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Help! Please (Symptoms)

estefaniasanchez

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi All,

So im quite new to the diabetes scene, I've just started dating a guy with type 1 diabetes and im really struggling to tell when he is high from when he is low.

There's been a few times hes gone low while I've been with him and I've been able to tell something was up but not exactly what.

This morning we went to leave his house and he had a funny turn. he started to shake and couldn't stand up and then was on the floor fitting. I couldn't get into his phone to phone any of his family for help and I was struggling to take his sugars as I was shaking so much .

when I finally did it was coming up as 14??? :S so then I was really confused.

a few moments later he got up and was normal again. when I tried to explain to him what had happened he didn't believe me and said I was lying. Im really struggling with this and it really upset me this morning not knowing what to do.

afterwards when he realised I was telling the truth he said he must have been low and hadn't eaten in time.

Im really struggling even though im online looking stuff up please help
 
14 is not low, It is a bit high but many of us still walk around with occasional figures like that. Shaking and falling down is a bit like a bad hypo but just popping up again isn't. None of that makes sense to me.

I have seen epileptics do as you describe but not being a medical person I wouldn't like to speculate.
 

well I know he had his insulin when he woke up but didn't eat straight away. im assuming that he may have been low. I don't know if I messed up taking his bloods because I was shaking so much so I may have got that completely wrong

Im just so bad at telling the difference. I could have really messed up.
 
It's another possible answer (that you took a bad reading) but to shake and fall down usually means a reading of significantly less than 4. Could it have been 1.4? Check the memory of his meter.
 
Hi @estefaniasanchez , which country are you in? That would help us to determine the units the meter used and therefore what the BG reading meant.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
It's another possible answer (that you took a bad reading) but to shake and fall down usually means a reading of significantly less than 4. Could it have been 1.4? Check the memory of his meter.
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Possibly, I was worrying a lot so I may have read it wrong. Im just not good with telling high from low
 
Seriously, that doesn't sound like hypoglycemia. It sounds more like epilepsy. But it's a bit odd even for epilepsy. I mean, he got up. Why did he think he was on the floor in the first place?
 
Either way @estefaniasanchez, given your man was fitting this morning its best that he errs on the side of caution and gets a check-up at his Dr's or mentions these episodes to his diabetes care team.
 
RuthW said:
Seriously, that doesn't sound like hypoglycemia. It sounds more like epilepsy. But it's a bit odd even for epilepsy. I mean, he got up. Why did he think he was on the floor in the first place?
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He couldn't remember, I was trying to speak to him and he was swearing at me or not speaking at all. and then he got up and drank a juice and couldn't remember anything at all. he thought I was lying.
 
estefaniasanchez said:
Thankyou, whats errs?
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Hi, this is not a hypo its fitting which could be epilepsy or even a tumour on the brain....he needs to seek urgent diagnosis,if he does not believe you film him and show him whats going on next time , hope you get to the bottom of whats wrong quickly and get a good result .
 
To err means to make a mistake. In the case of Nobleheads advice he suggests you make a deliberate mistake for the sake of caution and go and see a doctor.
 

Thanks for your advice.

My issue is ive read online the symptoms of high and low and when it happens I still cant tell the difference.
 
estefaniasanchez said:
My issue is ive read online the symptoms of high and low and when it happens I still cant tell the difference.
Click to expand...

For me, personally, I don't have any symptoms if I'm high. If I were walking around with my blood sugar at 14 I wouldn't feel any different. So, not everyone will exhibit symptoms if their levels are higher than what they should be.

Your boyfriend certainly did experience a strange episode (as already has been pointed out, jumping back to his feet and appearing normal, without any form of glucose, seems extremely odd for a hypo).

He definitely needs to see his GP or care team. You're obviously worried and upset and are feeling a burden of responsibility and anxious that you "messed up". You seem very caring and did as much as you could at the time. I think if it happens again, I would be calling an ambulance.
 
estefaniasanchez said:
Thanks for your advice.

My issue is ive read online the symptoms of high and low and when it happens I still cant tell the difference.
Click to expand...

Usually anyone fainting, shaking or slurring their words is low. They may also swear, be confused or vacant.

Slight highs don't usually have any symptoms, but if it's moderately high, the person may be thirsty and go to the toilet a lot.

I'd guess you misread the result or did the test wrong ( if he doesn't have any other medical issues). Out of high and low, it sounds far more like a low.

If in doubt, it may be best to treat it as a low as they come on quickly and can be dangerous.

You can on,y do so much, and it might be best if he sees a doctor.
 

Thank you so much this helped alot. I just get a bit scared that i may do the wrong thing and make him worse.
 
estefaniasanchez said:
Thankyou, whats errs?
Click to expand...

'Err on the side of caution' basically means you play it safe and without risk, so in your BF case he shouldn't just assume its diabetes related and needs to mention the shaking and fitting episodes to his HCP's.

If they turn out to be low bg levels (hypo's) then he needs some guidance on how to restore his hypo awareness symptoms as his may be severely impaired if he doesn't feel the hypo's coming on.

Good luck and hope you both get something sorted soon.
 
Even if you got it wrong and he was high and you gave him sugar, it wouldn't be dangerous as it would just make him a bit higher. But if he was low and you DIDNT give him sugar, he could go so low he could become unconscious.

Major highs come on slower than lows. A low can come on very quickly and needs quick treatment.

It sounds like you're doing fine and care enough about him to find out all this information
 

Thankyou this is helping so much. Its a nightmare trying to get him to talk about it so your advice is really helpful x
 
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