To eat more

[Newbie777]

Just to clarify, jelly babies, not jelly beans.... you would need about 10 jelly beans to add up to 15g carbs but just 3 jelly babies. I buy cheap Lidl jelly babies and 3 of those work fine, but I also have Lift Glucose chews for when my levels drop really low (below 3) and prunes or dried apricots for when my levels are only just above 4. I only have one or two apricots or prunes in that situation as again I find one item is about 5g and obviously, if I am in the 4s I don't need a full 15g carbs to lift my levels a bit. Hope that makes sense. Dried fruit should not be used below 4 as the fibre in them can slow the sugar release, but quite acceptable (if you like them) to raise your levels a little when you are getting close to the red line! Again, portion control is important. One or two is enough and of course the fibre and nutrients in the dried fruit is more beneficial to the digestive system than eating jelly babies when you don't need to.

I like jelly babies but not sure I could control myself though! I will get the glucose tablets and keep them in different places.

I don't like the idea of the hypo, what would happen if I didnt wake up? I much prefer the old method of high BG.

Anyway I need to remain positive and let's what the GP says.

Thanks again

 

[grovesy]

Good luck.

 

[zuludog]

Not good news.

I had a spring roll with my Tea last night (sardines in tomato sauce and salad) and after 2 hours my BG spiked to 8.8, not good but expected.

The previous nights I have reads of 4.5 before going to bed so would have something to eat, my reads would be around 5.1 in the morning.

Last night I could not sleep well and woke up sweating, I checked by BP and it was slightly low, but I thn checked by BG it was 3.5.

OMG first time I had a hypo, had peanut butter on bread, a pear, some rice, a bit too much I know and the BG went up to about 8.8.

This morning it was still high 8.7, but am sure will go down.

I have an appointment with DN today, I want to reduce 1 Glicizide tablet.

I think you're starting to understand the relationship between food & carbs, medication, and BG

It's not easy matching them up, and although you could adjust your meds to allow for your carb intake it's better to lower your carb consumption then reduce your meds to match it

The problem is, as you've found out, that it's easier said then done, especially when you start doing that sort of thing
Like I said in an earlier post, you will have ups & downs, but you will soon, hopefully, get used to it

To cheer you up and give you a bit of incentive, a friend has diabetes, and when the Lockdown started he decided that he would have something useful to show for it
So besides gardening & redecorating he lost 2 stone and managed to come off insulin
Now he just controls his D with diet & metformin

 

[Newbie777]

Sorry, my eyesight is not too good and I can't see it on the packet or in the leaflet.

 

[trophywench]

Well Glic doesn't work 'instantly' at all ever. Their effect is to stimulate your pancreas to produce and emit more insulin, so the extra insulin reduces your blood glucose. However - there's no knowing how much insulin, or exactly when the pancreas will do it, as each person's metabolism is different from the next one.

A result of 5 in the middle of the night is perfectly OK once you don't have Glic/extra insulin circulating in your bloodstream - undiabetic people frequently go even lower than 4.0 and suffer no ill effects from that their whole lives - ie it is normal for that to happen.

 

[Newbie777]

I think you're starting to understand the relationship between food & carbs, medication, and BG

It's not easy matching them up, and although you could adjust your meds to allow for your carb intake it's better to lower your carb consumption then reduce your meds to match it

The problem is, as you've found out, that it's easier said then done, especially when you start doing that sort of thing
Like I said in an earlier post, you will have ups & downs, but you will soon, hopefully, get used to it

To cheer you up and give you a bit of incentive, a friend has diabetes, and when the Lockdown started he decided that he would have something useful to show for it
So besides gardening & redecorating he lost 2 stone and managed to come off insulin
Now he just controls his D with diet & metformin

Thank you and are correct.

My carb intake is about 100 to 120 g a day and I can reduce this further, but no point as my medicine has now become a big issue. For me it is about being in control and going is not that.

That's great news about your friend, well done to him.

I was 81kg and now 78kg, aiming for 75kg as first hurdle and this is with no exercise done, so good news here too.

Diabetes is about a lifestyle change and there are a lot things in the mix, but recognising these and coping is not easy and everyone has to work what is best for them. However, I find sharing the experience and the knowledge, well that is priceless.

Cheers.

 

[Newbie777]

Well Glic doesn't work 'instantly' at all ever. Their effect is to stimulate your pancreas to produce and emit more insulin, so the extra insulin reduces your blood glucose. However - there's no knowing how much insulin, or exactly when the pancreas will do it, as each person's metabolism is different from the next one.

