Strange hypo experiences

Meep! · #1 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 05:06 PM

Weeeee!! 1st post and thread

Hello all

And now to the reason i found this forum:

Recently when i have been hypoing ive been getting crazy hallucinations, hearing things and stuff. I was just wondering if I am the only one who gets this.

Problem is it makes my behaviour really erratic and scares the people around me when it happens and makes it difficult for my family to help me get out of the hypo. It only happens when my blood sugar gets ridiculously low < 2.0 when tested. Is seeing/hearing weird things a common side effect when experiencing really low blood sugar a common occurance?

Philippa · #2 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 05:32 PM

Hi there,
yep, I've had that, especially over the past several years, hearing voices, and thinking I see things like shapes moving out the corner of my vision when I go low. Can be a bit freaky sometimes! I think it's because the brain doesn't have enough energy left to process all the information properly.

Cyborg · #3 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 06:07 PM

Welcome aboard

How many times a day do you test your bg?

Meep! · #4 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 07:37 PM

once or twice a day.

jen_slc · #5 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 08:01 PM

I would say that seeing/hearing things can be common... I hear and see things when a hypo strikes me during the night, so nobody has ever witnessed me "being weird" like that except for my close family members. I have "seen" aliens try to poke and prod and poison me (turns out it was my family trying to feed me sugar)... my bad hypos at night were often space-themed. Maybe that's where all these supposed alien abduction stories come from???

LancetChick · #6 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meep!

once or twice a day.

That's a relevant question that Cyborg asked because testing often is one of the keys to preventing serious hypos. I use a Freestyle Flash, and it takes probably less than a minute to test, but if we call it a minute per test, and multiply that by the seemingly whopping number of times I test in a day, roughly 15, that's 15 minutes max, and I have yet to experience a mind-altering hypo since I started testing that often. However, that's not what you asked, so to answer your question....... in previous years, I saw light shows with starbursts popping in all directions, but no music.

lgvincent · #7 (**permalink**) 01-18-2007, 09:09 PM

I've had many experiences like that. Although once the insulin reaction is over I can see how strange my thinking was but it all seems normal at the time.

belyro · #8 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 05:52 AM

I haven't had any hallucinations recently, but when I was first diagnosed (as a very young child) I saw monkeys all over the house (gave me an intense fear of monkeys for a while) and also saw the Incredible Hulk walking down the street. Those are the only two I remember, but I could have seen more. It doesn't happen anymore, but I also don't remember the last time I dropped below 2.0 (36), so maybe that has something to do with it.

Cyborg · #9 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 06:49 AM

Remember, your brain is the largest consumer of glucose in your body. When you deprive it, all kinds of things can happen.

BTW, I try to test every 2 hours. Hard for the bg to sway too far while testing that often...

christie · #10 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 07:48 PM

i don't think i've heard things being low but i have seen things,like my pictures on the wall would be on the ceiling,and the door would be where its not.

EdgyAuthor · #11 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 02:31 PM

Wow...I guess I've never been low enough to start hearing/seeing things that aren't there. Good to know a seriously low bg can do that.

ProudNanaof5 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 02:44 PM

Well the lowest I've been was 21 and I was at the hospital for tests... I was sitting waiting for hubby to pick me up and I could hear and see everything although I couldn't tell anyone what was happening. I kept thinking that here I am with nurses and Dr's walking right past me and I can't tell them what is happening... I have never imagined any weird stuff...it seems it gets hard for me to breath tho. But I agree with testing often. That doesn't allow you to get that low. I haven't not caught a low lately that I didn't catch it in time to do something about it..

.knock on wood...

rzrbks · #13 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Recently when i have been hypoing ive been getting crazy hallucinations, hearing things and stuff. I was just wondering if I am the only one who gets this.

Been there, done that, a couple of times but only when I was WAY hypo

As observed by Locutus, sounds like you need to test more often.

Quote:

Remember, your brain is the largest consumer of glucose in your body

.

Speak for yourself, Locutus. Some of us don't let our brains have any carbs........and it shows.

Gary_W · #14 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 04:52 PM

I don't hear things, but when I'm going low I do find my hearing starts to dull. I also find I get slight colours flashing and get a metalic taste in my mouth.

I guess if I go much lower than the above and my glucose starved brain extrapolates the dodgy data it is being fed, then I guess that I could start to believe that I've licked a very colourful metallic robot whilst it sticks its fingers in my ears.

I'm looking forward to that one

Jackets · #15 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 05:01 PM

The only thing that's happened to me: When it feels like your surroundings are jumping out at you. Actually, it's more like the room is attacking my vision. When that happens my head jerks around automatically to avoid the corners of the room from poking my eyes. It's like my brain is misfiring or something. Strange stuff.