Hi Maria,
I hope you find what is posted here helpful - all of us who post regularly do so in the hope that our experiences might be of help to others. Don't worry - you will get to grips with diabetes and, once you understand better how your body and metabolism reacts to it, you will learn how to control it. Unfortunately we can't advise you what you need to do because we are all different and what works for one may not work for another. All we can do is advise you in general terms things to watch out for and things that MIGHT help you, but no guarantees that they WILL help you.
In answer to your question, when I get a hyper reaction, usually when my sugars go over 14, I feel like I have overeaten, very lethargic, can't be bothered to do very much, sometimes slightly nauseous (you know that awful sickly feeling you get when when you've been given a box of chocolates and eaten them all in one go!).
I start to get hypo symptoms when my sugars drop to below 5: jittery, nervous, light-headed, slightly nauseous. If I don't correct it and sugars drop to around 4 then all those symptoms become worse plus I start to sweat, get blurred vision, short of breath, and I have difficulty balancing (for example I wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line). In fact it is very like the effects of having too much to drink, which is why someone having a hypo is often mistaken for a drunk and is ignored instead of helped.
What does seem to happen is that if your body has become accustomed to having high sugar levels for a long time then you will start to feel the hypo effects at a higher sugar level than normal (around 6 to 7). But what you have described does sound very like a panic attack. Have a look at the information on this site and see what you think. It describes your symptoms perfectly, and mentions that a panic attack can be triggered by unstable sugar levels.
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Book ... ttacks.htm
As you have said, you have suffered from panic attacks in the past so you do have a pre-disposition for them. Another give-away is the relaxed and calm feeling after an attack. You don't generally get that after a hypo (or a hyper) but it is a common reaction after a panic attack when the adrenalin levels suddenly drop. But please check it with your doctor.
I hope you find what is posted here helpful - all of us who post regularly do so in the hope that our experiences might be of help to others. Don't worry - you will get to grips with diabetes and, once you understand better how your body and metabolism reacts to it, you will learn how to control it. Unfortunately we can't advise you what you need to do because we are all different and what works for one may not work for another. All we can do is advise you in general terms things to watch out for and things that MIGHT help you, but no guarantees that they WILL help you.
In answer to your question, when I get a hyper reaction, usually when my sugars go over 14, I feel like I have overeaten, very lethargic, can't be bothered to do very much, sometimes slightly nauseous (you know that awful sickly feeling you get when when you've been given a box of chocolates and eaten them all in one go!).
I start to get hypo symptoms when my sugars drop to below 5: jittery, nervous, light-headed, slightly nauseous. If I don't correct it and sugars drop to around 4 then all those symptoms become worse plus I start to sweat, get blurred vision, short of breath, and I have difficulty balancing (for example I wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line). In fact it is very like the effects of having too much to drink, which is why someone having a hypo is often mistaken for a drunk and is ignored instead of helped.
What does seem to happen is that if your body has become accustomed to having high sugar levels for a long time then you will start to feel the hypo effects at a higher sugar level than normal (around 6 to 7). But what you have described does sound very like a panic attack. Have a look at the information on this site and see what you think. It describes your symptoms perfectly, and mentions that a panic attack can be triggered by unstable sugar levels.
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Book ... ttacks.htm
As you have said, you have suffered from panic attacks in the past so you do have a pre-disposition for them. Another give-away is the relaxed and calm feeling after an attack. You don't generally get that after a hypo (or a hyper) but it is a common reaction after a panic attack when the adrenalin levels suddenly drop. But please check it with your doctor.