A result of 5 in the middle of the night is perfectly OK once you don't have Glic/extra insulin circulating in your bloodstream - undiabetic people frequently go even lower than 4.0 and suffer no ill effects from that their whole lives - ie it is normal for that to happen.

Yes that is true, I would not worry even if it was as 4.5 at night if I was on Metformin only.

But I have gone from 8.4 to 3.5 in a matter of 6 hours, I did not expect that and for me Glicizide is not reliable.

For the previous evenings I have gone from 4.5 at night to about 6.3 after a snack and this has dropped to about 5.3 in the morning so all good, I really tthought I had worked it all out.

Cheers

 

[Kaylz]

I don't like the idea of the hypo, what would happen if I didnt wake up? I much prefer the old method of high BG.

Well you may have been lucky enough that your liver kicked in and you would have been just fine, it's not a good place to be in but I've lived through it numerous times xx

 

[grovesy]

Yes that is true, I would not worry even if it was as 4.5 at night if I was on Metformin only.

But I have gone from 8.4 to 3.5 in a matter of 6 hours, I did not expect that and for me Glicizide is not reliable.

For the previous evenings I have gone from 4.5 at night to about 6.3 after a snack and this has dropped to about 5.3 in the morning so all good, I really tthought I had worked it all out.

Cheers

As someone who was switched from normal Gliclazide to the Slow Release because of the drops in levels, I never ever found it in the least predictable. Nor did I always get the same symptoms of a hypo, I only discovered some on testing when things did not make sense.

 

[Newbie777]

Thank you for that, you are very brave.

I guess I am anxious about all this and lucky that I live at home with my wife.

I don't have any issue with hypo in the day, where I can stay in control , but at night that is very different story.

I found the experience very alarming and I did not realise traight away that it was a hypo.

Also, this is not something I want to accept at this moment, I am 49 years old and not ready (like most people to give up) so I will wait to see what GP says about reducing 1 Glicizide tablet and then I may consider the next option.. An exercise routine to lose weight and if my Pancreas will still work go with Metformin and Canagflorizin and ditch the other Glicizide.

Don't think you can have a hyp with Metformin, that would be very good news indeed

 

[Newbie777]

As someone who was switched from normal Gliclazide to the Slow Release because of the drops in levels, I never ever found it in the least predictable. Nor did I always get the same symptoms of a hypo, I only discovered some on testing when things did not make sense.

Oh ok that's good.

I am on a mission to reduce and eliminate Glicizide, so let's hope I can post some good news soon.

 

[grovesy]

Thank you for that, you are very brave.

I guess I am anxious about all this and lucky that I live at home with my wife.

I don't have any issue with hypo in the day, where I can stay in control , but at night that is very different story.

I found the experience very alarming and I did not realise traight away that it was a hypo.

Also, this is not something I want to accept at this moment, I am 49 years old and not ready (like most people to give up) so I will wait to see what GP says about reducing 1 Glicizide tablet and then I may consider the next option.. An exercise routine to lose weight and if my Pancreas will still work go with Metformin and Canagflorizin and ditch the other Glicizide.

Don't think you can have a hyp with Metformin, that would be very good news indeed

Although in theory no you should not on Metformin but we do get people occasionally reporting they do experience them. Having said that I had the occasional hypo on diet alone following Aerobic Exercise routine.
Good luck.

 

[Newbie777]

oh I didnt know.

Even if it was just Merformin it would be a bigger reason to look at carbs and diet side

 

[grovesy]

If you look on medication patient information leaflet it usally says along with diet.

 

[rebrascora]

I think this is when the definition of hypo becomes hazy. Is a hypo any reading below 4 in which case non diabetics can and do have hypos even through the night, or is a hypo medically induced... ie caused by medication which can result in your levels dropping dangerously low... ie below 3.6 which I believe is what DAFNE considers a hypo... Yes we all know "4 is the floor" but when non diabetics drop below 4 and are often not even aware of it, you have to think logically about it and realize that it is the medication which causes it to drop rapidly and therefore potentially drop below 3.6 before we are able to feel it and treat it which is dangerous, not the actual BG being below 4. That "no mans land" of 3.6-4 is just wriggle room for those of us on medication which causes hypos. Whilst some people on Metformin may have dropped below 4, just like non diabetic people do sometimes, I would not say that the Metformin caused that and I would be surprised if anyone has dropped lower than 3.6 in that situation, because the liver will kick in and bring levels back up again.

