Hypo = Choking sensation?

[MinimedPumper07]

I just had a doozy of a hypo. I literally felt myself drop over a period of about 5 seconds. It felt like I was losing the ability to breathe. Also the other day I saw a video of the tv show Big Brother. This girl had a hypo and she was on the ground coughing and gagging. I have never actually passed out from a hypo (fingers crossed), but I was just wondering what exactly you feel before you passout. Do you pass out because you can't breathe?

[JediSkipdogg]

Do you pass out because you can't breathe?

No, you pass out because your cells are starved of glucose and can't support your body anymore. Then you may enter into a shock-like state.

[BlueSky]

I don't think blood glucose dropping causes breathing problems. But I suspect that that the supply of oxygen has a bearing on the hypo experience. I had a very bad hypo a week ago. My blood sugar collapsed much more quickly than I expected it to after doing a correction. It fell so fast and so far that I passed out, had a seizure and was taken to the ER. They immediately noticed that my oxygen saturation was very low, at about 70%. In addition to the glucose IV, they gave me an oxygen mask and I was soon feeling much better. I don't remember having difficulty breathing, and the low oxygen saturation is a bit of a mystery. The doctor wasn't able to provide an explanation. But I have been wondering whether low oxygen saturation could have been caused by sleep deprivation and excessive tiredness, and if it somehow contributed to the hypo. Perhaps the lack of oxygen caused blood glucose to be burned anaerobically, quickly exhausting the limited supply. :confused:

[Funnygrl]

That O2 stat is like "ET tube stat" low. Do they have any idea what caused it? Are you a smoker?

[NoraWI]

BlueSky, sounds to me as though you hit a vein with that correction.

[RobiJo]

Every time I've gone into a seizure I've been asleep. In these seizures I would kick and thrash around in my bed. I would tend to bite the sides of my tongue. My mom would hear me, give me glucagon and then I'd spend the whole next day sleeping and vomiting. Fortunately I've not had one of these since 1995. I wake up when I have a hypo at night now, and when I'm awake I know that I'm hypo and can treat it, though sometimes I do get drowsy, especially if I'm dropping fast. I've never had a breathing problem with a hypo, just decreased energy, drowsy, and wanting to sit down.

[MinimedPumper07]

Its good you got taken to the ER. What I am concerned about is what happens if no one is around? Do you just die?

[RobiJo]

Its good you got taken to the ER. What I am concerned about is what happens if no one is around? Do you just die?

I've never been to the ER. Just got the glucagon at home. In some cases after a complete passout, your liver will dump out glucose. It may take a while and the situation is not ideal, your body will attempt to bring you out of the hypo. When alcohol is involved it can be very deadly however, as your liver is busy with that alcohol.
To combat this situation I have my pump set to an automatic shutoff at 12 hours. (You can set the number of hours) If I don't touch my pump for 12 hours, it will start alarming loudly (much louder than the normal alarms) to get my attention. The shutoff stops delivering insulin. In the case that I was having a hypo, the lack of insulin would allow my bg to rise. In my case it would only take about 1-2 hours of no insulin and I'd be in the 200's at least.
This is nice "safety net" that can be set up in MM pumps.

Here's how to get to it from your home screen:
ACT--Utilities--Alarm--Auto Off--

My sensor trainer showed me this last summer, I never knew this existed before.
The other trick she showed me what that you can turn the backlight on when you are in any screen by hitting the B and down arrow at the same time.

[BlueSky]

... What I am concerned about is what happens if no one is around? Do you just die?
No, it is very unlikely that you will die. Long before your blood glucose gets dangerously low, your body will go into shock. The adrenalin increases glucagon levels, which causes the liver to supply the much needed glucose. By the time the ambulance arrived, my blood glucose had already increased to 4.8 (86). I would have been fine if they had left me alone, but the oxygen really got me back on my feet that much quicker. I don't smoke, and no, the doctor didn't know why the oxygen levels were so low. She thought the seizure or excessive tiredness could have had something to do with it. I have a copy of her notes, which I will take to the endo the next time I see him. :o

[Chappo]

I've never been to the ER. Just got the glucagon at home. In some cases after a complete passout, your liver will dump out glucose. It may take a while and the situation is not ideal, your body will attempt to bring you out of the hypo. When alcohol is involved it can be very deadly however, as your liver is busy with that alcohol.
To combat this situation I have my pump set to an automatic shutoff at 12 hours. (You can set the number of hours) If I don't touch my pump for 12 hours, it will start alarming loudly (much louder than the normal alarms) to get my attention. The shutoff stops delivering insulin. In the case that I was having a hypo, the lack of insulin would allow my bg to rise. In my case it would only take about 1-2 hours of no insulin and I'd be in the 200's at least.
This is nice "safety net" that can be set up in MM pumps.

Here's how to get to it from your home screen:
ACT--Utilities--Alarm--Auto Off--

My sensor trainer showed me this last summer, I never knew this existed before.
The other trick she showed me what that you can turn the backlight on when you are in any screen by hitting the B and down arrow at the same time.

Jo, this is a great invention. As a younger guy, i used to go out and get trashed quite often - and my BGL's wouldn't move...at all! Only recently (2 weeks ago) i experienced my first ever "Alcohol low" - i dropped so fast i didn't know what hit me. Luckily i was with about 15 other diabetics and i had glucose in me as fast as you could say "i'm finished". Had they had not been there, i would have collapsed. I was 1.9mmol when i started eating the sugar.

I am moving onto the Animas 2020 in a couple of weeks (from Lantus/NovoRapid), and i am very happy about this feature. I know it's not an excuse to go out and get blind and vomit everywhere like i used to, but a great way to prevent these issues from happening. With Lantus, i have to wait till my 24 hours is over before my BGL's will rise - and that's dangerous.

Alex

[MinimedPumper07]

You have 15 diabetic friends?

[Chappo]

Probably up to around 50 now :)

I work as a Youth Ambassador (4 of us are based through the Western Pacific, a total of 25 world-wide) with the International Diabetes Federation, as well as being on a panel called the Novo Nordisk Young Voices.

So i get to meet (and work very closely with) a lot of people with diabetes!

IDF Youth Ambassador Program: IDF Youth Leadership (http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/youth)
NN Panel: Novo Nordisk Young Voices (http://www.novonordisk.com/about_us/youth-panel/youth-panel-default.asp)

[MinimedPumper07]

Thats awesome Alex.

[Subby]

Alex, enjoy the transition to pumping, if at all like me you will find some real freedom and resolution of old nasty problems that have hung around for years. One of those, for me, is a dramatic reduction in strong hypos like you describe - think sliding down hills instead of accidentally or inadvertantly jumping off cliffs! Good luck!