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Hypos and Time Loss

Posytoes

Posytoes

Member
Messages
12
Location
Salisbury
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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Spiders
Peas
I'm wasn't sure how to title this but hopefully I can coherently explain what happened to me this evening. I'm 49 and have had type one diabetes for 37 years. I have no serious problems with with my blood sugars or hypo awareness. Before dinner I had low blood sugars - 2.3 - but decided to just eat what I had prepared. My next memory is of about 20 minutes later in the kitchen trying to make a cup of tea but struggling to use the kettle. My dirty plate was proof that I had eaten my meal but even now, five hours late, I have absolutely no memory of eating it. I don't think that has ever happened to me before and it's quite scary. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Thanks.
 
Yeah I've had this before, not for a long time though. What was your meal?
 
Home made tomato and lentil soup and brown bread. It wasn't so much the going hypo as the having no recollection of what happened. I'll give my diabetes nurse a ring and discuss it with her.
 
Posytoes said:
I'm wasn't sure how to title this but hopefully I can coherently explain what happened to me this evening. I'm 49 and have had type one diabetes for 37 years. I have no serious problems with with my blood sugars or hypo awareness. Before dinner I had low blood sugars - 2.3 - but decided to just eat what I had prepared. My next memory is of about 20 minutes later in the kitchen trying to make a cup of tea but struggling to use the kettle. My dirty plate was proof that I had eaten my meal but even now, five hours late, I have absolutely no memory of eating it. I don't think that has ever happened to me before and it's quite scary. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Thanks.
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Hi, Posytoes, I have had type one for 36 years. It is amazing that you have had so many years without this. I had it quite a bit about 30 years ago, until i learnt never to go much under 5.5 or 6.0, and always to eat glucose or similar if i was as low as 2.3 - that is an emergency. My concern is why did you just continue with the situation as if things were normal? ... it may have been because at that level what doctors call your 'executive' function - your ability to make decisions/change plans etc - is impaired ... maybe that was why you went on as before, and just continued with your meal - and a meal that was slow absorbed carbs! i had to programme myself to have glucose in such situations, as i knew i would not be able to work things out rationally - this programming once done is there for ever - i find it still useful sometimes now. All the best, Ann
 
Posytoes said:
I'm wasn't sure how to title this but hopefully I can coherently explain what happened to me this evening. I'm 49 and have had type one diabetes for 37 years. I have no serious problems with with my blood sugars or hypo awareness. Before dinner I had low blood sugars - 2.3 - but decided to just eat what I had prepared. My next memory is of about 20 minutes later in the kitchen trying to make a cup of tea but struggling to use the kettle. My dirty plate was proof that I had eaten my meal but even now, five hours late, I have absolutely no memory of eating it. I don't think that has ever happened to me before and it's quite scary. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Thanks.
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With a bg level of 2.3 you should have taken some fast-acting glucose then delayed you dinner, it sounds like you've had a lucky escape Posytoes and to avoid it happening again treat the hypo as a priority (sorry for the lecture).

I had what I'd call a lucky escape last year, I injected ahead of my food as normal and when eating my meal I suddenly starting sweating quite profusely and could feel my bg dropping like a stone, thankfully I keep some small cans of party-size coke in the kitchen cupboard so drank that and had a couple of jelly babies and I was fine after 5 mins, that is the only time that I've felt that I might have needed a third-party assistance and it scared me somewhat, but not had any episodes like this since but it was a wake-up call nonetheless.
 
Hi @Posytoes ,

The hypo before a meal, if it happens either due to bolus timing or just due to a late wait & pre bolus? (That general kind of thing.) I tend to either drink before or accompany the meal with a known sugared drink...
I've been diabetic for nearly 39 years. The memory loss? I can't say I have ever had. I tend to go on "auto pilot" with the treatment.
Having said that. As a singer in a band going low & treating during a 90 minute gig. (Normally calling out a tune with more guitar solo than words so I can sort myself out.) ;) I have looked at the set list & questioned if we had done a couple of the songs already.. That's Rock & roll..!

Though I feel in your case. You may have dropped lower than the test result you got before the slower acting carbs pulled you back.. Did you bolus for the meal??
 
In my early years as a diabetic I used to take an anti-histamine called Triludan. It causes memory loss Hypos, even at higher levels of bg. I agree it isn't a pleasant experience. It's been quite a long time since I experienced this though.

I tend to find that I suffer "time extension" with basal Hypos. I think something is taking me a normal amount of time but elapsed time is 50% longer. It drives my other half mad.
 
tim2000s said:
I tend to find that I suffer "time extension" with basal Hypos. I think something is taking me a normal amount of time but elapsed time is 50% longer. It drives my other half mad.
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Indeed. I equate it like the experience of someone who is "stoned" on pot..
I had a friend who claimed someone was staring at her across a bar once. Her "paranoia" from imbibing the substance.
I had to talk her down as she was about to kick off. It's true the guy may have innocently shot a glance as we stepped up to the bar. But her own perception/experience of linear time was skewed.. She was a liability to be honest.. :banghead:
 
Thanks for all your replies. I should have treated the hypo and then eaten my dinner and I'm not sure why I didn't. I guess however long we've been diabetic we all still make silly mistakes or don't treat it with the respect it deserves. I will be more careful in future. Good title suggestion Jaylee - I did momentarily wonder if my dogs were responsible! Thanks again everyone. x
 
I feel the dogs may have done the washing up too...?!

I feel you were on auto pilot. having food readily prepared. The programming set in. (Self preservation.)
I'm still wired that way from my sketchy 1970s D education from back in the day.. ;)

Glad yer OK though...

salvador-dali2.jpg
 
This might be slightly different but I remember once (some years back) that I awoke on the sofa and thinking I must have fell asleep the night before and not got to bed.

I saw the time and I realised I was already an hour late for work, I got up and was rushing around getting ready and panicking. But really panicking, i was all over the place. I couldn't remember where my keys were and I was really stressed out. Anyway I finally found them and left my flat.

I was walking down the road and I was really unsteady. Then I wondered why it was so dark and it took me until I got to the train station to realise that it was 8.30pm !

I was twelve hours out ! Totally confused and hypo ! Anyway I knew then what was occurring and I purchased some lucozade and had it outside the station.

I had lost all perception of time. Anyway I returned home and was really happy as when I had fully came round I then remembered it was Saturday evening! I worked Mon to Fri. So actually I was a day and a half out !
 
Years ago.... I fed my bolognese (no pasta) to my dogs and my memory of it is pretty much zilch besides seeing the frying pan on the floor (empty) and nothing for hubby and I to eat for tea.

I think we all in 30 years + of diabetes will experience something like this.

Run levels higher for 6 weeks and try to keep them between 6-8.0
 
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its got good when this happens, I have suffered the same but in my 30,s.

I was shopping at asda with my daughter who was 5 at the time, we were walking out the store and thats all I remember.

Next thing was waking up in the office of the store with no daughter, I lost my head and started to kick off. But was told my ex had picked her up...

I feel for you as it is a horrible thing to happen
 
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