How many hypos a day?

paulnicholls

paulnicholls

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I'm still extremely new to this. Since I was medicated Monday on I'm having about 3 - 4 hypos / hypers, or whatever they're called, maybe more. I'm sure this is just my body readjusting. This morning I sat i a school assembly to see my little boy, terrified I was going to collapse as I felt one come on.

Just looking for reassurance really, presumably this is normal and will readjust?

I saw my GP last night who told me not to worry unless my sugars went into the mid 30's. Hmmm. I'm anywhere at the moment between 16 and 22, sometimes dipping, but always coming back up again.

Odd..
 
Hi

I would say bm readings of 16-22 are still far too high you could run the risk of eventually becoming ketoasidosis not a very nice expireience it happenend to me three times when I was younger requiring hospitalization.

You need to ask to be reffered to a diabetes specialist nurse who can give you alot more info on diabetes.

As regards to low bms try and carry lucozade of full fat coke as they are very quick acting on hypos followed by a carbohydrate food.

I hope this helps I can go into more details on subjects again at the mo stuck in the house with really bad chest infection and two poorly children.

But will be happy to help

Thanks for your advice last night

Vicky
 
Cheers Vicky. Just two minutes ago had a lot of info through the post from Diabetes UK. I'll aim to sit down and read the lot.

I heard about carrying around boiled sweets, Mars Bars etc... maybe that's what I should have done / start doing.

Let me know how you get on Vicky. If you want me to call you to assist you further (entirely free - that's the good thing about this forum) just send me a message. I would be delighted to help out.

Regards

Paul
 
paulnicholls said:
Cheers Vicky. Just two minutes ago had a lot of info through the post from Diabetes UK. I'll aim to sit down and read the lot.

I heard about carrying around boiled sweets, Mars Bars etc... maybe that's what I should have done / start doing.
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

Hypos occur when the sugars fall below 4 and there are usually symptoms like trembling, sweating, tingling lips etc. I get spots before the eyes too. Hypers are when the sugars are above 10 and unless they are very high I don't really get any symptoms so am unaware (not that that happens much). If your sugars are 16-22 then you're not having hypos so you can relax a bit. Also, boiled sweets and mars bars are the wong things to treat a hypo with as you need something quick-acting to bring the sugars back up - lucazade or jelly babies work for me!

Good luck!
 
I was told 2 or 3 a week is normal if you are trying to keep your sugars within the "normal" range. I don't know if this applies to you, but I used to be really scared and constantly overtreating hypos and hypers so I bounced up and down all the time. This made me feel physically lousy and emotionally terrible too. I would advise checking your blood sugar rather than treating immediately, since if you are accustomed to high sugars anything below 7 can feel like a hypo because it is lower than you are used to. Also it helps to try and find patterns and set routines, and find out the effects of different foods on your blood sugar.
 
They are not hypo's!

Paul - as explained in a previous post by myself and by Northerner - what you are experiencing are not hypo's - please take note! It is REALLY important that you do not get the terminology mixed up as it could have serious consequences. At readings of 16-22 - you are feeling HYPERLAECEMIC which are the effects of high blood sugar. Now these tend to make you feel a bit woozy and your eyesight funny - personally even if I have been in the 30's I have never fainted and I believe it is quite rare to do so. But as you are aware after reading the posts on this board - everyone's experiences are different. Good luck with your DUK reading and learning. I understand that you have only been on mataformin for a short while - and hopefully soon it will start kicking in for you and your sugars will reduce to the 4-7 range. Fingers crossed.
 
i usually have 2 a day, more when im night shift but the most confusing thing is dont always get the symptoms, occasionally get symptoms at 5.8 proabably becasue my bloods were high for a while before diagnosed but other times i dont really feel anything untill im down at 3,( thought it was just the normal i saturday afternoon busy supermarket stress) has anyone else had this? i sometimes get the same hypo feelings only to test and its around 10..:confused: i guess it depends on how quickly its falling? i read that after a long time people lose there hypo awareness. will it ever eventually settle down and give me clear signals instead of these conflicting ones?
 
