We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Calling all my fellow T2D Lc/Keto-ites :)
genmon00
Posts: 604 Member
Hello,
hope I can pick y'all brains a bit.So right now I am only taking Metformin 1000 mg Bid for my diabetes. Since going low carb and now aiming for Keto, my blood sugars have been fantastic! Fasting 80-95 on average.Even when I've slipped up, it's up gone up to 105.Now lately, I've been getting different, a little bit run down, especially after doing any kind of exercise.I decided to check my sugars and the seem low (in the 80s) one hour after eating. I don't want to reduce my meds yet but I wanted to know what should I eat low carb/ keto friendly when I feel these dips? Thanks for the advice!
hope I can pick y'all brains a bit.So right now I am only taking Metformin 1000 mg Bid for my diabetes. Since going low carb and now aiming for Keto, my blood sugars have been fantastic! Fasting 80-95 on average.Even when I've slipped up, it's up gone up to 105.Now lately, I've been getting different, a little bit run down, especially after doing any kind of exercise.I decided to check my sugars and the seem low (in the 80s) one hour after eating. I don't want to reduce my meds yet but I wanted to know what should I eat low carb/ keto friendly when I feel these dips? Thanks for the advice!
0
Replies
-
I'm not on metformin so my advice is probably not worth much. There are others here who know MUCH more than I do. That being said, I will say that BG in the 80s after a meal seems pretty ideal to me. That would be a sign that you are doing it right in my books. That's normal. Not just "diabetic normal" but healthy normal. A low is usually below 70. Like a 65 or so.
I have a couple of guesses.
You may still be getting fat adapted. It takes a few weeks or months for your body to get used to using fats instead of glucose for fuel. Until you are truly fat adapted, energy may be slightly low. You may be in ketosis but your body isn't used to using ketones and is probably still looking around for sugars to use.
Another theory is low sodium. As you drop carbs your sodium needs will go up. If you aren't getting close to 5000mg of sodium per day, you may need to use more salt. Low electrolytes will zap you of energy in a hurry.
Or maybe it is a bit of reactive hypoglycemia? My BG falls throughout the day and is often lower after a meal than before. Weird. Before I was settled into very LCHF, when my BG dropped I would feel hypoglycemic but it was a false low. I was still at an 80 or 90. I felt low because of the BG fall - it could drop 80 points in an hour.
My guess is that you may have to reduce metformin eventually. I'm afraid I know very little about when that would be best to do.3 -
Although I am not T2D, my mother is. I dragged her along with me on the way of eating (WOE) when I started a couple of years ago and in doing so, she is now off of 4 of 5 medications, including all of her Diabetic medications. Sounds like low sodium. Dissolve and drink a bouillon cube in the appropriate amount of water 1-2 times daily. You should notice an improvement in energy level after drinking one in 15-20 minutes (not kidding).2
-
Thanks ladies! I agree with you @nvmomketo it might've just been a big drop due to the exercise. during the week, I'm very sedentary but on the weekends I am way more busy physically because I take care of family/grandpa.0
-
@genmon00 - Here are a couple thoughts, which may have no relevance to your situation:
1. Switch to name-brand Glucophage XR, 500mg. According to Dr. Bernstein, it's more consistent from batch to batch than the generics, more effective, and easier to tolerate. That's been my experience, too (but I'm only in my fourth month...)
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10394798/t2d-glucophage-name-brand-metformin-generic#latest
You may need a doctor to send a certificate of need /request for exception to your prescription carrier.
2. Try taking 3-4 500mg tablets singly, spaced throughout the day, and monitor your results.
3. Have you tried getting some sodium (broth/olives/pickles... ) down the hatch as soon as you start feeling crummy?
Good luck!
