Some advice please!!

[lala9]

Hi there, I am having a hard time understanding this whole blood sugar thing, would be SO grateful if someone could help...

So last year, being overweight, found to be pre diabetic and diabetes being rife on both sides of my family, I started alternate day fasting
. I didn't have an issue with hunger, but felt really bad. No energy at all, and an extraordinarily dry mouth, which drinking more and more water only seemed to exacerbate.
So I put this down to an electrolyte issue, but taking electrolytes didn't seem to help. Nevertheless I continued with ADF, and my sugars went back to normal.
Then followed about a year of terrible eating, with months and months of nothing but sweets consumed, my sweet tooth and cravings were completely out of control and I seemed wholly unable to stop them.
So I started taking mounjarno. When I went up a dose from the starting dose of 2.5mg to 5mg, I started getting the same symptoms that I had had while alternate day fasting, the terrible dry mouth and not an ounce of energy. I started to think that this must be a blood sugar thing - that I had actually now got T2D, ( and it would have been a miracle if I hadn't), and the mounjaro was causing my sugars to drop to low.
So on the particular day that it got really bad, I had taken the mounjaro shot in the morning, and then fasted until around 4PM. Terrible symptoms that were consistent with hypo glycemia. I ate a load of sugar and then my friend came over with one of those prick your finger kits, and it said it was 4. something, I can't remember, but she said it was a bit low. A bit later and it was normal.
Since then I really can't articulately explain things, but I seem to have see sawing sugars - ie- felt bad, had a glass of orange juice, felt better, and then a lot of other confusing stuff I can't explain.
What I don't understand is - I know that to get blood sugar evened out, you're supposed to eat slow releasing carbs, essential fats and protein - steering totally clear of anything that spikes the blood sugar. So! If I'm taking mounjaro to lose weight and sort my sugars out, if I'm always taking in sugary stuff to stop hypoglycemia, how will my sugars ever normalise?
I'm due my next 5mg moujarno shot today, and I am having a blood test at 5PM today. I don't know if I should take the moujarno shot before or after the blood test.
I asked two different pharmacists for advice - one said I should wait until 6 days after a shot, in order to get an idea of what my sugars are doing without moujarno affecting anything, and the other said I should have the test with moujarno very much in my system, because I am trying to establish what effect it has on my sugars.

I'm just so confused with the whole thing, I would love - if it's a thing that's actually possible, and not dependent on any number of variables, but I would love somebody to explain really clearly what's what with this whole blood sugar thing - have some kind of hard and fast rules around - if I do this, this happens- always.. that kind of thing.
Also when I took berberine I found it did the same thing. I don't understand how it works. I'd be SOOOO very grateful id someone could explain it , in a really easy to understand way -if thats possible as I have learning difficulties.

Apologies for this very long post, if you have read it all thank you so, so much!

 

[Inka]

Welcome @lala9 🙂 4 or 4 point something is a normal blood sugar. It’s not hypoglycaemia🙂 Blood sugar naturally goes up and down within a normal range, so you’re not aiming for a flat line. It might be a good idea for you to get your own blood glucose meter as you’ll then know what’s happening and hopefully be able to put your mind at rest.

One thing I will say is that you can get what are called false hypos where a normal blood sugar feels odd to your body as it’s used to running a bit high. So maybe that’s what is causing your funny feelings? As you improve things, this will settle.

 

[silver minion]

Hi I am by no means an expert but people who don't have diabetes still experience rises and falls in their blood sugar naturally regulated by your liver and pancreas.
Dropping to 4.4 is a normal reading if it isn't continuing to drop. You shouldn't need to feed yourself sugars to ward off hypos. Stuff like jelly babies are .a quick acting treatment for early stage hypos.

I monitor my blood glucose with a finger prick meter as I take gliclazide. However I am aware of my symptoms if I am going hypo and always test to confirm. Just a couple of jelly babies followed by a small snack bar is enough to bring me back up to around 5 or 6.
Would time restricted eating on a daily basis rather than alternate day fasting work better for you if you are taking mounjaro.?
Maybe try testing your blood glucose regularly for a while will help you see how it varies during the day and which meals spike your levels or keep you to gentle rises.
I test first thing (fasting) then before and 2 hours after each meal if it's a new meal I haven't tested before. I can eat 3 ryvitas with cream cheese and pickles and a salad and my blood glucose level barely rises.
Everyone is different so you will have to find out what works for you.

