• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Hypo awareness

cara147m

cara147m

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I am just wondering about hypo awareness - I have lots of very manageable hypos but my team and myself are concerned that I may loose my hypo awareness - I need to drive so can't let this happen!!

At what level do those of you still with hypo awareness start to feel symptoms?

x
 
I've had bad hypo awareness in the past but since getting myself under control, over the last few years, and working on keeping myself out of hypo territory I now can pick up hypos at an early stage the majority of times.

I can often notice signs between 4.0 and 4.5 on my meter. For the vast majority of occasions I'll notice hypos above 3.5.

The times I don't so often notice symptoms at an early stage are:
  • After having alcohol -alcohol masks most of my symptoms (although I'm starting to better notice the signs these days)
  • During illness
  • If blood sugar has been trending lower than it should recently -luckily this doesn't happen so often these days
  • During or following exercise
The exercise one is interesting and I'd be interested to understand why exercise makes it less easy for me to notice hypos at an earlier stage. Possibly it is that exercise induces a certain amount of alertness and concentration. As a lack of alertness/concentration is one of my hypo signs, possibly this is a reason why exercise can lead to getting hypo signs later than I would usually.
 
cara147m said:
I am just wondering about hypo awareness - I have lots of very manageable hypos but my team and myself are concerned that I may loose my hypo awareness - I need to drive so can't let this happen!!

At what level do those of you still with hypo awareness start to feel symptoms?

x
Click to expand...

Usually anywhere below 4.8 on my meter. But I've had an instance of my meter returning a reading of 3.2 and I felt nothing.
 
I had a very scary hypo evening last week - could not get above 4.5 whatever I tried and was too scared to sleep! At one point I registered 2.7.... followed my usual hypo "cure". Checked after 30 minutes...... all the meter could say was "LO". I felt nothing and was walking around absolutely fine. Freaked me out as I thought I might have passed out at any moment.
 
Hi, I've been on insulin for a couple of weeks now and had my lowest reading of 3.4 before dinner today! I was told I won't miss the symptoms of a hypo but felt nothing at 3.4? I panicked and had some orange juice, checked 10mins later and was up to 7. Does this mean my levels will get even lower than 3.4 for any symptoms to occur? Slightly worried now as there were no warning signs?
 
shabso said:
Hi, I've been on insulin for a couple of weeks now and had my lowest reading of 3.4 before dinner today! I was told I won't miss the symptoms of a hypo but felt nothing at 3.4? I panicked and had some orange juice, checked 10mins later and was up to 7. Does this mean my levels will get even lower than 3.4 for any symptoms to occur? Slightly worried now as there were no warning signs?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, just the odd hiccup now and again to keep you on your toes. Just keep an eye on the situation. After my freak low I seemed to have returned to normal whatever that is.
 
Back
Top