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Why Does My Blood Sugar Drop After Eating


After You Have Low Blood Sugar

Why is my blood sugar low after meal?

If your low blood sugar was mild , you can return to your normal activities once your blood sugar is back in its target range.

After you have low blood sugar, your early symptoms for low blood sugar are less noticeable for 48 to 72 hours. Be sure to check your blood sugar more often to keep it from getting too low again, especially before eating, physical activity, or driving a car.

If you used glucagon because of a severe low , immediately call your doctor for emergency medical treatment. If you have had lows several times close together , you should also tell you doctor. They may want to change your diabetes plan.

Why Is Insulin A Factor In Low Blood Sugar

Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells from the blood which lowers blood glucose/sugar levels. In people without diabetes, the pancreas knows how much insulin it needs to release in order to lower blood sugar.


But for people with diabetes when deciding themselves how much insulin is needed this is less straightforward. A person can have a good understanding of what the body might need, through calculations.

But there is a great deal to consider, which can be overwhelming sometimes. As a result, errors in calculating insulin can and do occur. Thats why diabetes applications like Hedia, wink, wink exist.

Hedias insulin calculator will take away the worries of figuring it out for yourself. You dont even need to enter your blood sugar readings yourself: they can be added wirelessly with certain NFC or Bluetooth glucose meters to Hedia!

Start to take those worries away by downloading Hedia from the App Store or !

This should all lead to more accurate results. In turn, this means that a rapid drop in blood sugar should be less likely.


But its not only about human errors or miscalculations. Its also about the nature of insulin medication.

Specifically, many people with diabetes nowadays use rapid-acting insulin at mealtimes in order to counteract the rapid rise in blood sugar after eating.

Its All About Balance Moderation And Consistency

The sugar high is all fun and games until the resulting sugar crash affects the quality of your day.

The term refers to the sudden drop in energy levels after consuming a large amount of carbohydrates. This can include pastas and pizza but is usually more common after eating simple carbohydrates, also known as simple sugars, such as desserts.

A sugar crash often causes undesired symptoms that can disrupt productivity and energy levels throughout the day.


Kelsey Herrick, senior dietitian at Sanford Health, suggests balance, moderation and consistency are the most effective ways to avoid these crashes. Herrick shares her knowledge on sugar crashes, how to avoid them and what to do if you get one.

Also Check: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar

What Happens To Blood Sugar After Eating

Aftermealblood glucose levelsafter eatingbloodafter eating

. Consequently, how long does blood sugar stay elevated after eating?

Usually, blood sugar starts to rise 10-15 minutes after a meal and reaches its peak after an hour. However, these are just approximate guidelines as PPG depends on several factors, such as the type of food consumed.


Secondly, what should blood sugar be 30 minutes after eating? Questions and Answers – blood sugar

Fasting Blood Glucose
Less than 140
Pre-diabetes
200 or greater

what should blood sugar be after eating?

Normal blood sugar levels are less than 100 mg/dL after not eating for at least eight hours. And they’re less than 140 mg/dL two hours after eating. During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals.

What level of blood sugar is dangerous after meal?

Blood glucose is commonly considered too high if it is higher than 130 mg/dl before a meal or higher than 180 mg/dl two hours after the first bite of a meal. However, most of the signs and symptoms of high blood glucose don’t appear until the blood glucose level is higher than 250 mg/dl.


Target blood sugar levels for people without diabetes
Before meals
1â2 hours after the start of a meal less than 140 mg/dl
Over a 3-month period, which an A1C test can measure less than 5.7%

How Soon After Waking Up Should I Test My Blood Sugar

How long after a meal will blood sugar levels return to ...

Blood sugar testing at home

In most cases, doctors ask people to measure fasting blood sugar immediately upon waking and before they have anything to eat or drink. It may also be appropriate to test blood sugar before eating or sometimes 2 hours after a meal when blood sugar has returned to normal levels.

Read Also: Why Does Blood Sugar Go Up At Night

Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar

If you have low blood sugar after eating sweets, symptoms usually occur within 2 to 4 hours. Everyones body reacts differently to low blood sugar levels, but some of the most common symptoms include feelings of hunger, anxiety, dizziness/lightheadedness, headache, increased sweating, blurred vision, moodiness and an inability to concentrate. If blood sugar levels get really low, it can cause extreme hunger, personality changes, shaking and mental confusion. If you are diabetic and experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention.

How Can I Prevent Hypoglycemia

You may need to change what and when you eat to prevent low blood sugar levels. Follow the meal plan that you and the dietitian have planned. The following guidelines may help you keep your blood sugar levels under control.


