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Hypo?

SockFiddler

Well-Known Member
Messages
623
Location
Bristol
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I just had a strange moment where I started yelling at Euan for no real reason, I got sweaty, dizzy and clammy, I couldn't type anything or use my mouse and felt so overwhelmingly frustrated this I burst into (uncharacteristic) tears. I felt utterly lost and alone, where 10 minutes before I'd been ticking along happily in my own world as usual.

I completed the Hypo Awareness Program just this morning, and something in my mind clicked on that (I was looking at the certificate you print out at the end, which I suppose was something of a visual prompt?) and suddenly imagined a dear friend sitting next to me, talking me through what to do. Of course, I argued with him every step of the way.

As soon as I ate something sweet, it all resolved. One moment I felt ****** and unlike myself, the next moment, utterly back to normal (bit of a headache, nothing bad enough to warrant paracetamol, and a bit shaky for about 2 minutes after). I can't test my BG currently - my meters are in the post.

My diabetic nurse had snickered at me when I asked whether T2's can get hypos (as she cheerily prescribed Empagliflozin, whose very own leaflet warns that hypos are a potential side-effect), and categorically said I would have no reason to test my BG levels on a regular basis "except for curiosity's sake".

I'd definitely felt this way before, the only difference is that this time I'd just completed a hypo awareness course that clued me up enough to (summon an apparition with enough authority to get me to) sort myself out.

Was this definitely a hypo? Could I just have had a loopy 5 minutes? I feel tremendously vulnerable not being able to test my BG - is there cause for alarm that I can't test myself at the moment? What do T2's do to keep themselves level - should I eat a few carbs this evening?

Sorry. All a bit of a minefield, with not-quite-untangled, conflicting info rattling around in my mind.

I do know it sucks. And that, honestly, I'd say I were a little bit frightened if I was the type of person to admit such a thing. I wish I had a BG meter. Should be arriving tomorrow.

*Special thanks to @No2D for being unwittingly brilliant.
 
SockFiddler said:
Was this definitely a hypo? Could I just have had a loopy 5 minutes?
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It could be a hypo or a false hypo only testing will tell. Either way the symptoms are unpleasant.

You should be prescribed a meter and I would challenge this with the surgery especially now you are experimenting with your carb intake.
 

SockFiddler, there's no way anyone can answer your question, without a test. Hopefully your meter will arrive soon. You've definitely done the right thing to order it.

Should the same ting happen again, please do test, then you'll have an insight for yourself. What some newly diagnosed people do find though is that they can experience hypo-like feelings even when their numbers are clinically fine. This tends to happen when they have been running their bloods a bit high (hence the diagnosis), and their body is objecting a bit to them trying to bring their numbers down.

Our bodies like to run in a regular range (for lots of things, including blood glucose), s our bodies will either try to compensate for the change, or send out complaining signals (like hypo-like symptoms). These tend to be referred to as false hypos. They're just one of those things some people get. If you have a falso hypo, maybe just try having something like a cup of tea, with milk. That would be enough to buoy up your blood glucose a very small amount and stop your body objecting, then eat your next meal as usual.

If we always go straight to the heavy carbs for a false hypo, it can prolong the period of discomfort and bringing our numbers down.
 
Hi, what D meds are you on..?
Sounds like the characteristics of a hypo. From other testimonies. My own experience is more passive less emotional..
You mentioned "10 minutes before I'd been ticking along happily in my own world as usual." Was this a feeling of walking into a room & forgetting why?

But alas.. Without that meter..
 
I hadn't really been paying attention to how I'd been feeling. Except I was aware of a creeping sense of dissatisfaction (boredom) but an inability to focus on anything. I got angry with Euan because he didn't want to play some dumb online game with me (he was getting ready for bed, poor kid). I grew increasingly irritated but couldn't identify anything wrong - which further annoyed me.

I have been going at the diabetes pretty solidly for the last two - three weeks, from daily amount of carbs that I'm not prepared to try to calculate now (easily more than 500g / daily, between cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta / takeaway for dinner) down to around 60g the last 4 days, plus the Jardiance, I know, is making me pee more sugar out, I'm just ending a fairly awful period and I'm dropping weight so fast I can notice differences daily.

Maybe I need to transition a little more gently?

Edit: Hypoglycemia is listed as a possible side effect on both the paper that came with the meds and on the drug's own site: https://www.jardiance.com/

This site https://www.drugs.com/sfx/jardiance-side-effects.html reports an 11.5% occurrence at the 25mg dose, though with people taking other BG-lowering drugs (doesn't mention the impact of low carb intake)
 
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Do you remember any distortion/shimmering/flickering/dancing lights in the lower field of vision? Even a slight colour blindness along with the blank mind. (Regarding what you were focusing on at the time.)

The eyesight thing for me is like an early "heads up display" that I'm going down...
 
Nothing with the eyesight (though I know what you mean), but I do remember a feeling like the top of my head was lifting off.

Weird. Unpleasant. So relieved the meters will be arriving tomorrow (I ordered 2!)
 
SockFiddler said:
Nothing with the eyesight (though I know what you mean), but I do remember a feeling like the top of my head was lifting off.

