Hypos ?

[Jeff11]

Hi,

Since been told I have diabetes about 6 weeks ago, still not been told if I'm type 1 or 2. Starting off my sugars where in the 30s.

I have been off glixicide for about 2 weeks and been on 2000g of metaformin s a day since. Since I've been on the Meta my sugars have been dropping to 3.5 a few times per evening. I have been told Meta won't cause hypos but it appears it is with me. Is this normal or something to worry about.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

Certainly worth logging these numbers off your meter & discussing with your doctor..

Are you having any symptoms or is it just the readings on the meter?

 

[Jeff11]

I feel a bit wobbly and pupils go very small. Everything I've read suggests Metaformin can't cause Hypos though.

 

[Jaylee]

I feel a bit wobbly and pupils go very small. Everything I've read suggests Metaformin can't cause Hypos though.

I’m no doctor. But what are your levels like in general? Are you only testing when you feel the symptoms?

 

[Lamont D]

.metformin should not cause hypos, it can cause side effects.
What are your fasting levels?
What tests have you had?
Ask your doctor about another full blold panel test, and if possible c-peptide, insulin levels.

 

[Jeff11]

I'm waiting on blood test results to come back. My fasting levels in the morning range from between 5 and 12 now. They where over 18 2 weeks ago. I have just had a low sugar alert from my libre of a 3.5 and checked it against my finger prick tester and that showed 3.4. That's 2 hours after a reading of 12.1.

 

[jonathan183]

Does not normally ... not the same as never

Metformin does not usually cause low blood sugar (known as hypoglycaemia, or "hypos") when taken on its own. But hypos can happen when you take metformin with other diabetes medicines, such as insulin or gliclazide.

so as others have said log the results and talk to your doctor ...

 

[Lamont D]

I'm waiting on blood test results to come back. My fasting levels in the morning range from between 5 and 12 now. They where over 18 2 weeks ago. I have just had a low sugar alert from my libre of a 3.5 and checked it against my finger prick tester and that showed 3.4. That's 2 hours after a reading of 12.1.

Was the 12.1 at two hours and the 3.5/3.4 2 hours after that?
Can you give us an idea why, even though you had really high blood glucose levels, why your levels are still on a rollercoaster ride?
What are you eating every day?

Sorry about the questions, as you are doing well, the ups and downs are not good.

 

[Jeff11]

I had a reading of 12 on the libre about 2 hours after food. That dropped then to 3.5 in 2 hours after the reading of12.

I have no idea why my levels are all over the place. I was officially diagnosed as type 2 today but could t get answers on why my levels are dropping so low as it shouldn't happen with me only taking meta.

I eat a low carb diet, small portions of rice pasta or spuds.with chicken or beef.

 

[sue512]

My blood sugars swing less wildly when I’ve removed all the white stuff, like potatoes,bread,rice etc. the higher my spike up after a meal the more chance of me having a hypo later. Try it for a few days and see if it levels out a bit. Increasing my healthy fats in a meal also seems to level my sugars out a bit.

 

[Jaylee]

I had a reading of 12 on the libre about 2 hours after food. That dropped then to 3.5 in 2 hours after the reading of12.

I have no idea why my levels are all over the place. I was officially diagnosed as type 2 today but could t get answers on why my levels are dropping so low as it shouldn't happen with me only taking meta.

I eat a low carb diet, small portions of rice pasta or spuds.with chicken or beef.

Hi,

Are you monitoring your BG just using the Libra sensor??

 

[Lamont D]

I had a reading of 12 on the libre about 2 hours after food. That dropped then to 3.5 in 2 hours after the reading of12.

I have no idea why my levels are all over the place. I was officially diagnosed as type 2 today but could t get answers on why my levels are dropping so low as it shouldn't happen with me only taking meta.

I eat a low carb diet, small portions of rice pasta or spuds.with chicken or beef.

I agree with @Jaylee, I think you need to supplement the libre with finger prick testing. This will confirm the results.
If you notice my condition is called reactive hypoglycaemia. And if I have carbs in a meal, my bg levels go from a normal fasting levels to a spike in double figures then after that it drops into Hypoglycaemia. However my bg levels go lower than 3 mmols.
on the other hand, what might be happening is similar to my case but it is because your insulin levels are high and the insulin resistance is still effecting your bg. And I am surmising your liver kicks in as you go towards hypoglycaemia.
Do have a read of the RH forums.
And the likes of spuds, grains,and such carbs are to be avoided, if you want good control of your bgs. I suspect you have carbs intolerance.
I was misdiagnosed as T2, until I got a true diagnosis!