  • Eat 5 to 6 small meals each day instead of 3 large meals. Eat the same amount of carbohydrate at meals and snacks each day. Most people need about 3 to 4 servings of carbohydrate at meals and 1 to 2 servings for snacks. Do not skip meals. Carbohydrate counting can be used plan your meals. Ask your healthcare provider or dietitian for information about carbohydrate counting.
  • Limit refined carbohydrates. Examples are white bread, pastries , regular sodas, syrups, and candy.
  • Do not have drinks or foods that contain caffeine. Examples are coffee, tea, and certain types of sodas. Caffeine may cause you to have the same symptoms as hypoglycemia, and may cause you to feel worse.
  • Limit or do not drink alcohol. Women should limit alcohol to 1 drink a day. Men should limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day. A drink of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of liquor. Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Drink alcohol with meals to avoid hypoglycemia.
  • Include protein foods and vegetables in your meals. Some foods that are high in protein include beef, pork, fish, poultry , beans, and nuts. Eat a variety of vegetables with your meals.

Recommended Reading: Where Is Insulin Secreted From

Does Blood Sugar Rise If You Dont Eat

Skipping a meal is typically no big deal. But if youre a person with diabetes, skipping meals or a lack of meal structure could result in dangerously low or high blood sugar levels. It is important to know your numbers especially when taking certain medications to lower blood sugar levels. 4

Listen To Your Doctor

Blood Glucose Drops & Fasting Diet

If you follow a meal plan or take medications that increase insulin to manage low blood sugar, its important to stick to the plan your doctor prescribed to help prevent drops in your blood sugar level.

Not eating the right foods or taking the right medications at the right times can cause your blood sugar to drop. Check in often with your doctor so they can adjust your treatment plan if and when necessary.

Read Also: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar


Checking For Low Blood Sugar Levels

The warning signs of hypoglycemia are the body’s natural response to low blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels fall too low, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which helps get stored glucose into the bloodstream quickly. This can make someone:

  • pale
  • start shaking
  • have an increased heart rate

If the hypoglycemia isn’t treated, more serious symptoms may happen, such as drowsiness, confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness.

The only way to know for sure if you’re having a low blood sugar level is to test. Blood sugar levels can be tested with a . This computerized device measures and displays the amount of glucose in a blood sample. But if you can’t quickly check your blood sugar level, it’s important to treat yourself for hypoglycemia immediately to prevent symptoms from getting worse.

Sometimes a person with diabetes may have symptoms of low blood sugar levels, but blood sugar levels are not actually low. This is a called a false reaction. The hormone adrenaline is not just released when blood sugar drops too low it’s also released when blood sugar levels fall quickly when they’re too high. If you’re having a false reaction, you might actually have blood sugar levels in a healthy range but feel as if you have low blood sugar. Testing blood sugar levels before treating yourself for hypoglycemia can help you figure out if you’re having a false reaction.

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How To Treat Someone Who’s Having A Seizure Or Fit

Follow these steps if someone has a seizure or fit caused by a low blood sugar level:


  • Stay with them and stop them hurting themselves lie them down on something soft and move them away from anything dangerous .
  • After the seizure or fit stops, give them a sugary snack.
  • Tell your diabetes care team if you ever have a severe hypo that caused you to have a seizure or fit.

    Read Also: Average A1c Levels For Non Diabetics

    What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar

    Different people may feel low blood sugar levels differently. People with low blood sugar may:

    • feel hungry or have “hunger pains” in their stomach
    • feel shaky or like they’re trembling
    • have a rapid heart rate
    • feel sweaty or have cold, clammy skin
    • have pale, gray skin color
    • have a headache
    • have seizures or convulsions
    • lose consciousness

    If you have diabetes, try to remember how your body reacts when your blood sugar levels are low. It may help you figure out when you’re having a low blood sugar level more quickly the next time.

    What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia

    Why did my blood sugar level drop after a high

    Hypoglycemia tends to present as a cluster of symptoms, and they often occur together. The most common signs of dangerously low blood sugar include:


    • Dizziness, disorientation, light-headedness, and an inability to think clearly
    • Hunger, especially if youve just eaten
    • Heightened irritability, confusion, and anxiety
    • Clamminess and sweating, with cold hands and feet
    • Drastic mood swings

    If you have one or more of these symptoms contact your doctor.

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    What If Im Experiencing Hypoglycemic Episodes Even Though My Doctor Has Confirmed That Im Not Diabetic Or Prediabetic

    If you have low blood sugar and dont have diabetes or prediabetes, it can be a sign of another serious health issue such as a tumor, hormone deficiency, kidney disorder, anorexia, or other eating disorder, all of which can cause dangerously low blood sugar.

    Anorexia has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder, and the cause of death can be hypoglycemia, so take your illness seriously and seek help if you suspect your eating disorder may be progressing to the point where it is causing you to faint or experience other signs and symptoms of dangerously low blood sugar. The National Eating Disorders Association has resources on how to identify the signs that you may have an eating disorder, a hotline for help, as well as easily accessible information on everything from how to know when you need help to how to find quality treatment options in your zip code.

    People who are not diabetic don’t spontaneously have hypoglycemia for no reason, explains Dr. Christofides. Its often an indication of another underlying issue, such as a hormone deficiency or eating disorder, so its important to schedule an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause in order to prevent complications.


