Newly diagnosed (January) - first sickness issues

[Misty8723]

I'm sure this is in here someone, but I'm at work and don't have time to search. I got sick with some stomach virus Sunday night, the whole mess. Couldn't eat, did the best I could with toast, jello, juice for 2 days. Now, eating a little more normally, but still not completely, my BG is almost always below or just above 100. For example, I went out yesterday and had a high carb meal just to test it, and two hours later it was only 103. Now, I feel as though I'm coming down with a cold. I just checked, and my BG is 90. I should mention that prior to the last few days, I have almost never been below 150 or 160, usually higher.

So my question is, should I call the doctor, or is this okay. I've been below 70 a couple times and I get a little panicky, especially at work (I guess since I'm new to all this).

Thanks for advice.

[moorejames]

Sounds like you're eating very few calories, so even with the higher carbs, it seems logical your BG would be staying low.

I usually run higher when I'm sick, but I rarely lose my appetite when ill.

You didn't mention if you were taking insulin or meds to increase insulin production, but since you are a type 2 I wouldn't be too concerned about the lower numbers, considering how few total calories you've been consuming, unless you are on insulin.

I try to stay under 100 as much as possible. I don't start to feel "low" until I hit 70 or so, and when I do get that low, it's pretty much always because I just haven't had much to eat.

[Misty8723]

Thanks for the reply, and the reassurance. So I guess I can assume everything is fine and, once I start eating more, the numbers won't go low so often. I"m not on insulin, just 5 mg of Glipizide.

[slipperyelm]

If you take Glipizide it is possible to go too low when you are not eating enough. I recommend testing your blood glucose more frequently than normally and eating glucose tablets or sipping glucose tablets dissolved in water if you feel uncomfortably low when you also test lowish. I'm talking about when you are sick, of course.

Glipizide tablets can be broken in half. If your dose is too high while you are unable to eat, talk to your doctor's office about cutting it back when you are sick and unable to eat.

I think people prescribed glipizide (or other sulfolnylureas) should always get some instruction on what to do about their meds when they are sick and cannot eat or can only eat a little.

About that high carb meal that resulted in surprisingly low BG--well, sometimes glipizide can just cause a little more insulin production than other times. Please do keep your meter with you when you go out or are at work, not just at home. Use it when you feel questionable.

Is glipizide new to you? You say that usually your BG is almost never below 150-160. But now it is running around 100 and below for the last few days? If glipizide is new to you, maybe this is the difference glipizide is making.

[nneighbour]

The good thing with cutting a dose in half when when you need to, is that if you are running too high, you can always take the other half. Yeah, it's obvious, I know.