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Low Glucose

M

MarkD72

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Been getting readings last couple weeks between 4.9 and 5.8 which is great.
Tested this lunchtime and 3.8 and 3.7.
Those low readings concerned me so done more just now and 3.4 and 3.3.
Should I be concerned?
Just crammed some dairy milk down my throat in case!!!
 
Is that with a Libre2 or finger prick? As I go low on Libre2 and when I test with my prick test it is usually about 2mols higher.
 
With a finger prick. Left it an hour after I threw some milk chocolate down my throat and readings of 6.0 and 5.9 now.

Just seemed really low to me.
 
Keep an eye on it but don’t forget chocolate it’s onlya quick fix if you are low. You will need something a little more substantial than that.
 
If you need to raise blood sugars, you need to treat hypos with a fast acting carb. Fat in food will slow down the absorption of the sugar. For this reason, chocolate and biscuits are not suitable treatments for hypos.
 
In Response said:
If you need to raise blood sugars, you need to treat hypos with a fast acting carb. Fat in food will slow down the absorption of the sugar. For this reason, chocolate and biscuits are not suitable treatments for hypos.
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Trouble is since December diagnosis have cleared out pretty much anything heavy in carbs from cupboards.
No way was I expecting to get a reading that low so hoping it's a one off else will have to speak to the nurse.
Was diagnosed T2 so would readings this low suggest something else?
I did have a few gin and tonics last night of that has any effect?
 
In Response said:
If you need to raise blood sugars, you need to treat hypos with a fast acting carb. Fat in food will slow down the absorption of the sugar. For this reason, chocolate and biscuits are not suitable treatments for hypos.
Click to expand...
What about honey or jam?
 
MarkD72 said:
Trouble is since December diagnosis have cleared out pretty much anything heavy in carbs from cupboards.
Click to expand...
If you are likely to experience hypos (e.g. due to drugs such as insulin or glycazide), it is not about eating anything heavy in carbs but eating something with fast acting carbs. And, if you are likely to experience hypos, you need these on hand at all times.

Did you experience any hypo symptoms?
 
Nope feel perfectly fine and as much as I want my numbers down from my Dec A1C of 8.2 that reading earlier freaked me out a bit.

Not on any drugs as attacking this LCHF diet and down 27lbs in 7 weeks and vastly improved blood pressure. Maybe my body is adjusting itself?
 
MarkD72 said:
Nope feel perfectly fine and as much as I want my numbers down from my Dec A1C of 8.2 that reading earlier freaked me out a bit.

Not on any drugs as attacking this LCHF diet and down 27lbs in 7 weeks and vastly improved blood pressure. Maybe my body is adjusting itself?
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If you’re an unmedicated type 2 using diet control then in the absence of symptoms those are unlikely to be true hypos as experienced by insulin users.

Also as meters have an accuracy rate of +/- 15%, the lower readings could have been higher. I’d wager that if you were wearing a Libre or similar you’d see your liver kicking in pretty quickly and the numbers rising.

I’ve been in the 3s fairly often without issues. I once caught a 2.9 with a finger prick. In that instance I only found it because I was ravenous on the way to a meeting I hadn’t planned to eat before and stopped to pick something up so tested before eating. The 2.9 triggered me testing again on the other hand with that showing as 3.1.

In your case just eating anything would likely bring you up a bit although it might be interesting for you to experiment with a 2 week free trial of the Libre to confirm what’s going on.
 
Cheers for that as has reassured me a little but will be testing more than usual next few days.

Will look into the libre offer.

Now sitting here with a pot of honey in front of me till I can get to the supermarket for some sugary sweets
 
When I was I the early days and stricter with low carb than I am now, I often went into high 3s, and low 3s at night. Never ate for them, they just resolved naturally for me. I'd love to have them again.

Am t2 not on any meds
 
MarkD72 said:
Now sitting here with a pot of honey in front of me till I can get to the supermarket for some sugary sweets
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Diabetes is a problem of high blood sugar, low blood sugar is not a symptom diabetes. It is a consequence of taking too much insulin or medication that can force the sugar levels to go too low.
If your information is correct and you are a diet controlled T2, unless you have some other medical conditions that can cause low blood sugar, there is no danger if your sugar levels are in the three's.
You may have read about 4mmol/l being the lower limit and some action is needed to raise it. This advice is aimed people using insulin or other hypo inducing meds because their levels could be plummeting to the stage where they would be unable to take any corrective action.
Thankfully those of us not using medication can rely on our livers to give us a little shot of our stored glucose if we need it, no honey or sweets required. You can use your meter to see this happening, next time you get a lovely low reading, don't be tempted to try and correct it yourself just keep testing.
 
Thank you. I probably scared myself unnecessarily so kudos to everyone for taking time to reply.

Still fairly new to all this so learning as I go.
 
MarkD72 said:
Thank you. I probably scared myself unnecessarily so kudos to everyone for taking time to reply.

Still fairly new to all this so learning as I go.
Click to expand...
It's worth learning how your body responds. I very occasionally dip into the low 3s around 4am but apart from sweats and vivid dreams nothing else happens. My liver dumps some glucose and the BG goes back up. I'd never have discovered this without using a Libre. I'm not concerned about it (I have an explanation for the sweats now) and I certainly don't do anything to treat it.
 
@MarkD72 , if you do not take any medications to lower your blood glucose, it is very unlikely the numbers you describe will do you any harm. In fact, it could be argued they are showing your body has recovered enough to keep your numbers low.

I have never taken diabetes meds, but regularly see numbers such as yours and lower. When lower it usually means I'm hungry. If a meal is imminent, I just sit it out, but if that's a bit further off than I care to wait, I just have a cup of tea with some milk in, which is just enough to nudge me up a little, and still enjoy my next meal.

I don't snack. It has never been my thing, so the thought of taking random sugar just to fend of a number doesn't make sense.
Were I taking medications to supress blood sugars or had other note-wrothy conditions, I would doubtless feel differently.
 
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