How often do you have lows where you need help?

[silverbullet]

Just wanted to say thank you for all of the info so far. I made an appointment with a new endo but most wait until July to see them. So I want as much info as I can get.
I have been Type 1 since Feb 92. Never needed help with a low until 12/05 and again 4/06. Scared the **** out of me cause nothing different in meds or diet. Wondering what experiences you all have had.
A1C 3/06 7.3

[psilocybin]

uhm...needed medical attention once...passed out twice. second time was just after eating a bottle of glucose tabs so i woke up after they kicked in

[Funnygrl]

I average about twice a year for a low someone else needs to help me out of.

[spike]

Just wanted to say thank you for all of the info so far. I made an appointment with a new endo but most wait until July to see them. So I want as much info as I can get.
I have been Type 1 since Feb 92. Never needed help with a low until 12/05 and again 4/06. Scared the **** out of me cause nothing different in meds or diet. Wondering what experiences you all have had.
A1C 3/06 7.3

I was 47 a few minutes ago. took a few glucotabs and am now sitting at the PC until it recovers enough for me to resume working. Since I began pumping I've gotten low plenty of times, but maybe only a handful of times have I asked my wife to go into the kitchen to get me something. Before I began pumping, I needed assistance, esp at night because I'd be less than 35. I would be so low I could barely get my jaw to work to chew. Thankfully, those days are behind me. and no more Glucagon injections, either.

[poodlebone]

I never really needed much help for a low for the first 12 years or so. Probably because much of that time I was so out of control and running high anyway. It was only after I became hypo unaware that I needed help. I live alone and unfortunately, my first really bad low (seizures) happened at home, alone. I've had several episodes like that over the past 5 years or so and luckily my body eventually helped me out enough so I could move and get some sugar.

At work I've passed out maybe 4-5 times, requiring a 911 call. Only once was I taken to the ER and the other times they brought me out of it at work. A couple years ago I passed out at my sister's house during a party for my niece. One time I accompanied my mother to her eye doctor appointment for a procedure she was having, and passed out there. My sister has gotten food/soda into me several times when I was with her and barely conscious.

I've been pumping for a year now (5/16 is my 1st year anniversary) and have not needed any help at all this past year. After the previous 6 years of hypo ****, this last one has been a breeze.

[spike]

I never really needed much help for a low for the first 12 years or so. Probably because much of that time I was so out of control and running high anyway. It was only after I became hypo unaware that I needed help. I live alone and unfortunately, my first really bad low (seizures) happened at home, alone. I've had several episodes like that over the past 5 years or so and luckily my body eventually helped me out enough so I could move and get some sugar.

At work I've passed out maybe 4-5 times, requiring a 911 call. Only once was I taken to the ER and the other times they brought me out of it at work. A couple years ago I passed out at my sister's house during a party for my niece. One time I accompanied my mother to her eye doctor appointment for a procedure she was having, and passed out there. My sister has gotten food/soda into me several times when I was with her and barely conscious.

I've been pumping for a year now (5/16 is my 1st year anniversary) and have not needed any help at all this past year. After the previous 6 years of hypo ****, this last one has been a breeze.

I've never lost consciousness yet, and it's a good thing--in CA, if a physician documents a lapse in consciousness, the DMV pulls the patient's drivers license.

[notme]

I hear you Spike, they must have scared the lows out of us. I also live in CA and luckily in the 20 years I have had diabetes, I have always been able to help myself during lows. I have many.....more than I can count. There have been a few times in the middle of the night that I have woken my husband up and have him get me something. Other than sending someone for food, I have never needed medical attention for a low.

[Cinnabon]

In my whole Diabetic life I must say 4-5 times, where I have passed out. Never taken to an ER for anything that has to do w/ DIabetes. Other than that, its been as much as "hand me the Coke, please" Especially tith the pump, much less lows.

[spike]

I hear you Spike, they must have scared the lows out of us. I also live in CA and luckily in the 20 years I have had diabetes, I have always been able to help myself during lows. I have many.....more than I can count. There have been a few times in the middle of the night that I have woken my husband up and have him get me something. Other than sending someone for food, I have never needed medical attention for a low.


:) If I don't get hypo a few times a day, I figure I'm not riding my bg's hard enough! While my wife sleeps, I fend for myself 99.99% of the time, when low at night.

[JediSkipdogg]

Since I've been on a pump, never. Prior to pump days, at least once a year, if not upwards of 3-4 times a year. And guess what....it was all on NPH and DURING THE PEAK.

