Surprising Things That Make My Blood Sugars Plummet
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2022
- Raise your hand if you live with insulin-dependent diabetes and some weird things just make your blood sugars PLUMMET.
In this video, I’ll walk you through 4, kind of specific and maybe a little weird, things that will pretty much always make my blood sugars plummet. Most can be explained, but these 4 you most likely won’t find mentioned during your diabetes training.
0:00 Introduction
0:00 Does vacuuming impact blood sugars
0:00 Does swimming impact blood sugars
0:00 Does walking after a meal impact blood sugars
0:00 Does brushing my teeth impact blood sugars
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👋👋👋Thank you for this video. My 41-year old daughter was diagnosed ‘brittle’ T1D September 2023, Her lows are crazy. Vacuuming makes her crash too. She had a bad hypo yesterday just sorting her diabetes supply box! Your videos are very helpful. Thank you so much from Natalie and me in Florida.❤
Type 2 here. I have experienced lows when I haven’t had protein in my meal (like eating a salad w/o a protein). First time it happened I was at a loss as to why, but thinking about my last meal it all came together.
Great observation
Low impact walking is when I drop the most-- like when I am grocery shopping or meandering the thrift store. Intense exercise doesn't do that to me. Just plain walking does.
Because of this phenomenon with type 1, I would think low impact walking is one of the really optimal ways for aging, type 2 diabetics to exercise.
Yes, I found hiking has a surprising BG lowering effect, compared to the much more aerobic or anaerobic stuff I usually do. My endocrinologist pointed out that we evolved not as runners but as walkers, and that our metabolism is most efficient with that kind of physical effort.
Thanks!
My blood sugars drop when I’m gardening energetically ( raking, hoeing, trimming limbs ) so having a Dexcom is a game changer for me. Also swimming vigorously.
I experience lows with gardening even when I am not performing any laborious tasks, so even planting seeds and weeding cause lows as well. I assume it is the same concept as vacuuming - that since I am constantly moving around it raises my insulin sensitivity.
I always have thought I get the urge to vacuum when my BG is dropping rapidly… that’s when I get energy dunno if that’s true but maybe. Also, have you tried brushing your teeth in the morning when your insulin resistant? Maybe you brush when you are going to bed and the pattern has more to do with your insulin from dinner peeking? Just a couple of thoughts I had. Now I’ll have to pay more attention to drops. The walking is something I try to incorporate after meals, instead of taking more insulin beforehand.
I love this thought provoking video!! Thank you!!
Thanks. I brush morning and evening and don’t see the drop in the morning
Exercise for me is the massive fix for high blood sugar after meals. A bike ride or brisk walk after a meal and I need around HALF the insulin I normally would. The problem is that biking makes my blood sugar level drop so fast that my Libre 2 drops out for an hour or so and seems to think it needs to recalibrate, which can leave me completely high and dry in the middle of nowhere.
Beautiful thumbnail 😍
Probably not related but I've been trying my Sensor on left arm. I'm right-handed so would that make a difference with the arm I use all the time?
Have you or others done that? Wondering about the effects & bandage coming off sooner. Thanks.
Hm, it shouldn’t make a difference. But let us know what you experience is
If you are using a CGM, watch out for false "compression" lows, usually signalled by a sudden decrease in trendline. Confirm the low with a BG meter before treating the "low".
Absolutely!
A mistake I would make is not accounting for exercise done earlier in the day when having dinner. I didn't know that there would be a lasting impact throughout the day, not just when you actually do the exercise
Yes, good addition to the points in the video
Diagnosed with Type1 LADA just about 2 months ago; so still figuring this out. I found that I am more insulin resistant in the morning so I up the mealtime insulin before breakfast but I also like to walk in the morning for exercise and my blood sugars always drop when I walk. So I take a glucose gel pack (15 carbs) with me and depending on how low my blood sugars were when I started walking, I will need to take the glucose pack before I complete my walk. P.S. - I wear a Dexcom G7. Thanks, Bill
That’s a great observation. Thank you for sharing
My husband & I are type 2 diabetics and 2 summers ago we noticed that when we waded out into the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida west coast) and just kiind of bounced around for possibly 45- 60 minutes-- we notice our blood sugar rates really went down a lot even though we didn't feel like we did heavy duty exercise! Made me wish I could do that more regularly, not just on vacation!
