• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Do you ever confuse symptoms of hypo with hyper?

Since opening this thread I've remembered a conversation I had with my specialist some years back where he talked about a phenomenon known as cerebral hypoglycaemia. Apparently if blood sugar levels are dropping quickly the brain can interpret that drop as the onset of hypoglycaemia, irrespective of whether glucose is actually falling to below acceptable levels. In other words, if your blood glucose was 18 mmol but dropped to 14 mmol in a very short space of time, this sudden drop could manifest itself as hypo symptoms. I now wonder if this is the reason behind the occasions in which I and others experience confusion between hypo and hyper.
 
Hi, i get the same at times...like you said - away to get the glucose/jelly babies, but just do a quick check only to find out im a bit high. Its a pain in the @R$£ and only started happening the last couple of years. Its nice to know im not going daft :crazy:
 
I do it all the time that's why I tend to use a lot of sticks I'm type 1 always find it hard to get control but its been mainly high these days I got put on metformin to make me more senstive to my insulin but all I ended up doing was choking on the size of the pills can't win its always the same problems shakey hands sweats oh what to do
 
michelereid2002 said:
I do it all the time that's why I tend to use a lot of sticks I'm type 1 always find it hard to get control but its been mainly high these days I got put on metformin to make me more senstive to my insulin but all I ended up doing was choking on the size of the pills can't win its always the same problems shakey hands sweats oh what to do
Click to expand...
 
I do tend to confuse these every now and again. Mostly in cases when i SHOULDN'T be hypo like after eating a meal and I am full (so i dont get the usual hunger symptom) i get confused and always check.

In situations like after an activity or 5-6 hours after my last meal i typically feel lower and that would be normal. I tend to get a slight headache around 4 -4.5mmol/L and usually get hungry which is my main tip off that its a low.

When i get high (above 10) i get the same kind of slight headache, but also tend to get tired (usually I yawn). If i have no reason to be tired, then thats my tip off that its a high.

I have always just decided to check, unless i absolutely can't (ie - driving on the highway with no exits). If i can't check i will eat about 5g of carbs and see what happens.. if it gets worse then its probably hyper, of it goes away then it was probably hypo, but i still check as soon as i get the chance.
 
When I first got diagnosed I used to think it was safer to run high than risk going low. Then I decided to try and control it better, but because I'd been running high for so long, getting down to normal levels made me feel hypo, but I was at 5 or 6.
 
I'm a type 2 diabetic on Humalog 25, 40 - 60 units two or three times per day. I've been 19 years on tablets, and insulin for two years. I am now 72 years old and I still get confused as to whether it's a HYPER or a HYPO. The symptoms are the same, namely sweating profusely, especially from the head, face and neck. I simply can't tell the difference. I can have nausea with both.
My skin has suffered since starting insulin, Lumps, hard spots and discoloured lesions and a three stone weight gain.
It has taken me 12 months to lose that weight. My diet was mostly protein, which meant less insulin, but then I got a very sweet smelling sweat on my body and clothes. I researched this on the internet realising it was ketoacidosis, and so began to put some carbs back into my diet, which has stopped my weight loss.
I am constantly tired and now have difficulty getting to sleep.
The problem is, I can't really tell if it's age or diabetes causing my problems. At times, my memory takes a while to register, but as I write for our local paper with excellent feedback, and also play at a fairly high level of bridge, once again I can't really tell, but think it may be lack of concentration.
I am unable to exercise due to severe arthritis, which is hard as I was once so very active.
So I think I must be like many other aging, arthritic, and still overweight diabetics, and must learn to cope as best I can and just get on with it all.
I live alone so don't get irritable as I can only snap at myself which is a waste of time and effort. My philosophy for the future is to wake up every morning from now on, read the obituaries, and if my name is not listed, I'm going to get up and have a wonderful day. Kind regards to everyone, Katy
 
I get this very rarely.

Typically if I've had an occlusion in my pump or am ill and my sugar is in the 20s then will often think I am low.
 
dowuchyalike said:
Since opening this thread I've remembered a conversation I had with my specialist some years back where he talked about a phenomenon known as cerebral hypoglycaemia. Apparently if blood sugar levels are dropping quickly the brain can interpret that drop as the onset of hypoglycaemia, irrespective of whether glucose is actually falling to below acceptable levels. In other words, if your blood glucose was 18 mmol but dropped to 14 mmol in a very short space of time, this sudden drop could manifest itself as hypo symptoms. I now wonder if this is the reason behind the occasions in which I and others experience confusion between hypo and hyper.
Click to expand...


This makes so much sense to me! Thank you! Im suffering with high levels atm and I keep feeling hypo when they drop, only to like 15mml but I feel cold and start to shake so I test. Voila! An explanation!
 
lcarter said:
This makes so much sense to me! Thank you! Im suffering with high levels atm and I keep feeling hypo when they drop, only to like 15mml but I feel cold and start to shake so I test. Voila! An explanation!
Click to expand...

Sometimes you can experience what they call False Hypo's (Google) when your bg levels have been running high for a long time and your control starts to improve.
 
@noblehead I am having trouble again with highs..literally in the 20s constantly despite insulin. Did you see my post? Don't want to hijack this one!

Will Google false hypos. Thanks
 
lcarter said:
@noblehead I am having trouble again with highs..literally in the 20s constantly despite insulin. Did you see my post? Don't want to hijack this one!

Will Google false hypos. Thanks
Click to expand...

Oh dear, no I didn't, what's happening?
 
Bearing in mind my targets pre meal are 4.5-6 and post meal <8, I'mnot talking about a abig variation here, but mild high symptoms, 8-10 can be similar to mild hypo with a bit of light headed fuzziness and dry throat

I can't go by hunger, I'm always hungry.

Significant hypo symtoms like yesterday morning's 3.xx are very different with a real fuzziness, moving into confusion, sweating, trembling and if it goes on long enough and turns into a decent low before i get to it, it can result in a slight sense of panic setting in.

As the hyper symptoms progress, I tend to feel more headachey and lethargic.
 
dowuchyalike said:
Since opening this thread I've remembered a conversation I had with my specialist some years back where he talked about a phenomenon known as cerebral hypoglycaemia. Apparently if blood sugar levels are dropping quickly the brain can interpret that drop as the onset of hypoglycaemia, irrespective of whether glucose is actually falling to below acceptable levels. In other words, if your blood glucose was 18 mmol but dropped to 14 mmol in a very short space of time, this sudden drop could manifest itself as hypo symptoms. I now wonder if this is the reason behind the occasions in which I and others experience confusion between hypo and hyper.
Click to expand...

I'm sure this is what happens to me. I feel really weird sometimes, like a 'fizziness' in my limbs and a sort of spaced out feeling like I am not really there. Sometimes this is the precursor to a hypo, sometimes I test and my BS is high - say 13-14. Yesterday this happened, and about 1 hour later my BS was 4. So I guess the feeling was my BS rapidly falling.
 
Back
Top