    Common causes of hypoglycemia in people without diabetes include:

    • Pancreatic tumor
    • Medication that inhibits the proper production of insulin
    • Hepatitis or kidney disorders
    • Hormone deficiencies
    • Anorexia and other eating disorders

    Things To Know About Hypoglycemia Unawareness

    Sometimes hypoglycemia may even occur in your sleep, causing nightmares and sweating. Previous research published in Diabetes Care has also indicated that people with type 1 diabetes may have an increased risk of hypoglycemic-related cardiac arrest during sleep.

    For people with type 2 diabetes, its possible to experience hypoglycemia after eating a large, carbohydrate-heavy meal due to higher levels of insulin circulating in the body, Dodell adds.

    Your risk for hypoglycemia depends on your health and how well youre managing your blood sugar.

    Aside from any possible diabetes medication side effects, the Mayo Clinic notes that your blood sugar levels may decrease as a result of:


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    What Causes Low Blood Glucose

    • Symptoms occur when blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dl a condition known as hypoglycemia.
    • In most cases, low blood glucose results from overtreatment: Either taking too much diabetes medication or not eating enough food. Higher doses of medicine than the person actually requires can also lead to hypoglycemia.
    • People who aim for too-low values on their A1C test tend to experience more frequent drops in blood glucose.
    • Vigorous exercise doesn’t just burn calories, it also burns blood glucose! Hypoglycemia can occur unless blood glucose levels are carefully monitored during and after exercise.
    • Not eating on a regular basis can deprive the body of glucose and make it difficult to prevent hypoglycemia. Eat balanced meals throughout the day and always keep a snack on hand.

    What Causes Blood Sugar To Drop Rapidly Apart From Too Much Insulin

    Lower Blood Sugar After Eating Breakfast. Are Your Blood Glucose Levels Normal?

    Clearly, then, too much insulin is what causes blood sugar to drop rapidly. But theres more to it than simply taking too much insulin.

    Skipping meals or eating less than what youre used to will also mean having too much insulin in the body.

    In addition, the bodys sensitivity to insulin can change throughout the day. The greater the insulin sensitivity, the less insulin the body will need. If insulin sensitivity has increased, this will often be due to the combination of exercise and diabetes.

    These are probably the most common reasons for low blood sugar, as the blog post What Happens when Blood Sugar is low? points out. NHS inform gives some other reasons, such as:


    Fasting. Aside from not taking in any carbs for the insulin to displace, fasting can also lead to not having enough nutrients, which can hinder the bodys digestive abilities.

    Similarly, illness can impact the bodys response to glucose. Illness will usually increase blood sugar but it depends on what kind of illness and how your body responds to it which can give low blood sugar. Read more on this topic with Diabetes and the Flu.

    Meanwhile, sleep itself may not lower blood sugar, but you can still get low blood sugar in the night for the same reasons you would in in the day.

    The only difference is that you cant treat it as effectively because youre well asleep. So, do have carbs ready by your bed, just in case. Read more on Diabetes and Sleep.

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    Signs And Symptoms Of Reactive Hypoglycemia

    Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia can include:

    • Anxiety

    When talking about the signs of reactive hypoglycemia, its important to note that many of these symptoms can be experienced without actually having low blood sugar

    In fact, it is rare for such symptoms to be caused by falling blood sugar levels after eating, with the actual cause for many people often relating to what food was eaten or variations in the timing of the food moving through the stomach and intestinal tract.

    If there is no hypoglycemia at the time of the symptoms, you may have what is known as postprandial syndrome.

    Why Does My Blood Sugar Drop After I Eat Sweets

    low blood sugarhypoglycemiablood sugar dropseatingmealhypoglycemiaafter eating

    A: It sounds like you may be experiencing something called reactive hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar after eating a meal, which is most likely due to a change in diet. Eating high-fiber carbohydrates is important because they provide the sugar the body needs, but they are also what causes the body to release insulin.

    Secondly, why do I feel weak after eating sweets? A person with nondiabetic hypoglycemia can have reactive hypoglycemia, which is where blood sugar drops instead of increases after eating. Insulin is a hormone responsible for processing blood sugar and lowering glucose levels. As a result, a person’s blood sugar levels drop too fast and they feel dizzy.

    Regarding this, can you get low blood sugar from eating too much sugar?

    Hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when the sugar levels in your blood are too low. Hypoglycemia is different from hyperglycemia, which occurs when you have too much sugar in your bloodstream. Hypoglycemia can happen in people with diabetes if the body produces too much insulin.

    Is reactive hypoglycemia a sign of diabetes?

    In people without diabetes, hypoglycemia can result from the body producing too much insulin after a meal, causing blood sugar levels to drop. This is called reactive hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia can be an early sign of diabetes.

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    How Long After Eating Does Blood Sugar Return To Normal

    The blood sugar level falls back to a normal level around 1-2 hours after taking food. During this time digestion slows down and the sugar is absorbed by the tissue.

    In diabetics, there can be a sudden spike in blood sugar after eating causing headache, dizziness and discomfort. This is called a post-prandial reaction. Normally, taking prescribed insulin medication can help mediate this problem.

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