Post hypo feeling

mnp Said :
i have got type 2 diabetes, and i have been diagonised since 2003. For a long time now my numbers have been quite high (lowest was 13), but mainly because of my complacency.

3 weeks ago i started behaving myself, hit the gym, cut out the cakes and biscuits, and my numbers have now come down to the point where my 7 day average was 7.2 this morning.

However I am also hitting quite low hypos in the nights, and although I can deal with these quickly, and my numbers pick up, i seem to take the whole part of the morning trying to recover from the hypo. i had a 3.2 Hypo City starts at ~4.0 at 2.30am this morning, bit at a chocolate, and got back to 8.3 at 7.00am. It is now 9.43 and I feeling the shivers, and I am generally weak. I have noticed that this is the same feeling i had about 3 nights back when i hit 3.3 at 3.00 am.
I have also noticed that i start to feel the shiver when i get around 5.0, is that normal Yes , until you get used to lower levels

What i am doing wrong, and what is the best way of recovering from a hypo

It doesn't sound like you are doing "anything wrong" as such, it sounds to me that your body is, at present, used to the higher B.G. levels and when you get to the lower levels it is triggering a "false hypo" as you get used to these lower levels, hopefully these will start to disappear. Sugar is like any other drug, if you try to get off it you will have withdrawal symptoms.
Good luck and congratulations on trying to take control again.
Only suggestion on the hypos at night might be to take some slow releasing food to stop you falling so low or getting your HCP to alter your medication to help.
You don't say what oral meds you are on but if your insulin production is stimulated (eg by gliclazide) and you dont have enough glucose to "work on" then your B.G. will fall.

Hi MNP,
I get hypo's now and then and it does take a while to recover, I always follow up the simple carbs (lucozade) with other food to balance things out better. Sometimes a small serving of porrige will work for me. But everyone has different things that work for them and it's trial and error. Testing will help you find what suits best to aid recovery.

Regarding the night time hypo's, try having a small snack before bedtime. Something like a ryvita or oatcake with a little cheese or other protien. Sometimes leaving too long between meals or eating at irregular intervals can muck up bg. Also with some medication keeping hydrated is important. I know if I get dehydrated I can get light headed ,slowed down and all over the place. as I do when I get a reading under 4.00mml. You might need to have a snack after exercise, as that can also lower bg readings.

Once the swings from high to low to high to .... settle down, you will probably feel much better. Keep a note of what's happening, ( and when), and the readings, and if you continue to get wide fluctuations or lows in the 3's do seek advice from your doc or practise nurse.