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Treating low BG (hypo?) for an initial quick response

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
4,386
Location
Suffolk, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
As noted elsewhere, my Libre 2 gave me a low BG warning.
BG just above 3.0 and subsequently around 3.5 for a couple of hours.

After the Libre warning I had a slice of toast with marmalade.
I expected the marmalade to kick in quickly due to the sugar, then the toast to provide a slower release of carbohydrates.
When the first slice had no apparent effect after about 30 minutes I had another slice just in case.
It took the Libre around 2 hours to come up out of the red, when it went almost vertically into the red for high BG.

I checked with a finger prick when the Libre was reading 3.7 and got a result of 4.1 so (perhaps accidentally) quite close.

I am wondering if I chose the wrong food to counter the low BG, or if (as suggested in previous thread) the Libre has a long delay before it comes up after a low.

This raises the question of what I should have eaten.
I don't have glucose tablets or any sugary drinks for a fast hit.
Mainly because I am T2 on Metformin, diet and exercise so don't expect hypos.

Noting that I didn't at any time suffer any hypo symptoms so I assume that my body is quite happy in the low 3s.
 
Glucose tablets should give a reliable and repeatable rise in blood glucose and do not require digestion.
You should be OK with low 4's but low 3's are likely to be a problem and should be avoided.
I have not yet tried the Libre 2, I have used the Libre but would do a finger prick test as I have found Libre indicating mid 3's with a finger prick giving a low 4's result. It has at least been on the safe side and provided early warning

Ed: had a flat line 3.4 on the Libre with pin prick 4.7mmol/l today
 
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Firstly the libre can be very inaccurate under 5 so always best to test, that 3.0 may have been closer to 4 (or above)
Also what medications are you on, your signature suggests metformin but not anything like insulin, in which case you may not have needed anything - especially food which would hit a bit later as it wasn't fast acting
 
Presumably you put butter on the toast? If so, the fat would slow absorption down. This is why chocolate doesn't work anywhere near as fast as glucose, jelly babies, fruit juice.etc
 

Sorry, that information is in the other post.
Metformin, diet and exercise.
Which is why I have no specific items for countering low BG - it isn't expected.
Down to 3.0 I should be fine, I'm just surprised that my body allowed my BG to go that low without dumping some glucose from the liver.

When your BG unexpectedly tanks into the red, you can say "Oh, that's fine, no worries!" however there is always a "But what if...." feeling which makes it reassuring to take something to raise your BG.

Which is why I'm trying to get my head round what we have in stock which could treat a hypo.
 
Grant_Vicat said:
Presumably you put butter on the toast? If so, the fat would slow absorption down. This is why chocolate doesn't work anywhere near as fast as glucose, jelly babies, fruit juice.etc
Click to expand...

Yes, I put butter on the toast.
I am not a total heathen!!

More seriously I thought the toast would be slow acting and the marmalade fast acting.
I didn't expect the butter and toast to buffer the effect of the marmalade.

Edit:spoonful of marmalade on its own?
 
Funnily enough my wife doesn't put anything other than jam, honey etc on bread or toast because of gall stones!
Marmalade on its own would certainly act faster. I found that pineapple juice worked the fastest with the added bonus that I love it! All the best from Ixworth.
 
For something that you just have in the house if you are wanting to correct a low (although I agree with @Rokaab that if you are not on insulin you should not need to ), chose something that is fat free and do NOT eat with anything else.
Examples in my house are dried fruit, fruit juice, fruit squash, honey or jam or marmalade (without toast or bread).

Also remember that Libre will take a while to notice a correction. If you ahve Libre 1, this vcan be 15 minutes. If you are on Libre 2, this can be longer.
 
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I don’t think you needed to treat the hypo but no way would I not be using the low as an excuse to eat something yummy! Unfortunately I have too many hypos for the eat something naughty answer so my hypo fix of choice is jelly babies, they are disgustingly sweet, 3 babies brings me right back up within 15 minutes but only for a short while so follow it up with something like toast.
 

Looks like I should have gone marmalade then the toast a bit later.
As I've said, in theory going down in the 3s isn't risky for me.
But there is always a nagging doubt.
 
LittleGreyCat said:
Looks like I should have gone marmalade then the toast a bit later.
As I've said, in theory going down in the 3s isn't risky for me.
But there is always a nagging doubt.
Click to expand...
Hmm not sure if eating marmalade without the toast would be tasty? If so then sure why not.

You could buy a pack of jelly babies, they keep for ages once open, I’ve even eaten them stuck to the bottom of my pocket, all squished and probly fluff covered because I’ve been out with the dog and had nothing else lol they tasted exactly the same but my point is, if your going to treat lows, might as we’ll be something you really like to eat but usually don’t.
 
Kindly explain why Libre2 would be longer than Libre1.
 
Glucobabu said:
Kindly explain why Libre2 would be longer than Libre1.
Click to expand...
Libre 1 reports the calculated value at that time which, as has bene mentioned, is 15 minutes behind finger pricks.
Libre 2 uses a different algorithm to convert the interstitial fluid reading to blood sugars which attempts to take into consideration the 15 minute delay by extrapolating the current trend. When treating a hypo, the trend will change quicker than 15 minutes but Libre 2 will not notice in that time so continue to report the trend to go low. Hence, it may report lower than you actually go and only report the correction once it has noticed the trend has changed.
If your levels are flat or following a trend, this extrapolation should result in more accurate readings reported by Libre 2. It is only when the direction of the trend changes that Libre 2 may be less accurate/take time to catch up.
 

Are you diagnosed with T2?
No meds, just metformin?
Are you getting regular lows?
What is your latest Hba1c levels?
Do you still eat carbs?
If you do fasting levels, what are they?
I found out that if you are just below 3.5-4 mmols, have a small very low, low carb meal, and check fifteen minutes later, if that doesn't work, a couple of plain biscuits to nudge your glucose levels back up. Again, if it doesn't work for you, repeat small meal.
Make sure you finger prick test, if you see a low reading on your cgm.
 

T2 for 13+ years, on Metformin.
Last HbA1c was 7%.
I don't have regular severe lows which was why this one gave some concern.
I don't appear to show any signs of RH but the thought did cross my mind briefly.
I eat more carbs than I should but generally eat low carbohydrate (probably under 50 grams/day).
I am not over weight.
 

Keep an eye open for different symptoms, I had about ten to fifteen symptoms that I didn't even know about!!!

Keep safe
 
Although the Libre 2 records every 15 minutes it measures every 1 minute, so presumably uses the shorter intervals to predict trends.
 
You are so good at explaining stuff, I’ve learn so much from you, Thankyou
 
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