Question need some help ?

daddyo · #1 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 09:36 AM

A week ago, last monday, I woke up unable to move my legs and arms, I was having a low, and no way to correct it. My mind was ok, just no way to move, finnaly after about two hours of stuggling I manged to hit a couple of buttons on my cell to get someone over to help me, we checked my suger it was at 55, not that low I've been there many times before, but never had this paralizing effect. It was very scarey, saw the doc she said it's just the diabetes getting worse. It took me three days to recover from this. Now my numbers are back to normal after a week, but my 4:00 am number keeps shooting up to above 400 so I correct and sit up and wait for the mumber to fall, I'm to afraid to go back to sleep for fear of dieing. I know I need to address this problem of DP at 4:00 am, but i'm afraid to change the basil rate for that time, because before this incident my sugers were fine all day and all night. Waking up with 110 and 115 Has this happened to any of you This is the scarest thing in my 23 years of this and I don't like it. Been on the mm515 since dec 04 all was good up till now, Do you think I should hold off on redoing my basil rate, and see if things get back to normal. Or do you think this is a adjustment that stay will stay with me. Also how do you get over the fear of going low at night. Kiddo is not always here every night, And if I go low again like that I have no way of getting help. Take any advice you fine folks my have. Thank you in advance for your responses.

lgvincent · #2 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 09:45 AM

I've had several insulin reactions in my sleep and I would wake up paralyzed, usually only on 1 side, though. I've probably had it happen a dozen or so times. It is very frightening. I've always recovered once I got my blood sugar back up but I have had times when I couldn't reach anything, even though I keep some glucose on a night stand and a bottle of Coca-Cola right beside the bed. For a while, I kept a tube of glucose on each side of the pillow while sleeping, just in case I needed it.

I don't know why this happened but it did stop after about a year, and it's been several years since it last happened. However, I can't say that it will never happen again. About the best idea I can come up with is doing what I did, place several tubes of glucose on the bed around me. You may also want to consider buying a Sleep Sentry. It's a device that looks similar to a watch and will sound an alarm when you show signs of low blood sugar. I think it sounds the alarm when it senses your body has a cooler temperature and/or it senses perspiration. On the down side, I think they cost around $300 because I've never been able to afford one.

duck · #3 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 10:15 AM

A sign of your diabetes getting worse?

Whew, tuffy--If your waking sugars are fine, my first inclination is to say don't touch the basals. HOWEVER, if you have a 400 reading anytime during the night, something is wrong, and obviously you're correcting for it somehow. We need to get that sorted out somehow...I don't suppose you could get involved with a continuous glucose monitor like MiniMed uses, could you?

Cinnabon · #4 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 11:14 AM

I would get lows of 30-40's and I would wake immediately (thank god) due to the adrenaline rush explained to me by this wondeful site!. Are you snacking before bed? It seems a bit odd that at 4 am u r at 400+, yet u wake at 110-115. Have u contacted your doc?

bac4uw · #5 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 11:24 AM

I've never had this happen... very strange indeed!

While 55 is not that low -- you mention that it took you about 2 hours to get any movement at all and to test your BG. Perhaps you were MUCH lower than 55 during that 2 hour period and your body/liver was slowly countering the low.... bringing your BG UP to 55. So... you didn't actually get to see just how LOW you were when the trouble started.

I guess what I'm getting at is that you may have just had a reaction to low BG (albeit a strange reaction!) -- rather than your "diabetes is getting worse".

My two cents,
Bryan

duck · #6 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bac4uw

I've never had this happen... very strange indeed!

While 55 is not that low -- you mention that it took you about 2 hours to get any movement at all and to test your BG. Perhaps you were MUCH lower than 55 during that 2 hour period and your body/liver was slowly countering the low.... bringing your BG UP to 55. So... you didn't actually get to see just how LOW you were when the trouble started.

I guess what I'm getting at is that you may have just had a reaction to low BG (albeit a strange reaction!) -- rather than your "diabetes is getting worse".

