STUPID DIABETES!!

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Replies

  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @GlitterRayne, hi thanks. Congratulations on dropping the med! By the time I go back to Dr on the 19th, I will be off Januvia and Invokana, and hopefully down to one pill morning & evening. I love the way this WOE makes me feel! My tummy is so happy! Send me a friend request if you like
  • PollanDP
    PollanDP Posts: 17 Member
    I had a scare last week for the first time. Not sure how low I got - but by the time I had got some sugar in me and made it to my test kit I was still registering a 38. I was not diligent enough testing my sugars once I dropped my carbs to a lower amount. Lesson learned real quick! And I'm not near as low on the carbs as the rest of you. Just starting to cut back. I may not need shots at all if I can get below 20. I'm T2.
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    cstehansen wrote: »
    @trish55011 you are lucky to have such a doctor. Being diagnosed T2 only a year ago and it still being early (A1c = 6.6), I only ever took Metformin. At the time, I was totally unaware of Keto, but it just made logical sense for me to cut carbs way more than what my doc was saying and sure enough, I was off Metformin and down to 5.9 in less than 6 months. My mistake was then following the ADA recommendations for carbs and it went back up to 6.2.

    I just started really getting to understand Keto and see it is very near what I was doing on my own initially, and am now getting fasting readings in the mid to low 90's from around 110 in just a few days. Also, after meal readings (1 and 2 hour) have all been under 100.

    I was offered Metformin at the last appointment and declined.

    Keep it up. Sounds like you will be be off your meds before you know it.

    Those numbers are great @cstehansen! Yes my Dr is amazing. He listens to me. He also is a huge proponent of "heal thy self" which means do what you have to do to keep yourself healthy. He goes to the gym, the chiropractor, eats Paleo, takes supplements, and is open to non pharmaceutical intervention if a holistic option is available. He's willing to allow the patient to try it. I don't know what I'm gonna do when he decides to retire lol
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @RalfLott. I was also taking Invokana I'm the morning and Januvia with my glyburide metforman in the evening. Did not take anything last night, checked by this morning and was 131. Checked it just before eating lunch, was 98 with only the 2 glyburide metforman!! Whoop whoop. I'm right back on track. No sugar cravings, buttered coffee is helping with satiety, and electrolyte levels are right where they should be.!

    Did your doc gradually ramp up your meds, or did he start you out on a triple cocktail?

    I wonder if metformin (better: Glucophage) alone would do the trick! Maybe you'll be able to get away with a Glucophage XR before bed to control dawn phenomenon... or none at all. Good luck.
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @RalfLott, no didn't start out with the cocktail, started out with glipazide then went to glyburide metforman, then added Januvia, then Invokana. Have to go back to dr. Sept 19. He has given me free rein to adjust as I need to between now and then. So going to do all I can to get as deep into ketosis as I can. I am excited about being able to show him my, my fitness pal and my meter with all the beautiful low bg readings. Send me a friend request if you like.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @RalfLott, no didn't start out with the cocktail, started out with glipazide then went to glyburide metforman, then added Januvia, then Invokana. Have to go back to dr. Sept 19. He has given me free rein to adjust as I need to between now and then. So going to do all I can to get as deep into ketosis as I can. I am excited about being able to show him my, my fitness pal and my meter with all the beautiful low bg readings. Send me a friend request if you like.

    Am I understanding correctly that you've never been on metformin only? Your doc probably had a good reason for not starting with it, but given your great strides, it may be all you need (and then only temporarily, perhaps!).
  • kmn118
    kmn118 Posts: 313 Member
    That glyburide will definitely cause lows, whereas metformin typically will not.
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @RalfLott @kmn118, no, I was never on straight metforman. Will be able to chat with him about it on the 19th. I have some here that was my husband's that I will take if I need to come all the way off the glyburide metforman before time to see Dr again. Don't know if I am being realistic or not but how awesome would it be to he completely off of everything by the time I go back. Now that would ROCK!
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    @trish55011 -

    If you decide to try metformin alone (and your insurance will allow it), I'd recommend switching to name brand Glucophage. (Maybe check your husband's prescription?)

    (I picked up this recommendation from Dr. Bernstein, a pioneering diabetes doc who has treated tens of thousands of diabetes patients. Glucophage is more potent, more consistent from batch to batch, and easier on the tummy than some of the common generics on the market.)
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo I am type 2.

