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

Hypo issues

R

Rest

Newbie
Messages
2
hi guys, i am a relative (daughter) of a Type 1 diabetic who has quite frequent hypo attacks - has had at least 3 this week alone. I am getting really frustrated with it for various reasons:
1) he never accepts his sugars are getting low despite our attempts to tell him before he has a full blown hypo
2) he can hold you very tightly when having a hypo and i worry he could become hurt someone as he is so confused
3)sometimes it feels as if he is doing it as a form of emotional blackmail

he refuses to get help from the gp or even ask for some hypo stop so my mum gets glucose c to give him regularly for his hypos.

What can i do? Should i go to the gp and ask for help even though i may get into trouble because i know he shouldnt be driving if he has so many hypos? This could impact his ability to work and commute. Would the gp be obligated to tell the DVLA? What are the chances i could get hurt (or my family) when dealing with a hypo ? :(

Talking to dad about it is like talking to a brick wall, he has had a condition since he was 30 and now he is mid sixties and still he seems to want to keep his sugars ' on the low side', but i think he is frightened of the complications and therefore sails to close to the wind.

any advice on how to help us all would be great, thanks
 
Difficult one as you can only help those who want to be helped. I suppose you could try and speak with his HCP's and ask for help and they may call him in for a review, keeping bg on the low-side is extremely dangerous if you are experiencing severe hypo's as your father is, he needs to be aware that he is breaking the law by not informing the DVLA of these assisted hypo episodes and could lose his licence, make him aware that he is not only putting his own life in danger but that of every road user who travels the same roads.

Diabetes UK have an advisory service who may be able to help, try phoning them or alternatively send an email.

Good luck!
 
thank you very much for your help - my dad went to see the diabetic nurse a few days ago and i think something may have sunk in, as he is now taking his blood sugar readings more regularly and a bit less insulin too. Will have to wait and see if this is a permanent thing ! Lets hope so !
 
He will stand to lose his driving licence if he doesnt raise his levels and get his awareness back.

In all honesty, if he or anybody tells any health orofessional that he is needing help from anybody.. They should immediately notify the dvla.

He cannot be reliant upon others to help him with any hypos.

Please make him aware and get him to read postings on here from people that have lost their licences.

I have hypo awareness and like my levels to be in the 5-6's as much as poss, BUT this has given me too many hypos and my HCP's are still constantly telling me that I risk losing hypo awareness and lising my licence snd losing my livelihood... I too have had to relax my lower levels of 5-6 cos of the lower levels of hypoland being more frequent... And I recognise hypos and treat myself no problems.....

I hope you may be able to persuade your dad to look at this message...

He must not rely on anybody at all to help him in anyway for a hypo.... Twice in one year.. And if anybody knows and reports.. He will lose his licence... And when he renews his licence - the forms and letters to HCP's have all changed... They are quite entitled to download any meter you have to check your readings and how often you test etc.....

I hope the dsn told him all this and he seriously going to raise his levels...

I know myself how much it goes against what we all try to achieve with our bg levels... But it is pointless running lower levels and getting hypos....

Too much to lose....
DDx
 
Rest said:
hi guys, i am a relative (daughter) of a Type 1 diabetic who has quite frequent hypo attacks - has had at least 3 this week alone. I am getting really frustrated with it for various reasons:
1) he never accepts his sugars are getting low despite our attempts to tell him before he has a full blown hypo
2) he can hold you very tightly when having a hypo and i worry he could become hurt someone as he is so confused
3)sometimes it feels as if he is doing it as a form of emotional blackmail

he refuses to get help from the gp or even ask for some hypo stop so my mum gets glucose c to give him regularly for his hypos.

What can i do? Should i go to the gp and ask for help even though i may get into trouble because i know he shouldnt be driving if he has so many hypos? This could impact his ability to work and commute. Would the gp be obligated to tell the DVLA? What are the chances i could get hurt (or my family) when dealing with a hypo ? :(

Talking to dad about it is like talking to a brick wall, he has had a condition since he was 30 and now he is mid sixties and still he seems to want to keep his sugars ' on the low side', but i think he is frightened of the complications and therefore sails to close to the wind.

any advice on how to help us all would be great, thanks
Click to expand...

Hi

Its important for your dad's safety that he doesn't have too many hypos and the ones that he does have, he needs to be able to recognise them himself before they get so low that he needs help from other people.

You haven't said.... but just how long has your dad been diabetic and what insulin regime is he using... ie basal/bolus (MDI) or twice daily injections? Hypos happen for a reason... usually too much insulin or not enough food (carbohydrate) eaten at the correct time. What guideness has the diabetes consultant or surgery GP given regarding using the insulin regime and eating carbohydrate and testing bg levels? An awful lot of hypos can usually be prevented simply by testing bg levels a bit more and acting on the results by eating some food. Is there a pattern to the times that your dad has the hypos.... like mid morning, mid afternoon?

Regarding driving a car....... I would like to think that your dad has the common sense to make sure that he doesn't have a hypo while he is behind the wheel by testing his bg level and if below 6mmol he eats some carbohydrate and also has some sweets or glucose tabs within easy reach on the dashboard just to make sure that he can drive safely....... Unfortunately for all us diabetic car drivers... the DVLA have now made it a legal requirement for all insulin users to test their bg levels before they drive so your dad needs to made aware of this just in case he doesnt know. The naughty DVLA haven't notified diabetics of these changes though. I would for your sake and your mum's..... give your dad the chance to sort out the hypos himself before you notify the DVLA as he will get his licence revoked and that will be awful.......

Hope you will post to the forum again or get your dad to look at the many messages about hypoglycaemia and insulin regimes........
 
Back
Top