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False Hypo or not??

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evilcat

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Type 2
Hi all,

Following my diagnosis in mid-May I was immediately put onto 2 x 500mg metformin a day, but my doctor said she wants to treat me quite aggressively so for the past week I've also been on 80mg x 2 gliclazide a day.

From high levels at diagnosis (1st fasting 23.4 mmol/l), I'm now down to an average of 6 - 9 mmol/l a day so the drugs and a low carb diet do appear to be working.

Yesterday, after completing a bit of a spring clean, I had all the symptoms of a hypo. I tested and was at 4.4 mmol/l so I had a couple of biscuits and once back at 5.6 mmol/l felt a lot better.

I know the glic can cause hypos but as I didn't fall below 4.0 mmol/l, I'm not sure if in fact my body was reacting to a 'normal' blood sugar after being high for so long.

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

Many thanks!
 
Yup I think you've got that exactly right. It can take a while for the bodies 'emergency switch' to reset. You were close th the edge, but 4 is generally considered the lowest non-hypo level in the UK
 
Very much so. This is very common in the early stages following diagnosis.

Whilst 4.4 isn't strictly a hypo, it could be that your meter overstated the reading (they aren't 100% accurate) too.

But it is common to feel the symptoms of a hypo even when you aren't strictly that low. It's your body 'complaining' that it doesn't think your blood sugars are high enough. It had got used to the higher levels.

You should find that false hypos will diminish if your levels continue to be at their current levels.

Andy 🙂
 
Hi Mike/Andy,

Many thanks for your comments.

Before I was diagnosed I did have episodes of low blood sugar (blacked out a few times) so I recognise the signs. The ironic thing is that after collapsing at Sainsburys (!!) I was taken to A&E and told I had borderline diabetes. I wasn't given any advice to go to the doctor and the next time it happened, the nurse told me there was no such thing as borderline diabetes!! I either had it or I didn't, and she said that I was fine.

It's a bit worrying due to the damage that I could have caused myself as these episodes started quite a few years ago...
 
They'd have allowed you to have Impaired Glucose Tolerance though, had you known that phrase! LOL Diabetic is like pregnant, you can't be slightly diabetic or slightly pregnant, neither can you have mild diabetes and I complained like hell when someone from our PCT regferred to mild diabetes when addressing a onference on Long term Conditions!

If you dropped suddenly, despite the fact you only went to 4.4, that could have caused the symptoms. I go hypo every time after I've been up the step ladder - dusting light fittings or something! It's mad and I always forget the next time I do it!
 
Maybe I should use this as a reason not to do too much housework :D
 
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