I was prescribed a mixed insulin recently, having taken a slow acting insulin for the past six months. I am too scared to start taking the mixed insulin in case I have a hypo. I have never had one, and I understand that you don't always get a warning, and may become unconscious. It would really help me if a few of you who have had hypos can tell me what to expect, if it is dangerous and what it feels like. I know what to do if I have one, but I am so scared of experiencing one. I am Type 2 and don't have good control of my BS levels for many reasons.
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Hypos
- Thread starter nannoo
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cugila
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Here is a link to a site which will give you all the information you need about a Hypo.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fac ... garlow.htm
Speaking from experience you should have some awareness of when your Bg levels are going low. I usually start to feel shaky and confused. My text messages are sometimes unreadable, same with typing ?? :? Time to get the Lucozade, Coke or Jelly Babies out, anything that is a fast acting sugar hit. After about 15 minutes or so my Bg levels are then back up to normal although I have once or twice had too much and gone Hyperglycaemic. It's a fine line. Nothing to worry about provided you take action straight away.
Ken.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fac ... garlow.htm
Speaking from experience you should have some awareness of when your Bg levels are going low. I usually start to feel shaky and confused. My text messages are sometimes unreadable, same with typing ?? :? Time to get the Lucozade, Coke or Jelly Babies out, anything that is a fast acting sugar hit. After about 15 minutes or so my Bg levels are then back up to normal although I have once or twice had too much and gone Hyperglycaemic. It's a fine line. Nothing to worry about provided you take action straight away.
Ken.
chocoholic
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I can remember feeling as you do and worried that I'd have a hypo and not recognise it as such. Fortunately that didn't happen. Somehow your body tells you. If you keep your test kit with you and have something sweet to hand, in case you go low, you'll come to no harm. When I first had hypos I would feel shaky, wobbly, a bit confused etc. etc. and tested my B.G. to usually find readings in the 4's or 3's. I do seem to go much lower now without realising but eventually my body tells me in the 1's or 2s still.My only sign now seems to be a slight headache but mostly I still know. If you need to take the insulin, then put your fears of hypos aside, as you'll soon get to know the signs for YOU and it's better to have the meds.you need than problems that could arise from NOT taking what is prescribed you.
badmedisin
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When I was diagnosed, my doctor induced a hypo so that I & my family could recognise the symptoms. That was loads of fun...
There's a huge range of symptoms you can have, not all my hypos are the same. Sometimes I get shaky and weak and confused, sometimes I get cold sweats, sometimes a headache, sometimes I go white, and sometimes I just get unbelievably sleepy. Which is not a helpful one, as extreme sleepiness is also one of my symptoms of high blood sugar, and sometimes just a symptom of incredible boredom.
So my rule is that I test whenever I feel wrong. If I feel ill or a bit odd, I find it's easiest just to test, that way you can either fix your blood sugar or eliminate it as a cause of feeling weird. Just keep your test kit with you, stock up on strips (if I'm actually running low, I can guarantee that's when the GP will mess up my prescription and I'll be stuck for a weekend trying to survive on 2 strips), and always keep your lucozade with you.
Also pick an easily accessible emergency sugar. I use lucozade cos it seems to work fastest, although it is disgusting. But I can open the bottle easily, which is important when you've gone all floppy and your brain has left the building. Don't go down the same route as my nan - Nearly passed out with a level of less than 2, struggling to open a tin of pineapple with a knackered tin opener. Doh!
There's a huge range of symptoms you can have, not all my hypos are the same. Sometimes I get shaky and weak and confused, sometimes I get cold sweats, sometimes a headache, sometimes I go white, and sometimes I just get unbelievably sleepy. Which is not a helpful one, as extreme sleepiness is also one of my symptoms of high blood sugar, and sometimes just a symptom of incredible boredom.
So my rule is that I test whenever I feel wrong. If I feel ill or a bit odd, I find it's easiest just to test, that way you can either fix your blood sugar or eliminate it as a cause of feeling weird. Just keep your test kit with you, stock up on strips (if I'm actually running low, I can guarantee that's when the GP will mess up my prescription and I'll be stuck for a weekend trying to survive on 2 strips), and always keep your lucozade with you.
Also pick an easily accessible emergency sugar. I use lucozade cos it seems to work fastest, although it is disgusting. But I can open the bottle easily, which is important when you've gone all floppy and your brain has left the building. Don't go down the same route as my nan - Nearly passed out with a level of less than 2, struggling to open a tin of pineapple with a knackered tin opener. Doh!
Hi, hypos aren't anything to worry about as long as you always have something with you to make it go away. I always carry a tube of chewy sweets (for some reason I find them faster acting than glucose tablets). I also carry a tube of Gluco Gel in my bag and always have one on my bedside table (I have never had a hypo in the night except when I was taking Reductil but I think better safe than sorry). I can't say how well it works as I have not needed it yet! I bought it because very rarely I will have a really bad hypo. I have always assumed that perhaps I had a virus at the time. If I go for walk I also have a Mars bar in my bag (and the sweets and Gluco Gel). I read about the Gluco Gel and thought I would get some. The chemist asked what I wanted it for!!!!! My symptoms of a hypo are feeling weak, shaky and not thinking normally. When I have had a really bad one (rarely) I have visual disturbance as well as the other symptoms.I once had a hypo where the symptoms were my arms going numb, that was an odd one! I just went into a cafe and had something to eat. I have had T2 for 10 years so I have learnt to look after myself. 
