Type2 Diabetes-why am I having hypos?

[CheeryCherry]

Was diagnosed in March, take metformin twice daily, last blood test good - normal glucose levels. Not due back til beginning of Sept. But for the past week I am having hypo symptoms (shakey, wobbly legs, slight panic feeling) either before lunch ar mid afternoon. There has been no change in my diet, nor routine, but my slep has been a bit more disturbed. But I read that folk with type2 on metformin are unlikely to even have hypos. Am confused

slep? sleep!!

Have you got a glucometer? Are your blood sugars actually low at these times?

Are you following a low GI diet? Just wondering if you could be having a slump if having lots of simple carbs at breakfast and lunch.

No I haven't got any testing equipment, its not even been mentioned. I am having a big bowl of special k for breakfast, I even had 2 crumpets after cereal on Sat to try stop the wobbles. Its all a bit wierd. Thanks but I don't understand it, and not sure I can face seeing the dr just yet - feel like I have lived at the dr surgery lately!

Special K is quite high in sugar I'm afraid. Low fat, but lots of sugar.

Crumpets white flour/fast release starches, so both likely to trigger a bit of a slump.

Suggest - sugar free cereal like own brand shredded wheat(no nestle here/porridge or protein, like kippers, bacon with scrambled egg.

For slower release energy. Can you ask for a dietitian referral?

You can buy a glucometer pretty cheap from pharmacy - the test strips are £££ but get them them on prescription

It might be worth picking up a test kit so that you can monitor what's happening to bg levels. You know you need to talk to your diabetes nurse/ gp though...
Hope you manage to get resolution.

Special K isn't a particularly slow release carb, it's quite sugary. Could you have something else like an oat-based cereal? Quaker do one called Oat Crisp which is quite tasty and low sugar. I have porridge oats mixed with fruit yoghurt and a little water and I never get hypos before lunch. I do sometimes feel a bit wobbly by lunchtime if I just have a slice of toast.

17% sugar in special k. Low sugar, but not sugar free, is weetabix.

I'm a nurse if it helps

Feel [shame] about special k! Can't win - trying to reduce fat...oh well. I was on all bran for my initial diagnosed weeks, but bit sick of it now, hence the special k.
The blood testing thing is totally alien to me, not been told about it, but am on a waiting list to see a dietition. So its normal for a metformin patient to have hypos? A booklet I read said it was unlikely to happen?
I had cheese and tomato sandwiches today (4 small slices), on wholemeal bread, was wobbly by 4.30. Urgh!

I think that it is negligent of the GP to leave you with your diagnosis and no glucose testing kit That is just unfair. My Mum was on metformin and had hypos.

Less likely than with insulin treatment, but possible yes.

The diet side is vital though, at least as important as the medication. Plenty of time to adjust/tweak the tablets til you get the right control of things.

A meter would also be helpful in case you get ill, as blood sugars can go a bit mad if you have an infection for example.

Have you joined the club?

Good advice on the website, info for new diagnosed people and all sorts.

My understanding is that Metformin itself doesn't cause hypos (in the way the insulin might) but you can still have hypos caused by your diet.

Do you have snacks? A ryvita or a small handful of nuts or some other slow release snack eaten between main meals might help.

Bran thankyou for that, that makes sense. Yes I have looked at the diabetes website, its v helpful, I haven't joined as such. I wondered whether I should have had info about the testing/kits - when my dad was diagnosed years ago, he was testing straight away. Maybe its different these days!? Thanks everyone, back to the All Bran tomorrow!!!

I am also a Type 2 Diabetic and the first thing the Practice Nurse did when I was diagnosed was give me a prescription for a blood glucose testing meter. What dose Metformin are you on 500mg or 850mg. I was originally on 500mg a day but levels went up and down and I use to get hypos, now very steady on the 850mg. My nurse recommends you should have a snack mid morning and also mid afternoon will help with the levels. She suggests a piece of fruit or a Muller Lite Yoghurt or as someone else sugest a handful of nuts or something similar.

Re the Special K my friend in Australia also has diabetes and his diabetic nurse recommends that he has that. I have queried that twice with him as it seems quite high in sugar but he is adament she has even written it in his book.