[poodlebone]

Since I've been on a pump, never. Prior to pump days, at least once a year, if not upwards of 3-4 times a year. And guess what....it was all on NPH and DURING THE PEAK.

Mine, too. The thing is, the peak could sometimes shift. Usually with me it was about 5 hours after injection, but could be 6-8 hours. Mid-late afternoons sucked on NPH, as did early morning.

[poodlebone]

I've never lost consciousness yet, and it's a good thing--in CA, if a physician documents a lapse in consciousness, the DMV pulls the patient's drivers license.

I've heard that some states are really hard on diabetics. I don't even have a license, so I'm not too worried about it.

Would the DMV penalize you even if you weren't driving at the time? And what ever happened to keeping a patient's records confidential?!

[JediSkipdogg]

Mine, too. The thing is, the peak could sometimes shift. Usually with me it was about 5 hours after injection, but could be 6-8 hours. Mid-late afternoons sucked on NPH, as did early morning.

Same here, my peak was unexpected all the time. I even got to the point in high school where I'd eat a snack at a set time to control the peak. That lasted about 3 months then the peak shifted to about 15 minutes before the snack and I'd have the problems then. I think in high school I got maybe 3 ambulance rides out of it where the nurse's office couldn't control it.

I've heard that some states are really hard on diabetics. I don't even have a license, so I'm not too worried about it.

Would the DMV penalize you even if you weren't driving at the time? And what ever happened to keeping a patient's records confidential?!

Nothing is confidential anymore. Here in Ohio we don't have the restriction, but anyone can pull a police run and find out that you were sitting at Bob Evans and lost conciousness, and that's not confidential. We do have a form though that anyone in the general public can fill out, it requires two public signatures and two police signatures, or just three police signatures total it will suspend anyone's license. Most don't know the form exists since it can only be obtained at police stations and most stations don't have them. And the DMV can penalize one even if not driving. I forget the term they use for it, but the theory is it "could" happen while driving, so let's prevent it before it does.

[spike]

I've heard that some states are really hard on diabetics. I don't even have a license, so I'm not too worried about it.

Would the DMV penalize you even if you weren't driving at the time? And what ever happened to keeping a patient's records confidential?!

doesn't mattter where you were. it's a matter of physical problems that the DMV is concerned about--not WHERE they first occured.

[jeggeman31]

I have never had a low that required help that I can remember. I have been in the 30's before, but always able to bring my self out of it. However I have been low before, and not remember it and the wife and I wake up in the morning go down stairs and see all the snacks in the house gone, and the empty wrappers on the kitchen counter.

[gettingby]

I have only passed out once. The county deputy that came out on the call just said to keep a check on it more often and to be careful. Nothing else was ever said but I do have to have a paper filled out every so often by my doctor saying that I'm controlled and competent to operate a vehicle.
Back on topic: I had alot of troubles with lows while pregnant that resulted in Er visits(**** NPH) but only the one since then and that one was while my daughter was still in elementary school (she's a high school freshman now).

[sydneya]

Only twice in 20 years. I did not lose consciousness, but I was not able to help myself. They were both in the last year.

[Shotokan]

Four or five times in 29 years.

Twice while sleeping, my wife woke because the bed was soaked in sweat and I was catatonic. I "woke up" surrounded by paramedics who carted me off to the ER. Once there was blood all over our bed and the carpet because they had a hard time sticking a needle in me.

One time I was on a business trip, eating at a restaurant. My BG fell like a rock for no apparent reason. I couldn't raise my BG no matter what or how much I ate. A colleague took me to the ER and I stayed there for 5 or 6 hours with an IV in my arm.

A couple of times I was completely conscious, but out of it. My wife kept force-feeding me until I became coherent.

[grdella]

Is there any license pulling in Connecticut for passing out. I never even thought they would be able to do that.

[spike]

Four or five times in 29 years.

Twice while sleeping, my wife woke because the bed was soaked in sweat and I was catatonic. I "woke up" surrounded by paramedics who carted me off to the ER. Once there was blood all over our bed and the carpet because they had a hard time sticking a needle in me.

One time I was on a business trip, eating at a restaurant. My BG fell like a rock for no apparent reason. I couldn't raise my BG no matter what or how much I ate. A colleague took me to the ER and I stayed there for 5 or 6 hours with an IV in my arm.

