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Crying for no reason when low blood sugars

M

mary94

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I bit of background info here. T1 was diagnosed in December. Things have been going well but for the past few weeks I've been honeymooning hard and getting a lot of hypos. From 8 and 8 Levemir and went down to 4 units in the morning and 2 units before bed, and I also take less Novorapid.
Sometimes I would recognize a hypo, because I would start crying for no particular reason and then I remember to check my BG. I've started running every other day and on the days that I run it's particularly bad. Like the other day I cried hard for good 10 minutes. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I consult a therapist? Maybe it has something to do with hormones, I am not sure...
PS: My parents think I should go on a fasting diet for 5 days, as we read recently about this diet having positive results with mice with T1. Having read some of the threads on this forum, I already know what most members would say, but I thought I would put it out there. Personally, I think it's a good idea to reduce my carb intake as with smaller insulin doses there is less chance to mess up and get a hypo. Because then I tend to eat too much to correct low BG and then my BG is high for hours and I hate it because I am constantly thirsty.
PS2: This is my first post so I am sorry if I overshared a bit. (I most definitely did)
 
Firstly, you've come to the right place for advice Welcome to the forum!

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can manifest themselves in many ways. Confusion is probably the most applicable one in your case, and crying is a totally natural response. In fact, some people become completely delirious, violent or psychotic. So I wouldn't be too hard on yourself because of a few tears brought on from low BG.

DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY FASTING DIETS! You're not a mouse, you will not do yourself any good and it will increase your odds of hypos/hypers. The study you are talking about was completely inconclusive in helping T1D in any shape or form. The mice didn't even have the autoimmune condition that we have as T1's; unfortunately the media has been spinning a web of inaccuracies again...

The key to good management of T1D is consistency. Eating regularly, eating regular sized portions and counting your carbs correctly. Certainly reducing your carbohydrate intake does help to minimise BG swings, but I'd advise you to eat a moderate amount of carbs as it gives you the most food choice options and allows for a fairly "normal" diet.

I'd suggest that you get the book "Think Like A Pancreas" - it is the absolute T1D bible. Here's a link for you (both paperback and kindle versions available). I've got mine on my Galaxy S7:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Thin...naging-Diabetes-Insulin-Completely/0738215147
 
If your crying when you are hypo it's the low blood sugar that is making you emotional - having low blood sugar is like being drunk, remember that the crying is a hypo symptom for you and test your blood sugar when it happens. If the crying is just associated with hypos, there's no need to consider therapy.

Your parents want you to fast for 5 days? Any particular reason? You do understand that you aren't a mouse, right? Type 1 diabetes is an incurable autoimmune disease, fasting won't cure it for you. If you fast, you will need to be confident in insulin adjustments, you will need to be confident that you basal dose is correct for you.

You might need to consider basal adjustments for days with exercise. Do you carb count? If your insulin to carb ratio is right and you keep a good track of the carbs you are taking in that should reduce the chance to mess up and get a hypo. If your honeymooning whatever you eat you're pretty much just going to have to put up with a bit of unpredictability while things settle down.
 
Welcome @mary94

Yes, tearfulness can be a sign of low BS - as can anger and irritability.

You say it's bad on the days you run - do you reduce your insulin and/or eat extra carbs before you run? If not, that will be why you go low.

I heartily second @GrantGam 's recommendation of Think Like A Pancreas - it's a fantastic book!

No - don't fast. It could be dangerous and there's no evidence it helps Type 1s at all.
 
welcome here mary94

this is a wonderfull place to get support and information, and there are really some wise type 1´s in here
 
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Hypos can certainly make you emotional. I have certainly cried when my blood sugar was very low, and other times I've felt rather angry. Have you felt other hypo symptoms, before the tears? If not, tell your DSN.
You asked if you should see a therapist. If you only cry when hypo, I'd say you shouldn't. Obviously a diagnosis of Type 1 is a shock to both you and your parents and it could take a while to get over that, so give it time. However, if you're crying all of the time, for no particular reason, then you should speak to your DSN about that (it doesn't sound as if that's the case.)

When you went running, did you eat extra carbs, to prevent you going hypo? If you did but still went hypo, you obviously need to eat more. You could ask your DSN about lowering your insulin before/after exercise, to prevent these lows, especially if you don't want to eat extra food.

As for fasting, I don't know much about it but my personal feeling is that mice are very different from humans and I know I couldn't do it. Certainly I wouldn't fast without informing my diabetes team.

Good luck with controlling the hypos!
 
mary94 said:
Because then I tend to eat too much to correct low BG and then my BG is high for hours and I hate it because I am constantly thirsty.
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That's an easy mistake to make, I've done it plenty of times.

You'd be surprised by how little sugar is needed to sort out a modest hypo, usually only about ten grams, that's just two jelly babies, 50 mls of ordinary lucozade, 100 mls of pink lucozade.

If you can get yourself on a DAFNE course, their recommendation is to take ten grams, wait ten minutes (it takes time for the sugar to ger from your stomach to your blood), test again, and if it's not sorted, have another ten grams.

It's easy to panic in a hypo, thinking how hard is this dropping, will it keep dropping, but next time you have a mild hypo, try experimenting with just ten grams, sit back and wait.

