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Help Urgent - Low BG readings

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David Swales

Member
Messages
22
Hi

I am a newly diagnosed type II diabetic (about 5 weeks) I am on 1x500mg Metformin (taken with breakfast). I came home from work and felt funny (light headed). I tested my bg at 4:30 and it was 3.4. I had some full coke to boost. I had my main meal of the day at 5:45 (Beef casserole with veg including potatoes) I also had a small piece of 85% chocolate. I have just tested 7:45 and was only 4.2.

I think this is too low but I am not sure whether to have more food. I still feel fairly weak.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

David
 
Hi David - if you still feel weak, light headed, sweaty and shaky then maybe you should have something carby as the potatoes you had for supper will have lost their effect by now. Try another full fat coke maybe. Or better, some orange juice. Test. If you are still low then have another one until your levels go up. This should work in around 15 minutes. Follow this up with a biscuit or piece of bread. Forget the chocolate - 85% doesn't contain enough carb. Stay on line in case someone else who knows more than me comes along. Post again and let me know how you are feeling. :)
 
I still don't feel great. I am having a coke and will test again soon. I will keep online and let you know how things get on. Thanks for posting, the advice is greatly appreciated.
 
I'm staying on line too. Don't try to get your levels too high though either.
 
Test 10-15 mins after and again afterwards if you haven't seen a change yet.
 
If you start to feel ill again phone NHS 24 for their advice (at least I think that's what it is called). I think you should call your doctor/nurse tomorrow too.
 
Need me to stay on line still? If not I will log out and go to bed as we are an hour ahead here (I live in *****).
 
Hi David :) - hope you had a good night's sleep and that you haven't got a pounding headache now as that often happens after a hypo. It's fairly unusual for type 2s on Metformin to get hypos. Let me know how you get on when you speak to the nurse. :)

I haven't had a hypo since I've been taking Metformin but know what it feels like as I used to have reactive hypoglycemia long before I got diabetes.

It might help you to remember how you felt BEFORE you went low as that could give you warning in the future and allow you to take preventative action like drinking a coke or orange juice. Just in case it should ever happen again.
 
Hi Daisy

I did have a good nights sleep and I didn't get a headache which is good news. :)

I have been feeling fairly light headed all morning so when my diabetes nurse phoned me back she asked me to rest my levels and I was 4.0. She asked me to drink the carton of juice I have with
me. She has also suggested that I stop taking the metformin (she will get back to me if my GP disagrees with this) and to up my carb intake a bit. I also have to keep testing today just to keep an eye on my levels.

Since I have been diagnosed I have always been prescribed metformin and have never tried to control with just diet. I suspect that they may try to let me do this for a bit to see how I get on.

Thank you for your help last night it was very useful and I really appreciated it. :D
 
You're very welcome David. :) Glad I was there and able to help you. Thanks for the update :)
 
I cannot emphasise enough how useful this website and specifically this forum is. I have had a few questions and they have always been answered quickly with good sensible advice. Over time I only hope to be a good a member as the ones who have helped me. Thank you to you all :D
 
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