If my blood sugar is high after I’ve taken my insulin and eaten dinner, I foam roll my back. Seems to work every time.
+1 for swimming - which was hard when I was doing triathlon
😬 did you bring along your phone or receiver when racing? Someone asked where/how to store the receiver so it won’t get wet. Any suggestions?
@@DiabetesStrong Hi... good question. Before going to the race start, I leave my insulin pump with my bike and t-shirt and shoes. The swimming part (which comes first in the race), I did without any pump, if needed, I bolused before, because I never performed well when I start >10mmol/dl (>180 mg/l). Once out of the water, first thing I do is check the Glucose and see where I'm heading.
It takes not that much time to reconnect the pump once you get out of the water, and for safety reasons, I like to keep the pump on me during the rest of the race.
I've stopped racing 12y ago... so technology at that time was not yet that advanced as now. No CGM or apple watch for instance. I was still testing manually... even while running. But I already had a pump, which allowed me to bolus while running if needed. the running part is the final part of the triathlon.
It's hard... my performance depended really on the glucose management, mainly before the race starts, because once the race is on and you're way to low or way too high, chances are there is no way of getting it correct before the race is over.
Also do you think emotional stress could cause sugar to drop?
Most people will see that stress can increase blood sugars rather than raise them. But we're all very different
Thanks for this video and your accurate observations. When I have to use my brain on problem solving or when learning something new and complex, my blood sugar drops. I have found that a few other Type 1s have the same experience. Maybe my brain has a lot of inertia and takes some effort to get it working (Ha Ha).
Oh wow. That’s super interesting. Brain at work 🤓 love it
@@DiabetesStrong 😄
That's a really interesting observation!
I love swimming and I've never had any serious BG drop during sessions. And I swim 400 IM, 1500 free, 200 back.. you name it.. against the clock. But lawnmowing..that's actually pretty scary stuff, better have some juice close to the hand
For me, cooking can make my sugars drop; especially if I have been quietly perusing recipes beforehand. Sort of like when you brush your teeth after relaxing. We start moving after a rest period and ….bam, down it goes. Also, walking in the morning requires a juice box in my coat pocket - my long lasting insulin from the night before is still doing it’s job.
I started bringing along the quick energy juice packets used by marathon runners and bicyclists. They are 15g, and store easily in my pants pocket. They are as effective as 1 cup of orange juice in that they take effect fast. The dumb things even survive the washing machine when I forget.
The time that bedevils me with a large drop in BG's is taking a shower. Sometimes, I don't take any insulin for lunch, then shower, then still don't need insulin.
Id ❤ for my bg to plummet
I’m curious how many lows you have in a given day on average?
That varies a lot. I might have an urgent low a week (so 55 mg/dl or below) and a handful of lows (below 70 mg/dl)
I have noticed blood sugar level go up every day when I get up and brush my teeth before eating anything.
For me my blood sugar can go up after a walk, probably because the liver releases glucose:sugar, I am sure being 320 pounds also effects it. I definitely have less insulin resistance after exercise. I am working on figuring out my carb ratio. I had an insulinoma that hid my diabetes for at least 5 years, but ever since surgery I have been facing diabetes. The diabetes kept me from passing out from low blood sugar with the insulinoma. What is left of My pancreas is full of tumors because I have MEN type 1.
It can be tricky as we all can react a little differently. But it sounds like you’re getting the benefits of improved sensitivity after your walks which is excellent
My sugars drop slightly when I brush my teeth as well. I always found that odd.
Right?! And I’m glad it’s not just me 🙂
How strange I thought it was wierd when after brushing my teeth at night my blood sugars drop I'm glad to see others notice this.😂
You should do a review on the freestyle libre 3 that just came out in the states!!!
I’m not sure how to get my hands on one just yet. I know it has been approved but I’m not aware of it being commercially available yet.
