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GD diagnosis but sugars are consistently low

HI,

I am 34 weeks pregnant and have been diagnosed with GD following a 2 hour glucose intolerance test. My fasting test was around 4 and my 2 hour test was 9.2. The cut off in my NHS area is 8.5, so I meet the definition of having GD.

I had an appointment with an NHS dietician and NHS diabetes nurse last week. They gave me an accu check monitor and asked me to check bloods 4 times a day: on waking, before lunch, before dinner and 2 hours after dinner. The dietician didn't ask what my current diet is, but told me I should be careful of eating too many carbs and that I should try to reduce my carb intake. In particular, I wake during the night every night and need to snack, usually on a cereal bar, and she wanted me to try to stop this. My usual diet contains a lot of fruit and veg, lots of wholegrain high protein bread, high protein greek yogurt, muesli, cereal, chicken, fish, potatoes, cereal bars, crisps, biscuits, sweets, cake, tea, water, fizzy juice, bacon and egg rolls, bircher museli, falafel wraps, chicken and avo wholegrain sandwiches etc. At the moment a lot of snacks as I find I can't eat a lot at once being so pregnant so I need to snack.

When I reduce my carbs (i.e. replace crisps/cake/sweets with nuts and limit potatoes and fruit) all 4 of my readings are in the 4's. When I cut the middle of the night snack my fasting reading drops into the 3's e.g. 3.5, 3.7. When I have my usual cereal bar during the night my reading on waking is still about 4.1, 4.2.

The only time I've had an above target reading was when I had a McDonalds veggie meal with chips and a fizzy juice, and then lay on the sofa for 2 hours not moving at all and then tested, and I was slightly above my post dinner target of 7.

I'm feeling really tired and run down and struggling for energy. I'm tempted just to go add in my high carb treats and fruit and potatoes.

Does anyone have any advice? Does this sound like I do have GD to you? It's all a bit confusing!
 
Hi @fatfingeredfran and welcome to the forum!

You've been cutting your carbs back for about a week - and I salute you (and your Health Care team!) for taking such decisive action so quickly.

What you're experiencing is, at best guess, called Carb-Flu or Keto-Flu. Sugar (including carbs) is incredibly addictive and you've interrupted the feel-good feedback loop. And now your body is throwing a tantrum about it.

But there is good news - it doesn't last long, and when you emerge at the other end, you'll no longer crave carby foods at all. You've already seen the impact it has had on your (very good) numbers. You've hit the ground running and you're already able to control your BG with diet. Get through this week and it'll be plain sailing - drink lots of water, surround yourself with foods you can eat freely.

Last thoughts on the MacDonald's thing: that's a meal almost entirely made of carbs. Veggie burgers are bound together with potato and flour, put in a carby white bread bun with some token gesture salad and then served with more carbs in the chips and a high-cugar (fructose) drink. While a 2-hour BG of 7 is nothing to be horrified about, you said yourself it's the highest result you've had.

Here's a couple of links that I hope you'll find interesting / helpful:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-flu-how-was-it-for-you.124304/#post-1521028

http://breaknutrition.com/keto-flu/

You can do this - it's kind of ******, but it doesn't last long.

Hang in there,

Sock x
 
Hi Sock, thanks for the reply.

I'm not quite sure I follow though.. the problem I'm having is my blood sugar is constantly low (between 3.5 and 4.9), and I feel really **** and low energy, shaky etc. I feel like my levels are too low, but I don't know enough about this to be sure. Are you saying that levels this low are normal? thanks xx
 
Your levels are perfect. In terms of pure numbers, you've reversed your diabetic readings already:

Above 7: Diagnosis of diabetes / hyperglycemia
6 - 7: Diagnosis of prediabetes.
3.5 / 4 - 6: Completely normal, ideal range
Under 3.5: Hypoglycemia

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

You could also be experience a "false hypo" where your body sort of panics because it's used to much higher sugar levels, so when they drop a bit, you get shaky, but I'm (in my vast inexperience) thinking it's more likely to be radically cutting carbs. I'm sure others will be along shortly to offer their more experienced perspectives.

This site has a "Hypo Awareness Program" which is free and takes about half an hour to work through. It might reassure you to have a look at it so you're more able to spot any hypos you're having and be better equipped to deal with them. You need fast acting sugars, not a plate of carbs if you have a hypo. For more info, go here:

http://hypoglycemia.uk/#/

You're doing great, honestly. You've beaten back the beast already and have managed to get your BG levels back into the "safe zone". And you've done it incredibly quickly and armed with only the basic information. You should be feeling very, very smug and empowered right about now.

Well done you!

Sock :)

P.S. From your first post:

I'm feeling really tired and run down and struggling for energy. I'm tempted just to go add in my high carb treats and fruit and potatoes.

This is what craving carbs feels like :D
 
As a type 2 I have no experience of GD but maybe make sure you don't go to bed too low until you have spoken to your medical team if you are on insulin/medication.
 
Hi
My understanding is GD needs to be controlled in a different way to us Type 2's. Your ranges are a lot tighter than ours. I would suggest contacting your nurse and asking her your questions. Hopefully someone with GD on this forum could help you.
 