    I agree with the others that a near low is not a problem for those of us with T2D. I've been at those lows in the past while LCHF, and I felt fine. Perhaps a bit weak. I added no extra carbs and eventually it evened out.

    When I had false hypoglycemic symptoms in the past, it was due to BG falling quickly. Like all the way down to an 80 (LOL ;) ). It was the drop that felt bad.

    This is absolutely possible. If someone is used to how high bg feels, the sudden drop that is still on normal range can feel like a low. Testing is a must before correction.
    My daughter would complain of being low and trying to eat everything not nailed down like a ferocious animal but I'd make her test first and find out she would be at 140 or so!
    She really felt crazy low at 140 in the past. Obviously she couldn't treat that carbs and it's very difficult to fight off the symptoms of a low when you're not really low. Meaning you cannot eat anything, but feel like your very life depends on it!
    Now, she doesn't even blink if she tests at 70. She just watches it closely by testing again in a short time to make sure it's not still dropping and suspends insulin from her pump.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    PollanDP wrote: »
    I had a scare last week for the first time. Not sure how low I got - but by the time I had got some sugar in me and made it to my test kit I was still registering a 38. I was not diligent enough testing my sugars once I dropped my carbs to a lower amount. Lesson learned real quick! And I'm not near as low on the carbs as the rest of you. Just starting to cut back. I may not need shots at all if I can get below 20. I'm T2.

    A 38 in a T2D is not really a problem. You make insulin so you will get glucose into the body parts that need it. I've hit the 30s a few times, once while fasting, and it passes in a while. The time I was fasting I felt my 30 something a bit but I still didn't eat and it was back up in an hour or two. Other times I was surprised by the lower BG, and even retested. I felt fine.

    You probably got a bit lower BG (and felt the symptoms) because you are just starting out LCHF. That feeling of hypos will most likely pass as you get adapted to the diet.
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo I am type 2.

    I agree with the others that a near low is not a problem for those of us with T2D. I've been at those lows in the past while LCHF, and I felt fine. Perhaps a bit weak. I added no extra carbs and eventually it evened out.

    When I had false hypoglycemic symptoms in the past, it was due to BG falling quickly. Like all the way down to an 80 (LOL ;) ). It was the drop that felt bad.

    This is absolutely possible. If someone is used to how high bg feels, the sudden drop that is still on normal range can feel like a low. Testing is a must before correction.
    My daughter would complain of being low and trying to eat everything not nailed down like a ferocious animal but I'd make her test first and find out she would be at 140 or so!
    She really felt crazy low at 140 in the past. Obviously she couldn't treat that carbs and it's very difficult to fight off the symptoms of a low when you're not really low. Meaning you cannot eat anything, but feel like your very life depends on it!
    Now, she doesn't even blink if she tests at 70. She just watches it closely by testing again in a short time to make sure it's not still dropping and suspends insulin from her pump.

    I had an oral glucose tolerance test once (for a separate matter). My BG started pretty high at about a 5.5 (100). A half hour after the orange sugar drink (gag), my BG was high at above a 9 (160+) and then it started to fall. Another 90 minutes later I was shaky with cold sweats, and feeling light headed, but my BG had only fallen to the mid 4's (80 ish). It's not near as extreme as what your daughter has gone through, but I think my hypo symptoms were due to my BG falling by half, past where I started, in just over an hour.

    Now? I feel great at a 4 something. I celebrate those 4 somethings. ;)

    And I am so glad your daughter is doing so well! She's quite a girl!
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    PollanDP wrote: »
    I had a scare last week for the first time. Not sure how low I got - but by the time I had got some sugar in me and made it to my test kit I was still registering a 38. I was not diligent enough testing my sugars once I dropped my carbs to a lower amount. Lesson learned real quick! And I'm not near as low on the carbs as the rest of you. Just starting to cut back. I may not need shots at all if I can get below 20. I'm T2.

    A 38 in a T2D is not really a problem. You make insulin so you will get glucose into the body parts that need it. I've hit the 30s a few times, once while fasting, and it passes in a while. The time I was fasting I felt my 30 something a bit but I still didn't eat and it was back up in an hour or two. Other times I was surprised by the lower BG, and even retested. I felt fine.

