Can people explain how they feel during hi's and lo's?

paul0210

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I'm doing a photography project at uni and wanted to get some other people's opinions on how they feel when they are trying to explain the feelings of having hi and/or low blood sugar levels.
Any answers would be great as I'd like some other opinions other than just my own for research! Thanks!
 
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Faint headache. A slight feeling of vagueness. Low frequency tremors and loss of manual dexterity. I get a bit tetchy if someone tries to be helpful and have to control it. Could get quite petulant for no reason.

Apart from that I am fine.

This is for a hypo. Never had a high.
 

SamJB

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Paul, if you've ever felt a bit spaced out, shaky, light-headed when you're hungry (before I was diabetic I used to get this around 11AM), then this is a hypo. It gets worse than those symptoms and they escalate into what squire is describing.

In addition to what squire described I can't bear noise. If im hypo whilst out and about I can't stand the noise of traffic.

As for highs, these are less noticeable and the only difference in my mental state is to feel a bit tired and lacking in concentration. Although it is easy to miss these symptoms hence why some type 2s can go so long undiagnosed.
 

Riri

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My low sugars used to be very pronounced - sweating, shaking and totally unaware of my surroundings. As I've got older and had diabetes longer they are a lot more subtle - a sight headache and still a feeling of 'not being in the room'. Unfortunately now these feeling don't usually kick in until I'm below 2.5 so I have to test on a very regular basis.
I know when I am high - again headache, strange taste in my mouth and feeling very groggy and generally lethargic. Of course, the feelings can sometimes be similar so I always test to be 100% sure.
 

noblehead

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Hypo's.......hunger feelings, sweating and needing the loo, how low I fall will depend on the severity of these symptoms.

Hyper's.......a slight headache and lack of energy.
 

paul-1976

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Low blood sugar..Shaky,clammy,stomach pain and a feeling that my heart is sinking into my stomach.

High blood sugar...extreme tiredness,spaced out feeling,blurry vision(above 30mmols) and a nasty headache that radiates behind my eyes.
 
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donnellysdogs

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Exact same as Noblehead... Hyper though is quite a significant headache and extreme lethargy.

Hypo.. Guaranteed I always have to go for a wee...day or night-time. Night-time my hubby will know I have treated a hypo because I will get up and go to the loo.. Its the only time I ever get up during the might for the loo..
 

BaliRob

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For many of us sudden mood swings are usually an indication of low sugar and hunger pangs.
 

GraceK

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I think the lowest I've been is 5.6 and I'm usually around 6.8 before a meal and by then I feel jittery, tired, impatient, snappy, chilly, headachey but I rarely feel hunger pains. About 10 mins after I eat I'm feeling normal again.
 

Lucypieee

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With a hypo, I get blurred vision, shakey hands, numb lips, loss of concentration and my head hurts if I try to look at a computer screen. I occasionally get hunger pangs as well.

Hypers tend to involve a dry mouth and throat, lack of energy, dark eyes, kidney pains (only with ketones), nausea and breathlessness (again, just with ketones).


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Sarah69

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I get 2 different types of hypo symptoms, mainly it's sweating and feeling shaky, I can also get a lil snappy. The other symptom I have occasionally is with my eyes, it's strange to explain but it's like having had lots of lights shining in your eyes and you know when you close your eyes you still see it, it's like that when my eyes are open, hope that makes sense? I don't get any hyper symptoms. Scarily I tested before bed and my blood was 1.4 and I didn't have any hypo symptoms!
 

noblehead

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donnellysdogs said:
Hypo.. Guaranteed I always have to go for a wee...day or night-time.


