Low readings for T2s

Status
Not open for further replies.
Cliff

Cliff

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I've carried on with my weekend low carbing experiment by replacing my usual lunch (small tortilla wrap - variety of fillings - 40g carb) with some ham and cheese. Tested pre-dinner tonight and got a 3.9! OK I know the meter may not be 100% accurate but it's definitely a low reading for me. I feel fine and not remotely hypo. My question is this and aimed really at those that know more about low carbing than I do. Is it normal, or at least not abnormal, to get a 3.9 when low carbing? And not to have any obvious signs of difficulty, by that I mean hypo symptoms, when running that low?
 
I don't carb count so can't answer as well as someone who does.

Our aim is to be between 4 and 7, so technically 3.9 is hypo. If you are used to the lower levels (around 4-5), you may not notice a small drop so it is sensible to keep an eye on things.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer.
 
Hi Cliff,

I carb count to a degree, but T1 not T2, so not sure exactly. I wouldn't be worried with a 3.5 to 3.9 reading before a meal, or even in the morning. The fact you are reducing your carb intake has to have a direct impact on your sugar levels, so this isn't abnormal in my opinion, although depends on your medicine (tablets/insulin/D+E). The more time you spend in the low region the less prone some people (not all) are to having hypo awareness, however if you had spent a few days in 8's or higher, the 3.9 may well have set you off. But as I said not T2 so don't fully understand how your tablets work (if you're on them.) All in all I would say it's good, so well done 🙂
 
I'm on diet control only at the moment. I normally run in the 5 to 7 range but since my experiment started this has dropped to 4s and 5s. I don't think there's any genuine hypo risk as my liver (is that right?) should pump out more glucose to raise my level if it got too low. I was just a tiny bit concerned as I've never had anything remotely like a 3.9 before - in fact, until I started the experiment, I'd only ever had one reading in the 4s.
 
Then it can only be good,well I'm not 100% sure either, but as I understand the liver would dump glucose if low, unless you've been on the booze! So well done this can only help you stay away from drugs for a bit (hopefully a lot!) longer. Pat on the back Cliff🙂
 
If you are diet controlled you are less likely to have a hypo, but this is not impossible. Even non diabetics get hypos sometimes. It is good you are getting such great numbers and you are aware of what is going on.
 
Hi again Cliff,

As you already know, I'm a non-insulin Type 2 on metformin only and these days my blood glucose dip under 4 not infrequently. The lowest that I've ever recorded is a 3.4 once - or maybe twice - but usually 3.7 to 3.9 when they happen.

Just like you, I have absolutely no hypo' symptoms that I'm aware of. My body tells me nothing - I feel exactly the same whether I'm at 3.4 or in double figures. The only way that I know about these instances is because my meter tells me.

My GP tells me that it's nothing to worry about and all I should ever do if I suspect that I might be low is to take something to eat. I'm quite relaxed about it these days. After all, what would we know about it if we weren't testing? Our bodies must simply act to lift the level back to normal. As I understand things, that is what happens in a person who does not have diabetes.

The only thing that I do to try to counter going too low is to carry small pieces of fruit with me wherever I go and snack on those at intervals of not less than one hour.

I do realise that the situation is totally different and much more dangerous for anyone using insulin and or certain other blood-glucose lowering medications - whether they be a Type 1 or a Type 2.

You sound to be doing just fine to me.

Very best wishes - John
 
Cliff said:
I've carried on with my weekend low carbing experiment by replacing my usual lunch (small tortilla wrap - variety of fillings - 40g carb) with some ham and cheese. Tested pre-dinner tonight and got a 3.9! OK I know the meter may not be 100% accurate but it's definitely a low reading for me. I feel fine and not remotely hypo. My question is this and aimed really at those that know more about low carbing than I do. Is it normal, or at least not abnormal, to get a 3.9 when low carbing? And not to have any obvious signs of difficulty, by that I mean hypo symptoms, when running that low?
Click to expand...

Dear Cliff,

I agree with whally, his experience parallels yours, and I've met a number of others that have the same experience. Obviously keeping an eye on things with your meter is good.

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
Sounds like you're doing well. Best I can do on a daily basis is under 6.
Ken
 
Knapweed said:
Sounds like you're doing well. Best I can do on a daily basis is under 6.
Ken
Click to expand...
Don't knock it Ken - you are doing absolutely superb!

........and Cliff too!