Weird. Unpleasant. So relieved the meters will be arriving tomorrow (I ordered 2!)
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The meters will help you immensely gauge what going on.. If you do test low & treat? Don't be surprised if you test 5 minutes later & there's no change or even lower..?! Due to blood flow throughout the body, there will be up to 20 minutes "lag"? Like a "snapshot" in time with the result...
It's easy to panic & overdo things. Lol
 
I remember vividly getting lost in my own bedroom during the process of dropping my blood glucose levels.
I am fairly sure that it was a false hypo, and I wasn't taking any medication by then so I took a drink of water and went to bed confident that my body would sort itself out.
It happened again during the next day but a few grapes a few times sorted it out, and after that all was OK.
I'd be inclined, if the meter shows real lows, to ask for the medication to be reduced rather than stop the process of getting control by more natural means. The more that doctors and nurses become aware that diabetes is not a 'just keep taking the tablets' sort of illness the better.
 
Is it possible to have a hypo when your sugar is above 4.0 on the meter?

Follow my logic here:

A hypo is when there isn't enough sugar to keep the body fueled.
Non diabetics' bodies have insulin that can release BG as required
If you have insulin resistance, it's harder for your body to release sugar when you need it.
If you can't release sugar when it's needed, you'll have higher levels of sugar in your blood, but they'll be inaccessible because of your insulin resistance.
Therefore you'll have a higher blood sugar reading, but that sugar isn't "on the market" for the body's use.
Therefore you'll experience the symptoms of a hypo without the meter hitting the sub-4 range.

I'm having strange, Dickensian visions of little starving insulin faces, pressed up against haemoglobin windows, watching them feast on sugary glucose delights.
 
It's possible that what you experienced was a sub 3 by ID standards. But it's all relevant to what you may have been flying at before...? (What is called a "false hypo.")
Without that meter to consolidate the syptom. We're working on supposition...

I've no personal wish to knock your therory. But if you've been high level BS, then back to normal range? Then it's a little like an alcoholic ditching booze getting sober...? In short "withdrawal."

Food for thought. No intention to disparage..
 
Oh, it's just a theory - I'm still learning how it all works.

The last fasting BG I took was 7.2 (my HbA1c was 9.4, taken 2 weeks before), and since then I've been really going to town on the low carbs - managing appetite and energy has been quite a challenge for me, really. I'm willing to accept your Cold Turkey theory, especially as sugar is an addiction.

Thank you, by the way, for all your input and advice here. Not sure I've said that yet
 

Hey! Thank you.. Always good to "chew the fat." It's just a **** shame you didn't have that meter at the time...?
But I'm confident with a meter, you'll get to terms with it. & help me learn something as well..
 
Well, now I'm writing today's blog entry and it's clear I've struggled to eat and rest as I usually do today, too. I've been feeling "off" all day, so I suspect the seeds of whatever-that-was were sown much earlier on in my day.

I remain astonished that the NHS doesn't see the value in T2's testing.
 
SockFiddler said:
I remain astonished that the NHS doesn't see the value in T2's testing.
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So am I.. I've had many a discussion with a DSN regarding T2 testing (one was a pre D.) "Kwik fit" tyre fitters is all I can say on that...
 

Insulin's key functions are to push glucose into our cells for consumption or storage as fats

A hypo occurs when there is too much insulin and glucose levels drops too fast. for our insulin resistant brain, This results in impaired glucose uptake. This means we typically needs higher level of glucose to feel happy. This is typically starts around 5 mmol, although a technical hypo is close to 3 mmol.

Alternatively, if it has adequate supply of ketones, it won't go into panic or shutdown mode.

As we cut down our carbs intake, our insulin levels normalize. There won't be sudden drops in glucose levels. Less insulin also means that fat oxidation and ketone production can increase. But most of us usually need some time (a couple of days) to ramp up all the necessary enzymes for ketones production. So some coconut oil will help during this phase to tide over the gaps in glucose/ketones level.

Here is what typically happens on a multi-day fast...as glucose levels drops, ketones level increases as alternative fuel.
 
I love the image of the poor starving faces - but I'm afraid that the false hypo is your brain having a tantrum at being denied the lovely sugary bath it was used to having and although it can manage perfectly well it is doing the equivalent of throwing itself on the floor and beating its toes and fists on the carpet, howling for sweeties.
 
A meter arrived! My CodeFree turned up, and what a lovely little number it is! Just spent a happy hour getting to know it, setting it up... Lance McStabby is a bit aggressive, though that's probably my fault, I set it to 3, thinking it went all the way up to 10. Oops! Just to 5 - lesson learned.

Anyway, 3 hours after breakfast my reading was 6.6 which I'm very pleased about and I'm curious to see what my fasting reading will be.
 
It's interesting that you said you cried for no reason as that is my first indication that I'm having a hypo and it's very reliable as an early warning. As the others have said, if you have been running high BG for some time then quickly reduce to normal numbers you can get a false hypo - but they very much feel like the real thing.

I had quite a few HCPs tell me you won't get hypos on my meds - well, yes, you can. I've learned to trust my judgement of how I feel (as against how I normally feel) over what any HCP tells me.

I keep cherry tomatoes or frozen cherries to bring my BG up a little bit at a time.

Well done in that 6.6.
 
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