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Low carbs - help needed please (I think)

Mike d

Expert
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Location
Australia
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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idiots who will not learn
Hi guys

I'm sure I'm having some issues with my diet. Have noticed that when I wake and I eat almost immediately, I'm good with the BS counts. Still VERY light on the meals (turkey breast / avocado / chicken / onion / lots of lettuce and veg) but never touching the "bad" stuff.

Trouble is that during the day, I get weak / unsteady in the back of the legs and when I exercise (walking) I don't seem to be able to stretch it out too far. It varies from sorta mild to non existent (especially when I lie down) but it bothers me nonetheless. Weight's fine, all else is fine, no tiredness but this feeling that my legs are pumping.

Yesterday and today, I had a Guinness (or 2) in the late afternoon, and within 2 or 3 minutes of drinking, ALL the symptoms disappeared and I feel fine.

Any ideas please?

Thanks Mike
 
Only new Mike, but I wonder if you are eating enough. Logic would tell me that if you are not eating enough, particularly protein, then you could get weak. The carbs in the Guinness would give you a boost and relieve the symptons. I would add more protein and see what happens.
 

Thank you a lot and in the absence of any other suggestions. I'll try that. This is giving me the absolute &^&*%. I wake up and I have trembles until I eat.
 
I understand trembles, I have had them too. It is a bit better since the doctor told me to have some diet tonic water (quinine in the product). I wonder what would happen if you had a spoonful of peanut butter before bed. I will watch and see how you go.
 
MIKE - what did the Guiness do to your bloods? And do your arms ever feel weak?
 
Ooooops. Sorry about the caps.
 
do you eat enough fats to replace the energy that you would otherwise get from carbohydrates?.
 
MIKE - what did the Guiness do to your bloods? And do your arms ever feel weak?

Nope, arms don't feel weak. I can make a fist and hold it no problem. Just some slight trembles (legs / fingers ) when I wake up and get up and B4 brekkie.

I almost it hard to hold the strip 2 /3 minutes after waking. I hate that. Then I relax and all good in terms of use of the pen

I know the Guinness will rise it ... but I had a big serve tonight to work out what was going on. As i was eating dinner, it was 10.2, now 45 minutes later, it's down to 9.8
 

I was interested to know what it was when you felt rough, immediately before the Guinness, then I would have been curious to know the scores in the very short term, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes (depending on what they said, maybe a few more too).. How immediately did you feel better? As it passed your lips? 10 minutes later? An hour?

Have you ever tried waking yourself up an hour, or maybe 2 hours before your normal waking and testing? That might help you understand if you're seeing a score that's already risen on waking.

How many carbs and calories are you consuming during the day?
 

How I wish I could reply to that last sentence Very few I'd suggest KCaB. With my daily diet, it'd be low.

BS is now 8.7 at 1 hour after dinner so It's dropping.

As for feeling better after the Guinness, maybe 5 minutes.

I should have added that I have had a really bad flu since August. Blowing the nose constantly. That's now subsided so instead of 30 tissues a day, I'm down to 5.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
How I wish I could reply to that last sentence Very few I'd suggest KCaB. With my daily diet, it'd be low.

BS is now 8.7 at 1 hour after dinner so It's dropping.

As for feeling better after the Guinness, maybe 5 minutes.

Sounds like you don't keep any food records? They really are useful, and can help check out anomalous readings from familiar foods, as well and help with tweaks. But, it does sound like you might be running low.
 
Sounds like you don't keep any food records? They really are useful, and can help check out anomalous readings from familiar foods, as well and help with tweaks. But, it does sound like you might be running low.

I do in fact. I have not varied my brekkie / lunch / dinner routine for 3 months. ALWAYS the same thing.. Guess that's what is giving me grief.

No variation. I'm just lost
 

good one. I'll try that
 
I have to retire but look fwd to comments people

Mike
 
Hi Mike, you don't happen to be on statins? They can cause strange sensations in different muscles.

And I think you eat too little. Try a steak with bearnaise sause and a salad, more protein AND more fat, and see what happens.
 
I had similar symptoms. I added some fat to my diet which improved it a lot, but it turned out that a lot of it was B12 deficiency.
 
Add some fat. I had chronic pains in top legs and thighs. I believe from statin damage, but has so vastly improved since adding more fat . Mine is only through flax, chia and cream with berries for breakfastand a cream coffee in evenings and oily fish twice a week but has the majority of time improved my legs....
 
Thank you .... ALL of you

Much appreciated, Took my BS at 3 a.m and just now before 7 a.m. Both readings of 5.8
 
You have top legs and bottom legs? I only have two. Sorry.
 
I should have added one thing that slipped my mind. I forgot to take my metformin (diabex) tablet the night before last.

I reckon that explains a lot of it.
 
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