    You probably got a bit lower BG (and felt the symptoms) because you are just starting out LCHF. That feeling of hypos will most likely pass as you get adapted to the diet.
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo I am type 2.

    I agree with the others that a near low is not a problem for those of us with T2D. I've been at those lows in the past while LCHF, and I felt fine. Perhaps a bit weak. I added no extra carbs and eventually it evened out.

    When I had false hypoglycemic symptoms in the past, it was due to BG falling quickly. Like all the way down to an 80 (LOL ;) ). It was the drop that felt bad.

    This is absolutely possible. If someone is used to how high bg feels, the sudden drop that is still on normal range can feel like a low. Testing is a must before correction.
    My daughter would complain of being low and trying to eat everything not nailed down like a ferocious animal but I'd make her test first and find out she would be at 140 or so!
    She really felt crazy low at 140 in the past. Obviously she couldn't treat that carbs and it's very difficult to fight off the symptoms of a low when you're not really low. Meaning you cannot eat anything, but feel like your very life depends on it!
    Now, she doesn't even blink if she tests at 70. She just watches it closely by testing again in a short time to make sure it's not still dropping and suspends insulin from her pump.

    I had an oral glucose tolerance test once (for a separate matter). My BG started pretty high at about a 5.5 (100). A half hour after the orange sugar drink (gag), my BG was high at above a 9 (160+) and then it started to fall. Another 90 minutes later I was shaky with cold sweats, and feeling light headed, but my BG had only fallen to the mid 4's (80 ish). It's not near as extreme as what your daughter has gone through, but I think my hypo symptoms were due to my BG falling by half, past where I started, in just over an hour.

    Now? I feel great at a 4 something. I celebrate those 4 somethings. ;)

    And I am so glad your daughter is doing so well! She's quite a girl!

    I agree. The rate it falls sends some kind of warning. Problem is, it may not actually go low enough to end up being a problem, like you discovered. Plus, the liver can give you glycogen, and it will to correct the low on its own. If, an overdose of injected insulin isn't a factor, it could be safe to just keep checking on it and make no correction by eating at all, or by eating very little at a time so that another spike and fall is prevented. The feeling of being low is relative to what is normal for us I think and also how fast bg drops. So testing when feeling shaky and such is important and realizing that what's really a concerning low for a low carber isn't the same as what might be a concerning low for a high carber.

    And thanks! I'm really glad she's doing well too! Last year was so rough seeing her in such bad shape. She couldn't do anything! She was tired all the time and got winded just walking short distances. We went to a concert and had pit tickets, she went and found an empty seat to sit in because she couldn't stand and dance with me and her sister. It was aweful! We went to that concert again this past June and had the best time dancing all night! She's got an entirely different life eating this way. She's only 22 and now actually behaves like it instead of like a frail old lady!
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @nvmomketo, I am going to try to be ad kind as possible. But I don't know if I will be successful. Blood glucose levels reading a 38 IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM. I do not know how to bold a statement, but you said "your body makes insulin so you will get glucose..." insulin has NOTHING to do with glucose production. yes the body will continue to make insulin, and it will be secreted from the pancreas. Please check your anatomy and physiology. At 38 the brain cannot function properly. I do not doubt that your blood sugar reached a 38. But to tell others that a reading such as this is ok... Not a problem is ludicrous. While I do not agree with the American Diabetes Association when it comes to diet, they get it right in their education of safe blood glucose levels. Anything below 70 is considered hypoglycemic. It does not matter if you "feel" symptoms. Below 70 is hypoglycemic. Below 50 is dangerously low. If you are comfortable and can live with a blood glucose level of 38, please by all means do so. But stop telling others that a bg of 38 is not a problem. I am in ketosis. My glucagon stores are all used up. I am a type 2 diabetic. My pancreas still produces insulin. My carb intake today was 2 grams. Please can you tell me where glucose is going to come from in my body if my sugar drops below 70? It can't because there is no sugar for my body to use. If I, you, John, Jay and Martha do not eat something, we could fall into what's known as a diabetic coma. Because unless your pancreas has shut down its going to continue to produce insulin. Insulin counter acts sugar, when there is too much insulin, the brain and body will not function properly. Please do some research. I have been a t2 diabetic since 1998
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited August 2016
    I think @nvmomketo may be using Canadian/British numbers. 4 mmol/l = 72 mg/dp, 3.8 = 68.

