Hypo treatment - I think my friends may kill me....

[Helen_S-C]

Hi

I see a lot of people posting about lack of knowledge and ignorance on this forum and I have always laughed it off and thought some people are so stupid, that is until recently...

I have only been Type 1 since January this year and recently several of my friends have asked if they just need to give me insulin if I have a hypo! That would be a no!!

It has really made me realise how little information there is out there, these are professional people with generally good common sense so why don't they know how wrong that would be?!

Does anyone else have this concern? I fear for us all!!

 

[GrantGam]

Hi

I see a lot of people posting about lack of knowledge and ignorance on this forum and I have always laughed it off and thought some people are so stupid, that is until recently...

I have only been Type 1 since January this year and recently several of my friends have asked if they just need to give me insulin if I have a hypo! That would be a no!!

It has really made me realise how little information there is out there, these are professional people with generally good common sense so why don't they know how wrong that would be?!

Does anyone else have this concern? I fear for us all!!

It's a lot more common than you think. What would you have said before you HAD to learn about diabetes? Most people wouldn't know how to correctly administer CPR let alone treat a condition that affects a fairly small amount of people.

I'd imagine this confusion is down to the similarities between insulin pens and epinephrine pens? When someone is sick they need medicine right? Lucozade doesn't seem like a logical choice to those not in the know...

Just make them aware of hypo symptoms and treatments; they won't ever forget once you give them the correct info

Grant

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @Helen_S-C I also have friends who would quite happily inject me with insulin if I was rendered useless on the floor, I do put them right, but I think this is in part down to the media as i've seen type 1 diabetics on TV programmes who have been referred to as needing more insulin in case they run low, this is very worrying as in real life the consequences would be dire. It's really down to each and every one of us to re-educate where ever possible and hope TV researchers do their work correctly

 

[BeccyB]

When someone is sick they need medicine right?

I totally agree - I think this is the main problem here - it's a natural assumption, we need the insulin to treat our diabetes so if we're ill because of our diabetes we must need the insulin. Simple. But wrong unfortunately.

I don't think we should be too harsh on people that don't know what to do, if they haven't had a relationship (family/friend/colleague) with a diabetic before then why would they know? We just need to educate where we can, and make sure those closest to us know what to do.
I know my friends worry about doing the right thing to help me so I tell them "If I can't tell you what I need you to do, just call an ambulance" - that way you are taking the responsibility of a decision away from them - either you tell them yourself or the 999 service may tell them to give you sugar etc. And it's easy for them to remember too.

 

[Helen_S-C]

I think I just struggle to understand how such a common condition still suffers this problem. To be fair @GrantGam1337 I did have some knowledge of diabetes before my diagnosis but that is probably because of friends and family that also have diabetes.

I think the media both social and otherwise could do a lot more to spread awareness and knowledge even at a basic level. Maybe our new Type 1 Prime Minister will do more to help the situation - I do hope so.

In the mean time I shall continue to make my friends and family aware that in any situation do not try to administer insulin and to call an ambulance in any situation where I am unable to care for myself!!

 

[slip]

actually there aren't many of us T1Ds around - of the ~3.5m people with diabetes in the UK, only 10% are T1 and on insulin (yes ok there are also a certain amount of T2s on insulin as well) but with 65m in the UK we are but a very small minority (and lets hope it stays that way!).

I've only had one person say about injecting insulin if I were to collapse - I think they only spent a week in hospital, so I hear!

 

[markastin]

I have this problem a lot, every time someone says this to me I make a point of putting them strieght. Best thing to do is phone 999 because if a type 1 diabetic goes down hypo, they are unable to self medicate and probs going to end up unconscious therefore lucozade or sugar water could potentially be dangerous. Glucose gel rubbed all over the inside of their mouth is probs the best option but more than likely will not be available so 999 would definitely be required!

 

[slip]

Reminds me of a time (~18years ago!) when an old work colleague had a severe hypo, when I found him he was just barely conscious, dashed to the vending machine to get some coke, and managed not to choke him with it but it was a long drawn out affair getting it down him, after a small sip he would 'come to' just a little bit more than the previous time, and that was the chance to get more coke down him, it was quite funny really to see how he recovered then slipped back down and then perked up again. By the time the boss turned up he was a bit more coherent else I think she would have phoned 999 straight away if she had found him in the state I had found him in - rest assured she would never have administered any insulin having 2 T1Ds to manage we had both made her and the team aware of what was what. He probably wouldn't be here now if someone had helpfully given him some insulin though! And he still owes me a coke!

