My worst hypo yet!

[lmzxox]

I’m 12 weeks PP after having GD and I had a glucose tolerance test last Monday which came back clear. On Friday of the same week I was rushed to A&E with severe vomiting, confusion , blurred vision and personality changes where I have no memory of anything that happened that evening in hospital at all. I spoke to the consultant the next morning on the ward round and he said to me it’s 90% chance being a hypo and that I needed to be tested in hospital for type 1 diabetes within the next 6 weeks. I am now still feeling very unwell and I’m so worried about having another hypo and I’m constantly monitoring my blood sugars that don’t seems to want to rise above 4.4. I’m very upset that nothing got picked up on my recent glucose test and that I had to go through this for my body to finally tell me something was wrong.
Has anyone else experienced this and what have people done in the lead up to having further glucose tests? I’m too scared to drive incase this happens again and I haven’t left the house in nearly a week because of this.

 

[Jaylee]

I’m 12 weeks PP after having GD and I had a glucose tolerance test last Monday which came back clear. On Friday of the same week I was rushed to A&E with severe vomiting, confusion , blurred vision and personality changes where I have no memory of anything that happened that evening in hospital at all. I spoke to the consultant the next morning on the ward round and he said to me it’s 90% chance being a hypo and that I needed to be tested in hospital for type 1 diabetes within the next 6 weeks. I am now still feeling very unwell and I’m so worried about having another hypo and I’m constantly monitoring my blood sugars that don’t seems to want to rise above 4.4. I’m very upset that nothing got picked up on my recent glucose test and that I had to go through this for my body to finally tell me something was wrong.
Has anyone else experienced this and what have people done in the lead up to having further glucose tests? I’m too scared to drive incase this happens again and I haven’t left the house in nearly a week because of this.

Hi, welcome to the forum.

What diabetes meds are you currently prescribed?

 

[Oldvatr]

I am having difficulty getting my head round your consultant thinking your hypo is connected to Type 1. Could it have been a hyper event instead? If you are unable to get sampled readings above 4.4 then it is unlikely to be that. Especially since you passed the OGTT test recently.

The vomiting symptom is not normally associated with a hypo either, but could be if you were dizzy.

 

[lmzxox]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

What diabetes meds are you currently prescribed?

They’ve put me on metformin once a day at breakfast at the moment

 

[lmzxox]

I am having difficulty getting my head round your consultant thinking your hypo is connected to Type 1. Could it have been a hyper event instead? If you are unable to get sampled readings above 4.4 then it is unlikely to be that. Especially since you passed the OGTT test recently.

The vomiting symptom is not normally associated with a hypo either, but could be if you were dizzy.

Possibly then could have been a hyper, he said something about too much insulin being produced in my body and that I needed my glucose testing every half hour in hospital when they do the further testing. He prescribed me metformin to take for now

 

[Oldvatr]

Possibly then could have been a hyper, he said something about too much insulin being produced in my body and that I needed my glucose testing every half hour in hospital when they do the further testing. He prescribed me metformin to take for now

OK. Thats possible/ If he said too much insulin then it is not Type 1 which is due to lack of insulin causing a hyper. But hyperinsulinemia could lead to a hypo.
https://www.healthline.com/health/hyperinsulinemia#symptoms
I suspect that the consultant was actually meaning Type 2 caused by severe insulin resistance. But does not explain the vomiting. There may be an infection going on as well. Did you have a temperature at the time? Could you have eaten something that might explain?

 

[Oldvatr]

Thinking on the hoof, If you are T2D and that severely IR, then your daily readings would be above 4.4. so still baffled. I assume you are not seeing the same problem since or even hints of it?

 

[lmzxox]

Thinking on the hoof, If you are T2D and that severely IR, then your daily readings would be above 4.4. so still baffled. I assume you are not seeing the same problem since or even hints of it?

I’m not 100% what was said and only going by my discharge letter and what the doctor said to me on the ward round. Won’t know more until I go back and see them within 8 weeks. All I know is my symptoms came on suddenly and within an hour or so I was throwing up and had no idea who I was or who anyone else was and that at first they thought it was an infection on the brain but all tests for that came back clear. That’s when then they suggested it was a severe hypo, and one of my friends who is a type 1 has experienced the same symptoms as I did in the past on his many hypos he’s had.

