Eat Versus Treat - Hypos

February 01, 2011 12:48

Athena DAFNE Graduate
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 52 posts

hi Everyone,

Am I the only one who finds that if I eat instead of treat for BG,s of between 3.6 and 4 I very quickly end up in a lower hypo? I don't know why this is as we are not supposed to take fast acting sugar for these higher levels. However, I can't get this to work, they hypo just continues and the drop happens very quickly, down to the low 1's in five minutes if there is the accompanying feeling of dropping. Otherewise it takes up to 20 minutes to be down in the 1's. It is not as if I am eating low GI starches to feed this, so I can't work out what I am doing wrong. Treating a 3.9 works fine for me when I do this, I don't end up too high afterwards so maybe I am best to stick with this. Would be interested in any advice or hearing if other people are having the same problems.

thanks!

February 01, 2011 16:23

Alan 49 DAFNE Graduate
Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 284 posts

Athena
It looks to me as if you need to take some rapid-acting carbs - even for BGs between 3.6 and 4.0. Then, if you don't feel an improvement after 5 minutes - repeat the dose. Not quite sure what you mean by 'eat instead of treat'.

February 02, 2011 13:04

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 587 posts

Its worth factoring in what insulin has caused the hypo in the first place rather than generalising. I guess that the quick drops of BG are caused by too much QA and slow drops are by BI - but this is only a common sense based assumption. The trick of DAFNE is to work out which I suppose.

February 01, 2011 12:48 Athena DAFNE Graduate NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 52 posts	hi Everyone, Am I the only one who finds that if I eat instead of treat for BG,s of between 3.6 and 4 I very quickly end up in a lower hypo? I don't know why this is as we are not supposed to take fast acting sugar for these higher levels. However, I can't get this to work, they hypo just continues and the drop happens very quickly, down to the low 1's in five minutes if there is the accompanying feeling of dropping. Otherewise it takes up to 20 minutes to be down in the 1's. It is not as if I am eating low GI starches to feed this, so I can't work out what I am doing wrong. Treating a 3.9 works fine for me when I do this, I don't end up too high afterwards so maybe I am best to stick with this. Would be interested in any advice or hearing if other people are having the same problems. thanks!
February 01, 2011 16:23 Alan 49 DAFNE Graduate Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 284 posts	Athena It looks to me as if you need to take some rapid-acting carbs - even for BGs between 3.6 and 4.0. Then, if you don't feel an improvement after 5 minutes - repeat the dose. Not quite sure what you mean by 'eat instead of treat'.
February 02, 2011 13:04 JayBee DAFNE Graduate James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 587 posts	Its worth factoring in what insulin has caused the hypo in the first place rather than generalising. I guess that the quick drops of BG are caused by too much QA and slow drops are by BI - but this is only a common sense based assumption. The trick of DAFNE is to work out which I suppose.