A couple of times I was completely conscious, but out of it. My wife kept force-feeding me until I became coherent.

Maybe you injected accidently into a vein? I did that once. My bg's fell 160 points in about 5 minutes, to less than 20. Glucagon saved me that day. The ER doc told me that 1/2 the people that inject into a vein die. I believe her, because the feeling I had when I injected was very scary--I knew the moment I pulled the needle out that something was wrong. There was blood in the syringe.

[jeggeman31]

Maybe you injected accidently into a vein? I did that once. e.

What part of the body did you inject in when you hit the vein ?

[spike]

What part of the body did you inject in when you hit the vein ?

calf. because I wanted to inject at the table without anyone noticing. That was a mistake I never repeated! 3 injections per day, over more than 5 years (at the time) and I ALWAYS pulled back on the plunger to check for blood. The FIRST time I fail to do that, and I hit a vein!! On average, I'd get blood in the syringe approx once every couple of months, and then I'd throw away the syringe and start over with a fresh one. I've argued with others who claim there is no danger in not pulling back on the plunger. If I had not been able to get to Glucagon and paramedics as quickly as I did, I could have bit the dust, or suffered brain damage that day, so no one on God's green earth will every convince me that it's not worth checking for blood.

here's a link that mentions the issue:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Uses/0,3915,347%7CInsulin+injection,00.html

[DeusXM]

Never, in nearly 8 years of having diabetes. Lowest reading I've ever had was 1.7mmol/l.

[kid_fears99]

What do you mean by pulling back on the plunger? You mean you stick the needle in before you inject, see if blood comes out, and then fill it up with insulin and inject?

[JediSkipdogg]

You stick the needle in you with insulin in it like you are giving a shot. You pull the plunger back about 5 units worth, and if blood appears, you DO NOT give the shot. You would then squirt all that's in the needle into the trash and try again. If you see no blood, then you just inject it all back into you.

[spike]

What do you mean by pulling back on the plunger? You mean you stick the needle in before you inject, see if blood comes out, and then fill it up with insulin and inject?

What Jedi said.

[kid_fears99]

I always inject into my stomach, and I've had blood come out a few times after I pulled the needle out, but luckily I've never had a situation where my levels dropped too fast after that. Are there areas that are better to inject into to avoid veins?

[EdnaDeel]

I always inject into my stomach, and I've had blood come out a few times after I pulled the needle out,

I was told that if that happens then you have hit a muscle?
Can anybody confirm that?
It seems like when I do this it always bruises later

[DeusXM]

It's a possibility. More likely though is that you're struck some capillaries or a small vein. I get the same problem sometimes when I inject in my arm or stomach, and the bruises always look really nasty.

[Shotokan]

I always inject into my stomach, and I've had blood come out a few times after I pulled the needle out, but luckily I've never had a situation where my levels dropped too fast after that. Are there areas that are better to inject into to avoid veins?

I inject into my abdomen and the back of my upper arm (with help). My CDE told me that there are a lot of blood vessels close to the belly button (within 2 inches or so).

It's possible that I hit a vein, like Spike suggested. I've been diabetic for 29 years and I pulled back on the plunger for the first 25 years. I never drew blood in all that time, so when I heard that it wasn't necessary I stopped doing it.

I'm probably going to start using a pump, so it won't be an issue for insulin. However, I will continue to inject Symlin before meals (10 units). Does anyone know what would happen if I hit a vein with Symlin? Maybe I should start pulling back the plunger for Symlin injections.

[spike]

I inject into my abdomen and the back of my upper arm (with help). My CDE told me that there are a lot of blood vessels close to the belly button (within 2 inches or so).

It's possible that I hit a vein, like Spike suggested. I've been diabetic for 29 years and I pulled back on the plunger for the first 25 years. I never drew blood in all that time, so when I heard that it wasn't necessary I stopped doing it.

I'm probably going to start using a pump, so it won't be an issue for insulin. However, I will continue to inject Symlin before meals (10 units). Does anyone know what would happen if I hit a vein with Symlin? Maybe I should start pulling back the plunger for Symlin injections.

Hmmm....I think I'd give the makers a call, but I'm guessing that since it doesn't lower bg's directly, but rather reduces the glucose raising ability of food, it might not be at all serious to accidently inject into a cap/vein. I'm merely guessing out loud here--I know nada about Symlin. I've only read tidbits about it. Please post whatever you learn about that issue from the makers, if you ask them.