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First Hypo

BigRoddy

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Ok - so one week on with type 1, and just had my first Hypo - my god, you are not going to miss those warning signs. Have probably over compensated and am now way too high, but its only a matter of time before I get the hang of this.

The main thing about this is that I now know the signs of a Hypo.
 
Hope you're ok, BigRoddy. Hypos aren't nice.

Test again to see how your blood sugar is doing. You'll soon work out what's best to treat hypos. If in doubt, I stick to glucose tablets as I'm less likely to gobble too many of those up!

If you can guess what may have caused it, then that's helpful (but sometimes they just happen).
 
My husband had a few hypos when he was taking glicazide , we both got to recognise the signs pretty much straight away , I used to give him a small carton of orange juice and/or a few jelly babies . Trouble with the latter is that they are too tempting to have in the house, hope you feel better now .
 
Think its because of work, its really busy today, and have not eaten well. Have panicked a little, as my reading is now 12.4.
 
Don't panic - it's early days for you. Just remember what you ate and eat less next time

It's so easy to eat too much as I always feel my body is desperate. I tend to eat a few glucose tablets (2 or 3) then test after a few minutes to see if I need anything extra.

Good that you think you know what caused it though
 
BigRoddy said:
Think its because of work, its really busy today, and have not eaten well. Have panicked a little, as my reading is now 12.4.
Click to expand...

Dont worry about the 12.4, it will probably go up a little more (rebound) but will sort itself out.

DO NOT take extra insulin for this as as your bg regulates itself, it may cause you to have another hypo.
 
Having recently started on insulin myself, the advice I was given for treating a hypo was to have a small amount your chosen quick acting solution; jelly babies, glucotabs, fruit juice etc. Then when you feel able, eat something moderately fast-acting like a biscuit or a slice of toast, then eat something normal, or your next meal if it's due. That gives you a rapid improvement, followed by a steady rise without going too high. I had a bad [false] hypo a couple of weeks ago and a few slugs of orange juice and a couple of buttered oatcakes got me sorted quickly, just back into my comfort zone.
 
At its lowest it got to 3.9. I felt like death. Might need to cut down my novorapid on a sat and Sunday, it's at its busiest in work, and I don't always eat right. Will speak to the team on monday
 
Hi @BigRoddy It's the weirdest thing ever having your first hypo. It's most unexpected and the warning signs mean nothing at first until the penny drops. Uh oh this is a Hypo!!!

The advice given from the DAFNE course is to drink fruit juice/lucozade/cola,(not diet), and wait 10-15minutes.
If symptoms of hypo do not improve after 5 minutes or your blood glucose is still below 3.5mmols 10-15 minutes later repeat treatment. Then test BG again.

For BG below 3.5mmol TREAT with rapid acting CPs - this is a Hypo
For BG below 4.5mmol EAT CPs
Now you have had the first one you know what to expect and can deal with it effectively. Let's hope you don't have too many more.
 
Yes very scary I remember my first I was walking home and had to sit down on a bench because felt weird after a few mins walked home and tested my blood then ate a sandwich and a few jelly babies and yes they very tempting I have always loved Jelly babies
 
Ok, so am being a bit more careful today. Another busy day here in work, still working to get my bg under control. Is it possible to feel the difference between too high and too low?

I have lots of stuff with me this time to control my bg, both slow acting and fast acting. How often would you check your bloods? This is my first week with type 1 and amp probably checking it around 5 or 6 times a day. Is this enough?
 
Some people are really sensitive to their bg levels, whereas I'm not, although I do feel a bit "off" if they're running on the high side. There's another thread running at the moment about how many times people test. It seems the general consensus is about 7+ per day. As a rough guide - before and after meals (6), at bedtime (1) and before driving.
 

Ideally..
Waking up
Before meals
2hrs after a meal
Before bed
Before driving (every time)
Occasionslly at 3amish

This if you included what your meals condist of should give your DSNs the bigger picture.

You may well find that lie ins or weekends need more or less insulin...as a basal rate probably. However, you can only find this info out by testing.....often!!!
 
yes test often
 
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