[trailrunner]

So I was at work sunday night, and we are slammed. My manager orders pizza for us. It's in the med room( as no one has the time to take a break to sit and eat) I grab two slices take my bolus of 6 units . And all of a sudden I get two very critical patients in by ambulence in my room. Never mind the pizza for now . 30 mins later, I am sitting down and charting And( you guessed it) I feel funny, like I am floating. I totally awake and aware, not shaky, not sweaty, just floaty. so I check, and it's TA DA 30! So I grab an 8 ounce coke and down that , every thing is ok after that. But so scary.. I wonder just how low I have to be to black out?

[solox316]

Sorry to hear about that, it is so easy to get sidetracked, especially in a job like yours, it sounds like.

I have been awake and low at 24, I was like 9 years old, and my dumba$$ step dad (long since divorced) tried making me walk with him to get some juice...

Sleeping is different, I have had a seizure at a higher number, I think it was 38, but who know, that could have been after the liver kicked in.

Glad you are ok now. Did you ever get to have the pizza?

[Jan B]

Scary is right. 30 is dangerous. My lowest was 19 on my meter & I barely stayed conscious. Just barely. Thank God my husband was with me as I was hollering how I was about to go under.

[notme]

Eeeeesh! I hate that "floaty" feeling. I have also had that feeling and everything seems a bit slow motion. I have also noticed I do bizare things like ignoring food or telling my husband I won't eat what he has brought to me. I am really obstinant about food when I am low.

Sorry this happened to you. Funny how all the times we have gone low, I always .....wonder.....what is wrong with me when I feel funny.

The lowest I have ever been (that showed up on my meter) is 26.

[REDLAN]

I believe that most people will pass out at around 1.2mmol/l (22 mg/dl).

[morrisma]

Floating is a very apt description. And belligerent. After 2 high carb bars and 15 minutes had passed, I was 32. Not a fun time. Glad you are ok.
Mike

[Metermaid]

Everyone must have a different tolerance for 'how low can you go'....I get low quite often, my lowest being 18 and was still alert and talking, but I knew I had to hurry...my usual lows are about 20-40....yes, very scary, that is why I will always opt for high than low. That is also why, I wonder if such tight control is safe...I know we are losing brain cells every time we run low like that!

[solox316]

Originally Posted by Metermaid

That is also why, I wonder if such tight control is safe...I know we are losing brain cells every time we run low like that!

I agree with this... IMO, it is too dangerous to run too tight. I can't imagine how often one must fight dangerous lows when running an a1c in the low 5s or less...

[gettingby]

I've been known to carry on coherent conversations in the low 40's, upper 30's. I passed out once and paramedics said my bg was 17. I checked with my meter once and got "LO" which I found out is below 20 but still did not have an actual number. I was conscious and able to treat myself.
Lows can be scary but after 20+ years of this, I don't get nearly as scared as I probably should.

[xMenace]

I've tested at 1.9 or 34.

I wish I would have tested at other times when I was unable to test.

[Alice]

Pizza is one of those "slow digesting" carbs for me...I usually break my bolus in two and split about 1-1/2 hours apart. I found this out much like you did...and I get a "gentle reminder" every now and then!

The Coke was the best thing...glucose tabs would have to get through all that pizza in your tummy. I like Coke when I have a low on a full stomach...which is the worst kind of low IMHO!

[Subby]

I know the feeling all too well, lovely aint it? I sympathise with the situation too. I take it you are in the health care industry with those kind of events happening... I am in a similar job (but with less time pressure, perhaps). I've learnt to keep a fast/mid carb always at hand for exactly those situations. In my case, if you go to my bag you will always find 3 or 4 small tetra juices. Take about 5 seconds to down one and it is great bolus cover for at leat 20 min for me. Need longer? I have another.

May not be as good as proper food, but much better than either failing in my duty of care, or going low on a client! And juice for me is mid range enough to ensure safety, yet in moderation not spike too much.

Good luck with it all.

[lexismom]

this is so weird, i was wondering if its happene to anyone here, my daughter lexi was seizing at 7 am i checked her sugar it was 84. it has happened 3 times like that. she has been tested for epilepsy, and they say there is no othe reason but diabetes, because they cant find anything. is it maybe because she is so used to being high? who knows, i would love to here what some of you think

[Gembo]

Originally Posted by trailrunner

So I was at work sunday night, and we are slammed. My manager orders pizza for us. It's in the med room( as no one has the time to take a break to sit and eat) I grab two slices take my bolus of 6 units . And all of a sudden I get two very critical patients in by ambulence in my room. Never mind the pizza for now . 30 mins later, I am sitting down and charting And( you guessed it) I feel funny, like I am floating. I totally awake and aware, not shaky, not sweaty, just floaty. so I check, and it's TA DA 30! So I grab an 8 ounce coke and down that , every thing is ok after that. But so scary.. I wonder just how low I have to be to black out?

I've been coherent and aware when my meter read 'LO' and at other times I've been almost delirious at much higher levels. I'm convinced that there must be other factors that determine the severity of a reaction to a low BG. I'm not sure whether it's the rate of the fall in BG or stress or something else. My worst hypos seem to be the ones that occur gradually. I tend to sit there in a stupor for 3/4 of an hour and then start flinging things around. Not something that would go down to well if I worked in your profession; the worst I can do in my line of work is break a computer.

[Lizzie G]

Reading this thread really scares me. The lowest I have been is 3 (or 54 US units). As soon as Im under about 4 (72), I feel dreadful. When Im not sick (which I was recently and high as a kite despite gallons of insulin!) I tend to stay at around 6, push it up for exercise, and aim to finish exercising no lower than 5 (and normally its 6). Im a little worried how these really massive lows that are discussed happen, obviously the first guy took his bolus and didnt eat the food which makes sense, but how do people get so frighteningly low, does that just happen now and again, or have you eaten too little/worked out too much? this is all a bit scary...