low carb diet and hypo unawareness

Since Bufferz has just mentioned this topic on another post here, I thought I would ask for people's experience of decreasing hypo awareness as blood sugar levels fall on a low carb diet.

When my HBA1c was in the 8s and bg levels were anywhere between 7 and the high teens I was prescribed pioglitizone and glimepiride (sp?) and I got hypos at around mid 5s - my lovely diabetologist kindly suggested that these were "only hypos to me" - not real as they weren't at four but my body reacting to a relative low. OK.

Now I'm low carbing (have been for about 4 months now but not due a HBA1c until before my next clinic visit in February) my daily range is 4.2 to around mid 5s and anything in a 6 is a high. HOWEVER, I don't seem to feel hypo warnings anymore in the low 4s. My only properly sweaty, nervy "normal"-feeling hypo recently tested out at a very low 2.9. A little voice in my head told me to test last night (no physical signs) and I found I was at 3.7 and did something about it.

I can understand how this might happen but is it dangerous for type 2s??

Cor!! What a long post - sorry. And forgive me if I've got HBA1c wrong - I usually describe it as the HB-thingy as I can never remember the letters in the right order :roll:

Cheers, BB

Hi Hana
I take metformin as well but don't think that causes hypos. I suspect it could be the Glimepiride - even though I'm down to only 1mg a day. As to what causes the hypos? Sheer naughtiness and not getting round to eating at a routine time - it seems to be a bit of a Saturday special with me since somehow my good weekday eating routines seem to go pear-shaped at the weekends...

I'll stick to what I'm doing on the low carb front until I go to the clinic in a few weeks' time. It would be quite wrenching to see those levels go up now!
Cheers, BB

Hi Doczoc

Ouch, hypo AND hungover?

I seem to have reached a point now where a little voice kicks in at about 3.9ish and says "fancy doing a quick test?", which as Hana points out is still a sort of hypo awareness, and very low 3s or high (???) 2s where I still get full-on physical hypo signs. Since the last one I had at this low scared me quite a bit, I've tried not to get into this position again (though I did come over all peculiar at the checkout in Asda on Friday...)

Will just have to remember to carry my meter and listen to the little voice.

Cheers, BB