I used to just eat till I felt better, but because of that time which it takes sugar to get into the blood, I ended up overeating and too high, which sounds like what you've been doing.

I still have occasions where, based on symptoms, circumstances, testing, the amount of insulin on board and past experience, I reckon it's dropping very hard and is likely to continue, so the ten grams rule will go out the window, so it's definitely not an absolute rule, but works most of the time for your common or garden type of hypo.
 
Thanks to everyone for the kind welcome and for the good advice. I can't really reduce my basal insulin as it is already to a minimum. I've only recently added running as a new variable to the equation and I need to experiment a bit with more carb intake/ less Novorapid to see what's best for me and I think the book that some of you recommended would be very helpful.

I realise that I am not a mouse and I will let my parents know what you think


I've been told to take 15g and check after 15 minutes.
I am not eligible for a DAFNE course as I've only been diagnosed 3 months ago.
I tend to feel symptoms of hypo even when my BG is around 5. At this point I think I can get away with just eating something. The problem is the sudden hunger that I feel that causes me to overeat but I guess I need to be more disciplined, as I will be a bit scared to correct afterwards. .
 
There's an online carb counting course here:

https://www.bertieonline.org.uk

Feeling hungry (ie starving!) when low is normal. If I can't distract myself from it, I have some cheese. That will help the hunger but not put your sugars up.
 
mary94 said:
I realise that I am not a mouse and I will let my parents know what you think
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Excellent

Here's the thread where our community discussed the news articles and associated mice study; then tore it to pieces

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...cell-regeneration-to-reverse-diabetes.116847/

You can feel free to show this to your parents if you wish. As I said earlier, T1 diabetes is often misunderstood by the media and in their news coverage. The same goes for T2 in a lot of instances.

Stick at it and things will improve, all in good time
 
Remember, if you are hypo, your brain is trying to run your body with a shortage of fuel. The odd hypo systems we get are the result. If my sugar level has dropped below normal, a pan boiling over can make me cry. (I hate having to clean the cooker !) I don't burst into tears every time I'm hypo, but it does happen sometimes. I can tell by how I suddenly feel, rather than because of the tears themselves and other warning symptoms follow within 5 minutes or so. It's just your body's response to a fuel crisis.
 

Yes, it's a bit of a puzzle, DAFNE guidelines say 10/10, but I've certainly seen 15/15 advised elsewhere, seems to be common in America. 10gm is supposed to raise by 2 to 3 which will usually be enough, but I suppose in a hypo it's not the time to worry about finessing matters! Personal experience will dictate what the right amount is.

If you're hypoing at 5 it's probably because you're newly dx'd and your body will be used to running higher, so it kind of thinks you're too low when you reach 5 even though you're not. It'll adjust once it gets used to lower levels.

Re overtreating, I used to just scoof down a twix when hypo which was normally too much, and I was a bit sceptical when the DAFNE nurse said, no 10gms is fine, but I gave it a go, it worked, and the confidence from that just kind of built, so now with normal hypos, I'm comfortable with 10 and wait.I know how psychologically damned difficult it is to take another insulin shot after a bad hypo whether for the next meal or as an overtreat correction, so that advice from the nurse about 10g/wait has saved me from a lot of rollercoasters.
 
Hi, and welcome to the world of diabetes. I laughed when i read that you know to check because "oh I'm crying again". I have that usually with high blood sugar's and my thoughts turn suicidal. I've learnt to test, correct and wait till my sugar's go back to normal.
When I'm with a low blood sugar my body craves food, i hate the feeling because i also tend to overeat and then go high. Sometimes I'll compensate with insulin, although it's a tight juggle of exactly how much insulin is just right.
When my sugar's are dropping, I'll often feel it at a 5 too. I'll often eat to catch the low, depending on the bigger picture (when my last bolus was, when I'll be eating again)
It may help you to read up on the effects of exercise. Not only can it make you go lower during the exercise, but it can have effects hours after too. For some, exercise can raise sugar's too, I've never experienced that.
One last point. Whilst you don't need to see a therapist for low blood sugar symptoms, you may want to see someone to discuss how they make you feel. Diabetes is a game changer, and for me at least, super hard to learn to accept and deal with. It may be too soon now, but i suggest keeping it in mind.
Good luck!
 
Thank you @Just_Me_Rachel for sharing the particular effects on you. I never knew that high blood sugars can affect your thoughts and feelings too. When high I feel sluggish and constantly thirsty which I hate.
 

Hey there
Just read your post. Resonated hugely. Like you, fairly newly diagnosed and started doing more exercise - gym in my case. First couple of months could not figure it out, trying to have a few more carbs to help with low glucose the gym caused. My experience is to go in little steps and keep testing as you exercise and after. After a while you start to build up a picture of what your body is doing. This takes time and is faffy but really helped me.
I'm now much better at judging what and when to eat before too.
Just go gentle! If you are a lab mouse, you are your own mouse on your own terms!

Hypos - crying yes! And also for some reason really bad mime in an attempt to communicate.
Good Luck with it all!
 
REM73 said:
And also for some reason really bad mime in an attempt to communicate.
Good Luck with it all!
Click to expand...
I am almost crying with laughter picturing this @REM73

Apologies to OP. @mary94 the more you learn the easier this will be. As you can see the crying thing is quite common. Hug.
 
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