Seizures?

[CherylAnne]

Last night, I was witness to a diabetic seizure, for the first time. It occured sudden and without the typical warning signs of low blood sugar. There was NO WARNING!

It was frightening to stand by, helpless, while waiting for EMT's to arrive. They did a blood test (24), inserted an IV and started pushing Dextrose. (?) Literally, within moments, everything was back to normal. What a relief...

The strange thing about this occurance was that the entire day and evening was normal. Same lunch, same dinner, same dose, etc.

We talked about all of the variables afterward and think maybe the body had stored portions of an insulin dose and it finally escaped, possibly the culprit?

What's it like to be on the receiving end of a seizure? Can you think, feel or hear?

I'm leaving out the details of the seizure, but don't mind explainging them, if you ask.

Cherylanne

[TAutry]

Hi Cherylanne,

Thank you for posting. I have never had nor seen a diabetic seizure. I can imagine it would scare both the patient and any witnesses nearly witless.

If this was Bill, I hope he is going or has gone to his doctor today. If not today, then very soon. A blood sugar of 24, as you know, is very dangerous. This may have been a one time event, or it may not be.

Travis

[Harold]

Do you have an emergency kit?

Haven't had one, and not likely to, but from talking to others that have had them they don't seem to remember them except for the coming out of it.

[mweber]

Hi cherylanne,
As I stated to you in another post,I've had a couple of seizure(4) in 14 yrs,you reallly dont know what happens its like waking up from sleep completly drenched in sweat,confused and disoreinted,Its about the same when it happens when your awake or asleep,then the next day your incredibly sore and tired, at least thats with me.You have to rember a sezure is your body's oragans starting to shut down no energy.The thing to remember is after a seizure the odds are greater of having another one within a week of it than at other times.When its happened to me its been because of a skipped meal to much exersize,and just NOT MONITORING MY BLOOD SUGAR.I hpoe you get a glucagon kit that way when it happens again you dont have to wait for help, my wife has become an expert thogh not willing,maybe I'll have her give you a post on this.

[Tony]

Back in high school I had a seizure. (that is what every called it, not faited). Not due to Diabetes. This kid was duing a report on his knee operation. And he just went into too many details. Next thing I know, I wake up ems is there and everyone is watching. I think I was out for 5 to 10 mins. Could of been longer.
And when you are out it is like you are dreaming. You hear the people talking but you think it is just a dream. I don't think i could feel any one touching me. Trying to wake me up.

[mweber]

Hi Cherylanne,
Mike told me about your post about the seizure. My name is Becky, his Glucagon injecting wife. I've had to give him the injection three times now. Twice since Christmas.

As the old Boy Scout Motto goes: Be Prepared! My advice would be to make sure he gets a glucagon kit and as soon as he does, for you to completely read the instructions so you know what to do in the event you need to use it. I unfortunately didn't do that and the first time I had to actually give the injection I had no idea what I had to do. I was shaking so bad I could hardly read the instructions. I bent the needle when I combined the liquid and powder portions but was able to draw the glucagon into the syringe and give the shot. We joke now that it's a miracle the needle didn't come out his back from me giving him the shot in the stomach. By the time the paramedics got here he was coming around but didn't remember a thing.

Unfortunately, I've had to do it twice since then. Still, every time we need to get a refill of the Glucagon I read the instructions again. Plus the day after his first one I went with him when he went to the doctor and was able to talk to the doctor about it and that helped alot.

During the most recent one he was somewhat coherent in the beginning, able to talk but he was seizing, but then by the time I ran downstairs to get the kit and came back up he was no longer coherent and didn't remember anything at all.

I'll never get used to it but at least I'm confident now that I know what to do and can give him the Glucagon and bring him out of it. (What happened on our first date, 10 years or so ago, should have been a clue! I'll have to tell you that story sometime! Also diabetes related -- not funny at the time, but we made it through that too!)

[Jon]

My son had a seizure about a year ago. I knew how to give glucagon, but when he started having the seizure, I suddenly couldn't remember what to do. I called 911, hoping they could talk me through it, but all the lady said was "do it the way your doctor told you". So I ended up reading the instructions. He was just starting to open his eyes when the paramedics showed up, and he woke up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He didn't remember anything.

[Gina]

oh god i hope that never happens to me im so paranoid about that...because im not so sure anyone in my house would be able to handle it, if they had to give me the shot of glucagon

[Harold]

Gina, I've been told by those taking insulin that if you take insulin eventually it will happen. Get yourself a kit and run everyone in the house through the procedure. As to were to give the shot, any fleshy place an the arms legs or stomach will do. The important thing is to get the needle through the skin preferably into or next to muscle rather than fat.

[CherylAnne]

Bill, says he remembers nothing of the seizure. When he came to, his first response was 'aaahhhhh that feels much better' then asked the EMT's 'where did you guys come from'...

I talked to him the whole time he was 'out' but he does not recall anything I was saying. When he came out of it, it seemed he was totally coherent, (and totally relieved it was over) answering any question the EMT's asked of him. The EMT's were adamant that he eat something with lots of protien and soon. They said the Dextrose would leave his system quickly. (maybe within 20 minutes or so and he needed something that 'would stay with him') He ate ham, 2 eggs and toast.

