Glucose Levels in Hypoglycemia
In people without diabetes, glucose values can be in the
60 to 70 mg/dl range or even lower with prolonged fasting.
The problem with diabetes is
that if you are taking medicines that can cause hypoglycemia, like insulin and sulfonylureas, a glucose level
around 60 is of concern because it could go down even further. The ADA defines a glucose level of 70 mg/dl or
less as hypoglycemia, even if you feel fine and show no symptoms. Thus, if you are on medicines that can cause
hypoglycemia, you should take action if the glucose level is below 70. If, however, you are controlling your
diabetes with diet only, then values in the 60 to 80 range are fi ne and do not need treatment.
One thing to be aware of is
that if your glucose has been running high for a while, you may get the symptoms of low glucose even when the
glucose level is in the normal range—such as 100 mg/dl. As your diabetes control improves, this will change so
that the symptoms will appear only with lower glucose levels.
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