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Type 1 Numb Tongue

xAmb

Member
Messages
7
Location
Liverpool
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

I'm new to the forum so this is my 1st post...
I've had type 1 diabetes for 6 years now and today my boyfriend woke me up to one of my worst hypos.
One of the symptoms I have is a numb tongue. I woke up at 5am this morning and the feeling still isn't back.
I've read that it is a common symptom of a hypo but does anyone know how long this will roughly last for?
I don't want to bite or burn it in the meantime.

Thanks
Amber
 
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Not had that happen before @xAmb, if the feeling doesn't return then do get checked out.
 
I have had this before, only once! It was really strange! The feeling came back before too long tho, it was minutes rather than hours once the hypo was corrected. It was really weird and horrible! Hope it comes back soon x x
 
Still can't feel my tongue.. Its been 7 hours since I had the hypo now
It won't stay like this for a whole day will it?
 
I've had a numb tongue during a bad hypo before, but it always went away not too long after I got back to normal BS levels.

It might be in your best interest to get it checked out.
 
xAmb said:
Still can't feel my tongue.. Its been 7 hours since I had the hypo now
It won't stay like this for a whole day will it?
Click to expand...

As a T2, I have knowingly had a true hypo, never mind one resulting in a numb tongue, but I am a curious person, so I'll ask my question anyway.

When you say your tongue is numb, are you able to taste, and does it affect your speaking?
 
I can't taste anything & it's gave me quite a dramatic lisp.
I've just checked my tongue out in the mirror and the edges are all bumpy as if I have bit it.
(Marks weren't there this morning)
@AndBreathe
 
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xAmb said:
I can't taste anything & it's gave me quite a dramatic lisp.
I've just checked my tongue out in the mirror and the edges are all bumpy as if I have bit it.
(Marks weren't there this morning)
@AndBreathe
Click to expand...

I was just going to suggest you probably bit it. I've bitten my tongue before in a bad nocturnal hypo, and the weird feeling of it was the only alert that I'd done it. It stayed like that for a few days. I avoided hot drinks and ate very carefully as it was difficult to feel and control it.

Swilling cool water round my mouth helped too.
 
I also get numb tongue and lips if I go really low, and an altered sense of taste - a weird kind of soapy feeling. Sometimes it persists for a little while after coming back up, but I don't remember it ever lasting more than an hour for me. As @azure says, perhaps it is possible you did actually bite it a bit while it was numb and you were treating the hypo?
I also used to find some chemical in original flavour lucozade made the weird taste worse and left my mouth feeling strange (I detest the stuff now, must have built up an aversion to it after always using it to treat hypos the first few years after diagnosis).
Anyway, hope it feels better soon.
 
How long should I leave it before seeing someone? The doctors/diabetes clinic will be closed over weekend. Gutted I didn't get to enjoy my tea tonight
 
How low were u when u were woken, if u don't mind me asking? And if u had to be woken, what were the signs u were displaying? It does sound more like u have bitten it/clamped down on it during your hypo, ouch! I'd say if it's no better by the morning maybe get in touch with your gp/diabetes centre x
 
xAmb said:
How long should I leave it before seeing someone? The doctors/diabetes clinic will be closed over weekend. Gutted I didn't get to enjoy my tea tonight
Click to expand...

That depends how your tongue is and how you're feeling. If you're at all worried, you could give your nurse a call to put your mind at rest.

When I bit my tongue badly, the first two or three days it was numb and felt very swollen, even though it wasn't that swollen to look at. It hurt to talk and eat and move it. I'd also hurt my jaw too. After a couple of days or so, I could feel that my tongue was improving. The area where I bit it was still sore, but the rest of it felt more normal. Then I think it took about a week to be fully back to normal. I didn't see a doctor or nurse as I was confident it would improve slowly. I did take care of it though, by swilling cold water as I said, and being very gentle.

Be careful cleaning your teeth - that hurt me a lot.
 
My boyfriend tried to wake me up as I was going to drop him off at work. He said I wouldn't wake up but when I did I was acting all funny, shouting in jumbled up sentences, laughing at my hamsters. He tested my blood which was 2.7 (not the lowest Iv ever been) & gave me a bottle of Lucozade, I couldn't hold the bottle on my own (I can't remember any of this). Its never happened to me before so I found it all abit scary. Once my sugars were up I came back round & could control myself but my tongue stayed numb. @Sarahkylie88

I'm quite worried just for the fact I don't know how long the numbness will last. It's not sore or swollen at all, tingly at the tip but can't feel the rest. Maybe I could give it till Monday & if I still have no feeling I'll see a doctor. Thanks for your advice @azure at least now I know it could take a week to heal maybe.
 
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