    Everything below 70 is not necessarily a problem. I routinely - at least 1x weekly - have (asymptomatic) BGs in the 50s; the first time it happened, my diabetologist managed to talk me off the ledge when I called her office to seek advice - she simply told me not to worry about it in the absence of symptoms. (On the other hand, if the classic symptoms come on at 70, that's clearly a problem.) Phinney and Volek's books also suggest asymptomatic BG < 70, even <50, is not necessarily a problem.

    My BG will rise higher than I want on 0 carbs if I overdo the protein (in my case, that seems to be at around 120g). Also, Dr. Bernstein advises increased insulin+protein (not carbs) to nudge up borderline low BG in T1Ds.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member


    RalfLott wrote: »
    I think @nvmomketo may be using Canadian/British numbers. 4 mmol/l = 72 mg/dp, 3.8 = 68.

    Everything below 70 is not necessarily a problem. I routinely - at least 1x weekly - have (asymptomatic) BGs in the 50s; the first time it happened, my diabetologist managed to talk me off the ledge when I called her office to seek advice - she simply told me not to worry about it in the absence of symptoms. (On the other hand, if the classic symptoms come on at 70, that's clearly a problem.) Phinney and Volek's books also suggest asymptomatic BG < 70, even <50, is not necessarily a problem.

    My BG will rise higher than I want on 0 carbs if I overdo the protein (in my case, that seems to be at around 120g). Also, Dr. Bernstein advises increased insulin+protein (not carbs) to nudge up borderline low BG in .

    That top part is what I assumed. I think @nvmomketo just missed a decimal.
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I am going to try to be ad kind as possible. But I don't know if I will be successful. Blood glucose levels reading a 38 IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM. I do not know how to bold a statement, but you said "your body makes insulin so you will get glucose..." insulin has NOTHING to do with glucose production. yes the body will continue to make insulin, and it will be secreted from the pancreas.

    This is referring to the kind of checks and balances of insulin secretion and glucagon secretion from the liver I think.
    trish55011 wrote: »
    Please can you tell me where glucose is going to come from in my body if my sugar drops below 70? It can't because there is no sugar for my body to use. If I, you, John, Jay and Martha do not eat something, we could fall into what's known as a diabetic coma. Because unless your pancreas has shut down its going to continue to produce insulin. Insulin counter acts sugar, when there is too much insulin, the brain and body will not function properly. Please do some research. I have been a t2 diabetic since 1998

    Your Ketogenic body may not contain muscle glycogen (at least not in any considerable volume) but it does still store plenty of liver glycogen. Your Keto body does still have the ability to deliver you life saving glycogen. Your insulin resistant cells do make absorption of that glycogen a slower process though. But the only way to become more insulin sensitive is to reduce the insulin present, which requires not creating bg spikes. During this time of adaption, it will be quite common to experience bg lower than 70 and I personally wouldn't treat anything over 65 if it were me. I would test every 15 minutes to see if it dropped lower. In most cases, you'll get the liver glycogen you need to correct a mid 60's fast enough. Even T1D's liver glycogen can respond to injected insulin as long as it's not a serious overdose and dropping too fast. That's why my daughter first uses almonds to attempt any corrections in the 60's instead of faster acting sugar. Because between her liver and the almond carbs, as long as it's not dropping too fast, it will come back up over 70. Once it's over 70, she's not as concerned. It usually keeps going up over the following hour because of the slow almond carbs.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    The important thing about lows is that current science has not found any long-term effects of having low BG's. The risk for hypoglycemia is in the short-term effects (inability to concentrate, seizures, lack of consciousness). Those short-term effects can be exacerbated, say, if using heavy machinery or if a seizure results in a more serious problem (this happened to me twice - once with a shoulder dislocation, and another time with temporary amnesia). But there is no solid number at which low BG is going to be a problem... it is the symptoms that are the issue anyway. The key is that you can't wait until having a seizure to do something, so this symptom needs to be prevented. For that reason, I agree that treating at 38 mg/dl is necessary, but not always at 3.8 mmol/l.
  • PollanDP
    PollanDP Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for all the input. At a 38 I was having blurred vision, dizzy, sweating profusely. I was driving to work when I realized I was having trouble seeing. Barely made it to work. Felt like I was going to pass out. I feel like I was in real trouble. All I know is I am now being very careful and checking my sugar often to make sure I don't get that low again. As I drop my carb intake I need to drop my shots accordingly.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I definitely think that just like most situations relating to the body, things are so individual. So while there are some industry standards, other factors are so independent to person, situation, etc. I'm glad for this thread, there is a LOT of fabulous information in it.
  • 1234usmc
    1234usmc Posts: 196 Member
    Not to hijack a thread, but I have read all of these posts and have a question. If you are limiting carbs and protein and your BS drops, what are you supposed to do/eat?
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    1234usmc wrote: »
    Not to hijack a thread, but I have read all of these posts and have a question. If you are limiting carbs and protein and your BS drops, what are you supposed to do/eat?

