[webpundit]

Recently I've had a spell of hypoglycemic reactions. More so because of the Christmas vacation, waking up late and generally disrupting my usual schedule of shots and eating times. Anyway, I've had really low numbers which didn't feel very different from low numbers. i.e. Once I tested myself at 29 and the other time at 65 and both times I felt just as bad.

My question is how low can my blood sugars drop before I MUST get on the phone calling 911?

[HeatherP]

Being unconscious or having seizures would certainly qualify you (but it would have to be somebody else making the call of course). If you are incoherent or unable to treat yourself that would be another occasion. Those are some very dangerous numbers - my lowest ever was 25 or 28.

I guess a good threshold is if you are unable to take care of yourself.

HeatherP

[lgvincent]

Once, I was sick and was taken to a doctor. I was told there that my blood sugar was 7 mg/dL. I don't know if I was sick because my blood sugar was low or if my blood sugar was low because I was sick.

[dws]

Guess we should call it the 'Recorded Lowest" since the meter reads the glucose level at the time you test. Very well could be much lower.

My lowest on record was 18, made by the para-medics before they started the IV glucose.
don

[MarkMunday]

Originally Posted by webpundit

My question is how low can my blood sugars drop before I MUST get on the phone calling 911?

The important question is how low you can go before you are unable to help yourself. And it depends on what your body has become accustomed to. The more often you have hypos and the more severe they are, the greater your tolerance to low blood sugar becomes.

This process results in what is called "Hypoglycemic Unawareness". It is a dangerous condition and should be avoided if at all possible. Not getting any warning that the blood sugar level is dropping to dangerously low levels means that you don't get a chance to take corrective action before it is too late. This can be a major problem if you are driving or involved in some other potentially hazardous activity.

The lowest blood sugar I have recorded is 1.1mmol/l (20mg/dl). This was at the height of my hypo unawareness, and I was able to get up, go downstairs, do a test and eat some sugar, unassisted. Which is good, but only insofar as it goes. If the bsl had dropped much lower, I would have simply passed out. I read somewhere that brain damage starts taking place when the bsl drops below 10. So it is important that you keep your bsl well above that level.

By concientiously avoiding lows, I have regained some hypo awareness. I start feeling terrible when my bsl drops below 45. And I promptly do something about it.

Cheers,

Mark

[gettingby]

Hey Webpundit. Good to see you around again. I had a low reading last night at work. My meter read 36 and I really felt it but was able to treat myself without help. My lowest recorded reading was 17 (done by paramedics). Don't know if this helps ya any.

[lgvincent]

Your question is a hard one to answer. I've been able to treat insulin reactions when my blood sugar has been in the 20's but I've had seizures and been able to do little when it's been in the 30's. I guess it all depends on the situation.

[dws]

Mark, my 18 glucose happen last year, I 'felt' low and checked my glucose, 46 so got a coke (40 carbs) took a couple of swallows and sat down in my recliner and passed out. Woke with the paramedics pumping glucose in my vein.
New math ....... 46 to 18 is pretty fast
don
** BTW, tomorrow I'll be 70 , 65 years as a type 1 . State of Texas even sent me a renewed drivers license good for another 6 yrs . ????????
don

[MarkMunday]

Originally Posted by dws

** BTW, tomorrow I'll be 70 , 65 years as a type 1 . State of Texas even sent me a renewed drivers license good for another 6 yrs .

Don,

That is a remarkable achievement. Keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Mark

[koblenz]

Don, that is a fantastic achievement.

Oh, the stories you could tell us!

Please post your secret formula so we ALL can follow it and live a long heathly life. I have only had T1 a year, no severe hypo's yet.

[dws]

I sure wish I knew what I've done to make it this long, but the truth is 'I have no idea!'
I've managed to do everything the doctors told me 'Not' to do and very little of what I was told to do!! It sure has made for a interesting life !
don

[buzzborne]

I've been on the verge of collapsing, but never actually been unconscious. Lowest I rememeber being is like 2.0.... had to walk down 3 flights of stairs to go make myself some food and get some milk... this was the one time I didnt have any dextrose tablets with me.... bad mistake... and never gone anywhere without them again...

Dad on the other hand has been unconscious... mum tried everything... even the emergency kit and he still didnt come round... took the paramedics a while also... that has happened a few times... but he still alive and kicking and healthy!

[KrisinNM]

I seem to have two types of lows: the ones where gradually I start feeling light headed and thinking I need to check, and then the one that is there all of a sudden and I am sweating, heart pounding, panicing, eating everything I can reach to the point that I bounce to the 300's. I do have hypo unawareness, but it seems some come on faster than others. When I was on Humulin regular there were several times I passed out completely. Eventuallu learned it had something to do with the blood brain barrier(?) so I went back to purified pork until starting MDI with Humolog.

[webpundit]

I think many of you answered my question perfectly! Diabetes often becomes a hard disease to live with and I know that if I did not try to educate myself by talking to all of you and reading other issues a lot of fellow diabetics have, I would be at a loss on a lot of things that happen on a daily basis.

I think I may be developing hypo-unawareness. I've never been lower than 40 before. Ah well it's back to the drawing board and educating myself on yet another topic, eh?

[Maria]

My lowest was 1.2 mmol. I felt that I had hypo and I drank 200 gram of juice.I was hungry and I had tremble. But I have not lost consciousness.

Once in my life I had bad hypo. I lost my consciousness. My Novopen broke down. But I haven't understood it. And I have taken wrong dose. My husband awoke when I had convulsions. My husband gave me an injection GLUCAGEN . And I have recovered consciousness. We didn't call 911.

I think this problem can be solved by own strength.