What to do when faced with hypoglucemia?

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Hypoglucemia is one of the common complications of diabetes & also I consider it as one of the worst villain since I can't totally workout nor concentrate at work whenever I have it. Many times I ended up collapsing.

I know about having a candy on hand & I have some in my bag but aside from that, do you have any other tips on what to do? Many times it happens on my workout days & it hinders me.

poodlelaise

When I started exercizing, regardless of my glucose level before I started, I would go low before I finished. My endocrynologist recommended drinking gatoraid during the exercise instead of water. That really did the trick. After a month or so, I've stopped having the problem as I've adjusted my insulin doses, and gotten used to the exercise. But I still carry some gatoraid in the car just in case.

ldg323

I keep a can of pineapple juice in my desk at work and very handy at home. It seems to react quicker than candy. If my BG has been running low then I might eat something before I work out to keep it safe. Eating more often will also help to keep the BG level at a reasonable level.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

What type of meds do you take? Unless you are using insulin, you should NEVER get hypoglycemic. BAD NEWS!!!!

I'm still on metformin & not on insulin yet. But I got to admit that lately I've having more problems & my doctor is now observing me for a possibility that I need an insulin injection (which I hope not since I don't have enough money & am already struggling since about 70% of my salary goes just for the meds alone, let alone the insulin).

And to everyone, thanks for the tips. My doctor told me to eat every 2 hours to help regulate BS however I'm still struggling to do that especially when I'm too stressed or occupied at work despite that I work in a restaurant where there is one at the ground floor (I work at the corporate office) and in contrast to the majority, stress & anxiety are hunger suppressants to me.

Also in our home, we have pineapple juice & mango juice as well which I drink before working out.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

If you only use Metformin how do you know you are hypoglycemic?

I have a sugar monitor & I regularly check my blood sugar. Normally I see my glucose meter read from 120-140 (down to 200+ before) while the normal is <100, however whenever I'm having those symptoms & someone would check my blood sugar, it reads less than 50. Also one of my uncle is hypoglucemic & when my mom told him about it, he told her that he was also experiencing the same symptoms. I went to my doctor also for it.

I don't experience this before but lately its getting more frequent & so I'm starting to get worried about this and I've been a full blown diabetic for only 2 1/2 years. There was one time that I suddenly felt shaky, palpitations & extremely weak in the middle of my evening run (I workout evenings after work) that I fell down the floor although was barely conscious. Good thing it happened on a place very near our home.

jknops2

Not good. You need to go talk to your doctor. Metformin normally does not cause low glucose, something else like LADA might be the issue. You need to go talk to your doctor and figure out what the issue is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_autoimmune_diabetes

And if your morning glucose reading is more than 100 you might talk to your doctor of getting another medication
.

My morning was 100-130, 1000 mg metformin got this to 80-90. But I still got spikes after meals to 180. Januvia, got this down to less then 120. So the combination works for me. But I do spike after 1 hr of eating, whereas most diabetics spike after 2 hr.

Crochetluvr

I recently had a hypoglycemic episode...got the shakes, nausea. I took my sugar reading and it was 49.....it was never that low! I quick went to the kitchen and grabbed some apple slices and Slim Jims and ate those. Then I laid down. A half hour later when the shakes stopped, I took another reading...it was 74.

Its recommended that you not eat candy if you have a hypoglycemic episode....the candy does the opposite and spikes your sugar and you don't want that, either. Best to eat regular food, like a sandwich.

I no longer take metformin but do take glimeperide. I never realized that a T2 can have a hypoglycemic episode, but its very possible. I now don't let myself go more than a few hours without food and haven't had a repeat episode since.

ETA - You might find this link interesting. I found it after I had my episode.

http://voices.yahoo.com/stopping-sugar-shakes-hypoglycemic-reactions-to-5896390.html

Crochetluvr

Your opinion. I don't want to spike my sugar. Why trade one problem for another??

I don't NEED the metformin. I went from a reading of over 400 when I was first diagnosed to under 100 today...that's why I no longer take it. For me NO diabetes drug is a "wonder drug"...its just something I no longer want in my life. Why would you want to take ANY drug if you can get off them?

ETA - Removed because that part is personal and no one's business but my own.

Sharonks

I have never known someone to get hypo from using met and according to everything I've read met just can't do that. There is something else going on in your body that is causing this. You may want to visit your dr. again. I agree that LADA could cause this. LADA patients are often misdiagnosed as T2. Since LADA is actually a pancreas problem your pancreas could be sputtering and putting out too much then not enough insulin thus causing your ups and downs.

I personally always carry glucose tabs with me. They hit your system fast, are easy to carry, come in premeasured doses and no one else will eat them like they will candy so when I really need one it is there.

I never had hypo problem for the 14 years I've taken met but a few weeks ago I was put on amaryl and now get them often although it seems to be getting better as I adjust.

robert65ferguson

I can't really comment on the meds because thankfully I am currently controlling with diet and exercise. Sharonks makes a really good point regarding the benefits of using glucose tablets. They have a measured dose and therefore give better control unlike the hit and miss effect of candy or fruit drinks. I carry Glucogel, which a fast acting Dextrose Gel and Glucose tablets (Dextro Energy). This the action recommended by Diabetes UK. I concur with the need to follow up with a suitable meal.

aat3877

You can be hypo from met. I was put on met 3 months ago and I struggle with lows almost everyday. Wanted my blood sugar down but not that much. Am working with dr to adjust meds but not satisfied yet.

travisseger

I'd like to know at what glucose reading people are considering themselves to be hypoglycemic? There is a difference between feeling like you are hypoglycemic and actually being hypoglycemic. Especially when you are still trying to bring your glucose numbers down. When I was first diagnosed, I'd feel the classic hypo symptoms when I dropped into the 100's. Now that I am in tight control, I'll sometimes feel hypo-like symptoms but when I test I am in the low 70's. Only once have I been what would probably be considered hypoglycemic - I tested at a 39 - and I had no symptoms. Yes, I was on Metformin at the time, but no, it wasn't because of Metformin. From everything I have read and been told by my doctor, Metformin, by itself, will not cause you to become hypoglycemic. In my instance, I was helping someone move furniture all day long and had skipped lunch. Metformin + hours of heavy lifting + 11 hours of not eating = my 39. Had I not skipped eating I seriously doubt I would have dropped that low. The lowest I ever dropped on Metformin while eating my regularly scheduled meals was 59. Low, but probably not considered hypoglycemic. So I'm curious, below what number are we considered hypoglycemic in this conversation?

robert65ferguson

Tsazani, Travis raises some very valid points. I'm not on any meds but have experienced at least one episode where I had what I thought was a Hypo. Again Like Travis I had missed a meal, added to which I had been in hospital the previous day and had been fasting prior to an endoscopedic procedure. It would probably be helpful to the rest of us if you could give a clear description of the symptoms of a Hypo ( in laymans terms) and cover the question Travis asked about the reading which would indicate an actual Hypo and something else which needed investigation. Doing this would mean that we were all singing from the same hymn sheet.