HELP please. Newly diabetic needs advice.

[Stuart Tunstall]

Hello

 

[Amigo]

Hi all

I have only recently found out im diabetic and am taking metformin. Today i didnt each much and checked my blood sugar and it was 1.2. I was feeling weak and headaching and i think ive had this before. Can i have some advice on what to do when this happens. My doctor hasnt given me much information yet.

Thank you in advance

Stuart, you should immediately eat something when that happens. There’s no point in starving yourself until your levels plummet to 1.2! No wonder you were feeling unwell. Have a full sugar drink or a sugary sweet when that happens and make yourself a snack. It’s said people on Metformin don’t have ‘proper’ hypos but it’s still possible for your levels to plummet to unsafe levels.
Others will be along to advise but you need to be reducing the carbs in your meals like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc.but still having regular meals. I’d suggest asking your doctor if your Metformin dosage is right. I’ve certainly never dropped that low and you need to ensure that you don’t allow your levels to go so low again because you’ll feel very unwell.
Ask you doctor about an education course to learn about carb counting and healthy eating. Best wishes.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Hi Stuart. Our blood sugars change all the time, whether diabetic or not. And it's not just food that affects it. Stress, illness & exercise effects our levels. It sounds like you haven't been given much information, but good to see that you are testing. Sugar & carbs raise our blood sugars. Guidelines state that we should aim for between 4-7 before food & under 8.5 2 hours after food.

 

[Radders]

Hi there, this does sound unusual. It sounds to me, bearing in mind I am not an expert, like reactive hypoglycaemia. That's where the body shoves out too much insulin in response to high carbs, resulting in a roller coaster of levels.
I believe that the treatment for this is similar to the diet recommended for those with diabetes, i.e. Low GI. Agree that it is definitely a good idea to go back to the gp though. He/she might not know much about either condition so if you do some research yourself it might help.

 

[Drummer]

Metformin stops your liver from releasing glucose as normal, so perhaps it succeeded in doing that too well,and as you had nothing to eat there was no where for your body to find glucose.
Do try to eat fairly regularly, you can eat any meat fish eggs shellfish cheese - and fats - and a small amount of carbs. I find it best to eat foods under 11 percent carbohydrate, start off the day with a smallish amount and then eat the rest later as my insulin resistance seems to reduce during the day.
Some people do well with fasting, but I always have gone weak white and wobbly when I tried it.