I did do this overview video a while back ua-cam.com/video/Qi_CiSB1zUY/v-deo.html
@@DiabetesStrong I see people in the states have them so maybe you can ask your endo for one?? I’m not sure
@@karlyfriesen172 now you piqued my interest. I went through the Libre website and it’s not commercially available in the US yet. Some might have revived one if they work directly with Libre (which I don’t) or have bought it in the US. But I’m now on their email list so should know once I can buy it
@@DiabetesStrong yay!! I’d really like to know your thoughts on it! Based on what I’ve seen in other countries who have it it’s really good!! I’m very impatiently waiting for it in Canada! Lol
@@karlyfriesen172 just saw an update, should be available mid/end October
Can we swim with a Dexcom on?
Yes, the sensor/transmitter is waterproof. Just leave your receiver or phone behind
As a T1D using a pump, some things that cause me to go low. Exercise, of course, although I just walk (for 4-5 miles). A surprising thing to me is ibuprophen. Although my endo doesn't believe me, without excersize at about 3-4 hours after a bolus I start going low, and that's just sitting around. Skip the pills and I don't experience this. For me the biggest surprise is not absorbing carbs from spaghetti or pizza. Basically I have to bolus for about 1/3 of the reported carbs in these meals. If I bolus to what the label says then I go low. Breakfast is usually about 50 carbs reported on the product, but I can only bolus for 30 or I go low. It's probably caused by the fat/protein/carb ratio.
Basically I have to plan ahead and don't assume that the carb count on a label is actually what I'm going to digest.
You're lucky. I can't even touch pizza. If I eat a slice or two of pizza my blood sugar spikes very high and will take 2-3 days to normalize no matter how much insulin I take. Bolus never works for me if I eat pizza
@@MH-zg5yw Pizza can be a tough one. Thin crust pizza though has quite a bit less carbs than the rising crust or New York style.
For pasta I bolus 50% for the meal, followed by another 50% half an hour later. (The pump does this automatically).
I think its because of the fat eaten with the pasta, which delays its absorption.
Thank you for sharing that. Ibuprofen, I’ll have to pay attention to that.
And I think you’re right about the meal composition making things more challenging. Especially when it comes to high fat meals like pizza
@@dwightl5863 I never do deep dish or rising crust pizza. Not a fan of either
Type 1 since November '21 due to losing my pancreas because of cancer. So, I'm fairly new to all the ins and outs of managing my blood sugars and find it VERY challenging even using a CGM.
Your channel (and a few others) are really helpful and encouraging, though, so thanks for all you do!
My husband and I have recently built a house and are currently doing a lot of interior work. Amazingly enough I find that when I am painting walls, trim, etc. my BG levels can drop quite quickly 🤔 I wouldn't have thought my body would be burning through sugar fast enough for that to happen with just painting as opposed to going for a brisk walk for 30 minutes. Like I said, I'm still learning!
Thank you for those kind words 😊 Yes, I could see how doing renovations would hot blood sugars hard. Thank you for sharing
With a hike to a cool lake for a swim watch out. Even starting out with high sugar. Nothing will suck the energy out of you like cold water. Not to be under estimated.
Okay, so it’s not just me. Good to know, thanks
@@DiabetesStrong
And once in a hypoglycemic state theres no way to stave off hypothermia. Even people with a functioning energy metabolism don't last very long in cold water.
Type one here almost 60 years injections with Insulin it a 24-7 jod just started with a dexcom ❤❤
Hope you'll be as happy with your Dexcom as I am with mine
You are an inspiration.
@@babytigtig3795 thanks I try
T1D since 97, really appreciate the Dexcom in the 6 years or so that I've been using it. I'm the kind of person who can't tell if I'm going low or high.
@@scottyanke655 T1D for 54 years. Guessing it has been 20 years since getting the typical signs: sweating, shacks, confusion. My Endo says that can happen the longer you live with diabetes. Currently recognized by tunnel vision or lack of peripheral vision and notice my pupils are just dots. Rely on my Dexcom to keep me informed.
do you sometime see a false Dexcom drop right after shower or swimming? super annoying; then it goes back up to real sugar level 20 minutes later.