 

[Jeff11]

Thanks for all the replies. I only have small amounts of brown rice or potatoes with meals and always check thr high and low reading with a finger blood. The clinic couldn't give me any answers and just advised cut back to 1 meta a day.

I've been reading loads on this forum and Google I've burned my head out with it. Reactive Hypoglycaemia has popped up a number of times when reading and does match my symptoms. All my scans and blood tests have come back fine and I'm due another HBAc1 test next month.

My last BG drop I thought I'll monitor it and see what happens and once it hit 3.4 it it went up to low 4s and stayed there till I eat again. No hypo symptons or anything and it was only low for maybe 5 minutes

 

[Jeff11]

I dipped to 3 according to my libre graph about 5am but the alar didn't wake. Looks as though I was below the line for between 15 and 30 mins.

 

[Lamont D]

Thanks for all the replies. I only have small amounts of brown rice or potatoes with meals and always check thr high and low reading with a finger blood. The clinic couldn't give me any answers and just advised cut back to 1 meta a day.

I've been reading loads on this forum and Google I've burned my head out with it. Reactive Hypoglycaemia has popped up a number of times when reading and does match my symptoms. All my scans and blood tests have come back fine and I'm due another HBAc1 test next month.

My last BG drop I thought I'll monitor it and see what happens and once it hit 3.4 it it went up to low 4s and stayed there till I eat again. No hypo symptons or anything and it was only low for maybe 5 minutes

If you are eating low carb that is great, but, you won't see high spikes or any particular lows either. And the symptoms will be negligible. Because the trigger is the carbs. In other words carbs intolerance. How much so, will depend on many factors.
The one test, that will give you some answers is an extended oral glucose tolerance test. This four to five hours test is the first to show if you do actually go hypo.
The results from this will show if your spikes are high and then how low you go. Other tests will follow depending on the results. Obviously this is a fasting test. It is also usually done in hospitals with supervision.
If you have a type of RH or hypoglycaemia, your hba1c if it is a fasting hba1c test, the result should be in or just above normal. Most types of hypoglycaemia is non diabetic, but it is possible to be both T2 and RH. It is known that some RH symptoms are apparent in diabetes.
There is a distinctive different between symptoms and the condition of RH.
Many T2s have insulin issues, which cause hyperinsulinimia, which does lead to T2.
With RH, the insulin overshoot is the reaction to the high blood glucose derived from carbs.
The only treatment that works for me, is avoidance of as much carbs as possible.
Don't listen to the argument that you need carbs to be healthy, it is not true! A carb is a carb and they still cause issues.
But I still believe that you have carbs issues and you are not going hypo , too often, which could still be T2, but because of your low carb approach, you have k ow, more in normal and your body is slowly adjusting to log back in normal levels.
But I might be wrong!....

 

[Jeff11]

Sorry if i sound stupid but what is RH. I've cut carbs down to almost none now but my levels are sitting between 8 and 9 when not eating now. Even with a good walk it only drops to low 6s. My eye sight changes from day-to-day aswel. The diabetes team has stopped weekly contact now and it's impossible to get through to them so I'm just reading everything I can.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I dipped to 3 according to my libre graph about 5am but the alar didn't wake. Looks as though I was below the line for between 15 and 30 mins.

Is it possible that this could have been a compression low?
A compression low is when the sensor reports a false low due to pressure being applied. This is most common at night when we are asleep and lie on the sensor.
If the alarm had woken you, the advice would be to check with a finger prick to confirm if this is a real or false low.
As you alarm did not work (which it should have), it is difficult to tell if the low was real or not although a temporary dip is a good indication.

 

[Lamont D]

Sorry if i sound stupid but what is RH. I've cut carbs down to almost none now but my levels are sitting between 8 and 9 when not eating now. Even with a good walk it only drops to low 6s. My eye sight changes from day-to-day aswel. The diabetes team has stopped weekly contact now and it's impossible to get through to them so I'm just reading everything I can.

You are not in any way stupid!
Unless you call most GP's who were never taught to recognise hypoglycaemia.
Reactive Hypoglycaemia is a non diabetic condition where instead of a lack of active insulin, as in T1 orT2, amongst others. I produce too much insulin. It is a reaction to carbs or sugars, I am carb intolerant. It is a rare condition, mainly because of a lack of research.
I do believe that there are more because like me before true diagnosis, I had all the symptoms of T2 and some of the aspects of insulin resistance, high blood glucose levels, because when blood were taken it was rarely a fasting test. It wasn't until I was referred and had hypos in front of my GP then my endocrinologist.
If my insulin levels were recorded in tests for diabetes, it would have shown hyperinsulinimia (very high insulin levels) and I am very ardent about testing insulin levels for diagnosis for T2!