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silly question

B

buddyxyz

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 1
hi all i am type one dont know much about type 2 s but this might sound silly but can type 2 have hypos ?? i am asking not for myself but my sister in law who has recently found out she is type 2 and awaiting for her 1st appointment with dn and she asked me and i really did not know. thanks in advance sorry if this sounds a stupid question
 
Not silly at all. Some T2s who are on bg lowering drugs or on insulin can experience hypos. I have read where a 'false hypo' can be felt by those not on drugs when they experience a drop in higher levels after drastically reducing carbs. Hope this helps.
 
Guzzler said:
I have read where a 'false hypo' can be felt by those not on drugs when they experience a drop in higher levels after drastically reducing carbs.
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I knew that if you are taking some diabetes drugs or insulin, you can experience hypos as a T2 when lowering carbs.

What about that "false hypo" though? Not something I had heard of. When I was very new to this diabetes stuff, I had only just started the low-carb diet. A few weeks in, I started waking early in the morning with my heart racing and feeling dizzy. This was really consistent, day after day. Eventually I found that it went away if I munched on a portion of fruit (banana or kiwi) just before going to bed, and then again just after getting up in the morning.

I later read up about "hypo symptoms" and decided these were probably not hypos, not even mild ones. But something else. BTW I still do that "small portion of fruit" routine and the racing heartbeat/diziness are history.
 
 
buddyxyz said:
ty so much for info she has been put on metformin but seemed ages to wait for 1st diabetic appointment ty
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Just a quick note. If your T2 sister-in-law is on Metformin (and no other drugs) hypos are, to my knowledge, extremely unlikely. Note that even people without diabetes can have hypos ("reactive hypoglycemia") -- so it cannot be ruled out completely. Of course this is a good question for her to ask the doctor or nurse.
 
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I have never had a false hypo, one of the reasons I have heard for them is in the case of, let's say, a newly diagnosed T2 who tries to lower their carb intake too quickly. They may have had readings in the 8s or 9s and after dropping carbs to see readings of 4s and 5s (in an extremely short space of time) their body says 'Whoah! Waddyadoin!' Their body has got used to higher levels and a sudden drop can see a sort of panic mode set in, hence a false hypo when levels are relatively 'nkrmal'.
 
Guzzler said:
Their body has got used to higher levels and a sudden drop can see a sort of panic mode set in, hence a false hypo when levels are relatively 'normal'.
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Thanks, useful stuff. In that case I have never had a hypo, false or otherwise. I can't say it is an experience I regret not having....
 
Okay, this may sound dumb, but anyone can have a hypo. In people without diabetes, they get the same symptoms if they haven't eaten or indulged in strenuous activity. The difference is that their body will compensate for it and level out or they go and get something to eat. For PWD, it's different.
 
In short - YES. Type 2s can definitely experience hypos...particularly those on a drug like Gliclazide which lowers the blood sugar, especially if also on a very low carb diet. For those in that situation, it pays to monitor levels with a meter (particularly before sleep) and to keep a few sweets nearby just in case. I have had no hypos since coming off Gliclazide despite a diet which at times (if I am being good) can be very low in carbs. Personally, I find the term "false hypo" a bit daft and slightly misleading. We do all vary of course, but hypos are certainly possible for Type 2s.
 
Yes,it is possible for type 2s to have a hypo.I began to eat a low carb diet and was on Metformin and Gliclazide.I had two hypos and was taken off Gliclazide by my GP.I tested each time and was down in the low 3s and doing strenuous activities.I had been told that type 2s didn't have hypos.Im just glad I wasn't driving.
 
Even though not on BS lowering medications I have experienced at least on three occasions BS levels in the low threes at least on one occasion ending up on the floor with family trying to bring me out of it. So if they were false hypos they felt very real to me.
 
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