 

[Drummer]

@lala9 I'm afraid that what you 'know' is not much use at all if dealing with ordinary type 2 diabetes.
Fasting can result in glucose being put into the bloodstream by our liver being 'helpful. I would see rising levels if I did not eat soon after getting up - just a small amount of carbs, I go for 10gm and my liver is reassured.

Usually we find that carbs of any colour or description are simply carbs and do what carbs do - I have been told that there are the magic unicornlike carbs which do not elevate my blood glucose, but they have not arrived yet.
I hope you are using that Mountjarno treatment under guidance from your GP or a HCP, as it is not at all clear that you would be advised to take it under the official guidelines as you are not diagnosed as being diabetic.

For an ordinary type 2 a simply reduction in the amount of carbs eaten is all that is required - no fasting or even any medication for many. Weightloss happens naturally, HbA1c heads back to normal numbers, even the ability to cope with carbs improves - that is what I saw eating a maximum of 50 gm of carbs back in the early days after diagnosis.

 

[saffron15]

Were you prescribed mounjaro by your GP? Have you had an hba1c? Looks at last three months of glucose in blood.
If not prescribed by GP, are you getting the appropriate tests and support. There are a number of forum members writing about how they are coping. I lost a stone between diagnosis and medication. I have lost 2 and a half stone so far. It's coming up to a year since I was diagnosed.
Are your relatives with diabetes all type 2 or do some have type 1. I was tested 10 years ago and not at all since then. I asked for the test last year when I realised they weren't bothering. I certainly agree with you treating the prediabetes as a warning.
I understand mounjaro switches off or reduces your hunger. I still have times when I want to pig out. If I eat too many carbs I want more! I still have the occasional cake or pastry but tend to have atfriends house or cafe. If I brought home sweets or cakes I would intend to eat slowly but that is unlikely.
Do get a BG meter. Having said that in the last few weeks I've had my highest ever reading of 18 and lowest of 3.2. I suspectboth were wrong particularly 3.2 which was the first reading of the day. I didn't feel unwell.
I have started an aquafit class which is great

Good luck
.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear how wobbly you have been feeling @lala9

One of the tricky things about blood glucose variations (particularly of things have started to go a bit out of kilter) is the way that the sensations you may get (eg crushing fatigue) can be caused by both high glucose levels and low glucose levels.

Thirst is usually associated with high glucose levels, but fatigue and tiredness can be experienced at either end of the spectrum!

Another tricky thing, is that the body can react to out of range levels in various compensatory ways. And alarm systems can be triggered by BG levels that are comparatively high or low, rather than absolutely high or low in body-chemistry terms. So if your body has got used to high BG levels it can trigger low BG warning signs when level are lower than it’s used to - but not actually technically low in absolute terms.

So without access to a BG meter it can be quite tricky to determine, based on body sensations alone, what your levels are doing.

Which can make understanding the patterns quite tricky.

Eg if you are getting false hypo symptoms in the 5s-6s, because your body is used to running near double-figures, you may be ‘topping up’ to overly high levels by taking on carbs you don’t necessarily really need, because your body is crying out for extra carbs to get it where it’s used to (which is actually too high).

 

[JimmyBlue]

@lala9 I won't repeat the advice around your symptoms and issues as that is already good and should give you some ideas about how to better understand you blood glucose. I sympathise with your sweet tooth cravings as that was always an issue for me prior to being diagnosed. If you feel you need to satisfy the cravings can I suggest having a look at the SugarFreeLondoner website. The site has lots of recipes for sweet type biscuits and cakes which are low carb and delicious. Making these might help you satisfy the cravings while helping to keep your carb in take lower thus supporting you in better managing your blood glucose. Plus I have found it fun to make these treats and test them on my family, so far the peanut butter cookies have been received well by one of my daughters, the other and her mum don't like peanut butter so more for me

 

[Leadinglights]

Many people find that by reducing the sweet foods they have their tastes change and things can be far too sweet and sickly and alternatives which are less sweet are the go to choices.

 

[saffron15]

@Leadinglights has a point. When I was 13 I stopped having sugar in my tea, the next year I stopped in coffee and then i stopped adding sugar to cereal. As I'm now retired it was a long time ago. However, I definitely sort out less sugar my palate changed.

 

[Leadinglights]

@Leadinglights has a point. When I was 13 I stopped having sugar in my tea, the next year I stopped in coffee and then i stopped adding sugar to cereal. As I'm now retired it was a long time ago. However, I definitely sort out less sugar my palate changed.

I only realised when in hospital after my knee accident and opted for a chocolate eclair as desert but had to scrape the chocolate topping off as it was just too sweet.

