Low blood sugar on monitor but not diabetic?

[Myrkwood]

For some background: I’m overweight and have PCOS, so am at risk for diabetes.

I heard about the free trial of the libra glucose monitor and thought it might be a good idea to have a look. I’ve been wearing it for two days.

My sugar never goes into the high range (above 7.8) but it does drop to below 4 and sets off the low blood sugar alarm, most often at night. It’s listed as a low blood sugar ‘event’ in the app if it stays below 3.9 longer than 15 minutes. This has happened at least twice a night and once or twice in the evening while I’m still awake.

For the last couple of months I’ve been having panic attacks at night, heart racing, shaking and generally feeling like I’m about to die.

I assumed it might be stress or anxiety (I used to suffer from this in my teens) as work has been tricky lately. But it coincides with the times the monitor says I have low blood sugar.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Google mainly turns up information about this happening with people with diabetes. I’m thinking of seeing if I can get a gp appointment next week.

Low blood sugar is a big issue for type 1 diabetes. With type 2, we eat jellybeans and some carbs and we're all good.

OP are you trying to lose weight? Because if you're on a calorie controlled diet (and hungry!) it would explain it

I’m not currently on a diet, I was planning to check my health overall before I started. I mainly eat homemade meals anyway (just have to eat less!).

The first night it happened my DH said to try eating something sugary, so I had a piece of his birthday cake.

But that actually seemed to make it worse as it went back up a little then dropped like a rock! So apart from go to sleep I’m not sure how to deal with it.

You need pure glucose. Cake is sugar and fat and that will spike your BSL in a way that jellybeans won't.

This is actually an issue with monitors like the libre and could be a false low because you are lying on it.

https://support.levelshealth.com/article/68-low-readings#:~:text=Nighttime%20dips%3A%20t's%20natural%20for,also%20produce%20false%20low%20readings.

I'm sure your GP will advise you not to monitor your blood sugar unless you are actually diabetic or have a honey medical condition that requires it in which case your GP will have provided you with a monitor. You've just given your health anxiety another thing to focus on. I would t be concerned at all by those readings in isolation.

Low blood sugar in diabetes is due to some of the treatments for diabetes, usually insulin in type 1. Diabetes itself doesn't cause low blood sugar.

What is your diet like usually? Are you eating foods that keep you full for a long time eg wholegrain, veg or are you eating a lot of white carbs?

You can top up with sugar but in the long run this will do your PCOS, weight and risk of diabetes no good at all. Foods with a low glycaemic index will keep you going for longer and stop the blood sugar dips.

Its an absalute pain in the nether-regions when this happens.

I have the same atm and have had to lower both quick acting plus back ground insulins last night and I had a rich tea biscuit as well!

Think we both need to be eating a bit more before bed! 😁