I feel like my blood sugar is low all the time. I get really weak and shaky. I get really tired too. I've tried to ignore the feeling sometimes, but once or twice when that happened I was 35 or in the 400's. So now I just check every time. I'm checking twelve to fifteen times a day. My last A1C was 6.9. My sugars are generally good. My doctor told me I don't have to check so often because my sugars are really good. I can't shake the feeling sometimes so I just test because I figure it's better than worrying about it. Some of my friends said that it's probably because I'm in such good control that I feel every tiny rise and drop. I guess that could be true because I feel this way a lot right after I eat. I never complain about my diabetes. I try to see the positive side of it, but lately it's getting a tiny bit on my nerves. I'm tired of testing all the time. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything I can do to help relieve it a little bit? I have no idea what to do and I haven't been able to get a lot of answers. I mention it to my doctors but they don't seem to concerned with it, but it's getting old and I'm sick of feeling this way all the time.
i also test a lot up to 15 times in 24 hrs but at specific times when i know i might be low.so i can catch it before it drops too low for me.you make your own schedule when you need to test. good luck.
I would call an A1c of 6.9 fair but not good. For me good starts with 6.3 or lower. Are you really sure your current basal dosage is sufficient? Can you fast for 24 hours without going too high or low? For this test you would fast on one day for the first 12 hours and on the following day you fast for the next 12 hours to cover all 24 hours. Let me assume your basal dosage is too low. As a result your average glucose would be too high. This would explain your A1c. Furthermore you would need more corrections or higher I:C ratios with the risk of going low afterwards. If you can manage to need less corrections or better I:C ratios by increasing your basal you might have less lows in general. Have you figured out how your menstrual cycle is influencing your control? Very likely there will be one week before the menstrual bleedings with higher insulin resistance that needs to be covered with more basal insulin than usual. But his is very individual. To identify these patterns can be helpful to find the real drivers behind your numbers.
how may lows do you really have my instinctual advice would be to run yourself a bit higher for a few weeks to see if this helps, another thought do you eat enough protein and fat and are you drinking enough water, being dehydrated can make you feel overall poorly.... just a few thoughts hope you feel better! amy
I would take your doctors suggestion in context. He feels your control is good (even if you might even improve it). So he thinks you might be able to skip some tests. If you have a low carb meal/snack and won't bolus, then skip the test. If you have great confidence in your after meal number, skip the test. If you are always good upon waking, skip the test.
But if you feel hypo symptoms, always test. Always. Maybe you are normal, maybe high, but you should always test when you feel hypo (and same thing before driving).
ps. Some people feel hypo when their blood sugar drops fast, such as after a meal.
Do you keep a food log? My low symptoms are very very similar to my symptoms of having an allergic reaction to food. You mention that you often have issues soon after you eat. As your BGs are usually good, perhaps you have developed a food sensitivity or allergy. Consider tracking what you’re eating and temporarily pulling some foods out of your diet for a bit if they correspond to your shaky feelings. Can’t hurt, might help.
what a good idea !
Well I have celiacs disease and lactose intolerance. I'm on a 100% gluten-free diet and my blood work always comes back good, but I'm not so diligent with the lactose intolerance. I kinda just don't eat a lot at one time and I never eat dairy in the morning because it always makes me nauseous. Maybe that could be it. I'll start being more careful and see if it helps.
I want a CGM system really bad. I'm going to talk to my doctor about getting one next time I go. Anxiety might be a possibility, but I don't want to be put on medicine because I have adverse reactions to a lot of them. A CGM system would help me not to worry so much about which way my blood sugar is going. Thanks!
you're probably feeling the rise and fall of blood sugars. one doesn't have to actually be low to feel low. one can feel low at 125 if they've dropped quickly from a higher number or had any significant drop. a 400 can feel horrible. i sweat and shake sometimes too, and get very hot and warm when my BG's are high. sometimes I think I'm high when I'm low. A CGM would be great. I agree too, you're A1C is good, but getting close to that 7%...so maybe get it down a bit more if you can.
hi shana, you look quite young in your picture, do you mind me asking how old you are? part of the reason I ask is the goal for your A1c. I think goals for teens and adults really shouldn't be the same my son is almost 15 and his A1c's are typically somewhere in the 7's for his age I and his doctors think this is very good. I think if you are having a lot of lows suggesting you try to tighten up more may not be in your best interest. what do you think?
i agree with you.
i am 79+
when I was first on insulin and out of the hospital I felt every little rise so strongly and it drove me crazy too. I still feel the fluctuations but I think I"m better overall now than last year- but sometimes the lows come on very quickly and strong. I'm being extra careful and testing more again now too most of the time. maybe you can try lactose intolerance pills, I have mild intolerance and they usually help me. I seem to not need them for yogurt though which is really the only dairy product besides cheese that I eat. Overall my lactose and ibs symptoms have improved quite a bit since going on insulin. I also agree I would try to lower your a1c to 6 or below.
I'm eighteen. I know my A1C could be better. I do have trouble sometimes figuring out if it's time to switch my patterns or if something else is off. I switch my carb ratios and sensitivity rate with my patterns, but I always have to make small adjustments. I am trying to lower it more. It's no excuse, but it's not as easy as they make it seem. My doctors don't seem too concerned, though.
hi shana, I think a lot of 18 years old are too busy trying to figure out who they are and having fun and let their diabetes slide a lot, obviously I am not advocating this at all! I give you lots of credit for trying your hardest and staying in the game some tend to do the bare necessities and really rebel a lot at this age so kudos to you! of course as a mom of a teen with diabetes this is one of my big fears that Jacob will take the path of least resistance but so far he is quite responsible and knowledgeable but I would never pressure him to try to get his A1c under 6 he eats a lot and loves carbs I hope someday he will choose to eat lower carbs but for now I feel doing all bs checks and boluses are his biggest goals I work at tweaking his settings and he is really good with that! best wishes are you feeling better hydrating, eating enough???