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Hypos diabetes type 2 - do low figures change depending on the individual?

lotuslight

Well-Known Member
Messages
135
Location
Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi I have started on gliclozide meds I am type 2.

I am noticing I feel low anything 7 or below where it should be 5 apparently

I went got a walk for 30 mins with a reading of 9 and planned to have lunch after.

I think I had a hypo when I got back my reading was 5.9 but I was shaking , sweating feeling very strange.

And yet you can drive above 5.

I’m wondering if everyone’s low is different this has made me much more cautious
 
They're not real lows, assuming your test stips are in date and all. Has anyone ever told you about false hypo's? They absolutely feel and act like the real thing, just don't have the numbers to back it up. I take it your levels were really high for you to have been put on gliclazide...? So your body is used to being higher all the time, probably double digits is my guess? It takes a few weeks for it to get used to normal numbers, rather than freaking out with a racing heart, rubbery legs, confusion and whatnot every time it goes lower than it thinks you should be. Don't make my mistake, I took dextro tablets whenever they happened, so it took a lot longer than it should have for my body not to panic at a 5. Mind you, with gliclazide a real hypo can happen, so if you feel off, don't assume it's a false one and ignore it. Always test, always have dextro handy.

Good luck, and I hope they abate soon!
Jo
 
I sometimes feel low at 4, but not every time, usually it's under 4 to go hypo..I'm on insulin.
 
I’ve had very similar issues since being diagnosed a few years ago - my sugars were sky high on diagnosis and I was getting false hypos with readings under about 8 for a good long time. I was on Metformin to start with and then Trulicity, which has suited me much better, but the point where I get the shakes and fuzzy head has come down slowly over time. It’s still happening when I hit the lower 5s, but my endocrinologist said that this reaction does happen to some people and that it does drop as your body gets used to operating with lower levels of blood sugar. So, I guess test to check if it’s a real or false hypo, and treat accordingly!
 
This happened to me last week when I did a hard swim session, I tested but the numbers didn’t back up how I felt, I’m glad I read this to clear my confusion. Thank you.
 
As others have said, it's relative. Why? Because relatively a 9 to 5 fall is quite a drop - nearly half of the starting value. If your usual reading is (say) 9, a fall to 5 feels like a lot to your body, but if you're usually around 5, to get the same "nearly half" drop you'd be looking at 2.5-3, which is genuine hypo territory.

It's like the trick with putting your hands in the bowls of hot and cold water? The body feels things differently depending on what it's got used to.
 
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