1 -
thank you @RalfLott ! I might try the spacing, I think this WOE is really helping my insulin output which is great, just got to learn how to manage. I now understand when the long timers say you have to keep an eye out for the electrolyte imbalances, I've been pretty good, hitting 5000 mg sodium during the work week but the weekends are always hard cuz I have a lot more going on. I ignore things I wouldn't normally but due to sheer busyness I put it off0
-
thank you @RalfLott ! I might try the spacing, I think this WOE is really helping my insulin output which is great, just got to learn how to manage. I now understand when the long timers say you have to keep an eye out for the electrolyte imbalances, I've been pretty good, hitting 5000 mg sodium during the work week but the weekends are always hard cuz I have a lot more going on. I ignore things I wouldn't normally but due to sheer busyness I put it off
Well, to be honest, I don't push the sodium as much as others - maybe around 3000-3500mg most days, but if I start feeling weak or fuzzy, and especially if I wake up foggy, I try to get to a salt lick right away.
FYI, @midwesterner85 always has insights into metformin questions.0 -
Also, Metformin is supposed to allow you to use insulin more effectively, and so it is far more likely that any other medication you take is the trigger, not the Metformin itself. That being said, there are anecdotal reports of BG drops with Metformin, but there is no study that's show this result itself.0
-
Hmmm @KnitOrMiss I'm going to start exercise more regularly and checking my blood sugars afterwards. I think its the exercise that is lowering my blood sugars0
-
Hmmm @KnitOrMiss I'm going to start exercise more regularly and checking my blood sugars afterwards. I think its the exercise that is lowering my blood sugars
I believe, and I could be wrong, that as a general rule, BG goes up when you exercise. In the short term anyways.
Let us know what your glucometer says. I 'm curious what you find out.
0 -
Here are a few thoughts my endocrinologist shared when I asked her about metformin and low BG -It's unusual to feel symptoms if BG is above 60;
People who are on LC diets tend not to experience symptoms until BG is even lower;
She is generally not concerned about asymptomatic low BG in T2Ds on metformin monotherapy;
There have been rare reports of hypoglycemia when metformin is combined with certain BP meds.0 -
It's unusual to feel symptoms if BG is above 60;
I found this to be true. My lowest BG ever was when I fasted for a day, proceeded by months in ketosis, and my BG was a 3.1 (55-59 ish). I only checked because I was feeling the slightest bit weak. I ate nothing for another day and it was back up within an hour or so.
Other times I have been in the low 60's (or low-mid 3s) I felt nothing unusual. When I was having (false) hypoglycemic symptoms before I went LCHF, my BG was in the mid to high 4's (80-90s). It just felt bad because of the BG drop.... Which still happened to me in my first few weeks LCHF.2 -
@RalfLott and @nvmomketo Thanks! I am taking a blood pressure medication too, Lisonpril or something like that lol And I take it with my metformin so maybe it was combo effect who knows? I just hate feeling like that, exhausted! Too many things to do to be feeling tired lol1
-
Hypoglycemic feelings and low BP seem to go hand in hand. I've always had low BO too so I think low BG, or rather BG drops, felt more noticeable to me... Tunnel vision was a daily event. LOL1
-
Yes, indeed, the combo of low BP and low BG can leave you feeling pretty weak! (Having low BO can have its benefits, but tunnel vision is not something I would tend to associate with @nvmomketo. )
@genmon00 - Info is good. If I can, I check my BG, BP, and pulse rate as soon as I can if I start feeling blah.
No harm in getting regular blood tests for electrolytes, minerals and vitamins, especially Vitamin B-12. According to Dr. Bernstein, there have been occasional reports of metformin suppressing Vitamin B-12 levels, and some folks require injections. (No harm in reading his great book, either!)
0 -
I will have to read into this @RalfLott . I have state insurance so its hard to get an MD, I usually see an NP, who is nice and all but I feel sometimes doesn't understand me. What would the blood work be called? Can't hurt to ask
There are folks around who can give you better suggestions, so I'll defer to them.
Hello, @wabmester @Dragonwolf @GaleHawkins @Sunny_Bunny_ @KnitorMiss @Foamroller @neohdiver @nvmomketo... ?
0 -
I don't know much...
