Experiences With Hypos, Alcohol, Other Medication And Health Conditions

[kitedoc]

This is not a thread about blame or recriminations just stories and what was learned.
Hypos are unpleasant and potentially dangerous especially if alcohol or other medications affect a diabetic's ability to release liver stores of sugar , reduce ability to recognise hypo symptoms or other problems like vomiting make taking sugar by mouth difficult.
What are your stories and what did you learn ?

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @kitedoc My favourite phrase to my DSN is that type 1 would much more bearable if I didn't have hypos, they are absolutely the worst part of having this, they can wipe me out for a day, I lose any sense of humour after them and feel shattered. Generally on the whole I know why I went hypo afterwards but it's the hypos where you can be low for long periods of time, so testing, treating, testing etc etc and then feeling wiped out afterwards are the worst, however taking a positive spin, since using a pump they are less severe now than before on multiple daily injections, it's now rare I get one below 3.

 

[james11]

I rarely drink alcohol these days. ..just special occasions. .but when i do my mind always flashes back 25 years ago to my friends brother...had been out drinking...did not recognize he was having a hypo...sadly passed away...

 

[Robinredbreast]

I rarely drink, but recently when out for a meal ( 24th May) I became very ill about 10 pm, non stop vomiting, ( I have coeliac and it looks like I was given gluten /wheat, it's under investigation) after vomiting many times, my BS was low, hypo, had to have something to eat and vomited it back up, eventually went to bed, rather late, after 2 am on a 4.5. I couldn't even go to work that morning as I still felt rough, but not vomiting. A horrible scary experience experience

 

[jlarsson]

Since getting a Libre excessive drinking is a piece of cake to manage, sugar wise. Before that, not really sure to be totally honest, slept longer than intended many times presumably due to wonky sugar levels and me being a lazy git not testing and just getting on with my day. I've probably had tons of hypos/hypers that I've just ignored, but only once ended up in a hospital bed.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I could not for the life of me understand why when being on metformin only and diet control I could as I did recently end up with BG as low as 2.4. Until recently learning of the unpredictability of the effects of prednisolone on the liver it can for long periods raise your BG quite high then just pull the rug out from under you so you drop to hypo levels it is most unpleasant but now I understand it I can cope so I tend to keep alcohol to may be one or two glasses of whiskey at the most else wise you can get a double whammy. and I'm not sure where that would take me.

 

[Ziggy2017]

I could not for the life of me understand why when being on metformin only and diet control I could as I did recently end up with BG as low as 2.4. Until recently learning of the unpredictability of the effects of prednisolone on the liver it can for long periods raise your BG quite high then just pull the rug out from under you so you drop to hypo levels it is most unpleasant but now I understand it I can cope so I tend to keep alcohol to may be one or two glasses of whiskey at the most else wise you can get a double whammy. and I'm not sure where that would take me.

Hi @JohnEGreen im on prednisone too what are you on prednisone for I take mine as an anti rejection drug for my lungs

 

[Ziggy2017]

Hi guys I know this sounds like a stupid question but if there’s alcohol in sauce can it affect BGs one time my family and I were out for dinner I got fried chicken mashed potatoes and brandy sauce that night I woke up feeling hypo (I posted this in the thread Hypo? Everyone said I had probably had a hypo while sleeping) could this have been to do with the brandy sauce?

 

[JohnEGreen]

Hi @JohnEGreen im on prednisone too what are you on prednisone for I take mine as an anti rejection drug for my lungs

I have been taking it for well over ten years as I have Myasthenia Gravis. was first prescribed it about 17 years ago but was on low dose to start with.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Hi guys I know this sounds like a stupid question but if there’s alcohol in sauce can it affect BGs one time my family and I were out for dinner I got fried chicken mashed potatoes and brandy sauce that night I woke up feeling hypo (I posted this in the thread Hypo? Everyone said I had probably had a hypo while sleeping) could this have been to do with the brandy sauce?

It is of course possible but I would think unlikely a hypo can be down to a lot of things.

Such as preds being unpredictable can have an effect

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @kitedoc My favourite phrase to my DSN is that type 1 would much more bearable if I didn't have hypos, they are absolutely the worst part of having this, they can wipe me out for a day, I lose any sense of humour after them and feel shattered. Generally on the whole I know why I went hypo afterwards but it's the hypos where you can be low for long periods of time, so testing, treating, testing etc etc and then feeling wiped out afterwards are the worst, however taking a positive spin, since using a pump they are less severe now than before on multiple daily injections, it's now rare I get one below 3.

Hi@ju

Hi @kitedoc My favourite phrase to my DSN is that type 1 would much more bearable if I didn't have hypos, they are absolutely the worst part of having this, they can wipe me out for a day, I lose any sense of humour after them and feel shattered. Generally on the whole I know why I went hypo afterwards but it's the hypos where you can be low for long periods of time, so testing, treating, testing etc etc and then feeling wiped out afterwards are the worst, however taking a positive spin, since using a pump they are less severe now than before on multiple daily injections, it's now rare I get one below 3.

Hi @Juicyj
I can relate to what you are describing - both in the fact that hypos take hours to recover from, and my doctor was insistent on recognising this and not driving some some hours at least after a hypo, nor making any major decisions etc. Episodes of hypo can be very embarrassing and can lead to a lot of soul-searching. And I can feel quite depressed afterward. The annoyong thing too is before the hypo is in full swing the adrenaline 'rush' can be exhilarating followed by the deflating like a souffle.
I too have been blessed by the use of an insulin pump.

 

[kitedoc]

I rarely drink alcohol these days. ..just special occasions. .but when i do my mind always flashes back 25 years ago to my friends brother...had been out drinking...did not recognize he was having a hypo...sadly passed away...

