Not well last night

[shirleymarye]

I have recently adopted a low carb diet,mainly cutting out bread and flour based products,I was still eating potatoes ect; I am Type 2 on tablets as listed below. Last night shortly before midnight New Years Eve I decided to have a small sherry so went in the kitchen and suddenly realised I was quite warm and sweating slightly,it was very cold out so didn't think my heating was up to high so I tested my BS and it was 2.9 and I was shaking quite badly.

Although I have had Diabetes for about 15 years I have never had this problem before. I quickly grabbed something sweet to eat,a cake,yoghourt and some grapes! I gradually calmed down and half an hour later my BS was 5.4 and half an hour further on I was feeling fine. This morning I was 9.3 which I was pleased to see!

I have been practicing the low carbs for about 6 weeks and my BS has come right down and have also lost about 10 pounds in weight,I am still well overweight now mind you! I am wondering if the tablets may have been the cause of the problem but obviously can't get in touch with the clinic at the moment due to holidays there. I will be 71 next month and I can honestly say that since low carbing I have felt so much better than I was before. My BS have always been high before,usually in double figures and never properly controlled whatever I did.

I am on Metformin 3x 850, Acarbose 3x 100, Gliclazide 4 x 80 , split 3 times a day.

I also take Lisinopril 1x20 Bendroflumethiazide 1x2.5 .

I used to take Simvastatin and amlodipine and a host of other things but stopped taking them all because they made me ill,particularly Simvastatin!

My last review in November my BS was 8.9 over the previous 3 month period and it was coming down due to tablets taken but cholesterol was 5.9 and going up! Since then I have adopted the low carbs and my BS are usually between 4.7 and 7 which I am pleased about.

I was thinking about leaving off the lunch time tablets.

Just wondered what your opinions are.

Cheers..........Shirley

 

[noblehead]

Hi Shirley,

At 2.9 you were definitely having a hypo, and you did well by eating something straight away. It is good that your hypo awareness syptoms are still good, sweating for no apparent reason is a good sign of a hypo.

Pleased the low-carb diet is working for you, with improved bs and weight lose as a bonus. I can't comment on your medication as I am type 1, but at the first opportunity get in touch with your DSN and tell them of your new diet and possible reduction in meds.

I was once told by a diabetes consultant that, if I was unsure that I was having a hypo, and had no means of testing (no metor to hand) I was to eat fast acting carbs anyway, he said it didn't matter if you were not hypo, as it is better to be safe than sorry.

Hope all goes well!

Nigel

 

[cugila]

I am on Gliclazide 6 x 80 , split 3 times a day.
Shirley

Hi Shirley.

Good advice from Nigel. You really want to take quick acting carbs when having a hypo, not cake and such like. The standard way to treat is to have 2-3 Glucotabs or Lucozade (12g) carbs, test after 15 mins and then add more glucotabs etc until such times as your levels are nearer normal then a cake, biscuits, sandwich helps to stabilise the levels.

What concerns me more is your doseage of Gliclazide. A hypo inducing medication. You state as above 6 x 80mg=480mg....is this correct ? The maximum dose is supposed to be only 320mg split twice daily.

 

[lilibet]

Agree with cugila

Any change in weight, and change in diet is usually always accompanied by a change in medication
and its clear to me thats what you need to look at

 

[shirleymarye]

Thanks for the advice,I didn't have any Lucozade or the other things you mentioned,it's never happened to me before. I will be ringing the clinic on Tuesday to try and get my medication reduced, it's a pity it had to happen right now!

 

[shirleymarye]

I have arranged to see the DN on Wednesday, I rang up and explained what happened New Year's Eve so she wants to check my bloods, my review is not supposed to be till February but in light of what happened she is bringing it forward, I wont get the results till next week though. In the meantime my readings are usually between 5 and 7 so am quite pleased with that. In the meantime I have cut out my lunch time tablets and I have been OK so far.

 

[totsy]

glad that you are making progress and let us know how you get on after seeing the nurse
take care