Best wishes - John
 
Ken - that's a great HbA1c you have there - very close to the 4% club!

I'm very tempted to carry on with the experiment to see if I can get down to that sort of level but I am finding it tough to get some variety into my diet. Got some new low carb cook books to explore though, so I might stick with it for a little longer.
 
Hi again Cliff,

I've recently done a summary of what I'm eating and and posted it in the Foods section. Have you seen that? It might give you some ideas.

Best wishes - John
 
wallycorker said:
I've recently done a summary of what I'm eating and and posted it in the Foods section. Have you seen that? It might give you some ideas.
Click to expand...

I've read it with great interest John and in fact our diets seem quite similar in many respects except you seem to go low fat as well as controlled carb. I'm fairly neutral on fats, and even more so now having got my lipids back into normal range.

At dinner time my wife and I tend to cook everything from scratch these days so no worries there. Lunch is the major problem for me and while I'm happy to munch on a nice salad, it's usually something grabbed for a few minutes at my desk or whatever's available if I happen to be working on site. It's as much a pre-planning issue as anything and requires me to get my act together!

I haven't done a great deal of testing with fruit though and might have to explore that further. It's something I have been very cautious with since diagnosis.
 
Last edited:
Cliff said:
I've read it with great interest John and in fact our diets seem quite similar in many respects except you seem to go low fat as well as controlled carb. I'm fairly neutral on fats, and even more so now having got my lipids back into normal range.

At dinner time my wife and I tend to cook everything from scratch these days so no worries there. Lunch is the major problem for me and while I'm happy to munch on a nice salad, it's usually something grabbed for a few minutes at my desk or whatever's available if I happen to be working on site. It's as much a pre-planning issue as anything and requires me to get my act together!

I haven't done a great deal of testing with fruit though and might have to explore that further. It's something I have been very cautious with since diagnosis.
Click to expand...
Hi again Cliff,

Yes - I have eaten low fat for many years now. It's almost built into our family's way of thinking and not something that I even think about a lot it's more an instinctive thing that we do when buying foods. The wife loves juicy thick fat but I've never been too keen on it myself. Since I cut back on the starchy carbohydrates, I have started eating quite a lot more meat - e.g. beef or gammon steaks than I would have done last year so I'll be getting more fat because of that. That type of food is the easy choice if I'm in a restaurant situation because it's always on the menu. However, I'd often - but not always - cut of the thick fat.

My wife does me a beautiful box of salad most days that I carry in the car and eat in the office or wherever. I really do look forward to it - meat, fish or cheese with lettuce, celery, pepper, radishes, spring onion, cherry tomatoes and a few grapes or a chopped apple topped off with a small amount of flax/linseed seeds scattered over it. Together with a small glass jar with an apple cider and olive oil dressing. Truly, I really do like it!

Yes - it is worth testing out fruit because if you are the same as me and can eat loads of it then that really is a massive help for snacking and maintaining a certain level of carbohydrate intake.

My last total cholesterol was 3.1 but I have been eating a little bit more fat than at the time I got that result. It'll be interesting to see what it is this time round - it'll be due soon. I do have an home-testing total cholesterol tester and the results that I'm getting from that aren't frightening me but I don't know how it will correlate with the real thing.

Best wishes - John
 
I don't carb count but one of the things I do is have two vegetables instead of one vegetable and potatoes in the staff resteraunt. I try not to have lunch at my desk as it is a bit of physical activity to have to leave the office for lunch and look in the book shop while I'm about it.
 
Caroline said:
.......one of the things I do is have two vegetables instead of one vegetable and potatoes........
Click to expand...
I agree Caroline - It really is all quite simple by making small changes such as that. That's how I developed my diet gradually over a period of time ........and I'm still changing things even now.

John
 
wallycorker said:
I agree Caroline - It really is all quite simple by making small changes such as that. That's how I developed my diet gradually over a period of time ........and I'm still changing things even now.

John
Click to expand...

Some where else was advertising a healthier options and the way to do it was to make small changes which added up to a big change. Bit like learning to walk, one step at a time...
 
Caroline said:
Some where else was advertising a healthier options and the way to do it was to make small changes which added up to a big change. Bit like learning to walk, one step at a time...
Click to expand...
Yes - I totally agree. People generally are looking for a way to do everything in one go or with one pill. However, unfortunately, it doesn't ever work like that!

As regards walking, I've nearly learnt after 66 years - I don't hardly fall down at all these days! 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top