My sister in law's cousin died at the age of 32 from a night time hypo that he didn't wake up from. Never knowingly had problems before that - but he'd been out with friends that night so alcohol was the probable cause sadly.I was once told, many years ago by my Diabetes consultant, that the worse that will happen if you lose consciousness because your BS goes too low is that you will wake up with a severe headache. So nothing to be scared about! Mind you I have never tested this theory out.
Alcohol is known to make blood sugars drop, it can change depending on type of alcohol and the amount drunk, plus whatever insulin is in the background. This could explain why your sugars didn’t budge for a while because it would have been alcohol vs carbs until one side overtook the other!
Glad you managed to get sorted, it can be a scary experience!!
I’m T2 diet controlled so stand to be corrected but wouldn’t that be dependent on somebody being there to assist/boost your BS whilst you were unconscious?
And they say women can multitask, tsk tsk tskPlus when you drink alcohol, your liver can only do one thing at a time and getting rid of alcohol is its priority so it will not release glucagon into your system. **** you Liver
I was once told, many years ago by my Diabetes consultant, that the worse that will happen if you lose consciousness because your BS goes too low is that you will wake up with a severe headache. So nothing to be scared about! Mind you I have never tested this theory out.
Me too as a child, although i was mostly able to be treated at home. I tended to wake up just as the paramedics arrivedHmmmm, unless of course you're standing on the railway platform when it happens. Joking apart, that is a ridiculous thing for a Diabetes Consultant (without diabetes) to say. My Mum had several hypos and at least 50% of the time woke up in hospital and took days to recover. x
Can I ask why you think your Liver would do a dump in these circumstances? Surely if it was able to it would have already done some dumping when your levels were getting low and before it becomes critical which is the way it works for those without diabetes.That would depend on your liver and it's sugar stockpile that gets dumped in this kind of situation. But as i'd been drinking, i'm not sure it would dump anything as it would be too busy filtering the alcohol out of my system!
From what I have read Glucagon is not produced by the Liver but is the hormone needed by the Liver to dump Glucose in the event of a low. Glucagon is produced by the Pancreas which in my case doesn't do much at all anymore.Plus when you drink alcohol, your liver can only do one thing at a time and getting rid of alcohol is its priority so it will not release glucagon into your system. **** you Liver
Most T1s still produce glucagon (though T3cs with impaired pancreases may not) so they still have hypo protection from the liver. I think the problem occurs if the injected insulin is just too much for the liver (eg accidental overdose or liver impaired through alcohol). In general, though my pancreas no longer produces insulin it still produces other extremely useful hormones…. One reason why I wouldn't jump to have a pancreas transplant in the unlikely event that one was available.Glucagon is produced by the Pancreas which in my case doesn't do much at all anymore.
You probably already know this... but writing has helped me to figure it outCan I ask why you think your Liver would do a dump in these circumstances? Surely if it was able to it would have already done some dumping when your levels were getting low and before it becomes critical which is the way it works for those without diabetes.
I have had a similar sort of question over the last few months regarding lows and why they happen to us and will try to remember to ask at my next appointment.
I have always been told that my Pancreas is not working and therefore does not produce insulin, hence the highs. Fair enough but it has never been explained to me why the Liver does not help out with the lows????? Is it because the Liver needs the hormone Glucagon to stimulate it and that is, or was, produced by my now defunct Pancreas?
So disregard the alcohol for a minute. Are you saying you never have lows, other than by having injected too much insulin?If you go low, it doesn't have the capacity to both filter AND dump sugar unfortunately.
Hope this helps?
I had to give you optimistic for that - if only!So disregard the alcohol for a minute. Are you saying you never have lows, other than by having injected too much insulin?
I had to give you optimistic for that - if only!
No, i still have lows even when i think i've done the right amount of insulin. There's so many factors involved - insulin sensitivity which goes up and down, activity, mood (if you're excited about something you have a faster heartbeat, so more sugar is used etc - over a period of time it can show in your readings) temperature (basically, don't use hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms without being prepared!), to name a few. The liver dump is only (to my knowledge) triggered by low blood sugars.
