How does this happen

[Dixon1995]

If it's a choice between going hypo when driving and occasionally overdoing the corrective carbs a bit, I know what I'd take. And I think a starburst and a glucotab both have the same carbs, about 4g? Am guessing @Dixon1995 was nearing a local low at 4.7 with just basal left in the system, so the carb had a significant effect. Without a cgm to give you a directional arrow on your blood sugar it's really really hard to get it right. (And even with a cgm it's often really really hard to get it right. )

100g of starbursts is about 80g carbs, 1 starburst weighs I think 3-4 grams?, so about 3.5g carbs I think, so I ate 2, which is 7g carbs. It's a learning curve I guess

I mean I didn't eat them to treat a hypo because I wasn't hypo, just to push it above 5

 

[Alexandra100]

Bottle of water with glucose powder dissolved in it? Cheap enough...

Yes, but just swigging sounds so imprecise.

It has suddenly occurred to me that I am lucky enough not to drive. I guess having a hypo while on the top deck of a bus is not so bad!

 

[evilclive]

It's a hassle, but id rather be safe than sorry. I will hopefully know better next time.

I'd not worry so much. I think you definitely did the right thing eating the sweets, and if you're in the same situation again, do the same thing - and then later on correcting is also fine. I do think it's more than the sweets taking effect, but as we all know, things happen, and 8.4 is really not that massively high at all. If you were on 15, say, then maybe some concern would be appropriate

 

[Dixon1995]

Yes, but just swigging sounds so imprecise.

It has suddenly occurred to me that I am lucky enough not to drive. I guess having a hypo while on the top deck of a bus is not so bad!

I am extremely cautious driving with diabetes, blood meter, sweets and emergency I.D all in my car. Lol I guess it isn't so bad on a bus, still bad though!

I'd not worry so much. I think you definitely did the right thing eating the sweets, and if you're in the same situation again, do the same thing - and then later on correcting is also fine. I do think it's more than the sweets taking effect, but as we all know, things happen, and 8.4 is really not that massively high at all. If you were on 15, say, then maybe some concern would be appropriate

Thankyou! I worry a lot about it though, my blood sugar optimal readings for myself are 4.5-7.5 and hypers after 8.5 but this is likely unrealistic for a type 1 diabetic, is it harmful to have blood sugar readings at 8.5 say if it was for 2-3 hours until I took the correction at 9:15pm

 

[evilclive]

Thankyou! I worry a lot about it though, my blood sugar optimal readings for myself are 4.5-7.5 and hypers after 8.5 but this is likely unrealistic for a type 1 diabetic, is it harmful to have blood sugar readings at 8.5 say if it was for 2-3 hours until I took the correction at 9:15pm

I reckon a couple of hours at 8.5 is nothing. A couple of hours at 15+, that's something to do something about and try not to do again, but even that is a "do something about" rather than a massive worry.
It's worth aiming to avoid those highs, but it's also worth remembering that you're doing better than probably 95% of T1Ds, maybe more, if you consider two hours at 8.5 a problem

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Dixon1995, Our BSLs are the sum of all the influences that come to bear on them.
So that includes the insulin level and type of insulin, when and what we last ate and the effect of exercise and stress, amongst other things.
Also we are told that our glucose meters have an error rate of +/- 15%.
So the reading of 4.7 mmol/l could represent a range of 4.0 to 5.4 mmol/l. On this basis you are just clear of defined hypo level.
Of course some of us do experience 'hypo' symptoms when our BSLs are falling quickly and I certainly can recall feeling 'hypo' with a finger prick BSL of 5.5. It is rare for me but I am aware that it happens.
If you consider the effect of eating 2 starbursts (and assuming these items are not of astronomical origin)! and add in the stress of being caught up in a traffic snarl and the subsequent reading may well be higher than expected from the Starburst alone.
Bes Wishes !!

 

[Dixon1995]

@evilclive I recently decided I didnt want to mess around with type 1 diabetes as much as I have done in the past, and have been more meticulous as a result, I don't go too crazy though as I want to avoid hypos at all costs! Some days if I do everything right I can stay between 4-6mmol/l, other days, not so well...Thankyou

@kitedoc Yeah I had heard about stress having a profound affect on BSL. Yeah I figured that and at 4.7 it could have dipped further for all I knew, but as I said, I was hot, sweating, agitated, and 3 symptoms right there I associate with being hypo. Same here I am aware when its rushing low. True it may well have been, thanks for the insight!

5.9 as of now fasting for 3 hours, phewwww

 

[kitedoc]

Yes, but just swigging sounds so imprecise.

It has suddenly occurred to me that I am lucky enough not to drive. I guess having a hypo while on the top deck of a bus is not so bad!

Unless one gets nauseous with a hypo !!

 

[Alexandra100]

Unless one gets nauseous with a hypo !!

I didn't mean having a hypo anywhere isn't bad, just not so bad on a bus as at the wheel of a car. Maybe given the risk of nausea, sitting inside on the bus ready to bail out might be wiser .

 

[kitedoc]

I didn't mean having a hypo anywhere isn't bad, just not so bad on a bus as at the wheel of a car.

Agreed, provided one does not end up tumbling down the stairs or miss one's stop- perish the thoughts !!!