Pas out or fall asleep?

[coby]

Hi everyone.
As some will know, yesterday I went off the wagon to share a special tea out with my daughter for my birthday.
I've been in none diabetic numbers for almost three years so it was a big decision.
My daughter has Asperger's and has no friends/social life etc and had asked this of me.
Now the main difficulty was managing to eat very much as my stomach very quickly felt too full, and also how sweet
everything seemed after avoiding it all for so long, but I did get through cakes, chocolate teacakes, fresh cream trifle (that one was easier)
and various other little finger nibbles.
I had decided not to test but I just had to in the end o ease my mind, and at the two hour stage I was 8.1. Pleasantly surprised at this I again did a test just over an hour later
expecting a slight drop and it had risen to 10.3!!!
Firmly deciding on a water fast today I again tested at bedtime and was down to 7.3 so happy enough at that all things considered, and happily went off to bed.
However, about an hour afterwards I awoke very unwell, with a heavy stomach and feeling nauseous and faint. I opened my window and sat by it to get air but was feeling worse and worse and somehow stumbled to the bathroom where all I could do was kneel on the floor with my head down to help with the faintness, but the next thing I was coming to with my forehead pressed against the flooring and wondering for a moment where I was! Now all I keep wondering is did I actually pass out, or did I fall asleep! I don't remember anything.
I returned to bed and sat upright in my dressing gown to keep warm, for two hours, then felt able at last to lie down. My blood glucose was 6.6 on waking. Any thoughts?

 

[Deleted member 527103]

Unfortunately, diabetes does not provide a protection against getting unwell in other ways.
As your BG was 6.6, it seems unlikely to me that this was related to diabetes.

I am sorry that you felt so poorly but we cannot diagnose or guess whether you passed out.
It may have been related to your tea you had with your daughter in some other way. It may just be a coincidence.
I recommend keeping a close eye on your health, including additional BG tests for a peace of mind, over the next couple of days.

Take care.

 

[coby]

Unfortunately, diabetes does not provide a protection against getting unwell in other ways.
As your BG was 6.6, it seems unlikely to me that this was related to diabetes.

I am sorry that you felt so poorly but we cannot diagnose or guess whether you passed out.
It may have been related to your tea you had with your daughter in some other way. It may just be a coincidence.
I recommend keeping a close eye on your health, including additional BG tests for a peace of mind, over the next couple of days.

Take care.

Yes of course you are right about offering up advice. I suppose I just thought it may have happened to someone else in similar circumstances.
I am fasting until at least mid afternoon today and indeed will test more often. Thanks for your thoughts xx

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi everyone.
As some will know, yesterday I went off the wagon to share a special tea out with my daughter for my birthday.
I've been in none diabetic numbers for almost three years so it was a big decision.
My daughter has Asperger's and has no friends/social life etc and had asked this of me.
Now the main difficulty was managing to eat very much as my stomach very quickly felt too full, and also how sweet
everything seemed after avoiding it all for so long, but I did get through cakes, chocolate teacakes, fresh cream trifle (that one was easier)
and various other little finger nibbles.
I had decided not to test but I just had to in the end o ease my mind, and at the two hour stage I was 8.1. Pleasantly surprised at this I again did a test just over an hour later
expecting a slight drop and it had risen to 10.3!!!
Firmly deciding on a water fast today I again tested at bedtime and was down to 7.3 so happy enough at that all things considered, and happily went off to bed.
However, about an hour afterwards I awoke very unwell, with a heavy stomach and feeling nauseous and faint. I opened my window and sat by it to get air but was feeling worse and worse and somehow stumbled to the bathroom where all I could do was kneel on the floor with my head down to help with the faintness, but the next thing I was coming to with my forehead pressed against the flooring and wondering for a moment where I was! Now all I keep wondering is did I actually pass out, or did I fall asleep! I don't remember anything.
I returned to bed and sat upright in my dressing gown to keep warm, for two hours, then felt able at last to lie down. My blood glucose was 6.6 on waking. Any thoughts?

Maybe it simply was a matter of over-eating. You're certainly not used to copious amounts anymore. I doubt it had anything to do with your blood sugars, as they didn't go to extremes. (The fats slowed down your spike, which was good). I do know I feel decidedly unwell when I go to a certain all-you-can-eat restaurant... They're tiny little portions, but there's so many of them, I feel rather sick afterwards, even if my blood sugars do remain in range. It's one of the few places my inlaws like to go though where I can also eat, so yeah. I'll go for them, even knowing how I feel afterwards. (Sound familiar?) No idea whether you passed out or fell asleep, but your one-off day is over and you can get back to your own rhythm again.

