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Post 1st Hypo

D

Diabetic Al

Active Member
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42
Hi, in the past 6 weeks I got diagnosed as Diabetic.
The consultant hasn't given me a definitive Type diagnosis yet as he's waiting on tests. Treating as Type 2 for just, but he reckons I'll be Type 1.

Anyway, had my first Hypo last night. Not too bad, only 3.9mmol. Felt light headed and as if something just drained right out of me. Had my fizzy juice and biscuit and was back to normal in 20 min.

However, I've not felt right all day today. I've been feeling drained. My bloods have been moving between 5.4 and 6.3 so I'm not hypoing again. I was just wondering if this is normal the day after, or does it vary for everyone?
 
Well sometimes I feel like I'm having a hypo when my bg is around 3.5 and 7. So I guess it is kinda normal how you feel that. Hypos are not to be afraid but you should be quick to get a drink or sugar. You should also get some carbos in order to keep your bg high for a while so that you won't get any hypos for the next few hours.

When I get a hypo my hands starts shakin as if I've lost control of myself and I feel so much hunger and also the draining thing. You'll get used to it after having it a few times. You shouldn't really waste time trying to get your glucose meter while you are on a hypo. You should get a drink first and when you are a bit calm, you can get it.
I hope you won't get a type 1 but even If you do get a type 1 don't panic because it isn't end of anything. Most people deny it at first, which I don't really understand. It is pointless to deny it because you'll have to live with it. :wink:
 
Diabetic Al said:
However, I've not felt right all day today. I've been feeling drained. My bloods have been moving between 5.4 and 6.3 so I'm not hypoing again. I was just wondering if this is normal the day after, or does it vary for everyone?
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Got it in one, varies for everybody I think, although not uncommon are headaches. nausea and general lethargy. I normally go to sleep for hours after a bad one. Keep at those numbers if you can though, which look pretty good to me!
 
I control my hypo's with about 6 jellybabies, this is what my db nurse told me to have, they are very fast acting and I always keep a packet in the car and in the home, has anyone else been advised to take jellybabies for hypo's?,
 
billy1960 said:
I control my hypo's with about 6 jellybabies, this is what my db nurse told me to have, they are very fast acting and I always keep a packet in the car and in the home, has anyone else been advised to take jellybabies for hypo's?,
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I was never advised to specifically have Jelly Babies for a hypo. It was just stated anything fast acting to increase your Bg levels quickly. Full fat Coke, Lucozade, Gluco Tabs and yes sweets which are high in carbs, so JB's ! I keep all these things in my car too. I am itching to have a hypo so I can open the packet.....

So, as JB's have around 4.7g carbs per 6g JB, you are stuffing around 28g carbs in to cure a hypo.......?? Seems quite a lot to me, do you check what your Bg is about 15-20 mins later ?

I use a couple of GlucoTabs/Dextrose which are around 4g carbs per tab. So I usually get away with just 2 or 3 at most. That is a max of 12g carbs, about 20 mins later my Bg has risen by a point or two, enough then to have a small carby snack to stabilise things.

I love Jelly Babies, AND I bite their heads off first...I can't bear to see the little blighters suffer... :wink: :lol:
 
Hi Again, Im unable to chew those glucose tablets they are too hard for me (ill fitting falsy's) and yeh you are right 6 jb's is maybe tooo many but thats the only time I get to eat the little blighters! maybe 4 would be sufficiant.
 
Sorry to be so blunt, but treating a hypo isn't an excuse to indulge in foods you wouldn't normally eat, it's about getting your bg back to "normal" levels and no more! Over-treating a hypo is so easily done and carries its own payload of (cumulative) delights best avoided.
 
billy1960 said:
I control my hypo's with about 6 jellybabies, this is what my db nurse told me to have, they are very fast acting and I always keep a packet in the car and in the home, has anyone else been advised to take jellybabies for hypo's?,
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I use 15g of quick acting carbs (on the advise of my DN) which is 5 fruit pastilles OR 5 jelly babies OR 10 jelly beans OR a mini can of full fat coke - after 10-15 mins, test again and if the numbers are not moving up (which they should do after 15g of quick acting carbs!) then treat with a further 15. Then don't forget the 15g long acting carbs but only 10-15 mins after the quick acting so you don't stop the absorption! Jeez, that's a lot to remember.............!! :lol:
 
Has anyone heard of the thirds rule when it comes to a small bottle of lucozade? I've recently been advised of it and it goes like this:

To treat a hypo properly means testing while hypo. If your bg is :

between 3.0 - 4.0: drink one third of a 380ml bottle
between 2.0 - 2.9: drink two thirds
below 2.0: drink 1 bottle

Wait 10 mins, test again and your bg should be above 4.0. Then have some carbs to maintain your bg.

I have been intending to try it to see if it works (and I'm told it does), but I can't bring myself to drink a whole bottle, even if I am below 2. Has anyone tried it?
 
Hi Lucie,

How many quick acting carbs in a whole bottle? about 40g? too much for a 'normal' hypo I would have thought but then if you are below 2..........sounds like a pretty sensible method but not one I've tried as I hate Lucozade, it makes me feel like someone has painted my teeth with syrup!
 
Oooh, I love the stuff and if I wasn't diabetic I'd drink it instead of coffee!!! My house/car/work/mum's house etc all have several bottles dotted about!
 
Lucozade contains 17.2g of carbs per 100 mil.
Therefore that means that a 380 mil bottle contains 65.36g carbs.
One third of that 380 mil bottle is 126.66 mil
So one third would mean you are consuming 21.78g carbs.......that seems an awful lot to me ?

Two or three Gluco Tabs is only a max of 12g carbs - that is usually enough to put me up by about
1 - 2 points. Therefore to get a similar effect then you should really only drink around 70 mil which gives you a total of 12.04 g carbs, whether it be Lucozade or GlucoTabs.

I have to treat my hypo's and there is no way I would drink such a large amount of Lucozade in the first instance, I just have a 'slug', about the amount I refer to above. I would probably end up on the 'rollercaster' rising massively after drinking such a large amount.

You should only drink enough to treat the hypo and raise to a level slightly above 4 mmol/l. Then as you say a 'carby' snack to stabilise the levels.
 

Morning Lucie

Ken is right. About 100ml of lucozade is about what you need to get you out of the hypo feeling. I usually follow with a 10g carb biccie otherwise the lucozade will take you up a bit but an hour later you might find yourself going low again. In the morning though if I get up feeling a bit on the low side, 3 teaspoons of sugar in a lukewarm cuppa tea or coffee works just as good as lucozade.

Although I've got some glucose tabs in my car (as a backup if I haven't got anything else), like Debs, I've always got some R - sugar coated fruit pastels, in my pocket, definately on my car dashboard and even in my bra if its summer and Im wearing a vee neck t-shirt. :mrgreen:
 
yes, sometimes I fell drained the next day...or used to when I didn't have such frequesnt hypos..guess I am used to it now.
As to what to take...I used to take jelly sweets as well, again, because they were quick, chheap and I quite like them. I know it isn't an excuse to indulge, but it is the only opportunity I get, so it is making a very small silver lining out if a very balack cloud.
Having said all that, back on Glucotabs now, as they seem to work even faster, and stop me going into "panic over treatment" mode...must be someothing to do with the viscous nature of jelly sweets.
 
sugar2 said:
yes, sometimes I fell drained the next day...or used to when I didn't have such frequesnt hypos..guess I am used to it now.
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I hear ya on that one! I feel drained too and usually get a corker of a head ache but only if I've been really low and usually if I over treat and that's usually because I've been so low I've been scared?! vicious circle springs to mind :?
 
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