type 2 advice please

[chrissy40ish]

I have type 2 diabetes, I'm on insulin and metformin and have recently been having what I presume are hypos but my blood sugars are only going down from 4 downwards can it be a hypo still being I. It's 4's?

 

[Gloucestergirl]

I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you are saying that your levels are going down from 4 and lower then you are having hypos. There's the saying "Make four the floor" meaning try not to go below four but its not easy. I am also on insulin and Metformin and I sometimes have hypos. There are so many things that can make you go hypo including giving yourself too much insulin, more exercise than normal, not enough food or too long between meals. A lot of emphasis is put on keeping your sugar levels down but I was told by my diabetes nurse that they were more concerned with the hypos. I have had hypos of 2.5 and even lower and I more often than not don't even realise I'm hypo as the symptoms I got when i was first diagnosed 18 years ago have just about disappeared. Occasionally I will feel a bit peculiar and only find out I'm hypo by testing.

You can also feel hypo when your sugar levels are above four. If you've been having high levels then just a small reduction can give you what's called false hypos because your body has been so used to very high sugar levels . If you feel hypo(sweating, confused, anxious, heart palpitatons etc) but your sugar levels show above four then you are not hypo and should not treat the symptoms. My sugar level was 22 on diagnosis and even when my levels got down to around 7 I was feeling all the symptoms of a hypo and unpleasant as it is you have to try and ride through it. If you are having regular, genuine hypos then perhaps your insulin needs adjusting or maybe you're doing more exercise. Hope this helps.

 

[chrissy40ish]

Yes that is exactly what is happening to me when my bs are 4 or below, my injection in the evening is less units than my morning injection but I take the metformin in the evening ad well, so I think maybe the nurse needs to lower my injection at night ad the hypos have been in the night, I know the insulin is a two in one and something about it having a fast insulin and a slow insulin in one, I'm rabbiting now. Thankyou that information was good

I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you are saying that your levels are going down from 4 and lower then you are having hypos. There's the saying "Make four the floor" meaning try not to go below four but its not easy. I am also on insulin and Metformin and I sometimes have hypos. There are so many things that can make you go hypo including giving yourself too much insulin, more exercise than normal, not enough food or too long between meals. A lot of emphasis is put on keeping your sugar levels down but I was told by my diabetes nurse that they were more concerned with the hypos. I have had hypos of 2.5 and even lower and I more often than not don't even realise I'm hypo as the symptoms I got when i was first diagnosed 18 years ago have just about disappeared. Occasionally I will feel a bit peculiar and only find out I'm hypo by testing.

You can also feel hypo when your sugar levels are above four. If you've been having high levels then just a small reduction can give you what's called false hypos because your body has been so used to very high sugar levels . If you feel hypo(sweating, confused, anxious, heart palpitatons etc) but your sugar levels show above four then you are not hypo and should not treat the symptoms. My sugar level was 22 on diagnosis and even when my levels got down to around 7 I was feeling all the symptoms of a hypo and unpleasant as it is you have to try and ride through it. If you are having regular, genuine hypos then perhaps your insulin needs adjusting or maybe you're doing more exercise. Hope this helps.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

There is another issue which might not be relevant but I will mention it. Some (most) meters are not accurate. Those which are most inaccurate tend to read high. A reading of four on such a meter might mean a true reading of three or so on an accurate meter. If a person is not going to sail as close to the wind as you seem to be doing then small inaccuracies are not important but when getting close to hypo country it is very important.

I think the advice from Gloucestergirl is very good but you might remember that your meter might not be helping.