My two cents,
Bryan

Agreed that your sugars may have come up a bit, for various reasons...Liver dump, insulin ran out, etc.

I once found myself kinda prone after a looooong insulin reaction (this is so stupid of me): I was at work, in a meeting. I felt myself going low and didn't want to get up and "disturb" the meeting. Well, two hours later, the meeting ended and I couldn't get up! I was so embarrassed. It took me almost twenty minutes to be able to move, and I wobbled back to my desk (thankfully, it was relatively close). So it can happen, the timing of a low and the length of it can affect your muscle glycogen stores.

dixiepixie64 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duck

(this is so stupid of me): I was at work, in a meeting. I felt myself going low and didn't want to get up and "disturb" the meeting.

Well I am glad I am not the only stupid person who does stuff like this. I did the same thing - I was in a room acting as a notary public while a couple signed their estate planning documents. The requirement is that all the witnesses and notary must stay present in the room the entire time until everyone signs off on the documents. Well I went low, the clients started asking a bunch of questions mid-signature, and there I was hands shaking, sweating and trying my best not to call attention to myself. It was like January, freezing cold outside and in that room and I looked like I was in a sauna.... I thought I was gonna die before I got outta that room but I just did not want to become the main attraction that day so I said nothing. Argh.

DeusXM · #8 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 02:21 PM

Duck and Dixie - why not just carry a pack of glucose tablets with you? They're small, discreet, they work, and you wouldn't have to get up and leave the room or anything.

If I get hypos they're usually in public situations but no-one seems to bat an eyelid if they see me pop in a couple of glucose tablets.

Cielo · #9 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusXM

If I get hypos they're usually in public situations but no-one seems to bat an eyelid if they see me pop in a couple of glucose tablets.

Oh I bat an eyelid if I see Adam pop a glucose tab...."What was that, where'd it go, what're you eating, I want one".....just picture arms flailing and hands reaching in pockets for some gourmet glucose tabs.

gettingby · #10 (**permalink**) 05-17-2005, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cielo

Oh I bat an eyelid if I see Adam pop a glucose tab...."What was that, where'd it go, what're you eating, I want one".....just picture arms flailing and hands reaching in pockets for some gourmet glucose tabs.

LMAO !!!!!!!!!!

dixiepixie64 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-18-2005, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusXM

Duck and Dixie - why not just carry a pack of glucose tablets with you?

Heck I have smarties, glucose tabs, etc. strewn about everywhere. It was a sneak attack. I got interrupted to help, left my cubicle to assist them downstairs for what usually takes about two minutes, and poof! it hit me and if I had left the room all the documents would have needed to be reproduced and re-signed, etc. I figured I would be fine and could escape quickly back to my cube, but then they started asking questions....

*sigh* I just HATE drawing attention to myself and having to go through the "I have diabetes" explanation so I suffered in silence. It was my own fault. I was miserable the rest of the day because my clothes were damp from all that sweating so I learned my lesson.

zookeeper671 · #12 (**permalink**) 05-18-2005, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddyo

A week ago, last monday, I woke up unable to move my legs and arms...

This can also happen with high readings. I once responded to a call where a diabetic woman was experiencing paralysis in her legs, and weakness in her arms. She had a bgl reading of 450(something), was in her 30's and had been diabetic since early childhood. Prior to our arrival, she'd taken corrective measures (bolused), and by the time she was moved to an ER bed, she was feeling better and wanting to go home.

Whenever I experience a severe low after I've been asleep, I feel too "heavy" to move. Not paralyzed, just heavy... like I have weights tied to my limbs and head. I have to force myself to move when I'm like that. I'd say about 50% of the time I'm able to do it... the other 50% I need help.

duck · #13 (**permalink**) 05-18-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusXM

Duck and Dixie - why not just carry a pack of glucose tablets with you? They're small, discreet, they work, and you wouldn't have to get up and leave the room or anything.

If I get hypos they're usually in public situations but no-one seems to bat an eyelid if they see me pop in a couple of glucose tablets.

Like I said, stupid is as stupid does...