    It depends - why did BG drop? What is current BG and what is trending show? Are you taking insulin? If yes, are you on a pump or MDI? If MDI, basal only or bolus also?

    Example from 40 min. ago: I'm on a pump, BG dropped to 65 mg/dl and was continuing to trend downward... not what I would consider low, but would continue to drop and become low soon. Cause was over-correction (from a correction bolus) of high BG earlier this morning. The continued drop is because some insulin was still active (has since reached its half-life). So I ate 1 glucose tablet (4g carbs) and that stabilized my BG against the remaining active insulin.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I am going to try to be ad kind as possible. But I don't know if I will be successful. Blood glucose levels reading a 38 IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM. I do not know how to bold a statement, but you said "your body makes insulin so you will get glucose..." insulin has NOTHING to do with glucose production. yes the body will continue to make insulin, and it will be secreted from the pancreas. Please check your anatomy and physiology. At 38 the brain cannot function properly. I do not doubt that your blood sugar reached a 38. But to tell others that a reading such as this is ok... Not a problem is ludicrous. While I do not agree with the American Diabetes Association when it comes to diet, they get it right in their education of safe blood glucose levels. Anything below 70 is considered hypoglycemic. It does not matter if you "feel" symptoms. Below 70 is hypoglycemic. Below 50 is dangerously low. If you are comfortable and can live with a blood glucose level of 38, please by all means do so. But stop telling others that a bg of 38 is not a problem. I am in ketosis. My glucagon stores are all used up. I am a type 2 diabetic. My pancreas still produces insulin. My carb intake today was 2 grams. Please can you tell me where glucose is going to come from in my body if my sugar drops below 70? It can't because there is no sugar for my body to use. If I, you, John, Jay and Martha do not eat something, we could fall into what's known as a diabetic coma. Because unless your pancreas has shut down its going to continue to produce insulin. Insulin counter acts sugar, when there is too much insulin, the brain and body will not function properly. Please do some research. I have been a t2 diabetic since 1998

    I'm sorry. You are right. I had some mistakes typing that. Bad mistake. I'm blushing.

    I honesty was thinking 3.8. Not 38. A 3.8 is a 60 something but a 38 would convert to a low 2 - not good. My apologies. It was a dumb error.

  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @nvmomketo, I should be the one apologizing. Please forgive me for snapping off. I shouldn't have done that. Have lots of other issues going on that have nothing to do with keto, but are making my attitude awful. Keto, this group and my faith are the only things holding me together right now. Truly didn't realize how awful it was until yesterday when dealing with a situation at home. We are all in this keto WOL together. If we don't support each other (my end) and encourage each other (my end again) we won't be successful. I look forward to seeing more of your posts, and learning about how you monitor blood sugars. I thought everyone measured the same. Have never seen decimals used before.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    edited August 2016
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I am going to try to be ad kind as possible. But I don't know if I will be successful. Blood glucose levels reading a 38 IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM. I do not know how to bold a statement, but you said "your body makes insulin so you will get glucose..." insulin has NOTHING to do with glucose production. yes the body will continue to make insulin, and it will be secreted from the pancreas. Please check your anatomy and physiology. At 38 the brain cannot function properly. I do not doubt that your blood sugar reached a 38. But to tell others that a reading such as this is ok... Not a problem is ludicrous. While I do not agree with the American Diabetes Association when it comes to diet, they get it right in their education of safe blood glucose levels. Anything below 70 is considered hypoglycemic. It does not matter if you "feel" symptoms. Below 70 is hypoglycemic. Below 50 is dangerously low. If you are comfortable and can live with a blood glucose level of 38, please by all means do so. But stop telling others that a bg of 38 is not a problem. I am in ketosis. My glucagon stores are all used up. I am a type 2 diabetic. My pancreas still produces insulin. My carb intake today was 2 grams. Please can you tell me where glucose is going to come from in my body if my sugar drops below 70? It can't because there is no sugar for my body to use. If I, you, John, Jay and Martha do not eat something, we could fall into what's known as a diabetic coma. Because unless your pancreas has shut down its going to continue to produce insulin. Insulin counter acts sugar, when there is too much insulin, the brain and body will not function properly. Please do some research. I have been a t2 diabetic since 1998