I know it is a false drop because I check my real value with glucometer
Yes, usually mine will go up when I take a hot shower. Good thing you double check
HI I CAN SOME WHAT IDENTIFY WITH YOU BUT I AM A TYPE 2 DIABETIC AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING ON UA-cam FOR SOMEONE WITH TYPE 2 . I ENJOY YOUR INFORMATIVE TALKS BECAUSE THEY HAVE HELPED ME A LOT . AND FOR THIS I THANK YOU ,I WILL CONTINUE TO TUNE INTO YOUR CHANNEL.
Thank you. I should do a Diabetes UA-cam channel round up…. Let me know if you find any good ones
when in car insulin seems to stop but when I get out it suddenly drop my sugar level.
Yes, going from sitting to moving around can really kick your insulin sensitivity into gear. Same thing with getting off a flight or a long bus/train ride
I agree with vacuuming, but also sweeping the house or raking the chicken coop. All are similar actions. I will sometimes do those chores if I need to drop my blood sugar. Killing two birds with one stone didn't hurt anyone, lol.
Absolutely, super effective 🙂
It may seem un intuitive that a casual activity has sometimes more impact than a run outside... the hidden variable is adrenaline: if your adrenaline goes up, if will result in sugar stored in the liver to be released in the bloodstream. so next time you vacuum, get a bit more excited about it 😂
it's just a theory- but I have 50 years of T1D behind me.
😆 ha, will try my best to do that
Am I reading this correctly? You said that if your adrenaline goes up your liver releases stored sugar so get more excited about doing vacuuming. You want your sugar to be released into your blood stream??? If I'm correct in what I'm hearing, why would you want that to happen?
@@NaturalTiger When adrenaline is released in the body, it triggers the liver and muscle cells to break down glycogen (stored form of glucose) and release it into the bloodstream. It also stimulates the production of glucose in the liver. All of these processes increase the amount of glucose in the blood.
Adrenaline also inhibits the effect of insulin, meaning it makes the body less responsive to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. In the case T1D, it can make it more difficult for the exogenously administered insulin to do its job, requiring more insulin to manage the same amount of glucose. --- or ... and that's the joke I was making in my comment ... I think she got the joke :-)
Nothing makes my daughter's blood sugar drop faster than jumping at the jump house! (Like a trampoline house.) I assume you haven't ever tried that. :) She has to eat 25 carbs right before and it just holds her steady. We don't even see her sugars go up.
That makes sense. That’s a workout!
What is her name?
I guess you probably haven't had the need, but are you aware of any HOMA IR at home test that you would feel comfortable recommending?
I don’t, but that’s an interesting test..
What if I am diabetic type 2 and do not take insulin. I this program for me.
This video doesn't talk about a program. Could you reframe the question, maybe I'm misunderstanding you
You should try to minimize your insulin doses and be more to cardio activity maybe that will trigger beta cells by im T1D since 1997 and my sugar never get down without insulin....and plz talk tresiba splitting doses
Remember.. .it is not just the 'physical activity' of exercising which perpetuates the 'Lower' measurement.... it is the actual 'Physical Vibrations' that cause the Low to be more noticeable. It is the shaking at a high-rate of speed. You are giving your body a 'what for' just by going through those vibrations and/or repetitive motions... and the body responds accordingly to it. So the more you move (vibrate as opposed to pushing the pounds around)... the more your CGM is going to 'WAKE UP!' and say, "Wow! This Short-Acting Insulin is Kickin' Ass!!" Then watch that glucose-meter start to plummet in readings. And don't forget the interstitial-fluid delay reading of 15 - 20 minutes... between any actual glucose-level and what is read on the CGM receiver. 🙂
Your metabolic rate explains your "surprising things". You are a physically fit active person, so your sedentary metabolic rate and your resting metabolic rate are probably lower than average. Physical activity requires the same amount of energy for a healthy person to move their mass as it does for an unhealthy person, if you account for the efficiency of movement/balance. Another factor is that the brain consumes roughly 1/3 of your energy, and it runs on glucose. Activities that require concentration, coordination, or rapid decision making increases its energy demand.
Vacuuming? Wow. How much of a plummet are we talking?
Not sure about the exact mg/dl drop, I haven’t been paying attention to that. But it’s fast which is why I’ll often bottom out