hypo & chest pain?

[roo.be]

Not every time for me, just sometimes! usually with night hypos, rarely during the day.

roo

 

[Lorraine63]

Hi there everyone,

well i have had the same experience but it's more pain....like heartburn. and i know it's not heartburn because i get it when i am getting close to Ketoacidocis. which is quite often because i am a very stupid young adult.

anyways, i was suprised to find out that others have had this sympton when they are Hypo. does it happen every time or just occasionally?

City Horse

I also get chest pain when having a hypo. I mentioned it to GP who said it was heartburn. It isn't heartburn as I've had that before and this pain is completely different. I'm next seeing my Diabetes Dr at hospital in April and I will mention it to him. It is quite reassuring to hear some others have experienced this but I just wonder what it is?

 

[Erin]

I have always had chest pain in the sternum during a hypo; upon recovery I am very tired and with some food take a nap. It is a frightening sensation, and frankly I do not know the real cause; my theory is that with low blood sugar, the heart lacks oxygen or blood maybe. My diabetic team took a cardiogram and that seems OK. If anyone know why there is heart or sternum or whatever in that area happens, I would appreciate your knowledge.

 

[kitedoc]

I asked about this when at the clinic this morning, his DN and consultant did give each other a worried glance when I mentioned he gets a fluttery feeling in chest, however they told me everyone feels different hypo symptoms and as long as the feeling disappears when hypo is treated, which it does. They have told me to check his pulse when he hypos again, still slightly worried :?

Hi @Shazza, from my experience as a T1D from age 13 to now, 52 years later, not as professional advice or opinion:
I imagine at age 11 your son is still finding the words to describe his physical feelings.

At his age, except for say, having a specific injury to his chest, he may not have experienced much in the way of chest symptoms in the past. That of course makes it difficult to know what to make of his saying that he gets chest pain with hypos.
.
I certainly can experience a rapid pounding feeling in my chest with a hypo - and understand it is due to the adrenaline released when my BSL falls. In many ways no different to if I had a sudden shock or fright. The feeling could be described by me as a pressure, discomfort even.

We each have to learn how to describe what we experience and feel - your son's description of 'fluttering' seems quite apt to describe his heart beating rapidly.
Other symptoms that go with that are adrenaline related such as pale skin, sweating, shaking - but you may notice those more than him because he will be distracted and trying to work out what is happening.

Of course there are other symptoms of a hypo which can follow this to do with low one's brain responds to being low in BSL.

Also your son is likely to have picked up the fact that chest pain is a serious symptom in adults too. The 'idea' of chest pain as an important symptom can also be influential when someone feels unwell with adrenaline surging.

I would expect a specialist to take a very careful history from your son to explore what he feels when his chest pain occurs - they say taking the history is the most important part - because that sets the tone for what follows in terms of examination, tests etc.

And remembering that a carefully established finding that an adult person complained of true chest pain under certain circumstances has quite a different potential bearing on matters to that in a child in a general sense.

And in theory you could ask a group of 11 year olds with T1D to describe their hypo symptoms and find different words used for what turned out to be quite similar actual symptoms.

Best Wishes

 

[DCUKMod]

Kitedoc - Shazza started this thread in 2010, and was last logged onto the site in December 2010, so you may not receive a response.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @kitedoc Was just about to say the same as @DCUKMod - I always suggest members who add posts onto old threads to start their own thread for better visibility.