Hi @ james1,
Very sorry to hear that sad tale. No doubt the memory never disappears.
I hope others can learn from this how potentially dangerous alcohol can be for diabetics on medication like insulin.

 

[kitedoc]

I rarely drink, but recently when out for a meal ( 24th May) I became very ill about 10 pm, non stop vomiting, ( I have coeliac and it looks like I was given gluten /wheat, it's under investigation) after vomiting many times, my BS was low, hypo, had to have something to eat and vomited it back up, eventually went to bed, rather late, after 2 am on a 4.5. I couldn't even go to work that morning as I still felt rough, but not vomiting. A horrible scary experience experience

Hi @ Robinredbreast,
Yes, a nasty experience. I know that I have have survived 'gastro', including vomiting by taking small sips of SWEET soft drink frequently, but it is tricky when it is likely caused by gluten sensitivity ! And you cannot extract your injected insulin !! Either here or in a new thread I would be interested to hear how you cope with a gluten-free diet, as I have heard that many of the gluten-free grains are higher GI than the gluten-containing ones.

 

[kitedoc]

Since getting a Libre excessive drinking is a piece of cake to manage, sugar wise. Before that, not really sure to be totally honest, slept longer than intended many times presumably due to wonky sugar levels and me being a lazy git not testing and just getting on with my day. I've probably had tons of hypos/hypers that I've just ignored, but only once ended up in a hospital bed.

Hi @jlarson,
Yes, you have a better idea but you are aware that alcohol is said to stop the liver's ability to release stored sugar during a hypo? So glycogen is unlikely to work as an emergency treatment.
So from my diabetes education, taking in glucose by mouth or injected iv are the ways to deal with a hypo in these conditions.
I guess the general advice to eat when drinking alcohol sounds wise

 

[kitedoc]

I could not for the life of me understand why when being on metformin only and diet control I could as I did recently end up with BG as low as 2.4. Until recently learning of the unpredictability of the effects of prednisolone on the liver it can for long periods raise your BG quite high then just pull the rug out from under you so you drop to hypo levels it is most unpleasant but now I understand it I can cope so I tend to keep alcohol to may be one or two glasses of whiskey at the most else wise you can get a double whammy. and I'm not sure where that would take me.

Hi@ JohnEGreen,
Maybe your doctor could explain why the low BSL happened ?

 

[kitedoc]

Hi guys I know this sounds like a stupid question but if there’s alcohol in sauce can it affect BGs one time my family and I were out for dinner I got fried chicken mashed potatoes and brandy sauce that night I woke up feeling hypo (I posted this in the thread Hypo? Everyone said I had probably had a hypo while sleeping) could this have been to do with the brandy sauce?

Hi ziggy2017,
I guess your doc is the best person to ask. My guesses are 1) maybe you went hypo with taking extra insulin to allow for the meal and and the brandy sauce had nothing to do with it or the alcohol from it had worn off, and being type 3 perhaps you don't produce glycogen which would be needed to mobilise glucose from your liver stores, and adrenaline was not enough to do so 2) as your BSL fell, the alcohol from the brandy source was sufficient to block the release of glucose stores from the liver including the effect of adrenaline 3) maybe prednisolone also affected your liver in some way to stop or slow liver sugar release +/- effect of alcohol - Lots of ideas, that is what the doc is for, to sotrt it out !!!

 

[yakudueye1]

I literally had enough of hypos that were from nowhere as when I drunk alcohol , I make sure I have eaten food first but slow sugar release and drink check my sugars levels before and 2hoours after . drink plenty water and never had hypo with my alcohol but I have seen to be going hypo after few hours of seating or second hand smoking of cannabis. hence have learnt to have Lucozade tabs and keep checking but the one I couldn't cope with was the hypo that I always have when I am asleep which made me hate life in general as I was tired of picked up by ambulance crew in my funny pyjamas or getting hypo next to my bf and my nieces whom after they have used the toilet at night out of curiosity will come and ask me are you airtight and if speak to them they would go back to bed and if I get angry why have they woken me up they would get my bm machine and check my bm and if its near five they would demand I eat or they would call an ambulance . so I just thought I would ask why my niece said well when your batteries are not charged you become a zombie so I made my mind its either the hypo or me one has to give up when my beautiful team at southmead got to my rescue before I did the worst of my plans on my birthday

 

[Ziggy2017]

It is of course possible but I would think unlikely a hypo can be down to a lot of things.

Such as preds being unpredictable can have an effect

Ok thanks John

 

[Ziggy2017]

Hi ziggy2017,
I guess your doc is the best person to ask. My guesses are 1) maybe you went hypo with taking extra insulin to allow for the meal and and the brandy sauce had nothing to do with it or the alcohol from it had worn off, and being type 3 perhaps you don't produce glycogen which would be needed to mobilise glucose from your liver stores, and adrenaline was not enough to do so 2) as your BSL fell, the alcohol from the brandy source was sufficient to block the release of glucose stores from the liver including the effect of adrenaline 3) maybe prednisolone also affected your liver in some way to stop or slow liver sugar release +/- effect of alcohol - Lots of ideas, that is what the doc is for, to sotrt it out !!!

Thanks kitedoc I’ll be sure to ask next time

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi @ Robinredbreast,
Yes, a nasty experience. I know that I have have survived 'gastro', including vomiting by taking small sips of SWEET soft drink frequently, but it is tricky when it is likely caused by gluten sensitivity ! And you cannot extract your injected insulin !! Either here or in a new thread I would be interested to hear how you cope with a gluten-free diet, as I have heard that many of the gluten-free grains are higher GI than the gluten-containing ones.

Thank you for your reply, will get back to you @kitedoc