Blood glucose keeps dropping

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rootlinux

rootlinux

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I was in ICU last month with sugar over 2000. Now it keeps dropping below my Libre 2 normal zones. No idea why. I even stopped my insulin 5 days ago because it was dropping to low. Not running high at all in the past five days either.
Any ideas? See my doctor again next week.
TIA
 
How low is Libre showing your levels go and when. I find that Libre can read significantly lower than my actual blood glucose level and any Libre reading which doesn't correspond to how you feel should be double checked with a finger prick as well as hypo readings (below 4 or 70 if you are in the USA) Libre is not as accurate as finger prick tests and it reads interstitial fluid rather than blood so there is also a delay in showing changes when your levels are fluctuating.
It also can suffer from what we call compression lows, where if you lie on the sensor in your sleep it will cause the sensor to report your levels as dropping low when your blood glucose levels have not.
I find Libre is usually 1mmol lower than my BG but can be up to 2mmols out, so I can be in a healthy range at 4.5 and Libre shows me at 3.5. If it is persistently 2mmols or more out then it should be reported to Abbott but double checking any unusual readings that Libre gives with a finger prick test is important.
 
rebrascora said:
It also can suffer from what we call compression lows, where if you lie on the sensor in your sleep it will cause the sensor to report your levels as dropping low when your blood glucose levels have not.
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They can also just read low before they give up entirely, so I agree completely that it's a good idea to check with test strips.
 
rootlinux said:
My Libre Lite reads 144 mg/dl but my Libre 2 sensor reads 133 mg/dl
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Those are close enough to be the same so I guess the sensor is OK. (I think usually when sensors fail they go very low, below 40 mg/dl.)

Presuming your BG is consistently going low and you're not taking insulin, I think that doesn't sound like something that diabetes would do so you need to see a doctor (which you're doing). (I've not heard of anything similar anyway. There's reactive hypoglycaemia which I guess is a neighbouring condition which might appear in this way.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Those are close enough to be the same so I guess the sensor is OK. (I think usually when sensors fail they go very low, below 40 mg/dl.)

Presuming your BG is consistently going low and you're not taking insulin, I think that doesn't sound like something that diabetes would do so you need to see a doctor (which you're doing). (I've not heard of anything similar anyway. There's reactive hypoglycaemia which I guess is a neighbouring conditionMim which might appear in this way.)
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It doesn't sound like diabetes to
me either but all the doctors say it is Type 2 so I don't know. Mine has been dropping to the low 60s and once in the 50s. Usually it stays in range though. But not once has it gone to high out of range, just low.
 
Here is what I am talking about. Screenshot_20220814-184053.jpg
 

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60 is low (3.3 mmol/L) but it's not unknown for a Libre sensor to be out by enough to leave you ok really.

So next time it reads that low, see if a test strip confirms it. And if it doesn't, contact Abbott to ask for a replacement sensor. (If it does and you really are going low then we're back to the previous answer that we don't know what's happening.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
60 is low (3.3 mmol/L) but it's not unknown for a Libre sensor to be out by enough to leave you ok really.

So next time it reads that low, see if a test strip confirms it. And if it doesn't, contact Abbott to ask for a replacement sensor. (If it does and you really are going low then we're back to the previous answer that we don't know what's happening.)
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Thank you. I will check the next time it reads low. Will post back what I find out.
 
If 1mmol is equivalent to 18 mg/dl then your reading of 57 could easily be 75 if your Libre is like mine and reads 1 mmol lower which is in range. Libre often reads increasingly lower at low levels and sometimes higher at high levels, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about those readings, but I absolutely would double check when you get a low reading with a finger prick to be sure.

I think it is very likely that your Libre is just reading lower than BG at low levels which they do for many people, myself being one of them. Abbott will generally only replace them if they are 2mmols (36mg/dl) out from a finger prick on 3 occasions double checked with a finger prick when your levels are stable. ie horizonal arrow on the Libre.
 
rebrascora said:
If 1mmol is equivalent to 18 mg/dl then your reading of 57 could easily be 75 if your Libre is like mine and reads 1 mmol lower which is in range. Libre often reads increasingly lower at low levels and sometimes higher at high levels, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about those readings, but I absolutely would double check when you get a low reading with a finger prick to be sure.

I think it is very likely that your Libre is just reading lower than BG at low levels which they do for many people, myself being one of them. Abbott will generally only replace them if they are 2mmols (36mg/dl) out from a finger prick on 3 occasions double checked with a finger prick when your levels are stable. ie horizonal arrow on the Libre.
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I will definitely be checking both. At least until I see the doctor Thursday. Interested in hearing what he has to say.
 
The problem with general doctors is that unless they are diabetic themselves and use this technology, they usually just go by a bit of blurb from the manufacturer and have no idea of the real life quirks and glitches with them. Whilst my consultant is aware that many of the hypos Libre reports on my reports are "exaggerated" my GP would probably take them at face value and be concerned about having so many. Some consultants are not even aware of the inaccuracy of Libre..... not that I am knocking Libre, it is a great bit of kit, but it has it's limitations and foibles and you have to be aware of them to get the best from it.
 
rebrascora said:
The problem with general doctors is that unless they are diabetic themselves and use this technology, they usually just go by a bit of blurb from the manufacturer and have no idea of the real life quirks and glitches with them. Whilst my consultant is aware that many of the hypos Libre reports on my reports are "exaggerated" my GP would probably take them at face value and be concerned about having so many. Some consultants are not even aware of the inaccuracy of Libre..... not that I am knocking Libre, it is a great bit of kit, but it has it's limitations and foibles and you have to be aware of them to get the best from it.
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My PCP is very good and knowledgeable at least for the years I have been seeing him. We actually just sit and talk about music and listening tech for the longest.
He always makes sure to see me personally as he doesn't trust his fellow physicians to treat me correctly.
 
So frustrating. My BG dropped so I ate something sweet and it shot up super fast. Libre Sensor said 200 ml/dl. Test strip said 245 mg/dl.
Took my insulin ( first time in about two weeks ) and now it is at 87 and dropping rapidly.

Edit: Dropped to 55 mg/dl but coming back up slowly after eating real food.
 
Last edited:
Inka said:
What did you eat and what insulin do you take @rootlinux ?
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I ate a few gummies to raise my BG from the red zone. It sent me into the higher red zone. Note to self, do not eat gummies.

I take Lantus 30 units at bedtime for slow acting, long lasting insulin.
I take 10 units of Humalog at every meal or to rapidly lower a high BG incident.

Still trying to get this under control but I have to fail it seems before I learn. Just hoping I don't fail and end up in ICU again or worse.
 
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