I do hope it was a happy celebration and a happy birthday for you both. Even with the aftermath, it sounds like if you knew that was going to happen, you would've gone through with it anyway.
Hugs,
Jo

 

[coby]

Maybe it simply was a matter of over-eating. You're certainly not used to copious amounts anymore. I doubt it had anything to do with your blood sugars, as they didn't go to extremes. (The fats slowed down your spike, which was good). I do know I feel decidedly unwell when I go to a certain all-you-can-eat restaurant... They're tiny little portions, but there's so many of them, I feel rather sick afterwards, even if my blood sugars do remain in range. It's one of the few places my inlaws like to go though where I can also eat, so yeah. I'll go for them, even knowing how I feel afterwards. (Sound familiar?) No idea whether you passed out or fell asleep, but your one-off day is over and you can get back to your own rhythm again.

I do hope it was a happy celebration and a happy birthday for you both. Even with the aftermath, it sounds like if you knew that was going to happen, you would've gone through with it anyway.
Hugs,
Jo

Yes @JoKalsbeek I am never faint or nauseous so that's a clue to the 'long-time avoided' foods, but it was the bathroom episode that puzzled me. I suppose I'll never really know if it was connected or not in some way. My blood glucose has never in my life gone above 11 so I'm lucky in that aspect too. Thank you for the input xx

 

[Lamont D]

Hi everyone.
As some will know, yesterday I went off the wagon to share a special tea out with my daughter for my birthday.
I've been in none diabetic numbers for almost three years so it was a big decision.
My daughter has Asperger's and has no friends/social life etc and had asked this of me.
Now the main difficulty was managing to eat very much as my stomach very quickly felt too full, and also how sweet
everything seemed after avoiding it all for so long, but I did get through cakes, chocolate teacakes, fresh cream trifle (that one was easier)
and various other little finger nibbles.
I had decided not to test but I just had to in the end o ease my mind, and at the two hour stage I was 8.1. Pleasantly surprised at this I again did a test just over an hour later
expecting a slight drop and it had risen to 10.3!!!
Firmly deciding on a water fast today I again tested at bedtime and was down to 7.3 so happy enough at that all things considered, and happily went off to bed.
However, about an hour afterwards I awoke very unwell, with a heavy stomach and feeling nauseous and faint. I opened my window and sat by it to get air but was feeling worse and worse and somehow stumbled to the bathroom where all I could do was kneel on the floor with my head down to help with the faintness, but the next thing I was coming to with my forehead pressed against the flooring and wondering for a moment where I was! Now all I keep wondering is did I actually pass out, or did I fall asleep! I don't remember anything.
I returned to bed and sat upright in my dressing gown to keep warm, for two hours, then felt able at last to lie down. My blood glucose was 6.6 on waking. Any thoughts?

My reasoning with your experience, is being an experience I had a few years back after I also didn't stick to my diet and of course a bit of speculation, the sudden sugar shock and portion size elongated and spiked your BG levels for longer than you have been used to. Or in your case, not at all. So the longevity of the spike and even the mid to high single numbers will give you some of the symptoms that I experience when even at 8mmols, my symptoms are similar to a hypo or false hypo. Then after your last reading the drop back into normal levels is the same as a false hypo.
The stomach and pain in your gut, is the amount of different sugary foods that you are definitely not used to. Take for example, when on holiday, Your stomach and gut retaliate after local ingredients in their food and you spend the first couple of days in pain and needing the toilet more than once a day.
There could be a bit of guilt mixed in there as well!
How your body copes with something different and having fallen asleep or fainting, don't know which, may give you a warning about attempting it again.
Could it have been something like a hypo? Not really or a severe reaction to the sugar/carb load? I suspect so!
It would have been opportune to get some readings, to see, what your BG levels were doing, but I guess you had other things to do.
Eat lightly today, and no shocks of any kind! Especially cake!

Best wishes.

 

[coby]

My reasoning with your experience, is being an experience I had a few years back after I also didn't stick to my diet and of course a bit of speculation, the sudden sugar shock and portion size elongated and spiked your BG levels for longer than you have been used to. Or in your case, not at all. So the longevity of the spike and even the mid to high single numbers will give you some of the symptoms that I experience when even at 8mmols, my symptoms are similar to a hypo or false hypo. Then after your last reading the drop back into normal levels is the same as a false hypo.
The stomach and pain in your gut, is the amount of different sugary foods that you are definitely not used to. Take for example, when on holiday, Your stomach and gut retaliate after local ingredients in their food and you spend the first couple of days in pain and needing the toilet more than once a day.
There could be a bit of guilt mixed in there as well!
How your body copes with something different and having fallen asleep or fainting, don't know which, may give you a warning about attempting it again.
Could it have been something like a hypo? Not really or a severe reaction to the sugar/carb load? I suspect so!
It would have been opportune to get some readings, to see, what your BG levels were doing, but I guess you had other things to do.
Eat lightly today, and no shocks of any kind! Especially cake!

