Blood sugar 42, 4th day of Keto

(John Burr) #1

We just started Keto. It seems fine to me. I like green veggies and meat. I snacked on some pumpkins seeds and a few almonds. I’m good. My wife is diabetic. She is on an insulin pump with constant glucose monitor.

The alarm went off an hour ago. The CGM said her blood sugar was 55. Did a finger stick, it was down to 42. She couldn’t finish the finger stick on her own.

I got 30 carbs worth of Halo Top low carb Ice Cream and 10 cocoa almonds into her and tested again after 30 minutes. Only got to 52. I have a glucagen pen but went with the peanut butter sandwich instead. I will finger stick again after that.

Her A1C readings have been in 7.1 to 7.6 range since she got into the pump thing three years ago.

Can a totally insulin dependent lifelong diabetic woman in her early 60s thrive on the Keto Diet? I need a resource that can help me through this. No more 42s

#2

I know there have been a few. I am going to suggest that your wife step down her carbs, say start at 100 and see how her BS are for a week. If they seem to stabilize, then drop the carbs by 10. Monitor the BS and watch her reactions to fewer carbs. And if she has another 40, give her the glucose gel ASAP. Type 1s can go very quickly into ketoacidosis, which can lead to seizures and then diabetic coma.

My sister is a T1 and has been so her entire adult life. I have had to deal w/ numerous episodes of hypoglycemia, trying to get the glucose gel into her while she grand mal’d (seizure). Paramedics were called because she was unconscious after seizing. It was terrifying to see those episodes.

I am a T2 who had to step down my carbs the first month of keto, and was testing 4-5x/day because I had some very low BS. I am now through 3 months of Keto and have successfully reduced my DM meds.

While keto is very effective with T2s, it may be that <20g of carbs is not enough for your wife and she may need more. Getting the correct balance of insulin and good blood sugar readings may take some time. So have her go slowly and eventually she should find the right balance of carbs and insulin to get her A1C down from7.6.

Best of luck to both of you and please check in regularly!

(John Burr) #3

Thank you, I was wrong in.my panic mode yesterday. She hasn’t been above 6.1 on her A1C in about three years. She has been having problems dealing with the dirt issues though this past year. Her insulin pump works with a constant monitor which reads the blood glucose every few seconds. Yesterday her blood sugar fell from the low 80s to 42 in a matter of an hour.

At that point I was about to administer a glucagen emergency syringe kit we keep for super low events. That always means a trip to the ER though and she hates that. I got some of the kids ice cream into her and then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Halo Top ice cream was30 - 32 carbs but the sandwich had to be 80+. This was over the course of 90 minutes and we got her BG back to the 90s

I cut back her basal insulin in the pump overnight to about half and she is at 139 this morning but the aphasia and confusion still an issue.

I’m really looking for some real science as to Keto for diabetics. Seems like it will be a good fit for me but maybe not for her…

(Bob M) #4

There’s a book on it:

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

I thought he also had some forums, but I don’t see them here:

http://www.diabetes-book.com/forums-dev-temp/

(Yvonne ) #5

I am a T2 diabetic no insulin, only metformin 2k daily. When I first went on kieto, tested my BS about 3 times daily. If it was lower than 85, skipped my next metformin dose. I knew the low carb could make my BS drop so I keep an eye on it.

Yesterday, I visited my Endo and the blood drained from her face when I told her I was on keto. She told me every Dr in the clinic have had at least 1 patient on keto hospitalized for ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a serious illness even resulting in death. She recommended I stop it immediately and take in at least 15 carbs each meal getting them from veggies and fruit.

I have seen other endos online who have stated ketoacidosis can happen infrequently with T2’s but do endorse it for them to keep BS under control. Keto shouldn’t be used with T!'s. All Drs say to check with your Dr before beginning keto. I checked with mine ans he says “no keto”. I am going to keep an eye on my ketones and BS levels. If I keep my ketones at 1.5 and BS in my normal range 80-100 should be ok. But I am taking a small risk but not more than the side effects on the medications ie causing thyroid cancer and ketoacidosis.

(Michelle Coffey) #6

Dr Berg on You Tube. He has a plethora of information for diabetics and doing Keto. It can be done.

(Lonnie Hedley) #7

Ketoacidosis is a risk for type 1’s.

(bulkbiker) #8

Please Nooooooooo!
Dr Bernstein over Dr Berg for Type 1 every time… for a number of reasons the foremost being Dr Bernstein is a Type 1 himself.

(John Burr) #9

Update: after a couple of days on the hospital my diabetic wife will be getting three meals with 30 carbs each and 2 snacks with 15 plus some protein in every meal and snack.

She has had perfect blood sugars, good labs all along for the last couple of years. Her diabetes care has been perfect and effective for a while. She needs to lose weight be cause a back injury has left her less active. We are adjusting diet to reflect this by reducing calories, especially from fats, decreasing portions and doing more pool time to increase mobility.

I’m sticking with Keto though. Avocado for breakfast, blue cheese stuffed olives with eggs and black pepper Spam for lunch

(Yvonne ) #10

I might have missed it but is your wife T!?

(Running from stupidity) #11

This site is worth a squizz, I reckon. Dr. Jason Fung’s site.

https://idmprogram.com/

(John Burr) #12

Type 2 for about 45 years now. Technology now is amazing compared to a decade or two back. She is doing well now. I am continuing regular keto diet. Down 14 pounds at the 7 day mark. Pretty awesome results. Only problem is not being hungry at normal times. I eat and just don’t want to as gain for 10 hours. With 24 hours days this can be unnerving. Forcing an avocado to even out schedules lol.

(Edward K O'Brien) #13

The new protocol for her is far from ideal. You NEED to read Dr. Richard Bernstein’s book cited in earlier comments, and to watch his YouTube videos.

(bulkbiker) #14

Wow… you need a new Endo.
The one you have is very ignorant of ketoacidosis… with Type 2 its almost impossible unless you have incredibly high sugars or are on specific medications (not metformin) which can cause them.
Is she old? Sounds like she trained about 30 years ago…