Feeling faint the same time every day

[Wibble]

For the last couple of weeks I have been feeling faint, every day, in the early evening. Is this a lack of sugar? A quick snack and a rest seem to make this pass. I have got my sugar levels down from sky-high in Feb this year to an average of just slightly over six. I have lost about 28 kg in weight during this period. Aiming to keep this way with more of the same in terms of diet etc.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi.
Firstly well done for that huge weight loss and also your dramatic reduction in BG levels.
What do you usually have for lunch?
Do you have a Blood Glucose Meter and if so, have you tested when you feel like this to see what your reading is? What sort of snack do you have to improve it?
Does this feeling occur before your evening meal and/or after exercise or after a period of sitting down?
It might be worth having a handful of nuts or a chunk of cheese mid afternoon to see if that will stave it off.

 

[ianf0ster]

The body takes time to adjust from sky high Blood Glucose levels to more normal ones.
If this is the case (false Hypos), then a low carb(but not zero carb) snack should help.

It is remotely possible that you are eating something (for lunch?) which boosts your BG level too high so that the Insulin also spikes high causing the 'mountain range BG readings familiar to Type1 diabetics trying to get their Insulin dosage right. If this is the case then although the above mentioned snack would help, it would be better to fix the source of the problem.

 

[Wibble]

Hi.
Firstly well done for that huge weight loss and also your dramatic reduction in BG levels.
Thanks!
What do you usually have for lunch?
A salad with either feta cheese or tuna followed by perhaps an apple and an orange.
Do you have a Blood Glucose Meter and if so, have you tested when you feel like this to see what your reading is?
That's a very good point! I will test my BG level.
What sort of snack do you have to improve it?
It looks as though a small snack with some sugar in it helps!
Does this feeling occur before your evening meal and/or after exercise or after a period of sitting down?
Before evening meal.
It might be worth having a handful of nuts or a chunk of cheese mid afternoon to see if that will stave it off.

Thanks! I will try that.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Wibble]

The body takes time to adjust from sky high Blood Glucose levels to more normal ones.
If this is the case (false Hypos), then a low carb(but not zero carb) snack should help.
Good advice.
It is remotely possible that you are eating something (for lunch?) which boosts your BG level too high so that the Insulin also spikes high causing the 'mountain range BG readings familiar to Type1 diabetics trying to get their Insulin dosage right. If this is the case then although the above mentioned snack would help, it would be better to fix the source of the problem.

My lunch is always a salad with either feta cheese or tuna followed by perhaps an apple and an orange.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Drummer]

Ah - an apple and an orange would be more than enough to cause a spike in blood glucose for many type twos.
For many people early evening marks a reduction in resistance to insulin, so you might be getting a rapid reduction and your brain gets panicky at the rate of change.

 

[rebrascora]

I read that as an apple or an orange but I see now that it is an "and".
I agree that two pieces of fruit for lunch could cause quite a large spike which would likely come crashing down later in the afternoon.
Have you tested that combination to see how your BG reacts?

 

[Drummer]

I know I am rather sensitive to carbs but for me either would not be a good idea, and both would be just silly - I really can't eat so many carbs without feeling unwell.

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, if I am going to have fruit like that I have a half an apple and save the other half for the next day. Today I treated myself to half a clementine....first of the season and since my diagnosis and it was heavenly. I have the other half wrapped in cling film for tomorrow. I know I could just give myself a jab of insulin (being Type 1) and eat a whole one but I am inclined to think that it would then become normal eating and I wouldn't enjoy it half so much. I really savour my little fruit carb treats when they are rationed like this.

 

[ianf0ster]

Your salad is low carb but an apple and orange together are around 30g of carb. Fruit is a bit of a minefield for diabetics since although it is universally considered healthy we have to be aware of the carb content, especially in tropical varieties like bananas. Pre-diagnosis I always ate a banana and an apple a day as part of my 5-a-day but if I have either now I make it last all day. These days I generally eat only berries - strawberries, raspberries and blackberries - as they are all low carb, although I know that some forum members can't.

Martin

Me too, in my so-called 'healthy eating' (in fact anything but healthy for me) days I had exactly the same: a banana with my porridge in the morning and an apple sometime during the day. I now aim for a total carbs per day of between 20gms and 50gms - so apart from the BG spike, a single piece of fruit such as a banana or even an apple would blow a whole in that.

 

[Eddy Edson]

I cut down on fruit & melon while I was getting things under control, but now I have about 30g of carbs from those as part of my normal breakfast and it's just fine.

Everybody's different, and your reaction to types and amounts of carbs may change over time.

 

[Wibble]

Wow! Many thanks to all of you who have taken the time and trouble to pass on many inciteful thoughts on my problem. It's great to know that there is so much support for people like me who just blunder along. I will take note of all the suggestions and see how it goes.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Good luck with your experiments @Wibble

Let us know how you get on 🙂