - 7. Any thoughts?

 

[EllieM]

Hi @SheilaCanning. My guess is that your blood sugars were running higher than normal for quite a while before your diagnosis and your body got used to a new, higher, normal. Now you are probably getting "false hypos", because your body thinks that you are going low when you are just returning to a lower normal.

Quite a few people report this when they lower their blood sugar levels.

In theory, this should pass as you get used to it, but I make no promises as to how long that will take.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I have become familiar with how my blood sugar is behaving in the last few months. So much so that I can tell if it's high or low. The issue I have is that what seems low to me is what is normal! When my blood sugar hits 5.6 or lower I get this trembly feeling inside and can be quite shaky. It's easily rectified with a bit of cheese or some peanuts, but I am curious to know why what should be normal feels so wrong for me?

My average day begins with a reading of 8 and then goes to between 5.5 and 7.5 usually. I guess I feel most normal at 6 - 7. Any thoughts?

Used to have both false hypo's and real ones (due to gliclazide)... And I used to treat them both. Which just made the false ones last longer than they had to. You, however, just have some protein, which is the right thing to do. It'll pass as you get used to having normal blood sugars. Your body just needs to learn not to freak out at anything approaching normality, and it will.

 

[SheilaCanning]

Hi @SheilaCanning. My guess is that your blood sugars were running higher than normal for quite a while before your diagnosis and your body got used to a new, higher, normal. Now you are probably getting "false hypos", because your body thinks that you are going low when you are just returning to a lower normal.

Quite a few people report this when they lower their blood sugar levels.

In theory, this should pass as you get used to it, but I make no promises as to how long that will take.

Ah! That makes sense then. Silly body! It's an unpleasant feeling and when I check my readings I've been so baffled - like, come on, this is normal! Hopefully, it'll adjust. Thank you.

 

[SheilaCanning]

Used to have both false hypo's and real ones (due to gliclazide)... And I used to treat them both. Which just made the false ones last longer than they had to. You, however, just have some protein, which is the right thing to do. It'll pass as you get used to having normal blood sugars. Your body just needs to learn not to freak out at anything approaching normality, and it will.

Fab, thank you. That's reassuring.

 

[lucylocket61]

Ah! That makes sense then. Silly body! It's an unpleasant feeling and when I check my readings I've been so baffled - like, come on, this is normal! Hopefully, it'll adjust. Thank you.

this may or may not apply to you, but menopause has made me feel the shaky trembly feeling just before a hot flush or similar, even though my blood sugar levels were normal.