Success! But how low is too low?

[marvkat]

I've started taking low carb seriously this week and been eating generally less than 50g per day not counting veg, so probably more like 80-100g.
My fasting levels have started coming down, was 6.5 this morning, and all week I've been hitting the 4's by my pre-lunch reading and staying pretty much in the 4's for the rest of the day - to me this is obviously working and I'm over the moon!!

Now comes the question, I was having a drink with my best friend (who is a HCP) and my partner last night (just a couple of vodka and diet cokes). I did a test shortly before bed and it was 3.6, I was pleased, put it down to the low-carb plus vodka combo, however my friend was not and to cut a very long story short I ended up eating a slice of burgen bread to end the argument!! This only put it up to 4.4 after half an hour but she was satisfied with it being over 4 *sigh*

Firstly, I'm sure I was right and that I was in absolutely no danger of having any kind of hypo, I've never even had symptoms of low blood sugar, I only take metformin and I know my liver kicks in if I get too low.

My real question: is going to bed on 3.6 likely to make me have a bigger liver dump in the night and therefore a higher fasting level than if it was, say 5 before bed? I'd really love to get everything including my fasting levels in the 5s as I'm so close and am starting to worry I'm getting a bit obsessive and might push my BG lower than is good for me. I mean this purely in terms of liver dumps, I really don't want to kick off the debate about hypo's on metformin again! I know this isn't an issue for me!

Any advice gratefully received
MK

 

[glucosegirl]

My endo says that a hypo is defined as a blood glucose level of below 3mmol/l. So, according to him your 3.6mmol/l was not a hypo. He says that people without diabetes do reach those sorts of levels. Staying in the 4s all day is fine especially if you are not on insulin. I'm type 1 so I am on insulin but I have occasionally tested my parent's blood sugar on my meter and both of them were in the 4s both times.

I copied and pasted this from DiabetesUK website.

"It is important that the blood glucose levels being aimed for are as near normal as possible (that is in the range of those of a person who does not have diabetes).

These are:

3.5–5.5mmol/l* before meals
less than 8mmol/l, 2 hours after meals."


To answer your question about going to bed at 3.6mmol/l, I would say that all you can do is experiment. Check your blood glucose before bed and then again in the middle of the night and again when you wake up in the morning. If going to bed at 3.6mmol/l doesn't cause a liver dump for you and you are confident that you don't have any hypos on metformin then I would leave it. However if you are experiencing a liver dump or you are worried about having a hypo then try to aim for 5mmmol/l before bed(if that is the level you are comfortable with). Hope this helps and well done on your low carbing!

 

[nigelho]

Hi,
I'm a type 1 and as I'm aware anything under 4 is considered as a hypo. No way would I go to bed with readings as low as 3.6..As for readings before bed I aim for 8-10 and 6-8 on waking up. I have to admit that endos and diabetes teams all say something different.
I use these readings as a guide, but 3.6 is really too low. I know when I getting into low 4s and I know when I'm in the 3s as I can feel flushed, sweaty, light headed.
Remember, the figures given for non diabetics ARE usually lower than for diabetics with type 1 or 2. Even type 1 and type 2 have different figures to aim for.