[kimbo]

Hi
I did my blood around 11pm before bedtime and it was 4.4 (80) that was very good for me as i am a new t2 and working on it,but it made me a bit nervous as i wondered if it could drop more while i slept so i had a couple of biscuits.I am on metformin and gliclazide.Am i right to be concerned ?could it have gone lower?

thanks

[Cinnabon]

Its normal to worry about that. I have it everynight. Usually T1 expeience the lows during the night. How was your Fasting BS?

[archimeech]

Actually, anyone has the possiblity of having low blood sugars, not jsut diabetics. You probably have nothing to worry about. If you are worried set your alarm clock for about 2-3am and get up and check it. Usually you will feel a low coming on, even in your sleep. I've been T1 for so long, that I don't feel the lows anymore, so it is dangerous once you get to the same stage in life, but a T2 should still have their ability to sense a low sugar.

[TvBabe]

Kimbo I am a T2 as well, my dietician told me to have a breadtime snack (a carb and a protein so cheese and crackers or peanut butter toast will do). I've always done this and my morning fasting sugars are always good and I've never gone low during the night.

[kimbo]

Originally Posted by Cinnabon

Its normal to worry about that. I have it everynight. Usually T1 expeience the lows during the night. How was your Fasting BS?

My first fasting test was taken at the doctors 16 (288) but since medication it is around 8.0 (145) when i wake up.I have to ring the nurse this week and let her know whats happening,so med may be increased or changed.
I am sure i am eating ok,but experience will teach me,i am testing before and after meals so i can see what works for me.

[gettingby]

Originally Posted by kimbo

My first fasting test was taken at the doctors 16 (288) but since medication it is around 8.0 (145) when i wake up.I have to ring the nurse this week and let her know whats happening,so med may be increased or changed.
I am sure i am eating ok,but experience will teach me,i am testing before and after meals so i can see what works for me.

TEST TEST TEST !!!!!!!!! Now that I've said that, testing more often really is the best way to learn. Lately, since I've been trying to figure out carb counting, I've been testing 2 hours after a meal instead of before. I may have to start doing both (before and after). My CDE just upped my strip script (200 for $20, instead of 100 for $20. yay !!!!!)

[Maddogg]

Originally Posted by kimbo

Hi
I did my blood around 11pm before bedtime and it was 4.4 (80) that was very good for me as i am a new t2 and working on it,but it made me a bit nervous as i wondered if it could drop more while i slept so i had a couple of biscuits.I am on metformin and gliclazide.Am i right to be concerned ?could it have gone lower?

thanks

If my blood was at 4.4 before going to bed (and after having eaten something 1 - 2 hours prior) I would either skip my insulin (humalin) intake or reduce the dose and consume 20-30g+ of carbs before going to bed. I've woken up too many times with a low and half the time its a horrible experience. I experience extreme confusion, drunkeness type behavior, unable to speak clearly or make sense. I've almost died because of this on more than 1 occasion. I don't know what it is about waking up with a low (i'm talking less than 2.5 mmol/L) but all i know is that it can be very risky and dangerous, especially if your alone when this happens. I've been lucky to always have someone by my side when i woke up with bad lows, I probably wouldn't been alive if I would have been on my own in most cases. You can definitely drop down too low overnight, your body will usually wake you up in these situations but if you wait too long (go back to sleep for 10 minutes over and over again) you can get low enough to the point where you are unable to function properly and take the proper steps to get your blood higher. So just make sure your blood is high enough before you call it a night, and adjust your insulin dose or carb intake accordingly.

Marc

[kimbo]

Thanks for all the info.though i do not know enough about myself with diabetes to make a decision about meds on my own (newbie) and as for carbs i havent a clue,i know where they are but dont know what quantity to eat to prop myself up.What do i need eat to get 30-34gs of carbs.I see a lot of talk on carb counting but know nothing about this either.I will get there one day,just too much to take in .

kim

[Peter Lee]

I am also on Meformin and Gliclazide amongst other things. Even if I have been low in the evening I have always been higher in the morning due to the liver putting out glucose. For example 4.2 (75.6) before eating at 6pm and 6.0 (108) on waking.

If you do go low it will be the Gliclazide that is causing the effect so my doctor told me and the simple answer (he said) is to reduce the dose of Gliclazide.

