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Never had a hypo...

I find they're worse when I still have "active insulin" i.e. if its 2-3.5 hours after a meal and my levels are still dropping pretty quick. I can be in the low 4s and feel super shaky and weak, makes it impossible to concentrate when you have exams just around the corner!! Grrrr!
 
The lowest I've been was when my meter read 'low' this is because I was so low it couldn't get a reading which I believe is under 1, how I managed to even test and see the result when this low is beyond me. My worst hypo came on so quickly that I didn't have chance to treat it or test. My vision suddenly went weird - everything was flying past me quickly. I came around with the paramedics seeing to me having fitted and bitten through my tongue. I'm a single parent and my 5 year old daughter witnessed me fitting and ran to a neighbours for help. She got a bravery award at school but since then we have both been really scared it'll happen again, I obviously reassure her it won't but I know the reality of being insulin dependant. That was a year ago and it hasn't happened again yet, with hindsight I was in a diet and trying to lose weight which anyone on insulin will no is not easy! I had been taking a green powder supplement which contained green tea, spirulena wheat grass and various other natural things to boost metabolism, maybe it was that.... I stopped taking it just in case.
All us diabetics are up against it in a way no non diabetic will ever understand. Stay safe folks xx
 
my sisters been diabetic for 8 years.
Her hypos and the way she reacts to them, entirely depends on how quick she drops. We've had to have an ambulance put 3 times
She's been unable to treat herself at 3.7 gluco gun administered, dropped to 2.8, ended up in hospital (called ambulance before gluco gun) and was still in a hypo 5 hours later and took that long to come up.
Sometimes she's been quite able, walking, taking normally at 1.2.
Just depends on how quick she drops, what she's done the day before.
 
Years ago I used to have hypos with no warning so I could be sitting on the floor because I had fallen off my chair, gone to have a lay down because I felt tired. Walked like John Cleese legs won't do what you want them to also unable to walk. Argue that you are fine and tell the people who are trying to give you some glucose to get lost. Fighting my children and paramedics, 3 people having to pin me down trying to inject Glucogon whilst having a hypo in my sleep. Really embarrassed when My sugar level rises. Apologising profusely. To be told you're only small but you are really strong. Luckily I have very few hypos now. I feel really good. Can feel when BM is low.
 
J1998L said:
The lowest I've ever been was 3.7 and I was only just starting to feel a bit shaky/hungry... What can I expect from a full on hypo with bloods around 2-3?

P.S. What is the lowest it can get to before you fall unconscious?
Click to expand...
The lowest my blood sugars have been is 1.2, i was almost to the point of passing out, my niece, no diabetes atall as she has been checked, her blood sugars have dropped 3-4 times now, her blood sugars are non-existent when she passes out, always check your sugars, i suffer hypo unawareness, with a full on hypo expect hunger, shakes, loss of concentration, the heat that goes through your body is unbearable, severe confusion, my body goes so weak that i struggle to breathe, your eyes cant focus, almost like tunnel vision, i can feel my eyes struggling to focus from one thing to the next, i feel scared, exposed and vulnerable, once you've managed to get yourself out of your hypo, prepare to get extremely cold for a few hours(might be different for everyone) the confusion and lack of concentration will stay for a while too. With any diabetic experiencing a hypo, i would suggest you call some one and tell them, ask them to call you every 15 minutes till your blood sugars are back within range just incase you cant bring them back up, then atleast someone will know and will be able to get you the help you need
 
You will also get extremely grumpy when i say that i mean all hell will break loose if you're looked at the wrong, to other people it can give the impression that you're drunk(thats if you can walk about) you may even slur your words, i know i do
 
