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Driving

T

TuTusweet

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This may be a strange question to ask. But here goes.
Does being Hyper or Hypo (which one) cause drowsiness when driving?
For the last three or four years if I set off on an 8 to 10 hour drive in France or Spain after about 3 hours I get very drowsy and use tricks like whistling or pinching myself in the armpit to keep myself awake to the next stop. AND I ate Werthers or lumps of fudge. This was BEFORE I was told I had diabetes last November.
I may have been making it worse without knowing. Whatever, the sugar seemed to help but the next drowsy spell came in 2.5 hours and with increasing frequency.

I haven't made a cross country run since October last year --it used to be four a year and you see a hell of a lot on fresh repairs to the central barrier often accompanied by nasty black patches of charred tarmac nearby.

I think I have had at least two micro-sleeps for a couple of seconds --quite long enough to kill all in the car. Luckily on Spanish motorways where you can drive at 80 for half an hour and see no other car on either side. Hitting the barrier would still make a mess. I had no inkling that I had diabetes before November last so have only just this day joined the dots and begun to wonder.

I wonder how truck drivers stay awake for 6 hour stints. Massive fry ups I imagine,
Comments please and any similar experiences. Thank you.
 
Could have been low or high BG levels or just tired in general. Driving at length is quite tiring for anyone, diabetic or not.


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Thank you Mo. I agree. I apologise--my post was rubbish. It did not make at all clear that this drowsiness problem had not existed before about 4 years ago and during that 4 years I had high BG readings that my GP completely ignored. It was only in November last year --around the time of World Diabetes Day or whatever--- that she suddenly noticed my high readings.

That was why I though that the drowsiness might have been associated with Diabetes that I did not know she thinks I have.

I'm sorry I did not make myself clear.
 
No, your post was not rubbish and you're correct in that high BG levels could cause drowsiness. If you used to drive at length and were always fine before then the high levels were probably the cause. Do you have aeter now and are you able to test ?


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Yikes !!! Eating fudge and werthurs was a really great idea then !!! Even more reason to hate my fool of a GP.
I do have a meter . Mornings are about 6.2 and after food about 7.3 . My after food readings are now the same as my fasting early morning readings were before I started my low carb diet. But I had a weird 8.3 unexpectedly and frightened myself. That panic made me change my approach to this problem and I plan to test early morning ,or at least before any food or drink only and only once a week. I really do have to put a stop to getting obsessed with this problem worrying myself to death.

Thank you for your reply
 
You should ensure that every time you drive , necessary breaks are taken to avoid tiredness. There are many reasons that may cause you this problem. At least you have the brains to be aware something's changed and can make plans next time you travel.
Also my tips would be, fresh air and no night driving.
I would guess that you are adherding to current law regarding your driving licence.

Happy driving and hope you stay awake.:)
 
As to drowsiness I kind of understood why I had felt so strange the past year or so when I did the OGTT test last week. I asked the nurse if I could test at one hour as well and she was fine. I had brought my lap top to the clinic and worked away but felt a bit strange. Sort of stoned and fuzzy in the head and this increased so I quit my work and went to look for the nurse as it was soon time for the 1h test. It showed 20.6 so no wonder I was I was a bit off. The 2 h test showed 14 and I wasn't myself until late afternoon.

Last Sunday I had a piece of left over Christmas fruit cake as a test and had a very similar experience with the sort of stoned feeling and no, I haven't smoked pot for years.

To answer your questions I think it is wise to stay off carbs while driving. Have some cheese instead if coffee isn't enough. I was a convinced lowcarber even before I had reasons to suspect diabetes so I know it works very well energy-wise and also long-term.
 
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