getting low

[Rachel330]

Im confused. Usually when my blood sugar is low I can feel it coming on. I start to sweat, my hands shake, and I feel very hungry. But lately I have been experiencing no warning signs. Last night I worked out for 40 minutes around 7pm. I checked my blood an hour after that and it was 103. Around 9pm I felt really tired so I decided to check my blood. It was 35! I rushed to try to find some sugar but I started to feel weak and dizzy. I dropped to the floor and almost passed out. Thank god my mom was there to help me. I drank some coke and had a few pieces of candy waited a half hour then checked my blood and it was still low at 50. So of course I ate some more sugary things. Well apparently I ate too much because I woke up in the middle of the night sweating and my blood sugar was 250. So my questions are.....Where have my warning signs gone? How do you know how much sugar to eat?

[stech1]

Rachel, I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. I know my mother, who was a type II diabetic, would have those attacks from time to time. The first time I saw it, I freaked out. If I had not been there, she clearly would have died, I am sure of it. She could not speak, she was shaking so bad... thankfully, she had told me about it and I sort of knew what to do. She always kept a snikers bar in the fridge. I was able to get enough of it in her that she stopped shaking.. I was amazed at how quick the attack came on and how fast it subsided after she ate the candy bar....

Have you contacted your doctor? Perhaps something has changed and your medicines need adjusting? You might be wise to keep some of those glucose tablets in your pocket... something really easy to get a hold of, until you find out what's going on. I used to work with a guy who had those attacks frequently and he would keep hard candy in his pocket.

I am sure others will have better advice. I do hope it gets better for you!

[xMenace]

Are you by any chance in your mid 30's?

That's when I learned my hypo-sensitivity was diskapearing, the hard way too. I shot up before breakfast, laid back in bed, and woke in an ambulance. Endo explained that my 'reactions' were largely due to adrenalin, but as I aged, my adrenal supply mechanism slowed down. Dmanit!

Insulin sensitivity can be affected by going too low too often. Peter & the Wolf syndrome.

I no longer trust my awareness, ever.

[ubergeek]

I know how bad I feel typically depends on how quickly I get there....i.e. if I have a rapid drop in blood sugar then I really feel it hit hard, but if it slowly drops over a couple of hours, I really don't feel it and have often been shocked at how low I got without feeling it.

[ladytaz]

Hi Rachel, geeze that's scary indeed!! I'm generally pretty aware of going low around 55 or so, but have on occasion had it just sneak up on me. My lowest "recorded" was 42, but that was AFTER I'd already begun treating the low! (I can go into "survival" mode and I don't even think about testing, all I can think is I need CARBS and need them NOW!! LOL)

In general, I think most people tread with about 15g carbs for a low, and then test again in 15 minutes. If you see that your numbers have risen, but still not to an acceptable level, maybe try 10g more, and again test in 15 min.

I have those little bottles of Sunny D (6.75 oz bottles, comes in a 6 pack) that I keep around, for when I go really low. They have about 26g of carbs (depending upon which flavor you get then +/- a gram or two). If I find I'm in the 40's I'll just drink one of those an it does the trick! :wink: Only ONCE, did it not! Took me about an hour to get out of that low! I thought it was never going to end! YikeS! But finally it did. Though I think I ate everything in the entire house along the way! LOL

[Cyborg]

Oh, the wonderful roller coaster effect! Not as fun as the amusement park...

My suggestion is to keep glucose tabs on hand always and everywhere you go. If you figure out what your bg:carb ratio is, then you will have a much better idea of how to treat your low without going overboard.

(BTW, the light blue font is nearly unreadable. I had to highlight it to be able to read it...)

[sweetstick80]

The blue font could be a very subtle diabetic eye test. I bet most diabetics had trouble reading the post :eek:
To the topic; I had a 50 hypo around midnight last night. Mine are always asymptomatic, no warning until pouring perspiration and numb legs below the knee and euphoria. I wish they`d make the little foil straw openings on the juice boxes just a bit larger, but the chocolate cake was really good and you don`t need any utensils!!
Usually I over correct and zoom my levels way up, then I over correct with some regular insulin, then I get low again 2 hours later, cause I forget about the nph still floatin through my system. Main thing is not to panic. I`m going to feel like **** no matter what and realize that a modest amount of carbs will usually start bringing me up or atleast stablize the situation. What I don`t get is why it takes so long to recover. Usually several hours before I`m totally functional. I get one hypo every week always between 11-12 am or pm, snack or not. Generally I feel great now that I`m on insulin. Jack

[xMenace]

The blue font could be a very subtle diabetic eye test. I bet most diabetics had trouble reading the post :eek:


Most diabetics' eyesight os no different than anyone elses. My eyes have been though battles, but I could read it. Hi-lighting is an easy fix. ;)