The actual definition of a hyo is below 2.5 between this and 4 is a low blood sugar not a hypo. they used to say make 4 the floor but because of the speed some people can drop these days recommend 5. it must be above 5 to drive.
The lowest I have been was 0.8 and still telling the ambulance crew what was wrong with me for when I arrived at hospital- I don't remember much after this. I was il though. Usually I know anywhere between 4.2 and 3.8.
You are lucky if you have symptoms higher although for some people this is a sign that their sugars are running too high- so as a result they feel low at a higher level. Some people tend to feel the drop - I went swimming today and was 6.4 when I got out but I knew I was dropping fast- by the time I was dressed I was 4.6 so just had Lucozade and didn't wait to get lower. You will learn but unfortunately it wi take a few ow sugars to recognise the full symptoms. it used to be common practise when diagnosed to encourage a hypo in a safe environment so that people knew what to expect and were protected in the process. I don't know if they still do that.
 
I have had readings so low that my machine simply says "LO" and doesn't give me the reading....so not sure how low this is exactly but my machine has given a reading of 1.2 before so LO must be under that! I agree though, it's not always how low you are it's how quickly you drop low which causes the worst symptoms/feelings. I have seenuzelf being able to fix a 1.2 but then have also seen myself having a proper fit (collapsed on floor and partner had to force me to eat&drink).

**i have seen myself**
 
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Been Type 1 for over 40 years so suffer from Hypos without symptoms although occasionally I get a symptom. The other night I was 1.6 but was able to walk and treat myself. Years before that I had such a bad hypo I woke up after collapsing at home after lying on a cold tile floor for a couple of hours. On another occasion I got up in the morning and my legs just gave out and I broke my wrist when I fell. Still capable of phoning my husband who came home to rescue me. Officially a hypo is anything at a blood glucose of 4 or under. Because you are fairly recently diagnosed your body senses your low Blood sugars early but over the years your body will adapt so that your blood glucose will get lower before you feel symptoms. Please take care as once you have had one hypo in a day you are more likely to have more that day. Keep a close eye on your blood sugars today. Please make sure you have a small snack before you go to bed tonight. If by chance your blood sugar is high in the morning it could be that you've had a night time hypo and your body has released glucogen so do not panic.
 
In the 20+ years of diabetes I've had one or 2 hypos...;o)
Lowest was 1.5 due to over correction whilst on holiday. Woke up in a cold sweat - the bed was swimming in it ! Wasn't alone though so my wife was able to guide me to the glucose tablets - took a packet to get me feeling slightly normal.
 
J1998L said:
The lowest I've ever been was 3.7 and I was only just starting to feel a bit shaky/hungry... What can I expect from a full on hypo with bloods around 2-3?

P.S. What is the lowest it can get to before you fall unconscious?
Click to expand...

Shockingly, I've actually had a couple of experiences where I've literally dropped off the scale & medics haven't been able to get a glucose reading. According to friends & family it was a scary experience...I have no idea, I was completely out of it.

In a "typical hypo" I get the usual sweating, shaking, blurry vision. I also get angry and/or neurotic as in having a full on bawling Oscar-worthy performance! I also then go FREEZING cold, and have to crank the heating up & wrap myself up in about 10 blankets! Not fun! Especially when you "come to" and feel A) like you've been hit by a HGV & B) like a complete fool for making a spectacle of yourself!
 
J1998L said:
The lowest I've ever been was 3.7 and I was only just starting to feel a bit shaky/hungry... What can I expect from a full on hypo with bloods around 2-3?

P.S. What is the lowest it can get to before you fall unconscious?
Click to expand...
My lowest and still conscious was 1.2.
However I have been unconscious at 2.4. Like most things with Type 1 they are almost always different each time...
 
My lowest was 2.7mmol/L Generally my hypos are around 3.5. I get yellow visual disturbances as well as the shakes and sweats. I didn't collapse with the 2.7, but I was so shaky and my vision so poor it was difficult taking a reading. When it's low like that, even taking two Dex. it takes a while for me to normalize.
 
My hypos are always 1.30 to 2am
Not found a reason for it ?
Wakes me from sleep
Usually 2.3
It's fine when I go to bed but crashes quickly !
 
