I often read about T1’s needing to go to the ER for crazy highs and lows and DKA… just wondering if any T2’s have had these experiences especially like to hear from those NOT on insulin!
I used to get hypos when I was first diagnosed, but now I eat low carb I seem to be more level in my readings.
It’s rare, but I know one T2 on TuDiabetes was diagnosed via DKA and a trip to the hospital. It does happen.
During the period I was not on insulin, I never experienced a bad hypo or had DKA. Through careful manipulation, I was able to cause reactive hypoglycemia into the 50s, but my body self regulated. I that for T2s not on insulin or sulfonylureas, it is extremely rare to have serious hypos. And to a certain degree you could say the same thing about DKA. Most T2s still produce “some” insulin and insulin suppresses the onset of DKA.
Most T2s not don’t get DKA even when they run high, but if there’s no insulin production and no insulin intake, it is possible (see: “I ran out of insulin and can’t get any until Social Security/disability comes in”, “I can’t afford my insulin once I pay my rent”, and similar stories).
Most T2s don’t get lows unless we are on insulin or unless we are on an oral med that inhibits glycogen release (e.g. metformin), although if we are still producing insulin and are insulin-resistant, then we can rebound low after a big meal or pig-out. That said, we don’t go crazy low (under 50) unless we’re on insulin or unless we’re on an oral med and otherwise fasting.
I’ve had hypos…the lowest 1.5 (27), and I’m not on insulin!
I am a T2 who has thus far been successful at bringing my numbers down through a low carb/high fat diet alone. Normalization of my numbers has made me feel much better and allowed me to start exercising again. This evening I went out for a long walk and started feeling really fatigued. Everything started going blurry and I sat down. Fortunately I had my meter with me ‘just in case’ and my bg was 61. I was in the parking lot of a store so I went in and bought, then drank, a veggie juice with 18 carbs. I resumed walking to the store I was originally heading for not feeling much better. Checked again when I got there, bg was 65. Bought and drank a 48 carb fruit juice, muscles started working right again, then walked home. An hour later my bg was 90. Please bring your meters and a glucose source with you even if you’re T2 and have never had a documented hypo. If I hadn’t checked and found a bg of 61 then consumed 66 grams of carbs it’d probably have kept on dropping and I’d probably have had an ambulance ride and be waking up in the hospital about now.
I have had some hypos but they were on the 50’s. Type 2’s can bounce back from them but for me the bounce back was insane. I was getting hypos after I started getting seriously back into cycling and only at night. I would go to bed at 100 or so and the last time I ate was around 8. I would wake up in the middle of the night confused with rapid heart beat and really high blood pressure. So started to do some test at night every hour and I noticed a downward trend til it reached into the 50’s and then a jolt of adrenaline would bring me back into 140s. So for a while I wonder why i was at 140 in the middle of the night confused. Also when I first was diagnosed I did go into dka and used only insulin for about a year. It seem that my pancreas just stopped working for a while and then kicked back in.
Ya I hear ya… any type of exersize and I really have to be careful, I drop like a rock really quick… If I get to 4.2 mmol, I am shaking like a leaf and cant think straight, sweating, heart racing, legs feel like jello and I feel like im going to pass out. I know that hypo isnt supposed to start until at LEAST 4.0 mmol but for me its a little higher, but then again nothing about my D has very been normal. For instance, I am always lower 2 hrs post than before I eat. I can eat the same thing every day and sometimes it will make me high and sometimes low… nothing makes much sense to me so as long as I do my best and my A1C is good I’m not going to worry about it much, I just make sure I have glucerna and glucose pills in my purse at all times, sometimes even just walking around shopping gets me low in about 3 hrs after eating a good meal… ya… I’m a weirdo alright! But its nice to know I’m not the only T2 that gets hypos.
I read recently that low glucose gives hypo symptoms as we know but they’re often exaggerated or occur at higher levels if the decrease in bg is rapid as opposed to slow. I’ve been afraid to go for my walk today but knowing other people experience the same thing is comforting so off I go. Meter and my poor man’s glucose pills (Altoids) on hand of course. 96 on my way out the door. So far so good. Thanks for sharing.
yes i do drop really quick…it is scary for sure… sugar up and enjoy your walk!