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Type 2 Hey - how long does a hypo last?

Jo1984

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello. How long does a hypo last for or the symptoms? Thanks in advance
 
Hi, until one passes out.?

Or around 20 minutes after, if you treat it..
 
Here's the NHS list of symptoms -

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hypoglycaemia/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

I've only had one hypo and it was after travelling for 12 hours, little food (aeroplane food, so passed on most of it) a rush around on arrival at our studio, quick low carb dinner and a glass of wine followed a by a rusty nail. It hit very suddenly and I thought at first it was the drink which would have been unusal as I was well within my normal limits. My companions noticed before I did as I wasn't walking normally when I went to the loo, and then I started to feel very drunk and confused. I didn't realise at the time that it was a hypo and it was only after seeing a video showing the effects about a couple of months later that I realised what it had been.

Dave
 
Hi,

Did you not test at the time... Other causes may have been a drastic change in altitude with no food.. (They pipe in some "thin air" on these planes.) & the alcahol? I'm guessing a "rusty nail" is a cocktail...
 
No I didn't test - I decided before we left that I was going on holiday and would just have to take what comes and since my BG levels had never over the previous 8 months been any where near hypo level I'd not really need to test. And yes a rusty nail is a mixture of drambuie and a malt with an optional splash of water!
Your comments regarding changes of altitude and 'thin air' are interesting - thanks!
 

Please don't think I was trying to undermine or disrespect your experience.. It's just I've flown "rock & roll airlines" with a meter... Lol.
 
Jo1984 said:
Hello. How long does a hypo last for or the symptoms? Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Hi Jo - Do you have any specific questions about hypos you want to ask?

I see from your profile page you are a T2, taking Metformin. Whilst it is possible to have hypos whilst taking Metformin, it's quite unusual, and very rare that any such hypo would be medically worrying.

Personally, I have never experienced a hypo, although my numbers do go low. It just seems to be how my body works these days. I don't take any medication, and never have.

If you have anything specific, please just ask.
 
Well, my experience of T2 non-medicated hypos is that they are actually quite short. My blood glucose dips pretty sharpish, and then rises pretty sharpish. So that within about 5-10 mins my blood glucose is clearly recovering. Each one is different, depending on the situation, previous food, stress levels, tiredness and recent activity.

The hypo experience itself is over in minutes and is just spaciness, bad decision making, slow coordination, lost words and a sense of disconnect, almost as if the world's volume switch has been turned down.

But that doesn't cover the half of it! Because the way my body deals with a hypo is to detect that bg is too low, and then release a whole host of hormones to effectively dump blood glucose from the liver to get the level back up - and it is these stress hormones that make me feel far worse than the hypo did. Shakes, paleness, wobbliness, hollow fluttery adrenalin type of stuff, alongside ravenous carb cravings and then later tiredness, weepiness and apathy lasting from several hours to 2-3 days.

Needless to say that I have (over the years) learned to anticipate and prevent them as much as possible.
 
Feeling very grotty and lythergic after my massive hypo yesterday. Is this normal? And what can i do today to make me feel better? Sorry new to all this.
 
My hypos usually last around 40 minutes, even when my BG is already better.
I fell like that also @Jo1884 for some while but except for eating something and taking a headache pill (that's common for me after hypos), I just try to lie down and wait until the feeling goes away..
but I hope you feel better soon!
 
Its a horrible feeling the day after. Feel very drunk so to speak. Thankyou deborabaratto x
 

Do you take any drugs or diabetes?
 
miahara said:
Yes I take gliclazide.
Click to expand...
thanks, I am doing this by diet alone, I have had one three hour peridos where my recorded blood sugars were around 3, but generally it seems that hypos are limited to those taking some kind of drugs.
 
Was hypo only twice in past 15 yrs. The first time it lasted about 2 hrs. Second time I blacked out and bumped my head. Was out for a few minutes!! Was miserable for 2 days!! At the time I was on 3 x Glucophage and 3 x Glicomine and had not eaten for about 4 hours.
Stopped all medication since LCHF diet and exercise. Hence no more hypo's.
 
I've had a few while taking Metformin - but I haven't had one since I started low carbing with medium fat. I also had a few before I was ever diagnosed - once in a swimming pool (spectacularly inconvenient!)

I always used to start a hypo by starting to cry for no reason and then progressed to tunnel vision, feeling disassociated from my surroundings and then feeling like I was going to faint.

I never just let them run, to be honest I really never felt I had the choice to let them run - all my body and brain were screaming at me was EAT SOMETHING SWEET and I would eat until it stopped. The time it happened in the swimming pool I stood by the vending machine in reception (which also is reception for a conference centre) soaking wet stuffing Milky Way bars in to my mouth while loads of people stood staring at me - I didn't care at all - I didn't know what it was but I knew I had to eat something sweet NOW.

Looking back, from eating until it stopped was probably around 15-20 minutes and I would eat for that whole time. This was before I had a meter (many were before I even knew I had diabetes) so its only now I can imagine what my BS must have been like after the carb feast.
 
Jo1984 said:
Feeling very grotty and lythergic after my massive hypo yesterday. Is this normal? And what can i do today to make me feel better? Sorry new to all this.
Click to expand...

: ( I hope you gradually feel better. How low did you go?

Perhaps it would be worth speaking to your surgery about it just to get some advice?
 
Thanking you..went to 4 which is the lowest ive ever been. Spoke to doctors and they said i would feel like this for a couple of days.
 
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