Hi, my partner is Type 1 diabetic, generally his levels are good and he is hypo aware if he starts to go low. However recently at night if he was gone low he has got very aggressive. Last night we were away in a hotel, he had tested before bed and was ok, did his night time injection. But 3 hours later I thought I was going to have to call paramedics as he was getting so aggressive verbally and physically when I was trying to get him to have lucozade. In the end I left him 5 mins and then got him to have some. He has no recollection of this.
The question is what is the best thing to do should I take the hypokit injections we have in the fridge at home? Though we didn’t have a fridge where we were. Do I risk the aggression and force something sweet but his level of strength seems immense when he is like this. Or do people just call for help?
The only thing different this weekend was we had done a lot of walking so could that have set this off. I have told him he should speak to his diabetic nurse as recently the aggression has been there whereas before he has been more hypo aware himself or has been childlike. As above this only seems to be night time.
Any recommendations??
Thanks
Nikki
Hi
@Malc1973 and welcome to the forum. The following is something I wrote ten years ago and is slightly adapted! I hope you and your partner find it useful.
Hypo-(glycaemia) is yet another Greek concoction, where hypo means “beneath” or “under” and glycaemia means "glucose blood". At least for a comparably large range of readings Hyperglycaemia does not impair brain function whereas the NHS rates all readings of 4mmol/L and below as hypo. It is illegal for anyone to drive with a reading of 3.5mmol/L (more recently 5.0mmol/L) or under. Amazingly the lowest reading I have had while still able to make decisions (sluggishly) is 1.3mmol/L and yet on other occasions I have passed out at 3.9mmol/L. I am convinced this is because of variable glucose tolerance. In my early teens I had a very high HbA1c, which is a three month average read out. In other words the body becomes accustomed to functioning incorrectly and tries to compensate, e.g. by passing large amounts of urine. Hospitals encourage diabetics to achieve an HbA1c of about 53mmol/mol. I have achieved 38mmol/mol, which is as near as dammit normal for anybody. But this means my glucose tolerance has drastically lowered and therefore the body tolerates much lower readings before shutting shop. This could be devastating behind the wheel of a vehicle. I have been strongly advised to raise the level and test before driving. I have personally driven a diabetic passenger who had been banned from driving because he had a hypo at the wheel and he and the cockpit were found ten feet up a tree in Norfolk. We are closely monitored and have to submit a medical declaration at least every three years, if not each year. It is therefore more than slightly galling when a drunken halfwit plunges into the back of a car, killing three vicars and is only banned for three years. But since when was life fair?
Hypos fascinate me. After all, they occur because the brain is starved of energy and therefore the body shuts down. Yet I am able to recall many of the topical and visual details and even the state of mind at the time. The shut- down of the brain can begin subtly. Many times my wife Helen has asked me to do a test because my speech has slowed down, not necessarily perceptibly to others. I might insist that I don’t need to. Difficulty in making choices or decisions is also a giveaway. Visibly the face takes on a deathly pallor because what little glucose there is has been distributed to the brain and heart. Vague staring is common, as is slurred speech. The problem is that these are all recognisable symptoms in a drunk. Similar to a drunk, a diabetic can become violent when accosted. This is because the brain translates well-intended actions into attack. When faced with a semi-conscious person it is unwise to offer questions or statements which require reasoning or choice. Do not say “Do you think you ought to have some sugar?” The sheer effort of making a judgement is enough to cause unpredictable reactions. In my 40s I burst into tears (a rare occurrence) when in a hypoglycaemic condition, simply because I was expected to make rational responses. Instead you should say something like “You need sugar, here is some.” Personally I hate sugar, and as I have said, solid glucose. They leave an unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth.[….] I have apparently punched well-meaning people, including my dear father, who have tried to administer sweet tea. I am not, however, aware that Lucozade has resulted in violence. [Obviously I am now!]
I have a whole battery of warning signs when I am low, sugar-wise. The most obvious is sudden excessive yawning. Many times in public I have been tempted to ask total strangers whether they are diabetic, simply because they yawn incessantly. Is this because the brain thinks it needs bucketfuls of Oxygen to create unattainable energy? I can also feel unnaturally depressed. Red stars can dance within my eyes and if I walk into a darker area, what look like giant sunflower heads blot out my vision. Tingling affects all my mouth, my hands shake, and I have a raging headache. I have often been alerted to low readings because I am unable to make decisions. Ironically this is often at lunchtime, in a food shop, when I am trying to work out what adds up to 60g of Carbohydrate.