hypo's

[newest]

had a bad hypo 4.30 this morning, went to bed with my b.s sitting at 9, my husband said he heard a thud turned on the light to find I had fallen onto my t.v next to the bed I couldn't stand or speak properly, he phoned 999, ambulance turned up very quickly, after being given sugary drink and given chocolate followed by a digestive my sugar level rose to 5, when I was able to function again I asked what my level was, the paramedic said it was 3.5?? my husband thought I had had a stroke, very frightening, it was cramp in my leg that woke me, my body temp had gone down to 34, cannot fathom out why this happened, I have been fine, no colds or coughs, the only problem I have is I need a hysterectomy and am always in pain in my back and tummy, could this cause it?? I have now had a refera.l back to my dsn and drs

 

[himtoo]

hi @newest
unfortunately from your description it just sounds like a night time hypo - 3.5 seems a bit high but remember meters can vary too.
if you went to bed at a BG of 9 -- was that a full 4-4.5 hours post evening meal ?
was the meal a normal meal ( IE -- some carbs ? ) did you count carbs correctly ??
( really sorry -- not having a go -- am concerned for you but also aware that there are so many factors )

over the years I have experienced night hypos that have required the paramedics ( thankfully on average only once every 6-7 years ) but there are so many other factors such as stress , alcohol , exercise, ladies monthly issues , to name a few that it is really difficult to pinpoint what has caused the hypo on this occasion.

hopefully you were able to sign yourself as well and avoid the visit to A&E

 

[newest]

hi @newest
unfortunately from your description it just sounds like a night time hypo - 3.5 seems a bit high but remember meters can vary too.
if you went to bed at a BG of 9 -- was that a full 4-4.5 hours post evening meal ?
was the meal a normal meal ( IE -- some carbs ? ) did you count carbs correctly ??
( really sorry -- not having a go -- am concerned for you but also aware that there are so many factors )

over the years I have experienced night hypos that have required the paramedics ( thankfully on average only once every 6-7 years ) but there are so many other factors such as stress , alcohol , exercise, ladies monthly issues , to name a few that it is really difficult to pinpoint what has caused the hypo on this occasion.

hopefully you were able to sign yourself as well and avoid the visit to A&E

that was 5hrs after my meal, I had given the correct dose of insulin for the carb intake, no alcohol, no exercise, and no to time of month, that is what I said to the paramedic that I have had hypo's of 1.8 and not ever experienced anything like this

 

[himtoo]

i would love to be able to wave my wand and tell you that i knew what caused it-- but there are so many factors involved -- how long have you been D ?
what basal insulin do you take -- ?
do you have any areas on your body that have developed lumps or bumps and could it be an absorption issue ??

really sorry but sometimes the old saying comes to mind ----- sh*t happens ( sorry i know not really any help )
going to tag some of the nice peeps i know that might have more insight @azure , @MH2010 , @Mrsass

 

[azure]

I used to have awful nighttime hypos so I know how horrible they can be.

I can't say what caused yours. Mine were caused by my basal not absorbing at the rate I needed (which is the reason I got my pump). Could it be a basal issue with you? Are you on MDI? Could it be uneven absorption from the place you injected? Did you have a bath or shower directly before bed? I used to find that could cause hypos during the night.

I know you might be afraid of this happening again, but hopefully it's a rare event for you. If you're anxious, you could set your alarm to get up and test in the night, and treat and lows before you hypo.

 

[MH2010]

I had the same on Xmas eve/morning. Got a right bruise from where I headbutted bedside cabinet.

I have sat and went through the days prior and have decided to stick with the explanation of its just one of those things which unfortunately happens. Luckily it happens VERY rarely.

As @himtoo said, discrepancies (sorry for spelling!!) means that your level could have actually been lower.

Were you too hot before bed? I have noticed if I am a bit warmer than usual at bedtime then my levels just keep dropping.

 

[tim2000s]

@newest, what background insulin do you use?

 

[Louise M]

I used to get night time lows when pregnant , ( falling down the stairs when i was nine weeks pregnant ). The only way i was able to stop them was setting my alarm for 2am . I started on pump at end of November and no night hypos since

 

[newest]

@newest, what background insulin do you use?

i'm on insuman basal 14 units, have been on that amount for a while now, though last week I started a new phial and my readings in the am were 20.5 first am next day they were 20.7 both times my b.s before bed was 7.2 then 7.1, used new phial next am b.s were 6.8. b.s sat night were 9 before bed.

 

[newest]

I had the same on Xmas eve/morning. Got a right bruise from where I headbutted bedside cabinet.

I have sat and went through the days prior and have decided to stick with the explanation of its just one of those things which unfortunately happens. Luckily it happens VERY rarely.

As @himtoo said, discrepancies (sorry for spelling!!) means that your level could have actually been lower.

Were you too hot before bed? I have noticed if I am a bit warmer than usual at bedtime then my levels just keep dropping.

I didn't feel hot, just normal, when paramedics did my temp it had gone down to34.4, god only knows what happened, but I just hope it don't repeat itself again, very scarey for my husband, I was too out of it to be afraid at the time, although I was apprehensive when going to bed last night.

 

[tim2000s]

i'm on insuman basal 14 units, have been on that amount for a while now, though last week I started a new phial and my readings in the am were 20.5 first am next day they were 20.7 both times my b.s before bed was 7.2 then 7.1, used new phial next am b.s were 6.8. b.s sat night were 9 before bed.

I'd suggest that you should set some alarms and test through the night. One of two things is likely to be happening with those numbers. Either:

A. You have a bad insulin vial and the insulin isn't actually working or

B. You are suffering the somogyi effect where you go low in the night and you body dumps glucose to counter it. You need to test through the night to verify this.

Either way, it may be worth talking to your team about your issues and moving off insuman (which as an NPH insulin has a peaky action that can cause nocturnal hypos) to something like Levemir or Lantus, which have a less peaky profile and are known to reduce the risk of overnight hypos.

 

[newest]

I'd suggest that you should set some alarms and test through the night. One of two things is likely to be happening with those numbers. Either:

A. You have a bad insulin vial and the insulin isn't actually working or

B. You are suffering the somogyi effect where you go low in the night and you body dumps glucose to counter it. You need to test through the night to verify this.

Either way, it may be worth talking to your team about your issues and moving off insuman (which as an NPH insulin has a peaky action that can cause nocturnal hypos) to something like Levemir or Lantus, which have a less peaky profile and are known to reduce the risk of overnight hypos.

I have been referred back to my dsn by the paramedics who came out to me, they also suggested that the dsn may offer a different basal. when this happens I will let you know what she says, thankyou for your help and advice.

 

[ArtemisBow]

Are you sure it was the hypo which caused you to pass out? Could it have been from severe pain or something related to your other health issues?

I only ask because of the 3.5 reading and the fact we all tend to look for a diabetes related answer when stuff like this happens, but being diabetic doesn't prevent other things from going wrong (unfortunately).