hypos.....

Here is a link to all the information you are probably ever going to want to know about Hypo's (Hypoglycaemia).
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/

how often,generally, do type 1 diabetics have hypo, and how serious are they usually ?

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If the Diabetes and Bg levels are well controlled then there should be no real problems. It is just something to be aware of. Testing before bedtime will allow you/him to know what is a good level to be at and then test in the morning on waking to see if any adjustments (food/insulin) are required ?

is it a case of just feeling odd and taking on glucose? or are they usually worse than that ?

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It depends how low he goes ? Normally glucotabs or Lucozade or any other quick acting drink will suffice then after about 15 - 20 mins check the levels and if OK have a slow acting carby snack to keep the levels stable.

Hi jonesy.

Do not get scared....get knowledge. As someone who has experienced many Hypo's, before gaining control, they are not as bad as they are made out to be !! We can help as much as we can and also explain most things for you. You are not alone, we are all on your side.

jonesy, before you or your son get frightened out of your life by the info in the link, the symptoms of a hypo should be unmistakeable to him (although often tricky to actually describe verbally!). He will most likely be wakened by a hypo, when it can be treated with glucose. Liquid is probably better (e.g. Lucozade) than tablets as a treatment, as liquid will be absorbed quicker. Personally I've always disliked the tablets intensely.

Always best to take a fixed amount, allied with frequent testing you and he will quickly be able to determine how much is required in future, it's often easy to overdo the treatment.

Provided he keeps tight control now, even with the occasional hypo, this will reduce the likelihood of him losing his hypo symptoms at some point in the future, as happened to me!

Hi

I was only diagnosed 6 months ago and was also very scared!! In the early days I did get a night hypo which made me worse BUT you can control and pretty much avoid them!

I found I was going to bed with what I thought was perfect BG (4 ish) which was too low for at night. I've since been advised that you should always go to bed at around 6 -7 and if when you test you're lower have a piece of cheese or snack or something.

That has worked for me (and all the others who advised it!) and I've had no problems since.... the very scared feelings do fade I promise, I used to feel I needed to go out with a paramedic to hand and I'm what you could loosely describe as a grown up :lol: not a 9 yr old.

Keep using this forum... it's a godsend in the early days!

Cath
x

Hi again

You'll find the right level for exercise as well, again in the early days I think I was a bit paranoid and over compensating with too much of a snack! When testing afterwards and my BG was way too high you learn to cut back a bit at a time. Everyone reacts differently but I find that some exercise I need no extra snack for and more strenuous exercise like running I most definately do!
Just test lots until you know how your son is. Be warned that his BG will continue to drop for an hour or so after exercise so he made need something afterwards.... that was learning curve and hypo number two!! :lol:
The hypos you normally have aren't half as scary as the 'serious ones' you read about... they're peoples worst case scenarios, I too was almost relieved to get the 1st one out the way! I massively overreacted to the first few.... 3 glucose tablets, snack etc etc... now if I'm shakey and BG around 3 I just have a piece of fruit.. job done
Any other questions fire away.... they'll most likely be the ones I was asking 6 months ago!! :lol:

Cath
x

Hi jonesy
Your worst enemy is fear!
You want your baby to learn to cope, not to become a gibbering wreck. This is where the services of Diabetes Uk do come in to their own. they run group activities for kids, which are great for confidence.
Overall, Hypos do less damage than long term HIGH blood sugars. Although a hypo CAN kill, it's very rare.
To make life easier on your son, how about getting one of those monitors that can alert you both. Then you can both get a good sleep.

jonesy, when I was first diagnosed, the doctor in charge deliberately sent me hypo while in hospital so I would know the sensation and recognise it in future! But that was nearly 30 years ago and I'm sure such Spanish Inquisition style practices are no longer, err, practised?!

Exercise is so important, and I despair at the stories of people giving up a sport they love because of a diabetes diagnosis. I played rugby and rowed for my school, still cycle everywhere and go skiing at least once a year. You will both learn to adapt very quickly, and it soon becomes second nature.

There's no requirement as a diabetic to have a hypo on a regular basis or set schedule, but the fewer the better is a good start. And the better his control, the fewer he will have!

jonesy, when I was first diagnosed, the doctor in charge deliberately sent me hypo while in hospital so I would know the sensation and recognise it in future! But that was nearly 30 years ago and I'm sure such Spanish Inquisition style practices are no longer, err, practised?!

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I was diagnosed when i was 9.... I'm 24 now.

They did that to me, and honestly, if my daughter was diagnosed, i'd do it to her.
The doctor explained it all to me, there was a nurse at my side for the entire thing, i had sugar readings what felt like all the time lol.
I knew what was happening, and i knew what it felt like, and i knew the nurse was there to help me.
Honestly, i think it's a good thing that they should do to all diabetics.
Every type 1 diagnosed as a child wil have a hypo at some point, so i think it's very important that they know what a hypo is, and they know what their symptoms are, since everyones are different.

Our daughter was dignosed last october she had her first hypo 30 minutes after being home from leaving the hospital.I'd noticed she'd turned a funny colour she was cold she said,when she checked her bloods they were 3.1.We were told to bring her back in,when she gets a hypo she feels shakey and her legs feel like jelly the colour just drains from her face.
When she was dignosed i'd just had her baby brother,so her dad was with her most of the time and got the training,and i got trained later.When she had her hypo it was panic stations her dad couldn't remember with being that tired.The first one is always the worse but you will get use to them,and he will notice the signs.Try not to worry i know it's hard not to but he'll be ok.

Hi,

When someone has a hypo quite a lot of the symptoms come from the adrenaline that is released into the blood as a consequence of the low sugar levels - so the fight/flight hormone let's us know we need to have a glucose boost.

When I was first diagnosed my symptoms would be sweaty hands, a pale face, a kind of confusion/lightness in the head, hunger and a short temper. If left for a bit longer the confusion that comes with a hypo is not dissimilar to being just over the line from tipsy to drunk and/or quite similar to the effects of smoking dope. Neither of which I imagine you son would be familiar with :!: , but it may help you to get a handle on what he's feeling. He may also become increasingly aggressive with all that adrenaline.

As you go on symptoms can change and decrease, but initially those symptoms would always warn me when I was conscious of my low blood sugar and it was very simple to take a few glucose tablets. The temptation to gorge on sugar should be resisted as much as possible because the swings between very low and very high blood sugars are not good for us.

When I have hypos at night I have always woken up; good old adrenaline again, and my understanding is that as long as the hypo develops slowly (rather than say from accidentally taking far too large a dose of insulin) then even if you don't wake up the liver will dump gylcogen into your blood stream and you will wake up feeling a bit lousy with high blood sugars but otherwise fine.

It's a worry for sure but it's easy to deal with; just keep a packet of glucose tablets to hand. Also, maybe you should try not to overplay the concern with him as that may be confirming his fears; don't bother taking all the glycogen stuff out with you it's not really necessary.

All the best

Dillinger