A normal, "bog standard", run of the mill type 2 will not have hypos unless they are on insulin or on drugs which stimulate their own insulin production. Hypos are just not part of type 2, which is a condition defined by raised sugar levels. A T2 on insulin etc may, of course experience a hypo due to having more drugs than their food/circumstances require. There should be no need for a T2 on no drugs or drugs which do not raise insulin levels to carry chocolate or wear diabetes identity bracelets. This latter could cause confusion in some circumstances.
Could I suggest that the OP,
@berylc had simply over exerted herself in rather cold conditions and feeling a bit strange was nothing to do with diabetes. She just needed time for her body to catch up.
Sally
I think your advice here is possibly incorrect. A reading of 3.4 mmol/l is indicative of a medical hypo event since any reading below 3,9 mmol/l is so classed by definition. To assume that a T2D not on medication cannot possibly be suffering a hypo is IMHO a poor judgement. It is known that people undertaking extended exertion can suffer low bgl, such as marathon runners, rowers etc. Also some herbal and mineral supplements such as cromium and bitter melon can lower bgl, as can some non diabetic meds Also alcohol can have this lowering effect.
You are also assuming that the liver will recover the situation, but you are not allowing for diabetes interfering with the endocrine system and making the assumption that the liver will react as per a normal non-diabetic. In actual fact the fat surrounding the vital organs is there for a purpose, and one such function is to provide emergency energy to supply energy and heating for the vital organs in the core of the body, and reducing blood supply from feeding non essential parts of the body such as finger tips. Thus there is a protection mechanism that kicks in when at low temp to protect the body by preserving fat stores and this may prevent a liver dump until the temp rises.
Lastly you are assuming that the reading given is correct, It may only be a misread, but could under extreme conditions be reading high by up to 0,8 mmol.l so the true bgl value could be as low as 2,6 and still be considered accurate. Given that the meter / strip temp is low then there could be even more error present,
As a T2D on low carb, I have had many low bgl events, and while most have been what I would consider low risk, there were times when it would be dangerous for me to drive or operate machinery. Even going down stairs would be risky and these did present a need for immediate attention on my part. Yet when I reported on this forum that I had a reading of 2.1 and it was confirmed by my second meter, there were people on this forum (normally T1D) telling me that I was having a false hypo or a busted meter and that I should not worry about it since T2D do not get hypo's. Oh yes we can.
So please be careful when providing this level of advice without knowing the full circumstances of the situation.
Edit to add correction: I made the assumption that cold was a significant factor but this was not stated in the OP. My comments may be correct for a cold day, but on a warm day, dehydration may be a more likely answer.
