Advice please

[Keltic]

Hi,

When first diagnosed 27th May the GP offered tabs but I said I wanted to try diet first. He set me targets of 5 ? 8 before meals and 7 ? 10 two hours after.

I have to vary the testing rather than do it before and after each meal.

So far the pre meals have dropped basically 9.4 - 8.8 - 7.1 - 6.7 - 5.3 and with other readings fitting between these.

The post meal readings have dropped 14.8 -14.2 -13.4 - 11.9 - 9.1 - 8.4

Based on these drops I think I?m doing OK

Now the problem? We went out this morning for a shuffle?I don?t really walk.. in the park and enjoyed it. When I came home I began to get very thirsty and trembling. I did a test and I was 3.9. I re-tested about ten minutes later and it was 4.4. I had a couple of salad rolls, a banana and a mug of tea. Two hours later it was 9.1 and two hours after that post my evening meal I was 6.3.

The questions are?

1. Have I gone too heavy with this so rather than having highs I now need to watch for lows.

2. Till I came home and sat down I felt absolutely fine so how can I tell if I am dropping too far.

3. Should I carry something to chew on while I?m out to try and prevent this happening.

I realise how long this post is and thank you for taking the time to read it.

Steve.

 

[bev]

Hi Keltic,

I would say that your doing brilliantly! Those are really good levels.

You may have dropped to 3.9 due to the shuffle - especially if you havent been walking for a while. Also sunshine and heat can drop your levels.

You may feel symptoms at 5 or may feel them at 3.9 - there isnt really a pattern to it sometimes. But if you have a sudden drop from 10 to 5 you can feel hypo - even though technically your not!

Always have something sweet like jelly babies or something similar - just in case you have a hypo. But you dont really need to chew on something in general as this will increase your levels. Always carry your meter with you and if your below 4 then have something sweet. Followed by something starchy like crips or sandwich.

Hope this helps. 🙂Bev

 

[Vanessa]

Keltic, you really are doing very well indeed in such a short time. Diabetes UK recommend pre-meals 4-7mmol/l and 2 hours post-meal <8.5mmol/l which is slightly tighter than your doctor recommended. However, the closer you are to those targets then the more likely you are to get the occasional hypo as you indicated and you will have to reach a personal decision about the best balance for you - personally I prefer to run the risk of the odd hypo and keep good control.

In terms of recognising hypos, you just fell under the recognised cut off of 4 but are likely to have had a fair number of effects because your body has been used to running on higher levels. You will learn what the particular responses are for your body but look up the symptoms on Diabetes UK (search for hypoglycaemia). However, the only way to tell "for sure" is to test as diabetes is a peculiar beast and sometimes I will get symptoms at over 4 but have occasions when 3.4 gave me no indication! If you drive then look at the driving section for guidelines

If you find you are prone to hypos then you will need to carry some quick acting carbohydrate - I've used glucotabs and am about to shift to jelly babies as can't find glucotabs in my small town! Be cautious about over-correcting though - 3 jelly babies gives about 15g carbohydrate which, for me, would put my bloods up by between 1 and 1.5mmol depending on time of day. Hypos do tend to make you very hungry and initially I would cram lots in and then go the other way! Hypos also make you irrational and irritable so my sympathies to your wife

Hope this helps


Vanessa

 

[Northerner]

Hi Steve! Firstly, let me congratulate you on those excellent numbers! You're doing extremely well. You will be getting the symptoms of lows because your body is not yet used to these lower levels - in time you will feel more comfortable at these. 3.9 is technically a hypo in some books, but your meter will have a margin for error so you may have been slightly higher than it said.

As you are not on any medication you should not need to worry about dropping too low - your body is producing its own insulin and shutting this off when you drop too low. People who inject cannot 'shut off' the insulin once injected. Similarly, some pills can increase insulin sensitivity and can cause people occasionally to drop too low - but you're not on them either! So, keep doing what you're doing and your body will adapt. There's nothing wrong with having a biscuit or a piece of fruit though, if your levels are below 5.0 and this will make you feel better.

 

[sweetsatin]

Hi Steve
Well done with your levels you are doing great.
I usually carry a pkt of Dextro from the chemest they do come in handy occasionally. As someone has mentioned take your meter with you it becomes your best friend🙂

Anita

 

[Keltic]

Thanks

Thanks very much for all that.

I have wondered a few times if my body is so used to years of bad eating that this sudden drop to get these numbers is causing symptoms. A couple of times when I was around 5.5 I began to get the shakes etc yet the figures were within the right range. I suppose as my body adjusts then things will even out more.

I will certainly now begin to carry some sweets and some crisps. I had heard of sweets etc but was worried that if I felt ill it could actually be because I was high and perhaps eating sweets would take me even higher.

I will go and see the postings about driving. Lucky that Sharon is quite close to passing her test ... no pressure love ...

I have to get into carrying the test kit with me. I'm trying to take care not to use too many probe things as I hear some GP's try not to prescribe very many. I need to ask him when I next see him.

Thanks again every one. Steve.