Low blood sugar?

silverose1209 · 06-16-2009, 12:31 PM

I have always thought I was at increased risk for diabetes but lately I seem to be having low blood sugar symptoms.
I get REALLY shaky and hot. I then eat something sweet and within 15 minutes I feel better.
Is this low blood sugar? Or could it be something else?

Yes I know it is easy to say go to the doctor but without insurance or money I can't go for every little thing.. So..

Just wanting some advice.

I am starting back on metformin tomorrow. Do you thin that will help?

LittleBitIzzy · 06-17-2009, 01:20 AM

No, Metformin lowers blood sugar.

Stacie M · 06-17-2009, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleBitIzzy

No, Metformin lowers blood sugar.

Actually it doesn't.

Metformin causes your body to use it's insulin better, which can actually prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

To the OP: Hypoglycemia/low blood sugar is fairly common in insulin resistance/pre-diabetes. If you think you are having symptoms of it, get your doctor to do a glucose tolerance test. Also, if you can get your hands on a glucose meter (they sell them everywhere, or you may know someone who has one) test your blood sugar when you have those symptoms and see what the results are.

If that is the problem, metformin might help you. Many women with PCOS who have hypo episodes see improvement while on metformin (I did).

barbaraluvsbobby · 06-17-2009, 05:04 PM

I know what you are saying. The last time that i was on Met I almost fainted while i was driving my blood sugar dropped so low. My doctor told me that I wasnt eating enough.

amanda_gail_81 · 06-19-2009, 09:20 PM

I agree with Stacie...I had lots of low blood sugar episodes prior to beginning metformin and once I started the meds the episodes significantly dropped.

I am now taking glyburide 5mg/metformin 500mg 3x a day and I have notice if I don't eat within a certain time frame after taking my meds I have very fast and scary low blood sugar episodes. I guess I told you that to say be careful even if you get on metformin, it won't stop the low blood sugar.

Best wishes.

*~SugarPlums~* · 06-24-2009, 01:13 PM

Stacie- Although it is quite rare for met to cause low blood sugar, it can still happen. It even says it on the side effects listed on the info you get.

I am not sure how it will affect you but it may actually help you to avoid the lows as long as you are not going a long time without consuming food.

Have you been able to check your sugars? That may be a start. If you do not have a monitor, most companies offer free ones. The strips are expensive though. I know you can get a store brand monitor, like Walgreen's or cvs at a lower cost and the strips cost a lot less if you do not have ins.

jaspurr · 06-25-2009, 01:24 PM

i agree with the other ladies. start monitoring your blood sugars and see if you can find a pattern in what you eat/what happens to your blood sugar. hopefully the met will help, but something to keep an eye on
g/l!

Corvidae · 06-26-2009, 08:09 PM

I take metformin speifically for low blood sugar, I also have PCOS but it was low blood sugar that brought me to the doctor.

The progression towards type II diabetes often includes a period of insulin resistance and that can be severe enough to cause low blood sugar. It's caused when your body over produces insulin. Once your body loses the ability to use the insulin it produces or stops producing enough insulin then you become diabetic.

It has been shown in studies that people at risk of type II diabetes who have started treatment with metformin whilst they are insulin resistant can put off the onset of diabetes by up to ten years.

Far too many people in my family have died before they reached retirement age, and all of them from dibetes or complications of diabetes. I want to live long enough to collect at least a few social security checks.

melissaj136 · 06-27-2009, 06:47 PM

Can you go into the symptoms of low blood sugar? I'm worried I should get checked for this too.

TrentonsMomma · 06-30-2009, 04:33 PM

I had episodes of low blood sugar too and never thought about the connection to PCOS. I am not on glucophage or anything. Should I ask my doctor about getting on it?

akillian24 · 07-02-2009, 12:08 AM

Met would drop my blood sugar as well. (Or at least I think that is what may have been happening after reading ya'll posts).
I would get dizzy and a tingling sensation.

Athletic Cyster · 07-02-2009, 12:43 AM

Hi Ladies,

Low blood sugar is something I've been struggling with for just over a year now. It's actually one of the things that made me finally go to the doctors. Here's how I understand things (in really basic wording):

When we eat sugar(or carbs) the sugar goes into our bloodstream. This causes our body to release insulin because our cells can't absorb the sugar without insulin attached to it. Once insulin attaches to the sugar, beta receptors on our cells connect to the insulin/sugar combo and are supposed to help our cells absorb the sugar for energy. When someone is insulin resistant the beta receptors are weak. This means they don't sense the lower doses of insulin in our blood stream. Hence, our body releases more insulin and eventually the beta receptors realize what's going on, connect to the insulin, and absorb the sugar from our blood.

Now, what a friend (a dietition) told me is that when the beta receptors do finally realize that there is insulin in our blood it absorbs the sugar really quickly, thus potentially leading to low sugar levels.

Especially when I'm working out, (at which time our bodies are actually releasing a chemical that causes our beta receptors to instantly be more receptive to insulin) I get really dizzy. There have been several time where I've been doing endurance workouts (lasting more than a few hours) and I've actually had to stop to force myself to eat becuse my blood sugar gets so low that I can feel myself starting to pass out.

Let me know if you have any more questions about this. I've spent the past year really trying to figure this one out because it has been a huge frustration point for me. The Metformin has helped a little but I've still had several instances where I get almost to the point of passing out from low blood sugar.

miss62 · 07-02-2009, 01:58 AM

I used to have low blood sugar symptoms and crazy headaches,but after I found out I have possibly pcos I'm treating myself like a diabetes.I dont eat carbs or anything sweet my diet is oure protein and
my only sweet treat is a bowl of fruit 1 just before lunch and 1 about 2 hours after(apple,blueberry,strawberry)
its been a month after starting this diet and I don't have any low blood sugur symptoms anymore.sometimes I crave for sweets just befor my period but I just fill myself with fruits.

TheNewMrs. · 07-02-2009, 02:12 AM

Shaky, weak, tired, anxious/nervous-feeling, hungry, irritable, sweaty, or even fast heart beat can be common signs of hypoglycemia.

If it goes too low it can also lead to trouble thinking, confusion, seizures, coma and eventually death (this isn't as common in IR or even Type 2 DM, but more so in Type 1's to go this low).

I think the first thing you should do is start eating very consistantly. Eat ALL three meals and if your meals are longer than 4-5 hours apart have a small healthy snack in-between. Eat your meals at the same time every day and eat about the same amount for each meal (avoid doing 1 yogurt for breakfast and then a feast for dinner).

mutantfrog · 07-03-2009, 01:10 PM

I too specifically started taking Met for low blood sugar.
In my teens I used to have all kinds of crazy episodes where I would faint, shake, etc after either a high-ish carb meal or going too long w/o eating (more than 2.5hrs). Insane. How is one supposed to stay "thin in order to manage PCOS" if she has to eat that frequently in order to stay conscious??

Anyways.

Yes, Met helped me. I am WAAAAY less hungry, and i have not had a low blood sugar episode in months. In fact I can sometimes go up to 6hrs in between meals w/o any real horrible side effects. I'm not saying that is healthy, but sometimes life is such where you can't eat regularly...and now that I'm taking Met, this was not the end of the world that it would have been before starting met treatment.

That's my 2cents.