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Non-severe hypo...

david.bligh

david.bligh

Well-Known Member
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45
Location
Manchester
I've read on here before that T1's with BG higher than 3mmol don't treat the hypo, to avoid the spike, and instead have some carb-free so the protein[?] breaks down in sugar slowly?

I'm at 3.5 now, and I feel a tiny bit lousy. Part of me wants to go and raid the biscuit jar, but then I think is it better to just ride it out for a bit?
 
The general advice on here is that "4 is the floor", regardless of type, until you really understand yourself and how you react to lower BG levels.

For example - I'm okay in the mid-3s (Type 2 on 500g Metformin 3 x daily and low-carb), but I always carry glucose tabs and if I felt even a little bit lousy at 3.5 I would eat a couple of glucose tabs and test again 15 minutes later. 2 tabs would take me into the low 5s; I might then eat a carby snack (eg 2 buttered oatcakes - 10g carb) to stop a quick drop in levels and settle things down.

If your levels do drop too low, you need something that will act quicker than a biscuit to bring your levels up.

Even non-diabetics can get hypos, but usually the liver sorts things out with a quick glucose dump. Ditto for Type 2s on Metformin. The dangerous drugs are the ones that drop the levels too low too quickly.

There are threads on here about hypos, with lots of advice from people who know far more than I do. Worth reading! :)

Viv 8)
 
You will find that those that do that are T2's not using insulin or other oral medication that increases insulin production..

As you are now using a pump, you might find that you need less fast acting carbs to get you back to normal levels, and then your basal should hold you there. And then if you are about to be active you can set a TBR for for a short period just to stabilise your bg and prevent them dropping back again..

If you'll on insulin or oral medication that increase the production of insulin you have to treat lows with fast acting carbs, as you need to mop up the excess insulin, those who feel that this isn't necessary are not only fooling themselves but also putting themselves in a very dangerous position as a mild hypo can turn into a medical emergency very quickly indeed.
 
Thanks both :)

Jobar - I use the pump to work out what insulin I need after hypo + snack. It does it wonderfully, but my question is really about whether or not its best to stay as low possible for as long as possible?

Ta,
David.
 
Answer to that one Dave is no unless you want hypo unawareness...

Two problems with remain in hypo land for too long... It desensitises the body to functioning at lower levels which knocks out your hypo warnings... You can go from functioning to medical emergency in seconds.. When you are hypo unaware which has a major impact on quality of life..

With improved home testing and introduction of CGM's new research is showing even mild hypo's aren't as harmless as first thought.. It's coming to light that an over a period of time the accumulation of mild hypo's can permanently impact on memory and even cause dementia's... Apart from the problems of hypo unawareness...

Research is still on going,,

Better to look at keeping level's above 4mmol/l and avoid the mild hypos
 
I try to keep my glucose levels low but within normal ranges and would most definitely treat a 3mmol/l as a hypo . The definition of a severe hypo varies according to level and symptoms experienced but you are approaching the level that can have serious consequences.(not every time but you might not always be 'lucky')
If you don't treat and you become accustomed to functioning with low glucose levels, the level at which you detect hypos may becomer lower than the level at which brain function becomes impaired. This is dangerous, you may not collapse but you may still injure yourself because you're not thinking straight.
http://www.bbdc.org/diabetesmanagement/chapter12.html

You need to use some fast acting glucose, dextrose, lucozade , glucose gel etc. To me they all taste horrible so I don't want to overdose on them. The 'correct' answer is to use 15g fast acting carbs. Personally I need less and treat to get my levels back to normal range rather than above . The amount I use is appropriate for me,we all vary.

If my levels were betwen 3.6 and 4mmol/l I might be a little less likely to treat it quite in the same way. (I'm not in the UK and my doctors tend to use a slightly lower threshold level than in the UK. )
How I act at that level depends on the reason for being low, how I felt, what I'm about to, the time since my last bolus. I would still normally eat some sort of carbs ,unless I was about to sit down and eat. Instead of the glucose 'treatment' I might just use a non 'official' remedy like a small biscuit (8g carb and relatively fast ) or when I'm in the UK I'm partial to a small piece of peppermint aero (not the healthiest choice but quite fast) . My hospitals preferred alternative would be a small piece of fruit. I definitely wouldn't choose protein.(where did you see that?)
 
Hi david!

If my BG was below 3.5 or I suspected I still had insulin dragging me down, I would correct with fast-acting carb such as 70ml of orange juice or coke.

I don't panic and over-treat mild hypos (between 3.5 and 4), but I know how my body reacts. I know that very small amounts of carb will correct me very quickly. Half a Rich Tea biscuit for example will raise my BGs by about 3 within 10 minutes. I am very small and what most people overlook is that the amount of carb you need to raise your BG is directly related to the amount of blood you have - it will be different for different size people. I do keep testing to make sure it isn't heading further down.

I don't think it would be safe to rely on protein to correct - it must be carb. But the amount and type that you need will be individual to you.

Smidge
 
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