Back to basics

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Ghost Hunter

Ghost Hunter

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello

I feel I have a lot of learning to do all of a sudden reguarding my Type 2 diabetes reguardless of the fact I have been diagnosed for a while now. I dont think I understand it at all and actually feel quite ashamed and very confused as to why I cant grasp it.

So back to basics sorry to ask such a simple question but it seems like one of the more important things to know and recognise for myself.

Ok what is a Hypo and how do I know if I am having or being affected by one?

Sorry for such a silly basic question but got to start learning!

Thanks 🙂
 
a hypo is low blood sugar. generally below 4 although some different regimes treat hypos at different levels. In theory anyone, diabetic or otherwise, can have hypoglycemia but when you're talking about it in relation to diabetes it is generally as a 'side effect' of medication, in particular insulin although tablets etc can also cause hypos. It's essentially a mismatch of medication to food intake or activity in some way.

Symptoms of a hypo vary from person to person but usually dizziness, loss of concentration, a floaty feeling, hunger, sweats etc are pretty common signs. The only way really to confirm a hypo is by a blood test, then you can treat it, usually by fast acting glucose (eg sugary drinks, dextrose tabs etc) maybe followed by some slower acting carbs according to whatever your health team have recommended.
 
oh, and don't worry, not a silly question at all, going back to basics is, I think, the best way to get things under control again
 
I can't add to what Aymes has already said about hypos.

Don't feel silly about going back to basics, it is sometimes the only way to be sure you haven't missed something very important, like undestanding hypos. With the job I am doing (which my colleague and I made up as we went along) I often find the only way to get to the root of a problem is to go back to the very begining.

All questions are important, and in posting you are helping others as well as yourself.
 
As Aymes mentions, different regimes treat hypos at different levels. The problem with hypo symptoms is that they can occur at a lot of different levels. It depends what level of BG you are used to and how quickly its changing.

If you are used to running high BGs, then you will get hypo symptoms at a much higher level than if you were used to lower levels. Typically when a T2 starts to get control of their BG, they will start to get hypo symptoms at around 5.5. After getting control, their body gets used to running lower levels and this drops to under 4.

But if it looks like a hypo and feels like a hypo, you might as well treat it as a hypo. The important thing is not to overdo it. For a T2 not taking insulin, the risks from a hypo are quite low since at some point the liver will dump glucose into the bloodstream. But that doesn't mean you won't feel awful well before that. It takes a little practice to treat hypo symptoms effectively without overdoing it. A little fast carb followed by some slower carbs will get your BG level back up to a more comfortable level and hold it up there. Try not to shoot straight back up to 10mmol/l instead followed by a crash.

I mentioned the speed of change as well. Its quite possible to feel hypo symptoms from a rapidly rising or rapidly falling BG. I've detected liver dumps from having hypo symptoms, so my BG was rising rapidly from a relatively low level. It also works with a rapid fall.

One other thing I should mention is that although "under 4" is generally considered to be a hypo, it is not always. To some people (and some medics in particular) "under 2" is a hypo, under 4 is a "low". The difference in terminology can be confusing.

There's also a myth going around that you can't have a hypo on metformin. My meter disagrees since I have been to 2.6 - that I know of. This myth has come about because T2 drugs like Gliclazide can CAUSE hypos, whereas metformin doesn't reduce BG in the same way. Glic causes more insulin to be produced where metformin just acts to reduce the insulin resistance. So metformin cannot CAUSE a hypo, but its quite possible to go hypo and certainly possible to go low on metformin. It would also be possible to have a "true" hypo under 2 on metformin, but it would take some effort to manage that one 😉
 
That's just the basics :confused: Blimey I wish I hadn't asked now even more confused! 😱

Thanks for advice. 🙂
 
Hehehe I know exactly what you mean !! I'm a type 1 and I'm all over the place levels wise so Ive just scrapped everything and gone straight back to start again ! Sometimes its best just to start again and lose all the bad habits along the way 🙄 I think Ive learned more in the last few weeks about Insulin , glucose levels , liver dumps etc than Ive learned in my whole time as a diabetic ! the only real experts are fellow Diabetics who live with it everyday. Good luck and let us know how you get on .
 
Todays new question

Hi

I have another question I was curious about in the early hours of this morning!

Being a type 2 diabetic (assuming I am newly diagnosed) what is the most important things I need to learn / know / be aware of :confused:

Thanks and have a great day everybody 🙂
 
I suggest a copy of Gretchen Becker's excellent "Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year". Should cover everything you need to get started in an easy to read style.
 
Hi

Yes I have ordered the book which Steff and others reccomended to me at the weekend. It should be here sometime this week.

I just asked as I wanted to know what different peoples suggestions were rather than one persons opinion / view in a book. 😱

Thanks 🙂
 
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hioe it is a good read , well i know it is but nevertheless happy reading ! x
 
Ah well in that case...

Ghost Hunter said:
Being a type 2 diabetic (assuming I am newly diagnosed) what is the most important things I need to learn / know / be aware of :confused:
Click to expand...

1) The effects of combinations of foods on your BG - best learned with the help of your meter.
2) The possible effects of dawn phenomenon on your fasting BG
3) The complications caused by diabetes (as an incentive)
4) The effects of exercise on Insulin Resistance (IR) - can lower it for up to 48 hours.
5) The potential side effects (to watch out for) of any new medications you are prescribed - such as the muscle pain side effects of statins, dry cough from ACE Inhibitors (ramipril etc)
6) And if you are on metformin, how to avoid the side effects by not eating a shedload of starchy carbs with it.

Might be a good list to start with.

Oh and I forgot what is probably the most important one. Despite what the papers say, T2 is NOT your fault.
 
VBH said:
Ah well in that case...



1) The effects of combinations of foods on your BG - best learned with the help of your meter.
2) The possible effects of dawn phenomenon on your fasting BG
3) The complications caused by diabetes (as an incentive)
4) The effects of exercise on Insulin Resistance (IR) - can lower it for up to 48 hours.
5) The potential side effects (to watch out for) of any new medications you are prescribed - such as the muscle pain side effects of statins, dry cough from ACE Inhibitors (ramipril etc)
6) And if you are on metformin, how to avoid the side effects by not eating a shedload of starchy carbs with it.

Might be a good list to start with.

Oh and I forgot what is probably the most important one. Despite what the papers say, T2 is NOT your fault.
Click to expand...


Thanks for these. Half of them I dont understand so got a lot of learning to do fast :(

Thanks 🙂
 
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