 

[NicoleC1971]

4.4 is pretty fantastic as a bg result for type 2 and I'd agree that all your symptoms in the previous incident could be due to very high blood sugars/
An HBa1c (long term test of your sugariness) should tell you more (should be in range 23-42 mmol/L).
But you are not going to go too low. On Meformin the liver is inhibited from making glucose but not to the extent where you go that low. So I don't know what went on when you were admitted so its worth keeping an eye on symptoms but if your blood sugar remains this normal then you are safe to drive.
Its also that not being pregnant and therefore insulin resistant, and taking metformin is working for you!
Try talking to Diabetes UK Careline 0345 1232399

 

[EllieM]

Hi @Imzxox and welcome to the forums

Forum rules specifically say we can't diagnose so I'm not going to try to guess what's going on here.

But if the consultant thought it was probably a hypo then you have to consider that as a possibility. Unfortunately there are a number of possible causes for non medication induced hypos and it's really good that they are going to take your situation seriously and do some tests.

It's what to do in the mean time that is the issue (Hence your post, I guess).. Did your consultant say anything about whether you are safe to drive? In your position, I'd probably make an appointment to talk to my GP to find out what I should and shouldn't be doing while waiting for tests. Though metformin doesn't normally cause hypos there are a few members here who have complained about it so that might also be a question worth asking. How long have you been on the metformin?

And the repeated blood tests sound exhausting. Are you using a glucometer or do you have access to a libre? I would hope that now you know it is a possibility you can catch the symptoms before you go hypo. (And again we don't even know if that was your issue though it's a pity that no one thought to do a blood glucose test in the hospital...)

Lots of virtual hugs.

 

[Oldvatr]

We do not know what test you will be taking, but if it is an oral glucose stress test (OGTT) and you are using a low carb diet then this may be relevant
https://academic.oup.com/jes/article/5/5/bvab049/6199842

However, if it is the other form of stress test (IGTT) which uses an insulin clamp then that does not need the adjustment.

If you are having a c-peptide test, then again, a low carb diet will skew the results
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163561/

 

[lmzxox]

Hi @Imzxox and welcome to the forums

Forum rules specifically say we can't diagnose so I'm not going to try to guess what's going on here.

But if the consultant thought it was probably a hypo then you have to consider that as a possibility. Unfortunately there are a number of possible causes for non medication induced hypos and it's really good that they are going to take your situation seriously and do some tests.

It's what to do in the mean time that is the issue (Hence your post, I guess).. Did your consultant say anything about whether you are safe to drive? In your position, I'd probably make an appointment to talk to my GP to find out what I should and shouldn't be doing while waiting for tests. Though metformin doesn't normally cause hypos there are a few members here who have complained about it so that might also be a question worth asking. How long have you been on the metformin?

And the repeated blood tests sound exhausting. Are you using a glucometer or do you have access to a libre? I would hope that now you know it is a possibility you can catch the symptoms before you go hypo. (And again we don't even know if that was your issue though it's a pity that no one thought to do a blood glucose test in the hospital...)

Lots of virtual hugs.

I’m very unsure what to do in the meantime. I had a fasting of 5.3 this morning taken on my agamatrix machine and my sugars have been okay today. Until my tests I’m just monitoring my sugars daily an hour after a meal - unless I need to be testing more than that a day?

 

[Mr Doggy]

Hey, I'm with the Moderator with this. I'd definitely get to my GP for a second opinion. I do and it's helped with confirming treatment and things the other one may have missed when I do private.

If you are diagnosed as diabetic you start to get your meds for free (in the UK) plus the testing materials.

The Freestyle Libre kits are very good but are very expensive if you're not diagnosed. There's about 20 odd minutes delay between the real and actual sugar, but you can get it to set an alarm if you think you're going high or low and you can customise that. That'll make you feel more confident about having control and feeling happier as the alarm is like any other tone on your phone.

Good luck with it all.