His number in the morning was 400. He started seizure at 11:30pm and wake-up, test time at 7am. I hope I say this right, but his regular insulin dose for basel (sp) rate is 15 units (N) at 5pm. We have talked about it and both think his basel (sp) dose needs to be reduced. (to keep him from these extreme lows)

Becky, I can not imagine giving Bill the Glucagon shot. It took 4 grown men to hold him down, while they inserted an IV in his arm. There is no doubt who will win a wrestling match between me and Bill... Is Mike out cold, (or are you 'strong like bull'?) when you give him the shot? I can empathize with you, there is no getting used it... Bill, tells me that if I do it wrong, it could kill 'em. I think he's frightened of the big needle, he's been a practicing nurse, maybe he knows something we don't!

When Bill went into seizure, he was on his back, in bed. (ha, no we hadn't had sex! by the way, we take extra precautions when we do the nasty! ....another thread, eh?) He flung his arm over my chest. As I touched his arm, it was rigid. I knew something was wrong! He didn't feel clammy or sweaty yet. I turned the light on and I asked him what he was dreaming, 'what do you have in your hand?', there was no response. His eyes were closed and he wouldn't wake up. I went for the test kit. Before I got back into the room, he was having trouble breathing, his body was trembling and his eyes were wide open. (the eyes wide open scared me and reminded me of death) He started to sweat. By now, my nerves were wacked! I fumbled with the test kit and couldn't stand it any longer and got on the phone, to 911. (I watch the clock the entire time) This was way out of my control! The 911 operator wasn't going to give me any advise and I insisted to know what I could do until the EMT's showed up. The only information they offered was not to put anything in his mouth, especially your finger and if he starts to come to, try to roll him over onto his side. I said 'come to?', I couldn't believe there was any way he would just 'come to'... (is there?) I stayed with him, telling him 'I'm here with you Baby, I have someone coming to help you.' The sound of his breathing was horrid. I kept an eye on his stomach, and it continued to move up and down. I stayed clear of his limps, not knowing if they would come at me or not. Though, his body movements were contained to their relative position, when the seizure started.

The EMT's wouldn't tell me what Bill's number was, as they took it, just that it was low. I figured, what kind of a meter do they have, anyway? ha! When they pulled out that big sirenge, (sp) I asked if that was the Glucagon shot, they said no, this is sugar, he doesn't need the Glucagon yet... After it was all said and done, one of the EMT's came to me and told me Bill's number. (24) I wonder why they kept that from me in the first place...?

I have to mention that the EMT's did a great job inserting the IV, considering the circumstances. They got Bill's vain in one hit and no hemotoma, (sp) bruising afterwards. Even he could barely tell where they 'hit' him!

I asked Bill, why he was so resistent to the EMT's giving the IV, he couldn't remember anything but being angry. He said during the seizure, it felt like his head was being cut off. I couldn't really understand this feeling, but he couldn't describe it any further. He says he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy! I asked if he remembered putting his arm across my chest, he didn't. He could only say that maybe he was trying to get my help.

The following day, after the seizure, Bill was sore. He said to me, 'if this happens again, don't tell them I'm strong', I asked why? He said; 'because I'm sore!'

Bill isn't going to the doctor until his insurance clears at his workplace. (soon) My stubborn Bill! There is no doubt that we will go together...

He tells me that he has had maybe 5 other seizures in his history since becoming diabetic, (10yrs) when he lived alone. There is one time, he thinks he thrashed around in his yard for an hour, before someone noticed him. I don't know how he figures this time line, but I can't imagine the body going through that for an hour. He says, he was working underneath his car, when he realized something was wrong, he made himself believe that he was pinned under the car, scared to death, he was able to get out from under the car and out into the open, where someone might notice him.

Thank you all for sharing... I will back on Monday, as my computer at home is on the kaputz...

Cherylanne

[Jon]

Your story is making chills run up and down my spine. It sounds so much like the seizure my son had. It took 3 paramedics and myself to get the IV in him, and he was only 11 years old. I had given him the glucagon after he stopped seizing, but was still unconcious, and I had shoveled sugar into his mouth just before he started to fall off his chair. I wrote a long detailed post here, which I am sure you could find if you go back to the old posts around April of last year. I wrote it a couple of hours after returning from the emergency room. I stayed up most of the night, checking his bg, and making sure he stayed normal, wondering what I would do if he had another one since I had used up all his glucagon earlier.

That is interesting that they didn't give Bill glucagon right away. From what I understand, glucagon is the opposite of insulin. It is released by the pancreas and raises blood glucose. The Alpha cells release glucagon, and the Beta cells release insulin. I would think that glucagon would be the quickest way to raise the sugar level, but maybe not.

[Kenneth]

Hello all, I have had seizures during the night quite a few times, my ex wife was great though, she always knew what to do and we were together so long that she could look at me during the day and would tell that my b/s was low.....and 95% of the time she was right.I have never used the glucagon shot though she always used chocolate syrup.

[Harold]

Jon you reminded me of something I learned in class. When you mentioned trying to get sugar in his mouth. His jaw locked up and he couldn't chew most likely. The CDE recomended keeping a tube of decorating cake icing around, mostly sugar and coloring, and using it to get sugar around the teeth. Evidently some of it will trickle down or maybe asorbed somewhat in the mouth.

[Jon]

I have heard that many people keep cake frosting, or a tube of glucose paste in the car, or purse, or briefcase. When I gave the sugar to my son, he was still eating his dinner. He was chewing his food, but he had a dazed look, and didn't seem to be aware that I was even there. It was after he chewed the first spoonful of sugar that he fell off the chair. I would imagine that was why his bg was at 53 when I checked him. It was probably already coming back up. I just didn't get it to him quick enough. And the dinner he was eating was full of carbs, but not much sugar.