I usually feel one coming on anywhere from 4.5 downwards. Lowest I have ever been was 2.1 & I thought I was gonna pass out but thankfully didn't. I don't tend to test if I am low as I have been told that it's best just to get some sugar in straight away rather than faff around with testing.

I am mostly affected by night time hypos, especially if I have topped up with some fast acting insulin before bed. Wake up sweating hot, half asleep. Not fun.

Rarely get daytime hypos, possibly two or three a week.
 
i totally agree with you scotstigress about the hypo syptoms but when testing sugars they are around 10... i have no idea what is going on then!! paul - maybe its a good idea to carry around your blood testing meter? and maybe test before munching on something sugary just to make sure you are actually having a hypo and not just making your sugars even higher? if you are having hypos i would suggest lucozade as this treats my hypo in seconds... or some glucotabs. they taste much nicer than the other crappy glucose tabs!
 
Hi Im also fairly new to this, I was diagnosed in February it seems your problem may be similar to me I was always very high, I had problems with the tablets and side effects so went onto Insulin about 2 months ago, much better and easier to keep a good control but it was and is in my case watching for sugars, in everything I eat and drink. In my case good control is watching what I eat, eating regularly and some exercise to burn off the exes sugars and Insulin amounts at dosages to reflect all the above. Good luck and keep smiling.
 
paulnicholls said:
Cheers Vicky. Just two minutes ago had a lot of info through the post from Diabetes UK. I'll aim to sit down and read the lot.

I heard about carrying around boiled sweets, Mars Bars etc... maybe that's what I should have done / start doing.

Let me know how you get on Vicky. If you want me to call you to assist you further (entirely free - that's the good thing about this forum) just send me a message. I would be delighted to help out.
Click to expand...

Paul, firstly I think what you are suffering from is a "false hypo", in other words, your body has got used to running at very high BG levels and when those levels drop somewhat your thalamus gland sends out a message saying "hey, brain getting short of sugar here" which is what causes the sweating and trembling. However, you are not going hypo and it doesn't need treating. I would suggest you carry your meter at all times and if you feel these symptoms then test. Unless you are under 4.0 don't treat it, you will not pass out. Eventually as your BGs come under control your body and your Thalamus gland will re-adjust and you will no longer experience false hypos.

Secondly, Mars bars are not good for treating real hypos. The fat in the chocolate slows down the absorption of glucose + a Mars bar is FAR too much carbohydrate to treat a hypo. Carry lucozade tablets which can be obtained at most chemists for anything from 49p a packet to 75p a packet (Superdrug often do buy one get one free offers).

Thirdly, I don't know how long you have been diagnosed, but reading your posts around the forum you sound suspiciously like myself at the time of diagnosis. My BG was over 33 (in other words it just read "Hi" on the meter) but I was only displaying a trace of ketones. Initially diagnosed T2 - I was however severely under weight and had just lost 2 stone very rapidly. It became apparent after a month on oral meds that they weren't doing anything and so I was put on insulin and oral meds dropped. It transpired I was LADA - a slow onset form of T1 in adults (that's simplifying things a lot - but will do for purposes of this post). Just a thought.

Unless of course your BGs are still so high because you've been following the ruinous diet advice advocated by the NHS and endorsed by DUK to eat "starchy carbs with every meal" which would partially explain your high levels particularly if you have only been on oral meds under 3 - 4 weeks.
 
Pattidevans said:
Unless of course your BGs are still so high because you've been following the ruinous diet advice advocated by the NHS and endorsed by DUK to eat "starchy carbs with every meal" which would partially explain your high levels particularly if you have only been on oral meds under 3 - 4 weeks.
Click to expand...

I think that last statement needs qualifying a bit. I'm borderline underweight (BMI 18.5) and I do a lot of distance running. As such, I need to make sure I do eat starchy carbs with every meal to maintain my energy levels and maintain a healthy calorie intake. As long as the carbs are not high GI, or things like glycaemic factor are considered (i.e. combining higher GI foods with lower GI foods will produce a lower overall GI for the meal), and I'm taking sufficient insulin to deal with it, it's the right diet for me. Even sugary foods like biscuits and chocolate don't produce 'spikes' in BG for me when combined with other foods and/or exercise. I don't see how basing a meal on complex carbs can be 'ruinous', as this is the body's primary fuel source. Just my take on it - don't want to start an argument :)

Since I was diagnosed I've been given an awful lot of dietary information that simply doesn't apply to me because I'm not trying to lose weight - quite the opposite!
 
with eating carbs... i would follow whats best for yourself, not what other people tell you. i've noticed a lot of type 2s on here saying they dont eat carbs and that diabetics shouldnt... that just simply isnt possibly for type 1s. no carbs = big hypo!!
 
