hypos and metformin

[Sullipepper]

Sorry to be a pain. I am newly diagnosed type 2. Started on metformin and was violently ill so put on slow release ones. I was also diagnosed with reactive hypoglicemia related to heart condition many years ago. The diabetic nurse said i now have both. Since starting the slow release i have gone from very high numbers in the 14s and 15s to hypos an hr after i eat. Can the metformin do this. I have changed my diet so much and eating very healthy.

 

[AndBreathe]

Sorry to be a pain. I am newly diagnosed type 2. Started on metformin and was violently ill so put on slow release ones. I was also diagnosed with reactive hypoglicemia related to heart condition many years ago. The diabetic nurse said i now have both. Since starting the slow release i have gone from very high numbers in the 14s and 15s to hypos an hr after i eat. Can the metformin do this. I have changed my diet so much and eating very healthy.

Hi there - What you describe would be quite unusual, but certainly not impossible. What numbers are you seeing in your hypos?

What sort of things are you eating now? If you have a reactive hypoglycaemia diagnosis you may have some unexpected outcomes.

 

[Sullipepper]

Hi there - What you describe would be quite unusual, but certainly not impossible. What numbers are you seeing in your hypos?

What sort of things are you eating now? If you have a reactive hypoglycaemia diagnosis you may have some unexpected outcomes.

after dinner sometimes its 13 or 14 2hrs later but other times 4.9 and dropping. Some mornings are 7-8 (that's gone down now) it was 9, but one morning I woke very ill and hungry at 2.6.
Breakfast 1 slice oat and barely toast with peanut butter , lunch a ham salad cob with portion of fruit or nuts. Dinner chicken mixed veg with 30g of 50% less fat cheese sprinkled over. Some strawberries. Night snack one slice of oat toast with flora proactive. My diagnosis was a few weeks ago Hb1c 7% then repeated and was 7.4

 

[Lilian]

Often when you have been running so high for a long time, a sudden decrease can feel like it might be a hypo (if you are not completely aware what a real hypo feels like). Metformin helps lower BG but it is not usual to have a full blown hypo. But it is no good surmising or guessing, you really need to do a test to make completely sure. It might be worth your while to buy a tester and some strips yourself if the doctor will not give you one.

 

[Sullipepper]

Often when you have been running so high for a long time, a sudden decrease can feel like it might be a hypo (if you are not completely aware what a real hypo feels like). Metformin helps lower BG but it is not usual to have a full blown hypo. But it is no good surmising or guessing, you really need to do a test to make completely sure. It might be worth your while to buy a tester and some strips yourself if the doctor will not give you one.

Thankyou

 

[Sullipepper]

Sorry to be a pain. I am newly diagnosed type 2. Started on metformin and was violently ill so put on slow release ones. I was also diagnosed with reactive hypoglicemia related to heart condition many years ago. The diabetic nurse said i now have both. Since starting the slow release i have gone from very high numbers in the 14s and 15s to hypos an hr after i eat. Can the metformin do this. I have changed my diet so much and eating very healthy.

Actually yes since going from reactive hypoglycemia to diabetic my body has probably got used to having high numbers so when it low or normal It feels strange.

 

[AndBreathe]

@Sullipepper - Those numbers are pinging about a bit.

If you have Reactive Hypoglycaemia, I would have thought you would want to limit the foods you are eating to produce the high numbers, because that's what can lead to the hypos.

As I understand it, with RH your insulin release timing is a bit off, resulting in highs, then a hefty insulin release, pushing the numbers down to overshoot into hypo territory.

Were I in your shoes, I would try having a few days of very low carb eating. That doesn't mean starving yourself, but concentrating on protein and fats, then adding some leafy vegetables and see how you get along.

Were you given any dietary advice when diagnosed RH, and do see anyone, like a specialist regarding it?

 

[Inka]

Actually yes since going from reactive hypoglycemia to diabetic my body has probably got used to having high numbers so when it low or normal It feels strange.

Because of your ‘complicated’ diagnosis, it would be best to get some advice from a dietician. You’ll find general advice for RH online, but I certainly wouldn’t cut out carbs like that without checking with your doctor or a dietician.

 

[Lucyr]

Sorry to be a pain. I am newly diagnosed type 2. Started on metformin and was violently ill so put on slow release ones. I was also diagnosed with reactive hypoglicemia related to heart condition many years ago. The diabetic nurse said i now have both. Since starting the slow release i have gone from very high numbers in the 14s and 15s to hypos an hr after i eat. Can the metformin do this. I have changed my diet so much and eating very healthy.

well done on all the changes you’ve made, but when you say eating healthy what kind of things are you eating? With reactive hypoglycaemia your body overreacts to the rises in blood sugar after you eat, so you might need to keep some notes. If you write down what you eat and what your blood sugars are, you should start building a pattern of what kind of foods work best for you.

 

[Drummer]

after dinner sometimes its 13 or 14 2hrs later but other times 4.9 and dropping. Some mornings are 7-8 (that's gone down now) it was 9, but one morning I woke very ill and hungry at 2.6.
Breakfast 1 slice oat and barely toast with peanut butter , lunch a ham salad cob with portion of fruit or nuts. Dinner chicken mixed veg with 30g of 50% less fat cheese sprinkled over. Some strawberries. Night snack one slice of oat toast with flora proactive. My diagnosis was a few weeks ago Hb1c 7% then repeated and was 7.4

Those foods must be pretty deadly if you have both RH and type two - carbohydrates are not going to calm your insulin output in the slightest.
Reducing the carbohydrate content of your meals should even out the rollercoaster levels, and avoiding anything with reduced fat will assist in obtaining more normal numbers.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your BG fluctuations @Sullipepper

Metformin doesn’t generally have the capacity to cause hypos. It’s mode of action is more in reducing insulin resistance and lowering glucose output from the liver than in driving BG levels down directly.

However I suppose if your insulin phases are a bit over enthusiastic, metformin’s ability to help your body use that insulin more efficiently may be worth consideration by your Dr?