How low is "too" low?
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mclgo
Posts: 147 Member
Hello, new stuff happening all around me. Diagnosed 3 weeks ago. Starting gluten-free eating 4 days ago on the advice of my doctor. Gluten-free hasn't been too hard since I gave up all kinds of bread-y and cake-y things to lose weight.
Today was another day of eating very well. However about 2pm I starting feeling shaky and nervous, which has always signaled a need to eat for me and to eat RIGHT NOW!. So I tested my bs and it was 84. I sacrificed the calories and ate two Larabars, then felt better about 30 minutes later.
Please note, I'm getting PLENTY to eat calorie-wise and making good healthy choices: vegetables, eggs, fruit, etc.
Advice?
Thanks
Margaret
Today was another day of eating very well. However about 2pm I starting feeling shaky and nervous, which has always signaled a need to eat for me and to eat RIGHT NOW!. So I tested my bs and it was 84. I sacrificed the calories and ate two Larabars, then felt better about 30 minutes later.
Please note, I'm getting PLENTY to eat calorie-wise and making good healthy choices: vegetables, eggs, fruit, etc.
Advice?
Thanks
Margaret
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Replies
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When you run high sugars for more than a couple of days you can feel low when your numbers start to return to normal levels. It is good to check your BG before eating something for this reason. It doesn't take long for your body to get used to having numbers at a normal level. True lows are considered to be anything under 70. I have been advised by many different doctors to test if I feel low and if it is below 70 to eat something small (4 oz milk, juice, crackers, glucose tablets/gel, etc.) then retest in 15 minutes to see if it is coming up. The reason to have something small is you don't want to overdo it and end up spiking your sugar the other direction. Hope this info helps you.
(edited for more info) if you continue to have true lows on a daily basis for more than a 2-3 days I recommend contacting your doctor as they may need to adjust your medication.0 -
The above is absolutely correct. You're experiencing a "false low" and should not treat it. This will allow your body to get used to the new, lower, more normal numbers.
You don't mention what if any medications you are taking. True lows are extremely rare with no medications or with Metformin alone. The chances of a true low increase with insulin-stimulating drugs or insulin.
To treat truly low blood sugar the 15/15 rule is usually applied.
Eat 15 grams of carbohydrate and wait 15 minutes.
The following foods will provide about 15 grams of carbohydrate:
3 glucose tablets
Half cup (4 ounces) of fruit juice or regular soda
6 or 7 hard candies
1 tablespoon of sugar
Also, something like a Lara bar isn't a particularly good option for treating a low. You don't want something with protein or fat - chocolate, candy bars, peanut butter and crackers, etc. Milk is good if it's skim, otherwise the fat interferes so you'll rise more slowly and stay higher longer. Non-fat candies such as Skittles, jelly beans or Smarties are also good, but it's easy to over-treat because they're tasty.
After the carbohydrate is eaten, the person should wait about 15 minutes for
the sugar to get into their blood. If the person does not test within a good range
in 15 minutes, more carbohydrate can be consumed. Their blood sugar should be
checked every 15 minutes until it has come within a safe range.
If starting out with a blood sugar of 50 or lower you can begin with
30 grams of carbs and then lower to 15 grams at 15 minute intervals. Eat a regular meal within an hour or so.
The advice to check in with your physician if you begin experiencing true lows is also spot on. It's always better to decrease meds rather than to increase carbs to cover the meds.0 -
Thank you both! I'm taking Metformin twice per day.0
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True lows are considered to be anything under 70.0
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Thank you for that question.
It is true :when your numbers run high for so long
anything in the *normal* range* feels odd.
I used to take metaformin but now on insulin and I love it.
my lowest low was 39! That was scary but applied the 15/15 and it rose slowly.
Over time you become accustom to the signals your body sends.
Listen and tune it.
Hang in there.
Molly0 -
True lows are considered to be anything under 70.
^^^This. I didn't get shaky until I was in the 40's....that was quite an experience I hope to never repeat.0 -
Hi Margaret-
I was given different advice about the "false lows". Everyone is correct, that as your blood sugar level drops overall, even false lows feel low. However, the advice I was given was to treat it, gently, with the equivalent of 15g of carb. As your body gets used to lower levels, you won't get the signals, but until then, it's a low for you if you have the symptoms. It wouldn't be unlike giving yourself a small snack, and depending on when you ate lunch, at 2pm that might not be a bad thing anyway.
I know it's different than what others are saying, and so I think you need to do what's best for you. My guess is neither are wrong, just two approaches to the same goal. Others are also right in saying you don't want to increase your carbs to cover your meds, so if treating the lows, under or slightly over 70, is increasing your overall daily carb intake, you might want to reach out to your PCP.
Good luck!0