I'm not on any insulin or medication.

I guess I'm having trouble believing that I have GD as I haven't had any diabetic readings. For example today I downed a whole bottle of lucuzade sport along with a bacon roll (white roll, with ketchup) and still couldn't get a reading over 4.8.

The only reading that has been slightly high was my total carb McDs meal when I literally lay on the sofa and didn't move after, and supposedly this test at the doctors.

Other than that i can't seem to get a high reading, when I snack on high carb things through the night my fasting level is still way low.
 
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The numbers you report are non-diabetic. You need clarity here for your baby and your mental wellbeing. Call the surgery today. Did they refer you to a diabetes clinic? Did they do a HbA1c (blood test)?
It may be that you can eat more carbs while staying in range and this may change with pregnancy stage. How far along are you and how is baby measuring?
 
The ranges they have given me is fasting of 5.5, pre meal of 6 and 2 hours post meal of 7.

I can't get anywhere near those numbers unless I eat 100% carbs and literally don't move.

The target is to stay UNDER those numbers, not aim to hit them, so you're doing fine. If you can eat whatever you want and stay under those numbers then carry on eating whatever you want.
 
Hi Sock, thanks for the reply.

I'm not quite sure I follow though.. the problem I'm having is my blood sugar is constantly low (between 3.5 and 4.9), and I feel really **** and low energy, shaky etc. I feel like my levels are too low, but I don't know enough about this to be sure. Are you saying that levels this low are normal? thanks xx

As your pregnant, you're far better off taking the advice of your dietician. You certainly shouldn't be reducing your carbs so much that you have 'carb flu'. Some of the replies above seem to be ignoring the fact that you're pregnant.

Your blood sugar levels are very good and you developed GD quite late in pregnancy. Hopefully, you'll be able to carry on as you are and control it by diet. If you're anxious, you could try testing at one hour after a meal aswell as at 2 hours. That will show you a fuller picture.
 
HI,

I am 34 weeks pregnant and have been diagnosed with GD following a 2 hour glucose intolerance test. My fasting test was around 4 and my 2 hour test was 9.2. The cut off in my NHS area is 8.5, so I meet the definition of having GD.

I had an appointment with an NHS dietician and NHS diabetes nurse last week. They gave me an accu check monitor and asked me to check bloods 4 times a day: on waking, before lunch, before dinner and 2 hours after dinner. The dietician didn't ask what my current diet is, but told me I should be careful of eating too many carbs and that I should try to reduce my carb intake. In particular, I wake during the night every night and need to snack, usually on a cereal bar, and she wanted me to try to stop this. My usual diet contains a lot of fruit and veg, lots of wholegrain high protein bread, high protein greek yogurt, muesli, cereal, chicken, fish, potatoes, cereal bars, crisps, biscuits, sweets, cake, tea, water, fizzy juice, bacon and egg rolls, bircher museli, falafel wraps, chicken and avo wholegrain sandwiches etc. At the moment a lot of snacks as I find I can't eat a lot at once being so pregnant so I need to snack.

When I reduce my carbs (i.e. replace crisps/cake/sweets with nuts and limit potatoes and fruit) all 4 of my readings are in the 4's. When I cut the middle of the night snack my fasting reading drops into the 3's e.g. 3.5, 3.7. When I have my usual cereal bar during the night my reading on waking is still about 4.1, 4.2.

The only time I've had an above target reading was when I had a McDonalds veggie meal with chips and a fizzy juice, and then lay on the sofa for 2 hours not moving at all and then tested, and I was slightly above my post dinner target of 7.

I'm feeling really tired and run down and struggling for energy. I'm tempted just to go add in my high carb treats and fruit and potatoes.

Does anyone have any advice? Does this sound like I do have GD to you? It's all a bit confusing!
Hi
I had gd (diet controlled) and potentially now diabetes..... :-(
From your glucose tolerance test you have gd but with your readings I'd contact your midwife/antenatal clinic. Are you doing readings an hour or two hours after food?

All food turns into sugar (apart from some veg and salad) but at different rates. So some meals can take a while to spike your sugar.
My dietician advised me to have half a plate of veg/salad, a quarter of carb (low gi) and quarter protein. 3meals a day with a snack inbetween to
make sure your eating enough. I was advised blood sugar premeals below 5.5 and an hour after eating below 7.8.
The gestational diabetes website is good.


At first it's hard to cut the refined sugar but it won't help your energy levels. Eating low gi carbs and protein are better for your energy levels.

Hopefully your gd will go after delivery but as your may of been told your more likely to have Diabetes in the next few years. I thought I was eating healthy turns out a lot of products have more sugar than I was originally aware of.
 
Hi Sock, thanks for the reply.

I'm not quite sure I follow though.. the problem I'm having is my blood sugar is constantly low (between 3.5 and 4.9), and I feel really **** and low energy, shaky etc. I feel like my levels are too low, but I don't know enough about this to be sure. Are you saying that levels this low are normal? thanks xx
Cold turkey... it lasts about 2 weeks then you will have loads of energy, hang in there.
 
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