 

[rebrascora]

I haven't seen that benefit. I can drink my tea and coffee without sugar and if I have cream in my coffee I prefer it over sugar, but I would still enjoy sugar in it.
I could go back to eating sickly sweet stuff in a heartbeat. I don't crave it as long as I stick to low carb but if I have some, I want more .... and more and more and then I end up having an absolutely horrible sugar rush and hyper with heart pounding and feeling really rough. My body just can't take that sort of punishment anymore so I do my best not to step on that slippery slope these days as much as possible!

 

[debs248]

@Leadinglights has a point. When I was 13 I stopped having sugar in my tea, the next year I stopped in coffee and then i stopped adding sugar to cereal.

Interesting. When I was 14 I decided to stop putting sugar in my tea too, but had never heard of anyone else doing anything similar.

 

[lala9]

Welcome @lala9 🙂 4 or 4 point something is a normal blood sugar. It’s not hypoglycaemia🙂 Blood sugar naturally goes up and down within a normal range, so you’re not aiming for a flat line. It might be a good idea for you to get your own blood glucose meter as you’ll then know what’s happening and hopefully be able to put your mind at rest.

One thing I will say is that you can get what are called false hypos where a normal blood sugar feels odd to your body as it’s used to running a bit high. So maybe that’s what is causing your funny feelings? As you improve things, this will sett

Thank you for being so welcoming, Inka 🙂

The 4. whatever it was, was after I had knocked back a three sherbert fountains.., the tube type things with liquorice in them. Like I say, I was pre diabetic not too long ago, and since I got back to normal levels I've had over a year of INSANE sugar consumption, and it would be nothing short of a miracle if I hadn't gone full type 2. I had a blood test yesterday, I think it's one of those that gives you something about the last three months, but I've been on moujarno for about 6 weeks, and didn't know if that would have caused me to get an inaccurate reading..

I've had what you've written here explained to me, and it's really helpful. Thank you so much 🙂

 

[lala9]

Hi I am by no means an expert but people who don't have diabetes still experience rises and falls in their blood sugar naturally regulated by your liver and pancreas.
Dropping to 4.4 is a normal reading if it isn't continuing to drop. You shouldn't need to feed yourself sugars to ward off hypos. Stuff like jelly babies are .a quick acting treatment for early stage hypos.

I monitor my blood glucose with a finger prick meter as I take gliclazide. However I am aware of my symptoms if I am going hypo and always test to confirm. Just a couple of jelly babies followed by a small snack bar is enough to bring me back up to around 5 or 6.
Would time restricted eating on a daily basis rather than alternate day fasting work better for you if you are taking mounjaro.?
Maybe try testing your blood glucose regularly for a while will help you see how it varies during the day and which meals spike your levels or keep you to gentle rises.
I test first thing (fasting) then before and 2 hours after each meal if it's a new meal I haven't tested before. I can eat 3 ryvitas with cream cheese and pickles and a salad and my blood glucose level barely rises.
Everyone is different so you will have to find out what works for you.

Thank you so much Silver minion! A great help 🙂

 

[lala9]

Hi I am by no means an expert but people who don't have diabetes still experience rises and falls in their blood sugar naturally regulated by your liver and pancreas.
Dropping to 4.4 is a normal reading if it isn't continuing to drop. You shouldn't need to feed yourself sugars to ward off hypos. Stuff like jelly babies are .a quick acting treatment for early stage hypos.

I monitor my blood glucose with a finger prick meter as I take gliclazide. However I am aware of my symptoms if I am going hypo and always test to confirm. Just a couple of jelly babies followed by a small snack bar is enough to bring me back up to around 5 or 6.
Would time restricted eating on a daily basis rather than alternate day fasting work better for you if you are taking mounjaro.?
Maybe try testing your blood glucose regularly for a while will help you see how it varies during the day and which meals spike your levels or keep you tocl gentle rises.
I test first thing (fasting) then before and 2 hours after each meal if it's a new meal I haven't tested before. I can eat 3 ryvitas with cream cheese and pickles and a salad and my blood glucose level barely rises.
Everyone is different so you will have to find out what works for you.

really interesting what you've written here about the Ryvitas and cream cheese. I'm really excited about being able to know what different foods do for me, will be so great not to just be fumbling around cluelessly in the dark. Very empowering. Thanks again 🙂

 

[lala9]

@lala9 I'm afraid that what you 'know' is not much use at all if dealing with ordinary type 2 diabetes.
Fasting can result in glucose being put into the bloodstream by our liver being 'helpful. I would see rising levels if I did not eat soon after getting up - just a small amount of carbs, I go for 10gm and my liver is reassured.