A good BP check is to take BP while lying down for a couple of minutes and then take it again upon standing. If you have postural hypotension (BP drops when get up) it should show up. I took fludricortisone for that (and cortisone for something else) and ended up with insulin resistance one year later though.... Funnily enough, LCHF took care of that problem too. Increased salt might have helped some too.
As for electrolyes and such, I really don't know about those tests. I know there is a B12 test, Mg, and Na tests. I'm not sure how K is tested. Mg, Na, and K can help with BP but I think Na is the main help.
I'm not much help here.1 -
Being on keto can also bring about lower BPs, also. I've gone from typical BPs of upper 120's to 130ish/78 to 82. My BPs (have had it checked 4 times so far this month due to end of the month rechecks with my various physicians) have been 110ish/70ish. Part of that is the drop in weight (40ish pounds), but also the changes brought about by eating keto.
You might want to have your BP checked regularly for a while to see if you perhaps need a reduction or change in your BP med. Low BP can make you feel punk, too.0 -
Aside from weight loss that is known to lower blood pressure in many what other changes come from eating keto that specifically reduce blood pressure?0
-
-
If you watch the newest Phinney video that @RalfLott posted in a couple threads, he addresses how keto affects BP right near the beginning (first 10 minutes or so).1
-
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
Yep, absolutely this ^^
I used to take a diuretic for my BP along with a couple other pills. I quit my diuretic the first week eating keto level carbs because my BP plummeted due to the reduction in water retention. When I feel weak, I always check my BG and BP as I have a very similar response when either is super low.0 -
PaleoInScotland wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
Yep, absolutely this ^^
I used to take a diuretic for my BP along with a couple other pills. I quit my diuretic the first week eating keto level carbs because my BP plummeted due to the reduction in water retention. When I feel weak, I always check my BG and BP as I have a very similar response when either is super low.
I'm glad you said that. I was going point out that I know there are some members here that had BP improve before they even lost the weight but had no names to tag. I know I've heard that from several people. It's not the weight loss that improves it. Just like diabetes. You can reverse that too before the weight even comes off with keto. Just like happens with bariatric surgery. They want to blame weight for everything. But, offer no explanation for these scenarios that improve without weight loss but with diet change.1 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »PaleoInScotland wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
Yep, absolutely this ^^
I used to take a diuretic for my BP along with a couple other pills. I quit my diuretic the first week eating keto level carbs because my BP plummeted due to the reduction in water retention. When I feel weak, I always check my BG and BP as I have a very similar response when either is super low.
I'm glad you said that. I was going point out that I know there are some members here that had BP improve before they even lost the weight but had no names to tag. I know I've heard that from several people. It's not the weight loss that improves it. Just like diabetes. You can reverse that too before the weight even comes off with keto. Just like happens with bariatric surgery. They want to blame weight for everything. But, offer no explanation for these scenarios that improve without weight loss but with diet change.
For sure, it didn't take long for me to see results eating this way and I have a lot of weight to lose. I saw the biggest drop in my blood sugar in the first 30 days of eating this way (which for me meant the biggest drop in insulin use as I never let my sugars get high, but I had to use a lot of insulin to keep them low). I still have another 100 lbs to lose and most days I no longer take any medication to treat my diabetes and I've been T2 for 12 years. Cold viruses and stress are the only two things I really struggle with now in terms of keeping my blood sugar down without drugs, that and a couple of diet mishaps when life hit an incredibly bad low point. Exercise is a really important part of the blood sugar equation too though.
T2 patients in the Newcastle study experienced the same thing, huge drop in BG, many off their meds, in just 8 weeks, and most still had weight to lose. Diet is critical. I ate "low carb low fat" for 10 years with minimal results, it wasn't until I went from 100 g carbs to 30-40 g carbs w/ a higher fat intake that my life completely changed. I'm so glad the UK diabetes charity is pushing low carb diets now despite NHS still driving the carby "Eat Well Plate" which won't do any diabetics any favours. I wish I'd known sooner how easy this could be. Makes me want to scream about it from rooftops
6
This discussion has been closed.