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Hypoglycaemia

chappilass

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 2
My mother has been living with type 2 diabetes for around 5+yrs... she has been coping fine up until recently, she first had a fall a yr ago in which she broke her wrist.
Over the past 3/4 months her health has declined quite rapidly...she has great difficulty in walking first she was with a stick ...now she needs assistance with a stick, quite confused and double vision and very sleepy.
This is her second spell in hospital and the doctors don't seem to know whats going on!! which i find very very frustrating as it seems quite clear to me.
But not wanting to tell a medical proffessional there job....how can i word it to them what I think it is... as i don't think they seem to be treating the problem..!!
 
Sorry to hear that. No wonder you're worried if she's got worse so quickly.

Is she on any meds? Do they test her blood sugar when she's in hospital? Does she test her blood sugar at home too?
 
Sorry, I might just be being a bit dense, but it's not actually clear to me from your post what you think the problem is? Do you think the falls are related to hypos? Does she test her blood sugar? Is your mum on any medications?

Whatever you think the problem is, it's fine to just have a chat with the doctors to express your view on it - although it will probably be recieved better if you can take a breath and try to do it calmly, I know that's easier said than done when you are worried about your mum but you and the doctors are both on the same team trying to do the best thing for her.
 
azure said:
Sorry to hear that. No wonder you're worried if she's got worse so quickly.

Is she on any meds? Do they test her blood sugar when she's in hospital? Does she test her blood sugar at home too?
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she's on metaphormin (excuse my bad spelling) for the diabetes ,plus blood pressure tablets... no she doesn't do any bloods at home, but i am considering buying her a home kit....
a friend of mine has recommended a herbal drug called d-mannose... heard of it?
 
yes i do...but the doctors don't seem like they want to commit to a reason...im thinking of phoning her GP on monday
 

Could it be her blood pressure? I ask because a relative was on blood pressure tablets but had dizzy spells so had to have the dose lowered.

You mentioned she was sleepy - that might be higher than desired sugars. Getting her a testing kit is a good idea, I'd say, because that might give you more information.

I'm presuming all the usual things have been checked because you say the doctors are at a loss?
 
Her blood pressure is relatively stable , her blood sugar though has been fluctuating between 3.1 - 6.7
as much as she says she's looking after herself , i suspect that she maybe "skipping or forgetting" to eat at regular times...
 
Most likely Postural Hypotension as @azure says. My hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia were cause by Gastroparaesis which makes Blood Glucose erratic. Is she eating well ?
 
Not as well as id like...and 'skipping/missing' meals.
i live and work abroad , but here as she was put into hospital...
and would this cause the other symptoms also?
 
chappilass said:
Her blood pressure is relatively stable , her blood sugar though has been fluctuating between 3.1 - 6.7
as much as she says she's looking after herself , i suspect that she maybe "skipping or forgetting" to eat at regular times...
Click to expand...

Are those the blood sugar ranges since mum had been admitted? To be honest, I wouldn't call that fluctuating - it's actually a very good narrow range. It does suggest that your mum could have been having hypos as 3.1 is a bit on the low side (although no one will know if hypos caused the falls without a blood sugar test at the time of the fall). So you might want to have a chat about the possibility maybe reducing the metformin.

However, if you think mum is generally deteriorating, I'm not sure hypos would be the key cause of that - usually a hypo is a distinct event; you feel rubbish and confused etc while your sugars are low, but once they come back over 4 those symptoms resolve (although you may very well feel groggy and not at your best for quite a while afterwards).

It might be a good idea to get some dextrose tablets for your mum to keep in her pocket all the time.
 
yeah since she has been in hospital.... this is the second time in 3wks thats she's been in.
here speech is still very slurred...and trouble eating and drinking without dribbling...

yeah will get some dextrose tabs
 
chappilass said:
Not as well as id like...and 'skipping/missing' meals.
i live and work abroad , but here as she was put into hospital...
and would this cause the other symptoms also?
Click to expand...

Has she been tested for Vitamin B12 deficiency? (I'm not saying its that but worth ruling out)

Have her doctors ruled out things like some kind of very minor stroke or something like that? (I'm thinking of the slurring and dribbling you mentioned)
 
This was exactly what i said re the dribbling etc....and they say no! totally frustrated with whats going on as is my mother...watching her slow decline like this is so painful...as she was so active...
 
chappilass said:
This was exactly what i said re the dribbling etc....and they say no! totally frustrated with whats going on as is my mother...watching her slow decline like this is so painful...as she was so active...
Click to expand...

I can understand how upsetting it must be for you - and for your mum too.
All I can suggest is to be politely pushy. If they say it's not a stroke, ask them if they've checked and how they know for,sure. Ask what blood tests they've done and make sure all the basics have been done. Vit b12 deficiency can be linked with Metformin and is something I know that some older people can get anyway.

Also, ask the doctors what investigations they're doing next, and what they guess the problem could be.

I know how upsetting it is to have someone you care about suddenly seem to go downhill. I really hope you get some answers.
 
chappilass said:
thanks for the advice and listening ear, will let you know how get on...

thanks again
Click to expand...

Hello @chappilass, so sorry to hear of your mother's medical problems, it is a worrying time. Could she of had a stroke, I'm sorry to mention this, but here is a link. Could you tell us how old she is, is she elderly?

Signs that you may be having a stroke:
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
  • Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
More items...
Symptoms of a Stroke in Women - Go Red for Women
https://www.goredforwomen.org/about.../symptoms...women/symptoms-of-a-stroke/
 
chappilass said:
yes all of the above....shes 75, the doctors don't seem to think so..
Click to expand...

Obviously something has gone on, I do hope you can get some answers soon and your mother get's the proper care, help and support she needs. All the best x
 
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