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At what sugar level would you fall into a coma?

J

jamesfitz

Well-Known Member
Messages
131
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Had a rather nasty suprise yesterday when i took a random blood sugar test and my blood sugar was 1.4. Rather surprisingly had no symptoms either
 
1.4 is very low, I'm surprised you didn't have any symptoms. If I ever get a very high or very low number, I always test again. Not saying you wasn't 1.4 but I've had extremes before and retested and completely different number.
 
I always though it was in the zero for a comma and highs above 30 depending on key tones?
 
There are no set numbers. It will vary amongst individuals. I think it's an important point to retest any extreme levels though.
 
I have had lows of 1.4 and 1.2 before and like you had no symptoms or really a cause as to why it dropped so lowo_O so I understand what you are saying. I have had more symptoms when my b/s is 4 than I did when my sugars dropped that low. It is scary and worrying when you drop that low and you think your b/s are in normal range because you feel fine
 
I know exactly what you mean Myarnton1, I am far more likely to have symptoms when around 4 than around 1.
 
Fayefaye1429 said:
I always though it was in the zero for a comma and highs above 30 depending on key tones?
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That's what happened to me 3 months ago, paramedic recorded zero twice and I felt no symptoms ( before the coma !) but I have symptoms at 2, 3 and 4's.
 
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I've also had some very low hypos, lowest was 0.6, I did have symptoms, but sometimes get readings of less than 2 with no symptoms. It makes me wonder at what level one would lose consciousness?
I've been on insulin for 50 years.
 
dannyw said:
1.4 is very low, I'm surprised you didn't have any symptoms. If I ever get a very high or very low number, I always test again. Not saying you wasn't 1.4 but I've had extremes before and retested and completely different number.
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Agree - this could of been an anomaly, i've found if I accidentally use the same strip it will give me a reading like this or sometimes the strip is damaged and will give this type of reading, sometimes hard to when brain isn't wired for it but re-testing is essential. Only once have I had a low reading of about 2.4 and wasn't feeling it but was swimming at the time and put it down to the heat of the water, only afterwards did I start feeling very poorly.
 
You have to remember strips have a higher error margin at those levels and factor in the 20 min delay. You also need to be sure there is nothing interfering with the test. I got 1.9 last week and felt fine so went with my gut instinct which was to test on the other hand and got 6.2. There was a drop of water on my finger. If you feel fine and usually get symptoms i'd check for interference and retest.

I've had comas around 2 and been lower without it happening. There's no fixed rule. Mine have all happened when asleep and hormonal (pregnant /breast feeding)
 
tigger said:
You have to remember strips have a higher error margin at those levels
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Is it not the other way round.

Soon after getting my very first bg meter I had a reading in the 1's during the night, woke covered in sweat but managed to treat the hypo myself, scary seeing those kind of numbers on a bg meter.

@jamesfitz, just keep a closer eye on your bg levels, if you find you do go low without the usual hypo awareness symptoms then you need to talk with your diabetes team about how you can work on getting them back.
 
I knew somebody who intentionally added a drop of water or who hadn't completely dried their hands to get lower readings on their meter...
 
The margins for error are obviously wider at higher levels but both extremes, high & low, have a higher margin of error than mid range numbers.
 
Personally? I've been at 1.4 with clear syptoms but still able to function & self treat.
As an aside. I was so far gone as a kid once. I had spasms in my legs still managed raid the kitchen. That was the closest I ever came to passing out. But back then the measurement was a colour chart on a tablet fizzing in some pee.. Which may well have reflected the FTSE 100 Index share prices..
 
jamesfitz said:
Had a rather nasty suprise yesterday when i took a random blood sugar test and my blood sugar was 1.4. Rather surprisingly had no symptoms either
Click to expand...
It sounds like you are suffering from hypo unawareness, call your diabetic specialist asap as this is extremely dangerous, i dont feel any symptoms of my hypos until its too late(i.e below 1) hypo unawareness is just as dangerous as having constant hypers, so please call your specialist asap and do more blood sugar testing, 7 times a day if u must until you get to see your specialist, the more readings they have, the more accurate they will be if they need to adjust your insulin.
 
Lowest I can remember is 0.9 mmol/l. I've lost consciousness a couple of times that were presumably lower.

You should probably consider yourself as having had a lucky escape because you probably weren't far off losing consciousness
 
I had no warnings when I was going hypo. Changed my regime 4 years ago let my sugars run slightly higher and now I have warnings. Feeling so much better had my HBA1C today 6.3 Doctor pleased. So am I. Type 1 for 48 years.
 
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