We’ve all been within the place of getting a foul low blood sugar, the place all you wish to do is eat every little thing in sight. There’s no reasoning with your self. It’s like a demon has hijacked your self-control!
It makes excellent sense–your physique simply needs to get your blood sugar again as much as a secure stage, and it’s doing its finest to make sure that the low is corrected.
However consuming your weight in carbs is simply going to end in excessive blood sugar, after which you’re coping with the other downside. What’s an individual with diabetes to do?
To begin with, repair the low. Get your blood glucose stage above 70 mg/dl (4 mmol/L).
It’s finest to make use of a dextrose-based therapy, like glucose tablets or gel, to get the BG as much as a secure stage. Utilizing one thing excessive glycemic index is necessary when you find yourself very low and must rapidly increase the blood glucose, particularly if in case you have plenty of insulin on board.
Watch out to deal with with the correct amount of carb, versus over-treating.
- Should you weigh lower than 60 lbs, a gram of carb will increase your BG about 6 factors.
- Should you weigh 100-160 lbs, a gram of carb ought to increase your BG about 4 factors.
- Should you weigh 160-220 lbs, a gram of carb may increase you 3 factors.
And provides the carbohydrates 15-20 minutes to lift the BG. Do a follow-up fingerstick as a result of there’s a lag time with CGM sensors, and the BG you get with a fingerstick can be a extra correct reflection of your response to your therapy. If you’re nonetheless low, repeat the therapy.
I bear in mind a low the place I munched my approach by way of the pantry, and I uncared for to rely my carbs as I used to be doing it. I had completely no concept how a lot to bolus for! Boy, did I study my lesson.
I by no means did that once more – I’ve all the time made positive to carb rely and take insulin to cowl no matter I eat that’s in extra of what I wanted to do to manage the low blood glucose ranges. Generally expertise is the most effective trainer.
I used to be driving once I had the worst low I’ve ever had. Thank God I had glucose gel within the middle console and glucose tablets on my key chain. I used to be sucking down the gel as I used to be pulling off the street.
Ordinarily, I’d have wished to eat (and eat and eat) after that. However I needed to sit in my automotive and anticipate my BG to come back up, so meals wasn’t available. And have you learnt what? By the point I received residence, the will to eat had handed! I used to be very stunned, nevertheless it did. That was an excellent lesson for me, too.
In case your blood glucose is rising and getting larger than you’d like after you’ve handled your low, you possibly can select to train and get your self away out of your tempting kitchen.
Take slightly stroll to make use of up a few of that meals you ate for the low BG and keep away from the necessity to take corrective insulin to convey it down once more – vicious cycle, no?
One other technique to keep away from overeating after a low? Enlist the assistance of the folks round you. Generally all of us want slightly assist. Who is aware of, they could simply be prepared to sit down with you whilst you anticipate the low to come back up or they might go on that stroll with you.
Advised subsequent posts: How To Deal with Low Blood Sugar At Night time and What a Low Blood Sugar Feels Like