Bethany - Only for injectors cursed with that premix rubbish, surely? Basal/bolus injectors can eat as much carb as they are prepared to shoot for, no?

If you eat no carbs and get a hypo, then you have shot too much insulin.

The purpose of DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) for example is the approach of calculating the amount of insulin required to counter the food intake. Managing carb intake makes this considerably easier and removes some of the margin for error.

Having said that a no-carb diet is next to impossible and even if it were possible, would be horrendously unhealthy.

Northerner - I agree with you up to a point where if you are undertaking a lot of exercise then a lot of carbs can be wise, but its a question of degree particularly for non-injectors, which is who that comment was aimed at.

For a non-injecting T2 not doing a lot of exercise after a meal then a lot of carb is unwise since it can shoot the BG up high (with the usual tiredness, possible hypo symptoms etc) and then drop fast (more hypo symptoms, etc). Having a rollercoaster BG for a non-injector in this way makes you feel pretty awful and considering that damage from high BG begins around 7.5 (and possibly earlier), its pretty dangerous as well in the long term.

Of course being an injector you have another tool with a finer degree of control that non-injectors do not have. For non-injectors finer control usually boils down to food management and exercise.

Pattidevans's comments were aimed at a non-injecting T2 so in context its sound. For an injector, it is different as you mentioned.
 
VBH - Even if you inject - High Gi foods can give you spikes - and then you come crashing down - so although we do have more freedom - no we can't just eat what we want and give insulin accordingly. We still have to watch levels. I find eating a lot of carbs is diasterous and my sugars will be in double figures even if I have given myself the correct insulin - and I have been carb counting and at this for over 30 years so know what insulin I need! Less carbs and insulin works better for me personally - but that is just my experience. If only it was as easy you make it sound! Everyone is different what works for one may be disasterous for another - as everyone will see from reading the boards - there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to diabetes!
 
Ooops, this seems to be getting rather contentious, which was not at all my intention.

I do believe that the high carb advice given by the NHS is skewed since it's far more important to "eat to your meter". Which is highly individual, since everyone has different reactions to different carbohydrates. For example I do know people who can eat bananas without much of a twitch of their BG. I certainly can't. Therefore, we all have to work out what we tolerate and what we don't, which does initially mean a lot of testing. Neither Northerner nor VBH are wrong... in theory all T1s can count carbs and shoot for them... but I know not all carbs are equal and not all affect me personally the same as others. Which is precisely why my meter is so important to work out how and what I can eat.

The same goes for T2s. So for the NHS to simply tell people to eat 40 - 50% of their meals as starchy carbs is a recipe for disaster. We all need to know what works for us individually. No "one size fits all" is right, it needs to be explored and worked on personally. Northerner needs a lot more carbs than a sedentary T2. We all have to work it out for ourselves.

I personally find that curbing the carbs works best for me despite carb counting and insulin ratio. Yes, I am well aware and able to do this and it's so ingrained it's second nature to me, but do remember that there are a lot of newbies on here who aren't.
 
Hmmm remind me not to reply to two separate points in a single post again.

The point about shooting for carbs was in relation to Bethany's point about low carbs for a T1 - not high carbs and high BG.

The point about rollercoaster BGs was in relation to Northener's comment and specific to T2s.

Bit of a crossover there. Sorry for any confusion.
 
No probs for me VBH been around the forums a long time and I did see the dichotomies in the thread!

I was initially addressing Paul as a T2, I had forgotten that this forum is pretty new and there's no signatures in people's posts which say what regime they are on, nor are the types particularly segregated. Not that that particularly matters but perhaps posters should be aware that there are differences which are significant.

Nice to see you here anyway, since I know you are a very experienced person on many other boards.
 
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