I would therefore assure you that the Metformin is not to be worried about in that respect. It will not drop you too low but it is also not unusual for people to drop below 4 during the night without any medication and be perfectly healthy and not even know anything about it. People have had 24hr monitors fitted which show that. Your body has responded by triggering an adrenaline release possibly because it is used to your levels being a bit high or the rate of reduction due to the gliclazide prompted the response you got and that is good and as you would expect although obviously not nice to experience and I can understand you being frightened by it, but the more hypos you suffer, the more confident you get at dealing with them and the less scary they are, even night time ones.... Not that I wish you more experience of them but hopefully you don't go to bed each night worrying that your heart will stop. Similarly try not to worry that your body will not recognise it is going low and either wake you up or trigger your liver to release some glucose to bring you up... these are automatic responses

 

[Newbie777]

If it is the slow /sustiained/modified release it should say on the packet.
I used to take Slow Release and I found for me they were not that slow release.

Please see leaflet attached..

 

[Kaylz]

Thank you for that, you are very brave

If your referring to me then thanks but it's not brave, just something as a Type 1 you learn to live with, we're always bound to have hypo's at some point but if you spend too much time in the 4's for instance then you risk losing your hypo awareness, that's what I've been through a few times hence sleeping through hypo's but thankfully through running my levels a bit higher for a couple of weeks I've always regained my hypo awareness, some people aren't as fortunate and have to then see about getting funding for a CGM to alarm them when they are low xx

 

[Newbie777]

I think this is when the definition of hypo becomes hazy. Is a hypo any reading below 4 in which case non diabetics can and do have hypos even through the night, or is a hypo medically induced... ie caused by medication which can result in your levels dropping dangerously low... ie below 3.6 which I believe is what DAFNE considers a hypo... Yes we all know "4 is the floor" but when non diabetics drop below 4 and are often not even aware of it, you have to think logically about it and realize that it is the medication which causes it to drop rapidly and therefore potentially drop below 3.6 before we are able to feel it and treat it which is dangerous, not the actual BG being below 4. That "no mans land" of 3.6-4 is just wriggle room for those of us on medication which causes hypos. Whilst some people on Metformin may have dropped below 4, just like non diabetic people do sometimes, I would not say that the Metformin caused that and I would be surprised if anyone has dropped lower than 3.6 in that situation, because the liver will kick in and bring levels back up again.

I would therefore assure you that the Metformin is not to be worried about in that respect. It will not drop you too low but it is also not unusual for people to drop below 4 during the night without any medication and be perfectly healthy and not even know anything about it. People have had 24hr monitors fitted which show that. Your body has responded by triggering an adrenaline release possibly because it is used to your levels being a bit high or the rate of reduction due to the gliclazide prompted the response you got and that is good and as you would expect although obviously not nice to experience and I can understand you being frightened by it, but the more hypos you suffer, the more confident you get at dealing with them and the less scary they are, even night time ones.... Not that I wish you more experience of them but hopefully you don't go to bed each night worrying that your heart will stop. Similarly try not to worry that your body will not recognise it is going low and either wake you up or trigger your liver to release some glucose to bring you up... these are automatic responses

Thank you for the comprehensive write up and description.

Yes, I agree that it would be good to understand and familiarise myself on getting hypos, if that happens again. However, I believe I have a chance to push myself off Glic tablets and I will now concentrate on this.

Also, annoyingly the DN, did not approach my GP as promised and went to another new GP who wants me attend a Hospital Diabetic Clinic, not what we discussed or agreed, not happy!

I will see how I get on and will check my BG before I go to bed and if the reading above 5 then ok, otherwise I will have a snack.

From tomorrow I will take off 1 Glicizide and closely monitor my BG, I have to be honest, I think I will reduce my carb intake to around 70g a day, no point doing all this hard work to raise my BG levels.

If your referring to me then thanks but it's not brave, just something as a Type 1 you learn to live with, we're always bound to have hypo's at some point but if you spend too much time in the 4's for instance then you risk losing your hypo awareness, that's what I've been through a few times hence sleeping through hypo's but thankfully through running my levels a bit higher for a couple of weeks I've always regained my hypo awareness, some people aren't as fortunate and have to then see about getting funding for a CGM to alarm them when they are low xx

oh I see,

I wanted to buy one if those machines but the pad costs are cery expensive

 

[Kaylz]

I wanted to buy one if those machines but the pad costs are cery expensive

If your referring to the Libre then that isn't a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring), the Libre is an FGM (flash glucose monitoring) an FGM you have to scan in order to obtain a reading whereas a CGM has the ability to read through blue tooth or the likes continuously xx

 

[grovesy]

Please see leaflet attached..

I cannot read the leaflet, the leaflet even trying to enlarge.