However, if there's no alcohol or activities such as those listed above involved (ie. a normal day), lows do tend to be insulin related. Sometimes there is the odd one that makes no sense, but lows can generally be explained by diet/insulin combo. For example, lack of carbs, which contributed to this event for me. Lack of carbs and consequent hypo means you're on too much insulin. Even if its basal.
Alcohol inhibits the liver dump process. Put simply, the liver can't multitask.
So disregard the alcohol for a minute. Are you saying you never have lows, other than by having injected too much insulin?
Well explained @Shannon27
Putting it basically YES. Mis calculating carbs content in a food or getting your timing of insulin wrong. The variables are endless
I rarely get low reasons, more through luck than good management, but I always keep a good supply of jelly babies in the cupboard and if I have a low reading, I take 5 of these, and that does the trick.Good morning folks!
So i've been trying out a very low carb WOE (way of eating) and i have to ask - is it worth the risk of late night hypos?
Last night for tea we had a tagine/curry thing, homemade by the fella, with some cauliflower rice. Although we are trying to eat no carb teas so i dont have to inject, some rather excessive drinking followed due to some close family being over.
Well. At bedtime i tested and was shocked to find my readings at 2.9. I just felt drunk, not hypo at all. So of course, in the ensuing panic (because the house is mostly stripped of carby snacks) my boyfriend was running up and down bringing me anything carby/sugary he could find. I'd had about 40g fast acting glucose gel. Bless, he brought me the two shortbread biscuits we had left, an apple, breadsticks, and a pack of ginger biscuits we've had forever. I'd scarfed down half the pack before i thought "hold on, don't overdo it". In between him fumbling with my testing kit, literally disassembling and reassembling the pricker, and my munching, it took 90minutes for my bloods to raise to 5.4. At which point i remembered we had some cereal in the house.
Woke up this morning at a wonderful 21.6, and i have never been happier for a high reading in all my life.
Lesson learned - if i'm planning on drinking, eat some carbs with it. If no alcohol, then no carb is fine.
If i go low i always have things in to self treat. I did that night. I had some gel which has always brought me back up within range before i have something else to eat. just this time, the gel wasn't enough and it took so long, despite everything i ate, to come back within range!I rarely get low reasons, more through luck than good management, but I always keep a good supply of jelly babies in the cupboard and if I have a low reading, I take 5 of these, and that does the trick.
I get that and it happens for all not just diabetics but what I was trying to pick up on was your statement below.Alcohol inhibits the liver dump process. Put simply, the liver can't multitask.
It rarely gets dumped to stop a low because of all the other factors involved with diabetes especially the over use (mostly unintentional) of insulin which inhibits the flow of Glucagon.That would depend on your liver and it's sugar stockpile that gets dumped in this kind of situation.
The combination of Tresiba and alcohol will induce a hypo (for most people).Good morning folks!
So i've been trying out a very low carb WOE (way of eating) and i have to ask - is it worth the risk of late night hypos?
Last night for tea we had a tagine/curry thing, homemade by the fella, with some cauliflower rice. Although we are trying to eat no carb teas so i dont have to inject, some rather excessive drinking followed due to some close family being over.
Well. At bedtime i tested and was shocked to find my readings at 2.9. I just felt drunk, not hypo at all. So of course, in the ensuing panic (because the house is mostly stripped of carby snacks) my boyfriend was running up and down bringing me anything carby/sugary he could find. I'd had about 40g fast acting glucose gel. Bless, he brought me the two shortbread biscuits we had left, an apple, breadsticks, and a pack of ginger biscuits we've had forever. I'd scarfed down half the pack before i thought "hold on, don't overdo it". In between him fumbling with my testing kit, literally disassembling and reassembling the pricker, and my munching, it took 90minutes for my bloods to raise to 5.4. At which point i remembered we had some cereal in the house.
Woke up this morning at a wonderful 21.6, and i have never been happier for a high reading in all my life.
Lesson learned - if i'm planning on drinking, eat some carbs with it. If no alcohol, then no carb is fine.
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