    I'm sorry. You are right. I had some mistakes typing that. Bad mistake. I'm blushing.

    I honesty was thinking 3.8. Not 38. A 3.8 is a 60 something but a 38 would convert to a low 2 - not good. My apologies. It was a dumb error.
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I should be the one apologizing. Please forgive me for snapping off. I shouldn't have done that. Have lots of other issues going on that have nothing to do with keto, but are making my attitude awful. Keto, this group and my faith are the only things holding me together right now. Truly didn't realize how awful it was until yesterday when dealing with a situation at home. We are all in this keto WOL together. If we don't support each other (my end) and encourage each other (my end again) we won't be successful. I look forward to seeing more of your posts, and learning about how you monitor blood sugars. I thought everyone measured the same. Have never seen decimals used before.

    :heart: I love you guys. :heart:
    This is why we mods adore you all so much. This is the kind of environment we're trying to keep.
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    @1234usmc, to bring blood glucose back up a person will have to eat additional carbs. They could be in the form of glucose tablets, a spoon of peanut butter, or as in my case because I took my regular dose of diabetic meds, I had to go off grid. Had to jack my carb load up to almost 100 before it would stabilize. Dropped out twice on me 6 hours apart. I have now adjusted my meds and am back in ketosis. So far today I have taken no diabetic meds, and didn't take any last night and my fasting glucose was 94. Will take it again after I eat breakfast to make sure I'm still in a good range. Hope this answered your question. :smiley:
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    edited August 2016
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @1234usmc, to bring blood glucose back up a person will have to eat additional carbs. They could be in the form of glucose tablets, a spoon of peanut butter, or as in my case because I took my regular dose of diabetic meds, I had to go off grid. Had to jack my carb load up to almost 100 before it would stabilize. Dropped out twice on me 6 hours apart. I have now adjusted my meds and am back in ketosis. So far today I have taken no diabetic meds, and didn't take any last night and my fasting glucose was 94. Will take it again after I eat breakfast to make sure I'm still in a good range. Hope this answered your question. :smiley:

    That's great to hear!

    Just an FYI, on hypoglycemia... not always are additional carbs necessary. As a type 1 taking insulin, there have been some situations where I was able to treat lows as low as in the 40's by only cutting back or eliminating basal insulin temporarily and staying sedentary. Another time, I needed more than 300g of carbs in a 14 hr. period as lows continued to come back even without the common roller coaster of eat-correction bolus-eat-repeat (no boluses at all during that time, and no basal insulin during part of the time). There are so many different scenarios with hypoglycemia affected by so many different factors - every hypoglycemic occurrence is unique. Healthcare providers typically train on eating carbs and on using temp. basals (for those of us on a pump) or reducing or skipping insulin for MDI patients, but the training is still limited compared to some of what we learn after dealing with it so many times. I'm saying the training provided to patients is limited because of practicality, and that comes from the perspective of someone who received more classroom training on type 1 diabetes (some of which helps with understanding of type 2) than most physicians.

