Insulin and digestion time

[Royjk]

So, I have a question about type 2 diabetes. The other day I felt a hypo coming on, so I tested and found 3.8mmol/l, so I had a small sweet drink, and tested an hour later, when the test had gone to 3.9mmol/l. So happy with that I went to bed, but still did not feel very well. After an hour or so I awoke and spent the next 4 hours being very ill. It appears that I had not digested my food for several hours, and so the insulin doses I had taken, took me down to a hypo situation.
So I wonder if anyone knows how long digestion generally takes, so that I do not repeat the incident. Is it possible for digestion to take several hours.

Royjk

 

[saucequery]

Can't answer your digestion query, but a bit worried about your hypo treatment..

What is a hypo (hypoglycaemia)?

A hypo is when your blood sugar level, also called blood glucose level, drops too low. This is usually below 4mmol/l. A hypo, also called hypoglycaemia, can happen quickly. So it’s important to always have hypo treatments with you. It's also important to know what the signs are and how to treat...

www.diabetes.org.uk

How to treat hypoglycaemia​

Stop what you are doing and treat the hypo immediately. You can do this by eating or drinking 15 to 20g of a fast-acting carbohydrate — see examples below.

Children will need less than this to treat a hypo. Your child’s diabetes team will advise on the amount of hypo treatment they need. If you use an insulin pump, your treatment may be different, so talk to your diabetes team for advice.

You should rest for 10-15 minutes and then test your blood sugar again to check it is back above 4mmol/l. If it is still less than 4, you should have some more fast-acting carbohydrate and re-test after 10 minutes. Continue to rest until you have recovered from your hypo.

After treating a hypo​

After treating a hypo, your blood sugar levels should return to normal after about 15 minutes, but this may vary. In some cases, you might need to repeat your hypo treatment. This is why it is important to closely monitor your blood sugar levels during this time.

You may need something to eat or drink to stop your blood sugar levels from dropping again. Try to eat 15 to 20g of a slower-acting carbohydrate. This could be a:

• sandwich or a piece of toast
• piece of fruit
• a small bowl of cereal
• a glass of milk.

^ advice from diabetes.org.uk
Mods, please feel free to delete this post if it's incorrect

 

[Grant_Vicat]

@saucequery This is a perfectly sound response quoting reputable links to back up your view.

 

[Royjk]

Hello @saucequery
So I was unable to take anything by mouth as for some unknown reason nothing would stay down, and I found myself in a position where it was difficault to move from the sink. So I still do not know the cause of the hypo and could not treat it. When I felt well enough to move it was over 24 hours after. By then the BG had risen to 5.4mmol/l without any food for at least 36 hours. So I spent the next day without insulin.

 

[Zhnyaka]

I think the answer to your question depends on what kind of food we're talking about. For example, if you just put a spoonful of sugar under your tongue or swallow a spoonful of sugar with water, the effect will be within 5 minutes. In general, any fast carbohydrates have an effect in the next half hour, but if you take a greasy pizza, for example, you can see a spike after 3 hours (usually the first spike within an hour, and the second after 2-3 hours, at least for me). In general, look at the glycemic index of the product, the higher it is, the faster the effect. Fats slow down the absorption of carbohydrates quite a lot, so it's usually more difficult with fatty foods. Alcohol blocks the synthesis of glycogen by the liver and basal begins to work as a bolus.

 

[Royjk]

Hello @Zhnyaka
So after the 250 ml fruit gel drink failed to make a difference, after an hour I tried some liquorice comforts, but they triggered a violent vomiting event that continued over 4 hours, in all I lost about 3.5kg of weight in just a few hours. (good for dieting). However I had not eaten for more than 6 hours, so I was surprised to have my evening meal and more still undigested, Thats why I am wondering how long it takes for a very low carb diet to digest, as obviously my BG had not risen with the evening meal, but my insulin had brought on the hypo. Also I had not seen sickness as a symtom of a Hypo.
I skipped my evening basal insulin as my numbers were low.
Royjk

 

[Introverted_And_Proud]

Thats why I am wondering how long it takes for a very low carb diet to digest, as obviously my BG had not risen with the evening meal, but my insulin had brought on the hypo.