Strange, your the first one who I've come across on the forum that experiences the same :)
 

steffi1210

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If I´m low I feel really KO and don´t wan´t to do anything. Begin to shiver, but only my Hands. Won´t let anyone give me any advice.
If I´m high I get a Feeling of breathing is harder, like for example a cat would lie on my stomach and I breath, but it´s harder ecause of the additional weight. Also my voice becomes higher and I´m tending to fight verbaly.
Greats Steffi
 

alaska

Well-Known Member
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475
Lows
Simple things become more difficult -walking upstairs or doing simple tasks feels unusually like a chore
Explaining more complicated things is a struggle
Feeling of mild anxiety -like something's bothering me
Inability to concentrate so well
Hunger -sometimes bite at the inside of my lips or cheeks
My lips go paler (nothing to do with biting at them)

If I get lower I may notice:
Difficulty thinking -being asked questions above basic ones results in "I don't know"
May become frustrated with tasks becoming morte difficult than usual to carry out
Less inhibitions so more likely to show emotions -laughing, anger and saying what I'm thinking
More pronounced hunger
Tears form in my eyes and I can get a slightly runny nose -usually in combination with yawning

If I get very low (thankfully rare):
Pronounced difficulty talking -slurring or completely drying up
Blurring of vision -noticeable in difficulty in reading books or computer screens
Sudden feeling of extreme panic -which means it's time to grab glucose tablets as quickly as possible before a fit comes on

Highs
Feeling mild hunger -feeling the need to bite at inside of lips or cheeks (often happens before I hit 7 mmol/l)
More easily distracted than normal
Finding it difficult to break out of what I'm doing -harder than usual to start a new task
Yawning

If I get higher -above 9 mmol/l:
Feel like having a drink shortly after the previous one
More likely to feel irritated
Slightly drier eyes than normal -usually only if I've been high for a number of hours

Ed
 

Mini40

Member
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Symptoms from during my gestational diabetic stages and now my newly diagnosed diabetic phase:

Highs: weird feeling in the head, very thirsty, dry mouth. General feeling of not feeling well.

Lows (insulin dependant gestational diabetic twice): Extreme hunger and shakiness. Always woke me up, even if asleep.
 

cherylle

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oh god ! am so glad i have the same problems i thought i was looseing my mind.

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carandol

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102
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Highs
Extreme tiredness, "brain fog" - inability to concentrate or take in information, inability to write (I'm I writer by trade, so I really notice my inability to think of the words I'm looking for, even if I have the concept in my head), painfully achy lower legs and feet if I'm out walking, thirsty, going to the loo a lot.

Lows
Don't actually get to a hypo very often, as I usually get a prickly feeling over the top of my head and down my neck when one is starting, and take glucose tabs before it goes any further. But if it does go further, cold sweats, shaky, faint, sometimes spots before the eyes, sometimes diarrhea.
 
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With the highs, I have noticed that my RLS ( Rest less leg syndrome) starts to play up and I have a dry mouth.

Lows, very very tired and I feel weak and my DD notices something in my eyes to indicate I am hypo, but saying that, about 3 weeks ago the lady at the Asda checkout asked me if I was ok because I looked ill and I just said I was a bit tired, when I got back to my dad's and then tested I was 3.6 !!!!!! no one has ever noticed or said anything before :eek: :eek: but symptoms years ago were, shaky hands and excessive sweating. I have had a horrible one in a supermarket, but don't want to bring that one up :cry: horrible.

Best wishes RRB
 

Spirit of Eden

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Messages
50
Low
A feeling of Hollow legs, nausea, sweaty and a mild overall feeling of an electric shock. I go all quiet, mentally slow and get easily irritated. It's annoying that the mentally slow part means it takes a while to realise i'm actually having a hypo.

If I have a hypo when asleep it takes ages for me to gradually wake up and realise whats going on.

High
Blurred vision, tingly legs and hands, tiredness and lethargy
 

carandol

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102
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Robinredbreast said:
Lows, very very tired and I feel weak and my DD notices something in my eyes to indicate I am hypo

I know someone whose husband can tell by the look in her eyes that she's going to have a hypo before she starts to feel the symptoms herself.