Usually we find that carbs of any colour or description are simply carbs and do what carbs do - I have been told that there are the magic unicornlike carbs which do not elevate my blood glucose, but they have not arrived yet.
I hope you are using that Mountjarno treatment under guidance from your GP or a HCP, as it is not at all clear that you would be advised to take it under the official guidelines as you are not diagnosed as being diabetic.

For an ordinary type 2 a simply reduction in the amount of carbs eaten is all that is required - no fasting or even any medication for many. Weightloss happens naturally, HbA1c heads back to normal numbers, even the ability to cope with carbs improves - that is what I saw eating a maximum of 50 gm of carbs back in the early days after diagnosis.

Thank you for your input Drummer 🙂

 

[lala9]

Were you prescribed mounjaro by your GP? Have you had an hba1c? Looks at last three months of glucose in blood.
If not prescribed by GP, are you getting the appropriate tests and support. There are a number of forum members writing about how they are coping. I lost a stone between diagnosis and medication. I have lost 2 and a half stone so far. It's coming up to a year since I was diagnosed.
Are your relatives with diabetes all type 2 or do some have type 1. I was tested 10 years ago and not at all since then. I asked for the test last year when I realised they weren't bothering. I certainly agree with you treating the prediabetes as a warning.
I understand mounjaro switches off or reduces your hunger. I still have times when I want to pig out. If I eat too many carbs I want more! I still have the occasional cake or pastry but tend to have atfriends house or cafe. If I brought home sweets or cakes I would intend to eat slowly but that is unlikely.
Do get a BG meter. Having said that in the last few weeks I've had my highest ever reading of 18 and lowest of 3.2. I suspectboth were wrong particularly 3.2 which was the first reading of the day. I didn't feel unwell.
I have started an aquafit class which is great

Good luck
.

Thank you so much for this saffron15 🙂
I was not prescribed moujarno by my GP, I began taking it believing it had a good chance at helping with my issues around emotional eating and the insatiable sugar cravings, and has definitely helped, though I am only on my second pen.

Not sure re my relatives with diabetes, i know for sure that some at least are type 2.
I hope you continue to enjoy your aqua fit classes, they sound fun! 🙂

 

[lala9]

Sorry to hear how wobbly you have been feeling @lala9

One of the tricky things about blood glucose variations (particularly of things have started to go a bit out of kilter) is the way that the sensations you may get (eg crushing fatigue) can be caused by both high glucose levels and low glucose levels.

Thirst is usually associated with high glucose levels, but fatigue and tiredness can be experienced at either end of the spectrum!

Another tricky thing, is that the body can react to out of range levels in various compensatory ways. And alarm systems can be triggered by BG levels that are comparatively high or low, rather than absolutely high or low in body-chemistry terms. So if your body has got used to high BG levels it can trigger low BG warning signs when level are lower than it’s used to - but not actually technically low in absolute terms.

So without access to a BG meter it can be quite tricky to determine, based on body sensations alone, what your levels are doing.

Which can make understanding the patterns quite tricky.

Eg if you are getting false hypo symptoms in the 5s-6s, because your body is used to running near double-figures, you may be ‘topping up’ to overly high levels by taking on carbs you don’t necessarily really need, because your body is crying out for extra carbs to get it where it’s used to (which is actually too high).

This was extremely helpful and insightful, everydayupsanddowns, Thank you for such a great, detailed response 🙂

 

[lala9]

@lala9 I won't repeat the advice around your symptoms and issues as that is already good and should give you some ideas about how to better understand you blood glucose. I sympathise with your sweet tooth cravings as that was always an issue for me prior to being diagnosed. If you feel you need to satisfy the cravings can I suggest having a look at the SugarFreeLondoner website. The site has lots of recipes for sweet type biscuits and cakes which are low carb and delicious. Making these might help you satisfy the cravings while helping to keep your carb in take lower thus supporting you in better managing your blood glucose. Plus I have found it fun to make these treats and test them on my family, so far the peanut butter cookies have been received well by one of my daughters, the other and her mum don't like peanut butter so more for me

Thank you so much for this JimmyBlue, I'll certainly be paying this website a visit. Peanut butter cookies sound right up my alley 🙂

 

[lala9]

Many people find that by reducing the sweet foods they have their tastes change and things can be far too sweet and sickly and alternatives which are less sweet are the go to choices.

Absolutely concur Leadinglights. When my blood sugar was under control I never craved sweet things. Thank you 🙂