What do you do about lows?? I eat a package of pez candy , it throws me out of ketosis.I don't have any other ideas how to bring my blood sugar up.What do you do??

Bella, I'm not a doctor but it seems to me the sugar in the Pez is causing your problem. How often are you taking your blood sugar?

Of course we all know that sugar elevates BS, but then BS will also drop.

Protein will serve to help stabilize your BS. Your carbs should be coming in the form of veggies, nuts, some fruit...not sugar. Try adding some fruit in place of the Pez. Are you keeping those in your purse for when you feel weak, or are you eating them at once?

Also, you should be eating several small meals each day instead of fewer, larger meals...this will help stabilize BS.

Most important thing...you need to be asking these questions to your doctor! We are not a substitute for physician's advice. You must get his/her approval before you change your diet.

Take care

Susan


LCE Member since 01/02
341/283.5/185

I seem to wake up around 40 -50 somedays , and pez brings it up quick. I never have lows any other time except very early morning. I just keep them beside my bed.I do talk to my doctor frequently , I just kinda wondered what other folks on low carb diets were using to help. My doctor doesn't care what i eat ,he just wants the Blood sugar up so I don't pass out.

Bella, If you are having that much trouble keeping your blood sugar normalized, "ketosis" probably shouldn't be your goal.
You can still lose weight by cutting back on simple starches like potatoes, bread, pasta, and sugar, but every time you eat pez it will *probably* knock you out of ketosis.

I don't know much about Type I diabtes (I have type II), but I have a couple of friends with type I and they use fruit and fruit juice more than candy to bring up their blood sugar. If I remember correctly, they said that the sugar in fruit and fruit juice stays in their system longer and keeps their blood sugar up, longer. Does that sound right?

Have you discussed this woe (way of eating) with your physician?
I don't buy that your doctor "doesn't care" what you eat. Diabetes and food can be a life and death relationship.
If you have a doctor who has actually said that he "doesn't care," then it's time to go shopping for a new doctor!
I would be VERY cautious about following this woe without the close monitoring of an endocrinologist. And to protect your kidneys, PLEASE drink plenty of water!!!
Just my .02 -- for what it's worth.

Summer


www.herstorygirl.com

[This message was edited by Lawbooks on 10-11-03 at 05:37 PM.]

Truly I have a great doctor and when your blood sugar is low the doctors only care is that it is brought up.Sugar is sugar in this instace , the only thing I stay away from is too much because that will result in a high level.I guess noone really understands.

I kinda took it that you were saying i was lying.He cares what i eat, but glocose is sugar and glucose tablets for low sugar are reccommended for low blood sugar.

Bella,
Oh, No! I wasn't implying that you were lying!! (Although in rereading, I can see your point.)
I just meant that even if he said that, I don't buy it. My dh is a doctor and I think even when blood sugar is low, the doctor does not overlook the important connection between food and diabetes. After all, too many *simple sugars* (like candy or glucose tablets) will cause a more rapid (and more extreme) plunge in blood glucose (after the initial rise) than a food that will keep your blood glucose more steady.

(Kind of like the *crash* we get after the initial rush of eating a candy bar. Yes, the candy bar gets your blood sugar up quickly, but it then causes you to crash harder and faster, right? I hope I am understanding this correctly.)

Also, I do know that my friends use glucose tablets (or candy) for *emergencies* when they need to get their glucose up quickly, but they do not use sugar/candy as a regular glucose booster. They use fruit and fruit juice and they eat foods (like protein) that maintain an even trend in blood glucose levels.
I'm assuming that since you have Type I that you have lived with this for some time and obviously you already know this, but your questions confused me. But I readily bow to your expertise as I have not had to live with this and I can only go on what I have been told...

If you like your doctor and feel that he is not taking your situation lightly, then fine. But your initial post indicated otherwise. And I still don't believe that a Type I diabetic should follow this way of eating without careful monitoring by a physician. I know this for a fact. There are too many possibilities for complications if this woe is not followed properly.
Again, this is why we discourage medical questions on this board. We can provide moral support and practical suggestions, but we cannot replace medical supervision.

Going back to your original question (now that I better understand it -- I think), I would make sure you are eating a snack right before bed that includes a healthy carbohydrate (like an orange or an apple) with a protein (like a boiled egg or some cheese or a piece of meat) to keep your blood glucose from dropping too rapidly during the night.
I truly hope this helps and I apologize for any unintended offense.
Summer

[This message was edited by Lawbooks on 10-12-03 at 08:53 PM.]

I didn't mean to be picky but I guess I felt like because I'm type 1 I got a see your doctor answer. When what I was looking for was a suggestion from another diabetic that has a low blood sugar now and then and is trying to do atkins. I've figured out by now that there's no way with trying to stay with good blood sugar's and taking insulin to stick to 20 carbs or under . Insulin in a shot does not work as good as what people make in their own bodies so it's going to cause this low or high problem . I'm just gonna try to be happy with staying low with my carbs while trying to keep good blood sugars. The low carb thing is new the diabetes is not, so I'm learning to live with diabetes and this woe. I'm very happy overall with my blood sugars, so I will continue.Sorry I misunderstood you.

No problem! Just miscommunication on both our parts. LOL!
Well, I think you have a good attitude and you are looking at this sensibly.
I hope you will keep us posted on your progress.

BTW, the suggestion about the carb/protein snack right before bed is one that I have read from others who were waking up with either 1)unexplainable spikes in their glucose or 2) with low glucose.
Have you tried doing a right-before-bed snack like this? Does it work for you at all?

I am pregnant now and find that if I don't eat a snack right before bed, I wake up around 4 AM ravenous and slightly nauseated from low-blood sugar. This is new for me and probably directly related to the pregnancy, but the snack does seem to help.
Best of luck,
Summer

[This message was edited by Lawbooks on 10-12-03 at 08:51 PM.]

Summer, first congrats on the baby !! I have 3 kids all of which I had gestational with , then when my youngest was 4 I got Type 1.

I do try to eat a little something at night, but my swings still happen . I guess it's just the nature of the beast , it's kinda hard to make it perfect when it's a replacement for what I should be making in my own body.I started on a new insulin about 6 months ago and I've been doing much better, but it's not perfect.Until there's a cure I'm sure it wont ever be. For the most part my blood sugars are wonderful, and I take so much less insulin now being on Atkins less shots make me happy even if I don't lose weight. I don't have alot to lose anyway , and I'm not gaining so I'm happy with that. Anyway I jabbered enough here. Good Luck with the pregnancy and I'll pray for a healthy baby.