Best wishes.

Thank you @Lamont D I am 99 per cent convinced that I did faint while fighting off that awful feeling of dizziness. I think now on reflection that I felt far too unwell to just fall asleep. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before. My body really disliked my choices and amounts of Party food I just don't like the fact that I have this blank from where I knelt down to where I awoke with my forhead touching the floor but hopefully it won't happen again xx

 

[MrsA2]

I get feelings of nausea, indigestion, bloating, sweating and dizziness if I over do food these days. Funnily enough so does my hubby though he isn't diabetic and doesn't low carb except by default! But we do both notice it after certain restaurants and/or meals.
At our recent anniversary dinner I had one cocktail then ate mainly low carb but still felt dreadful through most of the night. And a nasty headache for a day or 2, bit like a food hangover.
I think it could be the sugars, but more likely a combination of sugars, flour, processed oils, and quantity.

Just don't beat yourself up over it, it was a celebration and a social family event first and foremost.

Do please take extra care of yourself next few days, just in case it isn't diabetes/food related

 

[coby]

I get feelings of nausea, indigestion, bloating, sweating and dizziness if I over do food these days. Funnily enough so does my hubby though he isn't diabetic and doesn't low carb except by default! But we do both notice it after certain restaurants and/or meals.
At our recent anniversary dinner I had one cocktail then ate mainly low carb but still felt dreadful through most of the night. And a nasty headache for a day or 2, bit like a food hangover.
I think it could be the sugars, but more likely a combination of sugars, flour, processed oils, and quantity.

Just don't beat yourself up over it, it was a celebration and a social family event first and foremost.

Do please take extra care of yourself next few days, just in case it isn't diabetes/food related

Thank you @MrsA2 for your thoughts.
My body is certainly not happy now with foods I used to eat three years back and of course I also do regular fasts of between 18 to 20 hours as well as recently doing a three and a half day fast with relative ease! xx

 

[Lamont D]

Thank you @Lamont D I am 99 per cent convinced that I did faint while fighting off that awful feeling of dizziness. I think now on reflection that I felt far too unwell to just fall asleep. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before. My body really disliked my choices and amounts of Party food I just don't like the fact that I have this blank from where I knelt down to where I awoke with my forhead touching the floor but hopefully it won't happen again xx

Before diagnosis, the period I call my hypo hell. I would, because of my ignorance (and my doctors) of having hypos. I would just fall asleep at any time especially after food (three hours after) Maybe it was or like you describe I would pass out. I think I may have been lucky not to go into a coma. I just didn't know or you realise what was happening, I was really tired for most of the time, low energy levels.
That is what hypoglycaemia can do to you!
There are many people who suffer from sugar crashes and fall asleep or like a nodding dog!
Many people have food intolerance, one of mine is dairy ( lactose) and my experience with this has been varied and spectacular. I was made beans on toast by a friend's mother.
Who puts butter on toast with beans? Sacrilege!
Hope are feeling better and back to your normal routine
Best wishes.

 

[coby]

Before diagnosis, the period I call my hypo hell. I would, because of my ignorance (and my doctors) of having hypos. I would just fall asleep at any time especially after food (three hours after) Maybe it was or like you describe I would pass out. I think I may have been lucky not to go into a coma. I just didn't know or you realise what was happening, I was really tired for most of the time, low energy levels.
That is what hypoglycaemia can do to you!
There are many people who suffer from sugar crashes and fall asleep or like a nodding dog!
Many people have food intolerance, one of mine is dairy ( lactose) and my experience with this has been varied and spectacular. I was made beans on toast by a friend's mother.
Who puts butter on toast with beans? Sacrilege!
Hope are feeling better and back to your normal routine
Best wishes.

Yes @Lamont D Feeling better and a valuable lesson learnt haha xx

 

[Rokaab]

Of course it could just be a faint (syncope), it can happen for no discernible reason

Eg about 6-7 years I had had lunch, went walking around town (during my lunch break) went in the Sainsburys Local, came out my head felt funny and I just collapsed (someone random person nearby caught me)
When my boss came to help me walk back to the office apparently I looked white as a sheet - afaik it was just a case of low blood pressure - I ended up having a few tests in hospital later and then put it down a to a singular faint (syncope), it can just happen - my blood sugars were about 7/8 at the time (which for me was about normal for that time of day - ie 40 mins after lunch) _ was wearing a libre so could check quickly

This had never happened to me before

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

These symptoms sound a little like effects of carbon monoxide?
Might be worth getting (if you have one.) The gass boiler checked...
If only to rule it out.