I would go back and see GP or Practice Nurse and explain how you are feeling.

Mobraygirl, interesting about your script for testing meter!??? I do have fruit mid morning - an apple or banana (or both sometimes!). Am on 500g metformin twice a day.
Yes I guess I will have to go back to GP.
Thanks.

Mowbraygirl unfortunately our cereals have more additives/ sugar then in other countries so your Australian friend may be right.
Cherrycherry I would ask your dr/nurse for a testing kit I got my dad one in Aldi the other day, he is finding it hard to control his sugars at the moment and is testing twice a day for 2 weeks 2 hrs after eating to check his levels and keeping a food diary so he can show his cons [now need to get him to fill in the diary as he eats not at the end of the day]

Cherry watch the fruit my Dad was eating 2/3 red apples a day it sent his levels sky high have moved him to veg and dips for an afternoon snack with some success

not read all the posts - but a change in sleep - stress etc can give you a change in your sugar levels. Try and get a good nights sleep and see if that helps. The GI diet may help - lots of whole wheat and whole grain.

Thanks all, I guess my BG isn't stable at the mo. Must try harder! Cheers.

I had gestational diabetes and had sky high blood sugars with weetabix and pretty much all cereals. I had to test 4 times a day, sometimes more, have you heard of bergen bread? I think it's soya and linseed, you can get it in tesco, was much better for blood glucose than wholemeal/multigrain.

I used to have mad hypos if I didn't have a snack mid-morning, I was led to believe that fruit was "bad" along with yoghurt etc spose it depends which type you get, I think higher fat, lower sugar is better than fat free.

Breakfast was the trickiest meal for me, for snacks I used to live on one cracker with a bit of spready cheese, I wasn't very imaginative tbh. It's very hard to get it nright with snacks.

I've got PCOS and suffer the same sort of symptoms - usually if I have white sugar. I can't even have half a spoon full without suffering a couple of hours later. Are you having tea with sugar in it?

Also, make sure you don't go 3 hours without a snack and that you are eating stuff that doesn't cause peaks in your blood sugar. With PCOS too many carbs can cause this too.

I've been doing slimming world for a while now and have found it really helped level me out - but then most of what I eat now is real food and not much processed stuff.

For breakfast I have fruit and yogurt with a slice of toast and peanut butter on it, which see's me through til lunch. Or you could try a protein breakfast such as a bacon and egg sandwich (brown bread).

Good luck and hope you get it sorted soon x

I agree you probably need to tweak your diet a bit. Going for the low fat, high carb option is a really common mistake but easily rectified. I personally think it's criminal that special K is allowed to tout itself as the healthy option. It's nothing but processed, sugary carbs. You'll be getting lows for sure since with the high carb, low fat, low fibre and low protein stuff you get a big spike in bg then your body overcompensates (metformin will work on the sugars in your blood) and you get a crash.

Could you try eating differently for a week and see how you feel then?

Eg:
Breakfast: Two weetabix with milk, a heaped tbs of any seeds and a dollop of lowfat greek yoghurt. The fat in the seeds and the fibre in the weetabix combined with the protein in the dairy will slow the release of the carbs.
Or, you could have two scrambled or boiled eggs and a piece or two of toast, or peanut butter on toast with a banana or cream cheese on toast, loads of options.

For snacks, have maybe one small piece of fruit but also have a small handful of nuts. Other options are a bowl of plain yoghurt or an apple with some low fat cheese (if you want to have lowfat - I'd just have normal tbh).

Lunch could be a chicken salad with a little bit of pasta or a slice of rye bread, or wholewheat pitta and hummus and salad.

And your standard meat and two veg are great for blood glucose control for dinners! x

Smash09, thankyou, thats so helpful.
Have had weetabix with banana for breakfast - no probs this morning. Lunch was veg pate on wholemeal bread, melon for pudd. Am vegetarian so the meat and 2 veg is out but thanks for the advice. I must admit I have been sneaking more sweetie treats in lately. so that prob a massive reason I have been all over the place. Need to lose a lot of weight, have lost 2 stone since March but am faltering a bit. Time to get back on track. Must regain control!!!
Have learned a lot for you guys thankyou.