 

[therower]

@Helen_S-C. Something I have found over my year's as a diabetic is how I paint a picture of me the DIABETIC. Initially I would tell people that without insulin I would die. I would take the high ground and tell all and sundry that I don't eat chocolate, drink fizzy pop or eat rubbish food.
I realised after talking with work mates that they naturally assumed that 1 insulin kept me alive 2 anything sweet would kill me. I created this scenario. Yes I could have gone in depth about diabetes but generally people are only interested in the basics.
Over time i have made a point of eating chocolate and hypo treatment food in front of my work mate's even when I'm not really low. Strangely people would ask how could I eat chocolate which then opened the door for me to tell them that I wasn't feeling too good (even if it was a little lie) and that chocolate or the glucose tabs in my work box is what I craved. They still can't figure it out, but they don't have to.
As diabetics I think we sometimes alienate ourselves.

 

[spikyonyx]

At a wedding the mother of a friend was somewhat jubilant when she found out about my diabetes. As her son was also T1 and she exclaimed about being able to give me a shot if I became ill... I explained that it was unlikely we managed our diabetes in the same way and that she could kill me. It turned out that we were on different insulins and completely different ratios.

For my office job I had to write a statement to keep in my personnel file and a copy with the 'medic' about who was and was not aloud to treat me, with what and how. After I found out that the medic was T2 and was happy to stab me with insulin even tho I suffered from hypos frequently a the time.

My gym admission health profile, has both a note from my Dr. (for physio. in the hydropool) and a statement giving my permission to test my BG and administer the glucagon hypo shot. Most of the lifeguards are not specifically diabetes trained and have asked me about how I treat it which I've always found reassuring. They've spotted hypos and sat down with me until I was back to 'normal'.

I'm fortunate that most of my friends and family know to give me a snack when I seem confused.

 

[Rembie]

I've told my friends, jelly beans in my handbag at all times. I've told my work colleagues, don't touch me okay maybe it's more like don't beeping touch me. My manager has a list of what to do and not what to do. Luckily never had to find out if it works.

 

[phdiabetic]

This is really scary! Once I was at a friend's place and talking to her mum, a retired nurse. We were discussing diabetes and she said "So if you go low, you need insulin?" This was a NURSE, people. What chance do we have of getting everyone else to understand if the medical professionals get it wrong?

 

[prancer53]

Hi

I see a lot of people posting about lack of knowledge and ignorance on this forum and I have always laughed it off and thought some people are so stupid, that is until recently...

I have only been Type 1 since January this year and recently several of my friends have asked if they just need to give me insulin if I have a hypo! That would be a no!!

It has really made me realise how little information there is out there, these are professional people with generally good common sense so why don't they know how wrong that would be?!

Does anyone else have this concern? I fear for us all!!

It happens because of the perceived lifesaving ability of insulin in diabetes--people do not think about it greatly or realise that blood sugar c/b high or low & that insulin corrects high but sugar corrects low. If I wasn't diabetic I probably wouldn't give it too much thought either because I wouldn't have to. Just educate others yourself if necessary (but not too much as people stop listening.....)!

 

[Robinredbreast]

It can be a big worry and a concern.
HYPO - low blood sugar, food, feed me
HYPER - high blood sugar, Insulin, I can do it, leave me to it.
Unless of course, either are critical and then call 999 immediately. I think I will gets some cards made up

 

[TJR56]

Hi

I see a lot of people posting about lack of knowledge and ignorance on this forum and I have always laughed it off and thought some people are so stupid, that is until recently...

I have only been Type 1 since January this year and recently several of my friends have asked if they just need to give me insulin if I have a hypo! That would be a no!!

It has really made me realise how little information there is out there, these are professional people with generally good common sense so why don't they know how wrong that would be?!

Does anyone else have this concern? I fear for us all!!

Well-intentioned friends and colleagues have had this kind of attitude with me. Most don't take it amiss if you give them a brief explanation. All of us need to be educators - one day what they do might make a difference to somebody.

 

[Tanny35]

I have always told people no matter what u will never need to inject me. I will always be capable of doing my own injections. If ever I am unconscious or not with it try getting me to eat sugary foods. (I Try to explain in idiot terms).
Someone else on here said they left a note in there purse which stated DO NOT INJECT If I'm unconscious.
It is worrying to think if we go in to a bad hypo, our lives are in the hands of people that probs don't have a clue.

 

[Inour]

This reminds me of a trip I went to with the school, so like @Tanny35 i never tell my friends to give me insulin (even if I was dying they won't do it ) I only told them that if anything happens to me u know laughing hysterically, swaying they should give me lucizade or any sugary drink, but in the state of unconsciousness they need to call the school nurse(she goes to trips with me-thank God ) because it happens to me a couple of times that I got unconscious (over 8 years of being diabetic) so I learned that I have to tell everyone that they can't feed me or make me drink something while I am unconscious.
I think what all of us should do is tell our friends, colleagues, etc that they shouldn't under any circumstances inject us with insulin( i think this is the best solution) cuz even if u were unconscious due to high BG and they gave u lucozade and u didn't wake up they would probably call the ambulance and I don't think it will make u die.