Strange symptoms of hypo

[char87]

Hi

I am a Type 1 diabetic. I have good hypo awareness and tend to experience the usual symptons. However today I had a low sugar level quite soon after lunch (Was 4.3 before I ate and it went down to 3.3 after) and instead of feeling the usual shakiness etc, I felt very dizzy and like i was going to pass out. My vision went a bit hazy and it took around 40 mins and more sugar than usual to bring my level up to normal. Has anyone experieced anything similar? Bit concerned as I never get this normally.

Thanks
Charlotte

 

[mentat]

Re: Strange symptons of hypo

Hypo systems vary vastly from person to person. And of course the way you feel a hypo can change over time. I find that a hypo depends on the hormones in my system, the severity of the hypo, and the rate at which my sugar dropped.

You may have just lost one "type" of hypo awareness and you are now experiencing a different one when your sugars get lower. Do be careful, you may be more prone to losing consciousness now.

I don't think it's a sign that anything is wrong with your body except the hypo itself, though.

 

[noblehead]

Re: Strange symptons of hypo

Did you inject before eating Charlotte? If I'm in the low 4's I would be inclined to eat first then inject after finishing the meal, 4.3 is sailing close to the wind hypo-wise and you do have to be careful if your regularly running such low numbers as you can lose your hypo-awareness symptoms over time, the good thing is you recognised some signs and managed to treat the hypo without any assistance.

 

[char87]

Re: Strange symptons of hypo

Thanks for the replies. I did inject before eating but on hindsight i should have held off. I appear to be having an odd week where although I am eating/exercising the same as usual, my sugar levels are running a lot lower than normal- havent been above 6 all week and have had a few nighttime hypos. Am sure it is just one of those odd hard to explain things that happen with diabetes occasionally but yesterday did get me a bit worried. I have dropped my long acting insulin a bit so hopefully that will help stop so many hypos.

 

[Hobs]

Re: Strange symptons of hypo

Are you taking any other meds as well as the insulin? Hypo awarenes can be altered by some meds and it should be mentioned somewhere in the pack instructions.

 

[char87]

No - I'm not on other medications just the insulin. I did have a stomach upset last night after the hypo so wasn't sure if that could have been or a cause of my sugar levels being strange or if that was caused by the stress of several hypos and lack of sleep!

 

[mentat]

Re: Strange symptons of hypo

Thanks for the replies. I did inject before eating but on hindsight i should have held off. I appear to be having an odd week where although I am eating/exercising the same as usual, my sugar levels are running a lot lower than normal- havent been above 6 all week and have had a few nighttime hypos.

That's probably the answer! When your average sugar levels are lower for a while, your body "gets used to" a lower sugar value which is why some types of hypo awareness don't kick in any more.

When I started low carbing my sugars all improved and I was waking up with readings of 4 so I was probably low or borderline for large parts of the night; my hypo reaction changed from "intense horrible horrible feeling, dread, terror, agitation" to "mild yucky feeling, shaking". It changed back to normal once I decreased my Lantus sufficiently.

 

[tomvonc]

My first symtons are a loss of manual dexterity. I start to struggle just rolling a ciggy (yes I do smoke). Then I get a bit anxious, followed by light headedness, by this time I usually catch it, and a banana and a couple of biccys stops it going any further. By the time the sweats start, I am sub 2, so it's time for the dextrose.

 

[Seth f]

I always have low numbers as my job is physical I have to keep a real eye on it, the first thing that goes is my sight; hazyness, patches of light and blotches in my vision, that happens from about 3.8 - 3.0 Then I flop sweat at under 3. I've actually been walking down my high street at night, feeling fine when I noticed I was pretty much hallucinating, the street lights were blurring and moving, I got to the pub said to my friend I don't feel right and then I was soaked through with sweat so I knew for sure. Its weird the first time but as has been said already it's just another way of recognising your having a low. I prefer it to feeling hollow and shaky which I also get from time to time.