12 years type 1 diabetic and suddenly problems!

[Riri]

Hia all,

Just wandering if anyone has had a similar episode to me.

I was going along nicely for 12 years and yes I had hypos, but always recognised and treated them. In December last year I reached for my 3 dextrose in work to treat a hypo but nothing doing and the next thing I know I'm recovering from being unconscious for 15 minutes with the paramedic at my side taking me to hospital.

This has obviously shaken me up terribly and I feel a total lack of control now. But more than this I am getting the following problems:-

1) If I have a hypo now it can take up to 40 minutes to bring my sugars back up (used to come back in 10 mins max). Using lucoazade and wandering if my body has become immune to this drink?

2) I have episodes of rapid blood sugar drops - 14.3 to 4.3 in 30 minutes.

3) I fell quite light headed, nauseas and dizzy (especially in the mornings) which I think are hypos but when I check my sugars they're fine.

So far GP has done routine checks - BP is on the low side but not so low that they're concerned about it. I am now waiting to see the consultant. I just wander if the diabetic episode before Xmas has caused this as my diabetes control was ok up to this point. :|

 

[cugila]

The sort of re-active hypoglycaemia that you mention (14.3 to 4.3 mmol/l in 30 mins) can be indicative of a problem which may or may not be related to the Diabetes.

This is something that needs prompt investigation to determine the cause. Hopefully you will see the Consultant soon and get this investigated properly.

 

[fishy]

hi we have had the same problem with our son one minute eating his dinner the next on the floor in a ball

 

[Riri]

Thanks both for replying and thanks for this forum which I've only just found. Hope you sort your son out fishy. If, after seeing a consultant, I get somewhere I'll post a note on here. I must try and stay positive although at the moment I keep thinking that I just want to chuck my insulin in the bin!

What insulin is our son on out of interest. I'm on novo rapid and levemir (was on lantus up to 2 weeks ago but the diabetic nurse decided to give levemir a go to see if this would help).

 

[forth]

Hi guy's Forth here
reading your comments regarding going from High to low blood sugars then back to high was happening to a friend of mine he was a T1 for 10 yrs then was changed to novo rapid and something else for the evening I assume it could be levemir but unsure! he was told to watch his blood sugars and take some novo when his sugars were rising then something to eat when going low, he asked for help at the GPs to sort out why he always felt unwell they told him he was fine when his blood was anything between 25 & above then would drop rapid to hypo level, I personally think that his insulin management was badly managed by his Gp // clinic and all others who helped to manage his condition, he was fine until they changed his insulin, when I found out about his condition I was going to go with him to the clinic to try and help sort it out and he was glad to find out that I was also a T1 and have been for 33yrs and well controlled sadly two day's after our talk he sadly passed away please if this is happening to you get help asap because there is something wrong and it needs to be addressed. insulin is very important and must be managed with great care if you are having problems don't wait till something goes wrong do something now its your life so have a good one we don't need to be scared lets run the race and enjoy the expereance without wondering what is next ,good control is vital so learn about you condition and treat accordingly

 

[Riri]

Hia Forth

Thanks for response - thought it was a good time to provide an update.

The hospital and diabetes team have been very good and very supportive. They carried out a load of tests including a seacthin and cortisol test and fitted a heart monitor for 8 days. All tests have come back clear.

The good news is that the situation has improved a lot. I don't get the rapid drops any more - I am now thinking they were as a result of my sheer terror and panic thinking I was going to have a hypo and pass out again. The nausea and very dizzy spells have also cleared. My consultant wants me to run my numbers slighty higher for the next couple of months to ensure that my body's hypo awareness mechanism is re-set. I am still getting lower number in the night (not hypo) and then a fast morning rise which I've learnt from this forum is not uncommon. So my team may want me to go on to a pump after the next review. I must be luckier than some as my team are keen to support pumps. The consultant said that some people will get episodes of 'out of control' diabetes' for no apparent reason and sometimes because of specific triggers. Looking back I was under immense stress last year having to find a nursing home for my mother who suffered with dementia and loss of sight; she passed away in October in very sad circumstances so maybe this was the tipping point for me?

So good news, and the outlook for me is good again in terms of my diabetes management. Again having read articles on this forum I have changed to a low carb diet and thus been able to reduce my insulin quite a bit. Looking forward now with some cheer rather than dread.