The only times that I have gone below 4 (72) is during the day when I have done hard physical work. It is unlikely that a Type 2 will go low during the night unless the level of Gliclazide is too high or you are taking it at the wrong time (it should be taken with food) or you are not eating properly. This is all stuff for your medical team to advise on.

You don't really give enough information for me to comment further. What dosage of Metformin are you on? What dosage of Gliclazide are you on? When do you take them? What is your blood Glucose reading when you wake up in the morning, before breakfast.

[kimbo]

Hi.
I am on 500g metformin and 120 glic breakfast and tea.
A couple of times i have forgotton to take meds at tea and my levels have gone upto 17 (306) .As the meds take a few weeks to kick in am i correct in thinking that taking them 3-4 hrs late shouldnt make that much difference.

[Peter Lee]

Originally Posted by kimbo

Hi.
I am on 500g metformin and 120 glic breakfast and tea.
A couple of times i have forgotton to take meds at tea and my levels have gone upto 17 (306) .As the meds take a few weeks to kick in am i correct in thinking that taking them 3-4 hrs late shouldnt make that much difference.

Your meds are sort of similar to mine in that you are taking the same dosage of Gliclazide but a lot less Metformin (that level of Metformin had no effect on me).

You are right on both counts. The meds. do take weeks to kick in. In my case the Metformin took 8 weeks and the Gliclazide was added after the eight weeks. I added one Gliclazide tablet every week over a total of 4 weeks and when the last one was added my sugar came down to the required 6.0 mmole/l (108mg/dl) and stayed there.

The instruction leaflets for the Metformin and the Gliclazide say that if you forget to take the meds at the desired time, take them when you remember. BUT DO NOT take two doses at the same time if it twelve hour later that you remember (this is common sense, but it is also stated on the leaflets)!

I have on the odd occasion taken my Metformin plus gliclazide tablets 3 hours late with no adverse effects, although if you are susceptable to hypos from the Gliclaizide you would be as well to eat something at the same time (two or three dried dates or about thirty raisins or sultanas should do).

[kimbo]

Thanks peter,
I have food with meds if i take them late even though my levels are high(maybe i shouldnt),i think i could have hypos as i can go a bit low so i watch for this by checking my blood if i suspect i am low.As i have only known about the diabetes a few weeks i am checkiing all the time so i can recognise what the symptons are indicating.I havent had a hypo but very nervous at the thought of one,no doubt one will turn up one day.
I am slowly picking up a general picture of management from this site,but still waiting for all the bits to fit together.
kimbo

[Peter Lee]

We are all so different it is a bit difficult to give definative advice but I wouldn't be too nervous about hypos. They don't seem to be too common in Type 2 people.

In my case I actually have to do physical work to get the sugar down in the 4 (72) region and I would have thought it unlikely that you would go hypo in your sleep. Although, as someone earlier suggested you do the experiment and check - set the alarm for 2am and see what your sugar is

[Zokes]

Originally Posted by Maddogg

If my blood was at 4.4 before going to bed (and after having eaten something 1 - 2 hours prior) I would either skip my insulin (humalin) intake or reduce the dose and consume 20-30g+ of carbs before going to bed. I've woken up too many times with a low and half the time its a horrible experience. I experience extreme confusion, drunkeness type behavior, unable to speak clearly or make sense. I've almost died because of this on more than 1 occasion. I don't know what it is about waking up with a low (i'm talking less than 2.5 mmol/L) but all i know is that it can be very risky and dangerous, especially if your alone when this happens. I've been lucky to always have someone by my side when i woke up with bad lows, I probably wouldn't been alive if I would have been on my own in most cases. You can definitely drop down too low overnight, your body will usually wake you up in these situations but if you wait too long (go back to sleep for 10 minutes over and over again) you can get low enough to the point where you are unable to function properly and take the proper steps to get your blood higher. So just make sure your blood is high enough before you call it a night, and adjust your insulin dose or carb intake accordingly.

Marc

Maddog's response was right on! In short: YES, your bg can get too low. As a T1, I would sooner got to bed with a bg of 300 thatn I would a bg of 70.

[Peter Lee]

Originally Posted by Zokes

Maddog's response was right on! In short: YES, your bg can get too low. As a T1, I would sooner got to bed with a bg of 300 thatn I would a bg of 70.

Kimbo is a Type 2 - different world.