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Driving.

L3wisr

Well-Known Member
Messages
321
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, ever since I've been diagnosed I've been abit loopy and get quite paranoid about certain things. One weird one for example is feeling like i can't breathe properly and having a little panic attack...this then links in to thinking my blood sugar levels are too low and falsely treating it as a hypo.

Here's the thing, it mainly happens when I'm driving. I don't know why it does but now it's effecting me abit more as I've recently got a new job and I'm now driving for around 3 hours a day.

So basically....Does anyone get abit paranoid about sugar levels when driving? Ha

Cheers.
 
Hi L3wisr I was exactly the same as you when I got diagnosed in June (and sometime still get it now). I am quite lucky I only work 15 minutes away but I do check my bg levels before I drive at any time. A few weeks after being diagnosed i was asked to go for some training at head office 5 hours away which I travelled by car. I set off giving myself enough time to stop every 1 1/2 hours, check my bg and then get back on with my journey. The more you drive the better it gets and it will start to feel normal again. I think knowing my bloods are above 5 with a bottle of lucozade at hand has really helped with my anxiety massively. Don't worry, it's normal and it will pass and just remember to test when you can it's better to be safe than sorry, but your confidence will build
 
It sounds like you are dealing with some anxiety issues here. Depression and anxiety are very common in us diabetics and the feelings you have are totally normal.

I was getting a similar anxiety issue (not about driving but I had the tight chest and feeling like I had forgotten how to breathe).

If you're up for it it may be worth signing yourself up for some talking therapy to help you cope with the symptoms of your anxiety.

I did CBT due to feeling low as a result of my diabetes and the strategies they taught me were great.

I hope this helped x
 
Thanks for both of your replies. It's been ages since I was diagnosed (well, 2 years 4 months) and I have been driving to work for a while but previously it was only 10 minutes away so didn't really affect me.

I also had a similar experience a few weeks ago having to drive to an induction which took just over 6 hours, I did stop to check my levels but because I felt like I had lucozade etc when k was still moving and would end up with really high levels.


As soon as I was diagnosed therapy was mentioned, Carly. Although, at the time I didn't feel like I wanted to talk about it much and dealt with a few things myself. It is getting abit too much now though.
 

What are you testing at during these episodes..? An insulin dependant should always test to drive..

Funny enough. I had a "new job" once.. I was a Manager caught between "politics" with my staff & the client.. Driving to work I was swept up in an overwhelming feeling of "stage fright"..
Now I have played in a lot of bands & certain short term stress I believe is healthy. (No "choking issues there!)

Problem solved, when I quit my job & found something else...
 
I always turn to lucozade right away because I feel bad but when I do check I'm around 9~. I don't really like leaving the house close to 5 now to be honest.

Yeah I feel like it will get better eventually but not sure if other people get it too, how they help it or if I'm just abit weird.
 
To be honest.. If you have checked just after treating first, (the correct practice.) & your testing at 9ish..? Then it's not a hypo.
Sounds more like some sort of "anxiety"..
 
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