• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Need help from ladies please!!

LaurenMoffitt

LaurenMoffitt

Well-Known Member
Messages
710
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Hi. I'm 22 and recently been diagnosed as insulin resistant. Lost a stone in a month doing low carb. Since yesterday evening I've been suffering with low blood sugar and terrible hypos. Started spotting today as my monthly visitor is due. Have any of you found you are more hypo at this time of the month please? Many thanks
 
Lauren, can you give us an example of your blood sugar readings? You should not be experiencing true hypos as you are not on medication that would cause it, if your levels have been running very high for a while it could be false hypos, which feel pretty awful but aren't dangerous at all - just a result of your levels starting to head towards normal levels.
Btw, congrats on the brilliant weight loss!!
 
I have terrible problems at that time of the month...the week before I'm incredibly insulin resistant...while during I'm the opposite...very sensitive to insulin...you may find that your insulin/carb ratio will change dramatically for this 'period'...pardon the pun...you may need to reduce your insulin accordingly...most HCP's don't recognise this in my experience but please talk it over with them anyway...you might be surprised.
 
Average reading is 4.8. This is low enough for me to hypo. Its true hypo as can taste pear drops and my breath stinks of them. My hubby is a nurse BTW and observed me having them. Just not so good at ladies things. Usually around 5.5 is where I run without an issue. Many thanks
 
Lauren, can you give us an example of your blood sugar readings? You should not be experiencing true hypos as you are not on medication that would cause it, if your levels have been running very high for a while it could be false hypos, which feel pretty awful but aren't dangerous at all - just a result of your levels starting to head towards normal levels.<br />Btw, congrats on the brilliant weight loss!!

I've gone no higher than six in the last month.
 
Sorry...I'm on app...didn't realize you were type2...potentially a whole different ball game...hope you figure it out
 
LaurenMoffitt said:
Its true hypo as can taste pear drops and my breath stinks of them.
Click to expand...
That's not a hypo symptom and 4.8 wouldn't give rise to a true hypo, you'd have to be well below 4 for that, but you might experience the symptoms of a false hypo if your BG is lower than you're used to, as others have said.

The pear drop smell is acetone on the breath, also known as keto-breath and occurs when you're in ketosis and are using fat and protein for energy when very low carbing. I've not low-carbed that hard-core to experience it myself, but there are many here who do and can no doubt fill you in - but might not see this due to the subject line. So maybe start another thread to ask about that specifically, as that's now the extent of my knowledge.

Now I need my bed, goodnight.
 
LaurenMoffitt said:
Average reading is 4.8. This is low enough for me to hypo. Its true hypo as can taste pear drops and my breath stinks of them. My hubby is a nurse BTW and observed me having them. Just not so good at ladies things. Usually around 5.5 is where I run without an issue. Many thanks
Click to expand...
Lauren - at 4.8 you are not suffering from a medically defined hypo. Definitions for that quote readings under 4, or for taking immediate actio, a bit lower. Forgive me, the number escapes me for now.

If you have been running higher, we sometimes feel the drop down, and this may be accentuated by the imminence of your little visitor and the hormones involved.

When you low carb, depending on low strict you are, you may enter a state called ketosis (not ketoacidosis) which is when the body is burning fat for energy. That can be fat you have eaten or your own body fat. A signal for ketosis is elevated ketone levels in the blood and urine. When in ketosis, some people experience pear drop breath.

Do you have Ketostix? It could be useful to try testing your urine if this happens again, and see what shows. It is possible to finger prick test for ketone, but not all meters can do this and the strips are even more expensive than normal blood strips.

If you are concerned about this, then all I can suggest is a chat with a knowledgable health care professional could be in order, but as you may be aware, those really understanding low carb diets are somewhat thin on the ground.
 
Back
Top