Ive had full on hypos at 1-6 and believe me its a bit more than being a bit shakey every muscle in your body twitches and you hit the floor like a ton of bricks you cant hold a bottle or a packet of sweets without droping them
 
I used to notice my hypos at about 4.0, but when I started using Novirapid I started not noticing until I was in the 2's. The information leaflet in the box says that over time it may cause you to become unaware of a hypo until it is much lower. I indeed find this is the case for me.

My meter reads as low as 0.8. One night I woke up in the middle of the night, realizing I was hypo. I yelled at my husband and followed him out to the kitchen. I sat down to test myself and all my monitor said was "LO", meaning I was too low for it to register a number. That's when I went blind. I screamed at my husband to hurry up, and told him I couldn't see. I was terrified! He wrapped my hand around a glass of Coke and helped guide me. I was shaking violently, and managed to spill a bunch of it. He had me eat a peanut butter & honey sandwich as well and kept me as calm as he could.

It took about 20 minutes before my sight returned. That was scary as hell! When your brain doesn't have enough sugar to function, it shuts down "non-essential" services (such as sight and hearing) in an attempt to divert the sugar it needs into the brain.

I have had hypos low enough to be unconscious, but I've never had a seizure. I think a lot of it depends on your body and it's tolerance, and it can vary widely from person to person as to how low is low. Your absolute best bet is frequent testing to ensure you know what's going on in your body as much as possible. Diabetes can be a lot of trial and error, but don't make it a guessing game. It's just not worth it.
 
I am just so glad I haven't had such a hypo as you guys have

I felt odd whilst out this afternoon, ate some liquorice allsorts I keep handy- when I got back I tested my BS - with a 4.4

I cannot wait til I can have my bloods tested again on Tuesday and hope that my average is down to at least 60 as the doc has agreed to reduce my glic. I am concerned about the time period though as the first month my BS would have been high as I didnt know I had diabetes as the results are seen over the last 3 months ...
 
I never get the shakes, or sweats. Never have,in 36 years. Don't know how low it's gone sometimes because I've not been capable of testing. Over the years I've been found at work , unconscious. Once lost five hours out of a day, and couldn't recall anything about it. I worked for years alone, and had some terrifying hypos.
Thankfully the last few years, since retirement my hypo awareness is quite good at around 3.5 but I could write a book about my hypo life and it makes me cringe to recall some of them.
But we have to just get back on the bike and carry on.
 
Over the last 10 months I've been losing weight without even trying. I went off of a medication that was apparently keeping the extra weight I had on, and the weight just started falling off of me. I was trying to adjust my insulin accordingly, but we were also in the middle of moving to a new apartment. I was having severe hypos upwards of 8 times a day, usually in the low 1's. It was very hard to deal with, because I had to keep moving because of a time crunch and didn't want to sit down and deal with it. My best friend, bless her, started making me sit down and eat, setting a timer for 20 minutes and told me if I got up before it went off that she would leave & I'd have to pack by myself. She knew that was the last thing I wanted. She got her way, and it was probably the best thing.

After we moved, there were times where I was waking up in the middle of the night, screaming nothing but "help me!" at my husband. He immediately knew what was happening. I don't remember most of what happened during those times. I would be so confused. My husband said that one of the times, I was sitting on my bed confused about he got to the hockey game with me, and how I didn't know where I was going to find a juice box. When he handed me one, I couldn't figure out how to suck on the straw. He had to quickly pour it in a glass for me. I remember crying hysterically while he held me, telling me if I ate too much I would just rebound, and to let what I had eaten work. (He was right, of course) I told him that he really needs to start calling Emergency services for me, because he may not always be able to handle it. My doctor also insisted that if I'm that low, to call them. It's not worth risking it that I'm going to just come through it by eating sweets.

It can be so terribly scary at times. I finally reached a plateau and stopping losing so much weight so quickly, and finally stabilized a bit. But talk about a scary time!
 
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