    ETA: If you don't fully understand what, why, and how of a hypoglycemic event, it is still best to treat with carbs because that works almost always regardless of factors involved.
  • trish55011
    trish55011 Posts: 139 Member
    Thanks @midwesterner85, for info on T1, I only know about T2. And really only how to treat myself. Have been T2 since 98. It is good to learn about how others manage their diabetes while living the Keto WOL. The more I know, the better I may be able to help someone else. Diabetes is such a tricky condition. What works today, may not work tomorrow. Stress, illness, the weather... Everything affects it. So frustrating some times. But Keto is allowing me to be in the drivers seat. It is an awesome feeling, knowing that I run my diabetes now, not the other way around.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    There are so many different scenarios with hypoglycemia affected by so many different factors - every hypoglycemic occurrence is unique. Healthcare providers typically train on eating carbs and on using temp. basals (for those of us on a pump) or reducing or skipping insulin for MDI patients, but the training is still limited compared to some of what we learn after dealing with it so many times. I'm saying the training provided to patients is limited because of practicality, and that comes from the perspective of someone who received more classroom training on type 1 diabetes (some of which helps with understanding of type 2) than most physicians.

    ETA: If you don't fully understand what, why, and how of a hypoglycemic event, it is still best to treat with carbs because that works almost always regardless of factors involved.

    @midwesterner85, I hope one of these days, you will get around to collecting your many pearls of insight into a blog, if not a Youtube channel. (Think: 100,000 hits....)

    If not.. thanks for the efforts to explain complex phenomena in such clear and civilized words!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I should be the one apologizing. Please forgive me for snapping off. I shouldn't have done that. Have lots of other issues going on that have nothing to do with keto, but are making my attitude awful. Keto, this group and my faith are the only things holding me together right now. Truly didn't realize how awful it was until yesterday when dealing with a situation at home. We are all in this keto WOL together. If we don't support each other (my end) and encourage each other (my end again) we won't be successful. I look forward to seeing more of your posts, and learning about how you monitor blood sugars. I thought everyone measured the same. Have never seen decimals used before.

    Not at all. It's a good thing that (dumb) mistake was corrected. It was complete misinformation. Sorry about that. :)
    baconslave wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I am going to try to be ad kind as possible. But I don't know if I will be successful. Blood glucose levels reading a 38 IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM. I do not know how to bold a statement, but you said "your body makes insulin so you will get glucose..." insulin has NOTHING to do with glucose production. yes the body will continue to make insulin, and it will be secreted from the pancreas. Please check your anatomy and physiology. At 38 the brain cannot function properly. I do not doubt that your blood sugar reached a 38. But to tell others that a reading such as this is ok... Not a problem is ludicrous. While I do not agree with the American Diabetes Association when it comes to diet, they get it right in their education of safe blood glucose levels. Anything below 70 is considered hypoglycemic. It does not matter if you "feel" symptoms. Below 70 is hypoglycemic. Below 50 is dangerously low. If you are comfortable and can live with a blood glucose level of 38, please by all means do so. But stop telling others that a bg of 38 is not a problem. I am in ketosis. My glucagon stores are all used up. I am a type 2 diabetic. My pancreas still produces insulin. My carb intake today was 2 grams. Please can you tell me where glucose is going to come from in my body if my sugar drops below 70? It can't because there is no sugar for my body to use. If I, you, John, Jay and Martha do not eat something, we could fall into what's known as a diabetic coma. Because unless your pancreas has shut down its going to continue to produce insulin. Insulin counter acts sugar, when there is too much insulin, the brain and body will not function properly. Please do some research. I have been a t2 diabetic since 1998

    I'm sorry. You are right. I had some mistakes typing that. Bad mistake. I'm blushing.

    I honesty was thinking 3.8. Not 38. A 3.8 is a 60 something but a 38 would convert to a low 2 - not good. My apologies. It was a dumb error.
    trish55011 wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, I should be the one apologizing. Please forgive me for snapping off. I shouldn't have done that. Have lots of other issues going on that have nothing to do with keto, but are making my attitude awful. Keto, this group and my faith are the only things holding me together right now. Truly didn't realize how awful it was until yesterday when dealing with a situation at home. We are all in this keto WOL together. If we don't support each other (my end) and encourage each other (my end again) we won't be successful. I look forward to seeing more of your posts, and learning about how you monitor blood sugars. I thought everyone measured the same. Have never seen decimals used before.

    :heart: I love you guys. :heart:
    This is why we mods adore you all so much. This is the kind of environment we're trying to keep.

    It is nice around here. :)<3 Thank you for making it so.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited August 2016
    And from those of us too old and addled to see decimal points, anyhow - your patience and tolerance are always appreciated!
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