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low level

numan43

Well-Known Member
Messages
262
Location
Glasgow
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
hi all
my blood reading is 4.7 as of 5 mins ago and im due to take my 160mg of glycazide and 1000mg of metformin, i've been low carbing since saturday, do i still take this dose of meds or will it send me too low
 
Hi,

When did you last eat?

I can't give any advice on your meds.. As T1 on insulin myself.. But hopefully this will bump & get noticed soon!
 
I ate at 6pm when reading was 5 so i decided to leave meds till later when i expected it to rise...didnt think lchf diet would take levels down so quickly.
 
numan43 said:
I ate at 6pm when reading was 5 so i decided to leave meds till later when i expected it to rise...didnt think lchf diet would take levels down so quickly.
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You seem to be doing really well with the bloods! It's not for me to speak out of turn on Yer meds.. But you might need to see your Doc for a review on the dosage?

Someone slap me if I'm wrong...
 
thanks jaylee, i feel such a fool, you would think at 57 years of age and being diabetic for the last 21 that i would know what i'm doing, but years of neglect has left me like a newly diagnosed novice. i will be contacting doc but in meantime I need to know wether to leave off meds and carry on diet or eat some high carbs and take meds, i'm stuck
 
I will confidently add however. Keep monitoring you blood sugars to make sure they don't drop any lower than about 4.5. If this happens? Feel free to eat a little carb.. & keep testing!

I'm not sure how familiar you are with hypoglycaemicia.. Would hate for you to get caught out.

Not foolish at all.. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction with control...
 
two episodes of hypo 10 years ago when i first tried atkins, ended up in a and e twice being given doughnuts and lucozade by doctors..terrible, not recommended
 
OK cool you know the signs...

I've had 38 years of it & pretty relaxed about the whole afair if/when it happens.. So much so I have taken it for granted how others find it a terrifying ordeal.. Until I joined this forum that is.
 
Jaylee said:
OK cool you know the signs...

I've had 38 years of it & pretty relaxed about the whole afair if/when it happens.. So much so I have taken it for granted how others find it a terrifying ordeal.. Until I joined this forum that is.
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thanks for taking the time to chat jaylee
 
Hi numan, I would as jaylee suggested discuss it with your GP.
If your fasting blood is around the normal range, you don't need the meds to take you lower.
Your body is adjusting to the low carbs and just keep an eye on your blood glucose levels to make sure you don't hypo.
Keep eating something low carb every couple of hours, you should be ok. Just a mouthful or two. Drink a lot of water as well.
Hope this helps.
I see you know what to do if you do go hypo. Not too much glucose, enough to get your blood glucose levels back up.
 
numan43 said:
thanks nosher8355
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Hi numan43,

nice to see that LC is having the desired effect, lowering BG. However, it's a right so and so when you're taking something like Gliclazide. When I started to low carb, I had a discussion with my GP who quite rightly warned me of having hypos. It was with her approval that I cut the dose of Gliclazide by 1/2 and then eventually all together. I had been taking my BG at least 6 times a day, so I think I had a good idea of what was going on, but I still had several hypos (BG below 4) in that time. I was eventually able to stop taking Januvia, Gliclazide and Atorvastatin and that alone is incentive to stick to "NO PASTA/RICE/POTATO/BREAD, except for a couple of slices of bread at the weekend for my eggs.

All the best, just be careful

Graham
 
thanks graham....tell me whats the best carbs to boost blood sugar when it does head towards hypo?
 
numan43 said:
thanks graham....tell me whats the best carbs to boost blood sugar when it does head towards hypo?
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I would suggest that glucose tablets are the fastest acting. I know of several people who prefer the sugary drink and chocolate. When I first cut carbs and started to experience hypos, I was always at home so had a chance to eat bananas and cereal with chocolate milk. Shame you can't carry it around. It wasn't fast acting was the major thing which is why I suggest glucose tablets as being fastest acting.
The eventual aim would be to cut out the Gliclazide, you just need to do things in a controlled manner. If I'd gone to my doctor and said that I wanted to low carb so that I could stop taking Gliclazide, there would have been a row. Instead, I told her that I wanted to lose weight and was going to cut my calories dramatically as I'd been advised by an endocrinologist to do. I was going to cut carbs because that's where there's lots of calories. She warned me of hypos (I already knew) and suggested cutting back on Gliclazide if my BG dropped a lot, she was a bit surprised when I cut them out all together. It was only later when I paid for my own c-peptide test that I discovered that my pancreas was producing "normal" amounts of insulin. So I'm quite lucky really.
 
numan43 said:
hi all
my blood reading is 4.7 as of 5 mins ago and im due to take my 160mg of glycazide and 1000mg of metformin, i've been low carbing since saturday, do i still take this dose of meds or will it send me too low
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Fantastic news numan. The low carb diet is really working well for you.

Obviously talk to your doctor as soon as possible about the new diet and any adjustments to the meds, but in the mean time I would seriously consider halving the gliclazide dose straight away and monitor it to see how it goes. Actually I would completely forgo the immediate gliclazide dose and start on the half doses whenever your next dose is due (assuming that you're keeping up the LC of course). I'd still take the metformin though.

BTW. The Metformin mainly works by helping with insulin sensitivity, so because the metformin doesn't actually stimulate more insulin or anything it is very unlikely to cause a hypo.

The Gliclazide however, stimulates your pancreas to make more insulin, so it could cause a bit of a hypo with your current BG levels - which BTW are fantastic .

Reducing you Gliclazide requirements is actually a really positive thing. Reducing the insulin requirements (whether that be externally injected insulin or what's stimulated internally by drugs - no difference) is the best possible outcome for a T2. The less Gliclazide you need (to maintain BGL) then the easier you will find it to lose weight. If you can reduce that med and maintain good BGL control then it's a super positive outcome.
 
numan43 said:
thanks graham....tell me whats the best carbs to boost blood sugar when it does head towards hypo?
Click to expand...
Hi again!
For me, because I have to be in control, and it is a sure way to raise your blood glucose levels slowly. Is one or two plain biscuits like rich tea and a hot cup of tea, black, no sugar. You can add milk if you are that way inclined, that will not raise them to a spike as well.
In emergency go for the glucose which is fact acting.
Hope that does not confuse you too much.
 
thank you so much uart for the very informative reply much appreciated
 
thanks again nosher, the biscuit info is just what i needed as i was thinking of scoffing a mars bar which made me feel ill
 
I miss snickers, and chip butties!

Hey ho!
 
Hi as others have said reducing the carb intake may well mean you need to reduce the Gliclazide. Do discuss with the GP and keep testing. The Metformin will not be directly causing low blood sugar.
 
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