Going Low not High

[Mud Island Dweller]

Second question coming up l was diagnosed just over 2 weeks ago, l keep going low but am on metformin 3x a day. Given l spend most of my time going low l am confused why on metformin.
Highest l have been is 6.9 I am very attuned l can tell soon as l drop below 5 today l said to hub l am 4.9 took my blood 4.9 the lower l go worse l feel. This can happen a couple of times a day l am trying to adjust my diet to take that into account and stop it and l will discuss it with diabetic nurse on first visit after dr on Monday

l see the Dr Monday as apparently an ECG l had last week has "a problem" but looking for any questions/comments to make to him over the going low/metformin. With metformin l had first week on 1/day second week 2/day now on 3/day. Even when on one a day though l was around the low to mid 5s and have only had 3 lots of 6 and only 1x 6.9 in whole time.

I went to him as l thought was severe menopause (am 51) but turns out l was hammering into hypos several times a day.

 

[))Denise((]

If you have been used to running higher levels, the body panics when you are getting lower levels and goes into a 'false hypo'. 4.9 is great for a Type 2 and the more you get this sort of level, the body will stop panicking and will be fine, you just have to wait for your body to adjust.

 

[2131tom]

I can only give you my experiences on Metformin - as ever it's only your doc who can dole out the medical advice.

I've been on it for about a month - 1/day for 1st week, 2 x 500mg per day since and it seemed to take a couple of weeks to kick in, with me seeing a BG of 14 in my first week and not many readings below 6. In the past 10 days, however, I'm seeing more 4s, quite a few 5s, nothing above 8 and my 1st reading on getting up is now around 6.

However I have lost 11lbs since 1st November and have completely switched my diet - no sugar, much lower carbs and a lot more vegetables. So it's difficult to attribute what's doing what, although it's clearly going the right way (I think ...)

What I'm leading up to here is that I'm sometimes not feeling better. When my levels are low, I get a tingling in my hands and feet, with strange 'hot flushes' in the latter and I posted about that a few days ago, as I'd never experienced it before. There's been suggestions that this might be due to 'false hypos', as my body readjusts to the lower BG levels.

In my simplistic mind, I can relate to that. I gave up smoking in May this year and felt bloody awful for weeks. :crazy:

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi, firstly relax, your bg levels seem fine based on your readings although without knowing when they were taken its hard to draw any conclusions from them. Its more useful to test before meals and then again 2 hours after finishing eating, this shows you what the food you eat does to your bg levels so you can use the information to tweak your diet, but if you dont get any higher readings than 6.9 mmol/L then your doing really well :thumbup:

The 4.9 and the 6.9 are both OK numbers, 4.9 mmol/L is not a hypo, most people will call anything under 4 mmol/L hypo and anything under that number should be treated if you are on insulin treatment but as you are only taking Metformin there is absolutely nothing for you to worry about at. Most diabetics would be over the moon with numbers like that

As a T2 on Metfomin you are no more likely to suffer a hypo than a non diabetic, in other words it would be very unusual.

When your blood glucose falls to a low level your body acts automatically to correct your sugar levels. This is done by your liver, it is one of the livers functions is to store glycogen (glucose/sugar) to regulate your blood sugars. So 4.9 mmol/L is not a dangerous or low level for a T2 diabetic using the meds that you do.


The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

The above text in green is taken from the Information for the newly diagnosed here on the forum it is really useful so I would urge you to read it through a few times and digest it all, here is the link to it viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17088

Good luck and any other questions you have just ask

 

[Kat100]

Metformin can give you hypo,s, I have been warned by my gp, who also suffers from this awful illness...I did seek clarity they are not false when your numbers have become low control.

Now my hba1c is down to 6.5 I know when I am going low, sometimes a 3

Yes you can get hypos on metformin and it is not so rare I believe

 

[paul-1976]

Metformin can give you hypo,s, I have been warned by my gp, who also suffers from this awful illness...I did seek clarity they are not false when your numbers have become low control.

Now my hba1c is down to 6.5 I know when I am going low, sometimes a 3

Yes you can get hypos on metformin and it is not so rare I believe

Myself and Sid Bonkers have a disagreed on a lot of stuff but I totally agree with what he quoted in his post above in this thread... "As a T2 on Metfomin you are no more likely to suffer a hypo than a non diabetic, in other words it would be very unusual."

 

[Kat100]

Interesting, but I can only go on my gp advise here, policy and protocol where put in place , when low in hospital, below 3 then...it was all a panic...
Gp confirms I will go low on metformin, gp advises at clinic as well.... I will keep an open mind.

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

Many thanks l keep saying you are all amazing but it is true your help is a godsend l would be lost without it.

l guess the word hypo is wrong considering l was explaining to a colleague yesterday that a "normal" person wouldn't feel it and not a hypo per se :lol: l guess l should say strange feeling

Some of the high ones
6.2.... before breakfast
6 .....2hrs post lunch
6.9....2hrs post breakfast
6....2hrs post lunch

Some of the low ones
4.7.....4hrs post lunch
4.4..... 2hrs 20 post dinner (also inc 20 mins on exercise bike)
4.9 ...before breakfast
4.6....before dinner
4.9....2hrs post breakfast and short walk round town (l hate town!)

More 4 and 6 variations the 5 variations not listed has happened the most of the 3 numbers

I have found and downloaded the food diaries lot better laid out l was using home made one with just carbs so hope this will help me more.
Got the starters info first time here :-D and lots of that and other info is on my phone in files for instant view as l am setting up help files for myself.

What confused me was how l seemed "low" not high but was on metformin and l was feeling with anything below 5 even the 4.9
l knew instantly what BG was on. The info said 4 was good but l feel awful "down there" hence thinking it couldn't be good if that makes sense. I figured if l was sort of 8++ then metformin would make sense but l always seemed "low"

Confused about the body reacting to false hypos although not saying it is wrong just as l am feeling the symptoms starting with throat palpitations (when l have been able to wack my stethoscope on heart dysrythmia...am a vet nurse) then generally off, loss of energy, dizzy Also it is times l have not eaten a snack or been asleep or done even a bit extra to normal exercise levels.
As far as l understand l was heading downwards not upwards several times a day pre discovery... throat palpitations, exhaustion (sleep all night but stilll exhausted soon as l woke up), dizzy/confused, ...l wasn't eating well as l felt so ill.
At times hot flushes, if l wanted the loo it was NOW! not really more than normal just no leaway.

Hope that lot makes sense have tried

 

[Kat100]

Problem is we are all so different and complex, what one person researches and believes another may not, research can always be found to support both sides....
It is very hard, I like this site, but use my gp as my guide our health is so Important.