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How Low Can You Go?

Unfortunately, I am not talking about doing the limbo, I am talking about blood sugars.  The reason that I am writing this is because last night brought about the lowest blood sugar that I have had in my 9 years of having diabetes.  At least, the lowest that I have recorded by testing my blood sugar.  I have been doing a lot of testing with my insulin to carb ratios and basal rates and measuring out the food instead of just guessing, so I am going low a lot lately.  Last night was a bad one.

After eating dinner and even having a bowl of Frosted Flakes as a snake before bed, I tried to go to sleep around 10:30-11:00, which is way too early for me.  But don’t worry, I didn’t stay asleep for very long, because I was woken up at about 1:30 a.m. with a low blood sugar.  I don’t usually test my sugar when it’s low, because I know it’s low, so I just try and treat it and test later.  This time, I decided to test my blood sugar before drinking down two big ole’ glasses of orange juice.  The meter said, 41.  That is the lowest blood sugar that I have ever had.  I had one at 45 a few years ago, but nothing lower than that.

It took me 2 glasses of orange juice, 7 munchkins (they were left over from Sunday breakfast) and a granola bar.  After I felt good enough to allow myself to go back to sleep, I woke up 6 hours later and my blood sugar was 161.  So, even after all that sugar that went into my body, I didn’t even really over-treat the low like I do every single other time.

What is the lowest blood sugar that you ever had?

8 thoughts to “How Low Can You Go?”

  1. Hi there,
    I’m a type 2, diagnosed 2 years ago. I actually read somewhere that low blood sugar was rare, but I have had what I’d consider low for me, more than I am comfortable with. As a matter of fact, I’ll run low more often than high, but it depends on my weight too, it’s like a seesaw.
    my lowest has been 80. not bad, but when my dietician saw it, she freaked, and it freaked me out. from what I read, I thought 80 was normal. another time she tested, it was 84, and a time before that..89. for some reason, going to the clinic leaves me on my best behavior, so I exercise early that day, and cut my portions slightly lower than normal. I can’t do that everyday though, too depressing. I guess I need to be depressed to do what I need to do.

  2. I’ve had a handful of readings in the 40’s the last few years. I’ve landed in the 30’s two or three times before too. Not fun at all. Lows that low just feel awful.

  3. Once or twice a year, I get to see a number in the 30s pop up on my meter. I might have seen a number in the high 20s once, I’m not quite sure (if it happens, my first thought isn’t to commit it to long-term memory!)

    Anything lower would have been a test done by someone else while I wasn’t in a state to observe. I think I might have been 19 during one of those…

  4. Nothing like a low low to ground you! Glad you’re ok and the Munchkins helped you through. The lowest blood sugar I had was 37. I was shaking, dizzy, sweating and light-headed but instead of grabbing for the glucose tabs and sugar, I took my clothes out of the washing machine and put them into the dryer. You could say I was a bit confused.

    My lowest since then has been 50-something.

  5. Woke up at 2am feeling low, not expecting to see 21 on the meter. I was 230 when I went to bed with only a lantus shot working so the most disturbing thing is how in the world my lowest reading ever even happened. Needless to say I was pretty lucky my body woke me up

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