Hypo

K

Knittingpattern

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I had my first hypo today. Looking back at the day i can now see why. I am a carer so start work at 6am finish at 11am. Had an avocado with almond flour pancake took metformin first thing. Good. @ 1pm was 4 almond flour pancakes with a little honey.bad Went for a walk @3pm till 4pm. Bad. By 5pm i felt shaky and giddy dry mouth. Did pinprick test 1.1mol panicked took 2 mint candies glass of squash sat and waited feeling very weak. 2nd test was 6.7mol better.dinner was small lamb chop jacket potato, parsnips and ratatouille. Took metformin. Feeling better now. Going to get some glucose chews now, just in case. Good news is itching is massively reduced! What a rollercoaster.
 
Knittingpattern said:
I had my first hypo today. Looking back at the day i can now see why. I am a carer so start work at 6am finish at 11am. Had an avocado with almond flour pancake took metformin first thing. Good. @ 1pm was 4 almond flour pancakes with a little honey.bad Went for a walk @3pm till 4pm. Bad. By 5pm i felt shaky and giddy dry mouth. Did pinprick test 1.1mol panicked took 2 mint candies glass of squash sat and waited feeling very weak. 2nd test was 6.7mol better.dinner was small lamb chop jacket potato, parsnips and ratatouille. Took metformin. Feeling better now. Going to get some glucose chews now, just in case. Good news is itching is massively reduced! What a rollercoaster.
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Metformin is not a medication that usually causes hypos but what you may be getting is that you have cut your carb intake quickly so your body is adjusting to much lower glucose levels than it was previously used to, people call it a false hypo.
I wonder if the 1.1mmol/l was actually correct as at that level you would likely have lost consciousness and actually needed medical attention as you would have been unable to have treated yourself.
You could carry a small 150ml can of full sugar coke or jelly babies if needed but unless you are taking medication which does have the potential to cause hypos then your liver will normally release glucose to correct your low level.
You probably need to be eating something a bit more balanced with protein and healthy fats as well as some carbs. Low carb is not no carb.
 
I'm struggling to get my head around what you've described. Apart from people on Metformin not being known to experience hypos, a finger prick result of 1.1? If correct I would have thought that warranted A&E under blue lights.
 
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Which meter are you using? I know of at least one (the Sinocare) which gives a low reading when you don't get enough blood for the test to work which is very unhelpful and can certainly cause people to panic.
As others have said, at 1.1 you would be unconscious, so I suspect your meter is incorrect, especially as Metformin isn't known to cause hypos and certainly not severe ones like 1.1.
 
1.1 would make you pretty much incapable of anything if you were still conscious. I wouldn’t trust that meter.
 
Sorry to hear about your wobbly moment @Knittingpattern

As others are saying, your meter may have given you a lower number than you actually had, but it does sound like you were experiencing some pretty unpleasant symptoms of low glucose.
 
Wow that’s a lot to take in. So 1.1 is silly low my machine is a sinocare! False hypo then thank god. think I did cut my carbs too quickly and exercised. Thank you all for the advice I am gonna look at a more balanced diet, breakfast is so hard that early I don’t want to eat then but I know I must. One other thing my finger tips are sore now from the pin pricks is that usual?
 
Knittingpattern said:
Wow that’s a lot to take in. So 1.1 is silly low my machine is a sinocare! False hypo then thank god. think I did cut my carbs too quickly and exercised. Thank you all for the advice I am gonna look at a more balanced diet, breakfast is so hard that early I don’t want to eat then but I know I must. One other thing my finger tips are sore now from the pin pricks is that usual?
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I think the Sinocare is the monitor that people have reported as having problems with and is not reliable.
Those taking medication that could cause hypos then below 4 would be hypo with many having impaired function and as low as 1.1 they would likely be unconscious.
You don't have to eat if you don't want to but if you are taking the metformin then it is wise to have something as it will help with any potential stomach upset. You could have some full fat Greek yoghurt with berries and maybe seeds of nuts which is a breakfast many have. You could take the metformin with any of your other meals instead.
Your fingers shouldn't be sore if you have your technique right, the best place to prick I find is just to the side of the pad not right on the end. You can use different fingers but I find the middle 2 are easiest.
You might want to get a new monitor rather than scare yourself. The GlucoNavii, TEE2 or Contour Blue are ones people find reliable and have the cheaper test strips.
 
Hi @Knittingpattern Sorry your meter gave you a scare. However, if you had the symptoms it was probably a “false hypo”. Our bodies are incredibly resilient and get used to certain BG levels. It is likely you experienced a BG lower than your body is used which is why you felt shaky. I know this can feel scary but over time, your body will familiarise itself with the lower levels.
As for your sore fingers, while this is not uncommon, it should not be happening if you have perfected your “prick technique”. Before I started using a Libre, I was pricking 10+ times a day.
The key things are
- prick warm hands. The warmer your fingers, the closest the blood is to the surface and easier to extract. I make myself a cuppa and cuddle it to warm my fingers before pricking. When it is colder and I don’t have a cuppa close by, I shake my hand to do the same thing. Just remember to shake before pricking.
- adjust your pricking device. All prickers have a dial to adjust how deep they will prick. The idea is to prick only as deep as necessary to extract blood. If your blood is near the surface, you don’t need to prick very deep.
- prick the side of your finger pads. Avoid pricking the area you use for typing, for example.
- rotate your fingers. You have 5 digits on each hand. Try not to favour one or two. I will use all my fingers but some people avoid their fore fingers. I had a “finger schedule” to even out the usage. I would use my left hand on odd dates and right hand on even days. Then use a finger per meal plus the last one for bed. Your schedule does not need to be as detailed as mine, as long as you give your fingers a rest.
 
I remember having my first hypo...it was an absolute shock I must admit but luckily for me I remembered everything I learned in hospital when I was diagnosed with T1D..but it still sends a bit of a shiver down my spine remembering that readout on my Sure Duo...2.9 it read.
 
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Knittingpattern said:
One other thing my finger tips are sore now from the pin pricks is that usual?
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You've already got some good advice on technique but can I ask how often you're testing? In the meantime there's an excellent tutorial on the site, including a video on how to do it, that you might find useful:-

Checking your blood sugar levels

Knowing your blood sugar levels helps you manage your diabetes and reduces your risk of having serious complications – now and in the future. What are blood sugar levels? Your blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels, are a measurement that show how much glucose you have in your...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk
 
Most of the meters I've ever used do not display any reading below 1.8 - just display ' LO '.
 
trophywench said:
Most of the meters I've ever used do not display any reading below 1.8 - just display ' LO '.
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I recall having a LO reading early on after diagnosis and I was indeed still conscious. Very confused, but conscious and had to have hubby intervene and insist I ate glucose tabs.
 
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