As @Zhnyaka has said, the GI of food plays a part in how quickly it can reach your digestive system. But there are other factors that can affect the rate of digestion, such as a person's metabolism or if they have a chronic illness that affects their digestion, like IBS for instance. Depending on the person and their body, the rate of food digestion can vary, so it's not always going to be the same for everyone. But again, as Zhynyaka said, the GI of the food is a good guide when it comes to estimating how fast it is digested.

 

[Royjk]

Hello @Introverted_And_Proud

So we are talking about tomatoes, radishes, gerkins, 2 boiled eggs and ham, non of which have high GI, so I cannot understand why they should not go through within a short time frame. I dont think that I have anything like IBS or a restricted bowl, it would be too soon to press the panic button, it seemed to come along with the feel and BG of a hypo. So I suppose I look for ways to reduce the chance of it coming back again, if someone has seen this problem before.
Royjk

 

[Zhnyaka]

Hello @Zhnyaka
So after the 250 ml fruit gel drink failed to make a difference, after an hour I tried some liquorice comforts, but they triggered a violent vomiting event that continued over 4 hours, in all I lost about 3.5kg of weight in just a few hours. (good for dieting). However I had not eaten for more than 6 hours, so I was surprised to have my evening meal and more still undigested, Thats why I am wondering how long it takes for a very low carb diet to digest, as obviously my BG had not risen with the evening meal, but my insulin had brought on the hypo. Also I had not seen sickness as a symtom of a Hypo.
I skipped my evening basal insulin as my numbers were low.
Royjk

it's not necessarily because of food. For example, if you have too much basal insulin, then bg will decrease the entire time the insulin is active and you will have to compensate for this with food for the entire time that basal insulin is working and the duration of action of basal varies from 12 to 48 hours, depending on the type of insulin.

 

[Resurgam]

So, I have a question about type 2 diabetes. The other day I felt a hypo coming on, so I tested and found 3.8mmol/l, so I had a small sweet drink, and tested an hour later, when the test had gone to 3.9mmol/l. So happy with that I went to bed, but still did not feel very well. After an hour or so I awoke and spent the next 4 hours being very ill. It appears that I had not digested my food for several hours, and so the insulin doses I had taken, took me down to a hypo situation.
So I wonder if anyone knows how long digestion generally takes, so that I do not repeat the incident. Is it possible for digestion to take several hours.

Royjk

Is there any chance you could be dehydrated?
It would have to be quite severe lack of water, but some of the symptoms you describe do match up.

 

[Royjk]

Hello @Zhnyaka
Ok so I am on Tresiba, with a 48 hour active time. I think of it as reducing my night BG level so that I get a good start for each morning, So I did not take it as I did not want to lower BG any further. That was before all my trouble started.
Royjk

 

[Royjk]

Hello @Resurgam

So I keep well hydrated about 3 ltrs a day, very carefull on that, and over the past 3 days have ensured that liquid levels are being made up, but I was severely dehydrated for all day on Friday, after the event.
Royjk

 

[Antje77]

A stomach bug or such can very well delay digestion time, or cause food to go undigested until throwing up, nothing to do with regular digesting times.
I'd consider the possibility that the sickness had nothing to do with diabetes but caused the food in your stomach to just sit there.

 

[Royjk]

Hello @Antje77

That sounds like a bit of good advice. Got it, Thanks
Royjk

 

[Royjk]

So I did not know this but there is a nasal inhaler, glucagon nasal spray that can be used when a person has a HYPO and cannot take something sweet due to sickness. There is also an injection of the same stuff, I spoke with my doctor and I will get the nasal inhaler from the chemist. Also it was suggested that I reduce the fiasp insulin dose by 1/3rd to reduce the chances of letting BG drop too low. It appears that my low carb diet, suggested here on this forum, may have , within 6 months, brought my BG into better control.
Royjk