Severe hypoglycemia followed by hyperglycaemia

[Elise Broenlund]

Hello,

An hour and a half ago I had a hypo where my blood sugar would not go back up, even if I drank a liter of coke. So I injected a dose of glucagon and it went up to 7. Now an hour and a half later my bg is 26 and it is not going down. The last time this happened to me it just dropped and dropped and dropped from 24 which is why I ate some slow carbs as well, without taking any insulin.

I feel fine except for a headache. My question is, should I wait another hour and see if it starts to drop in case it drops fast, or should I inject some insulin to bring it down? I do not have any more sugar in the house if it starts dropping too fast.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

I noticed from your profile you use a pump.
I don't pump. but will tagg in two pumpers who know this stuff.... @azure @noblehead

 

[philchap1]

Seems like you've over treated the hypo, keep testing and if it's still going up i myself would do a couple of units, but keep a close eye on your blood glucose level, hope you feel better soon.

 

[azure]

Hello,

An hour and a half ago I had a hypo where my blood sugar would not go back up, even if I drank a liter of coke. So I injected a dose of glucagon and it went up to 7. Now an hour and a half later my bg is 26 and it is not going down. The last time this happened to me it just dropped and dropped and dropped from 24 which is why I ate some slow carbs as well, without taking any insulin.

I feel fine except for a headache. My question is, should I wait another hour and see if it starts to drop in case it drops fast, or should I inject some insulin to bring it down? I do not have any more sugar in the house if it starts dropping too fast.

I would wait and see what happens and if you do correct aim for a higher number than normal.

Do you know what caused the hypo? I'd check all your pump settings and history in case something is off there. I'd be testing regularly too and revising my plan of action accordingly. I'd also test for ketones.

 

[Judith651]

Hello,

An hour and a half ago I had a hypo where my blood sugar would not go back up, even if I drank a liter of coke. So I injected a dose of glucagon and it went up to 7. Now an hour and a half later my bg is 26 and it is not going down. The last time this happened to me it just dropped and dropped and dropped from 24 which is why I ate some slow carbs as well, without taking any insulin.

I feel fine except for a headache. My question is, should I wait another hour and see if it starts to drop in case it drops fast, or should I inject some insulin to bring it down? I do not have any more sugar in the house if it starts dropping too fast.

How much sugar do you put in your water ,I was told to 3 sugars in mine that is 3 tea spoon fulls I wait 5 mins then it is normal again ,but I have to eat regularly and my last meal at night as to be plain porridge with sweetener on it for slow release xx

 

[donnellysdogs]

Was the last time on a pump or MDI?

You are on fast acting going thru pump.. all horrible severe hypo risk should be gone by 5 hours max...
you have capability of stopping pump. Setting to a tbr, etc...

I would personally be waiting... but I know how my body reacts and when I'm in trouble...

You do not say if you had previously dropped back to hypo level on your previoys level but this all depends on the cause of your hypoin the first place... uf you accidentally bolused for 100 units instead of 10- of course you would be likely to drop significantly again...
Exercise - yes, likely.,

You need to check probably for 5 hours from that cause of hypo...

We cant really advise what is the best thing in this scenario....

 

[Scott-C]

You've said you have no more sugar in the house. I wouldn't risk a correction if I had no sugar in the house even if levels were mental.

Tomorrow morning, when you're fine, as I'm sure you will be, go out and buy yourself a few litre bottles of lucozade, several packets of jelly babies, haribo tangies, and stick them in cupboards so you'll never find yourself in a run out of carbs situation ever again. Kill any of your flatmates who touch them.

If you've used glucagon, it'll have made your liver release most of its stored glucose so there's a fair chance it'll grab back some of the glucose, so there's a fair chance of another hypo later on.

It's very easy to panic in a hypo and take too much sugar. The fact you've ended up at 26 proves that. I've had a few what seemed like "constantly dropping" hypos, but the truth is most of them aren't really dropping that much: take whatever seems comfortable and sit back and wait for a while - it takes a while for anything you eat to end up in your bloodstream.

Glucagon isn't something you should be using as a matter of course (see above about how you ended up at 26). I've used it a grand total of twice in my early years thirty years ago and only because I didn't know then that I would've been fine with some ordinary carbs. If you're conscious and able to eat, you don't need it.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Agree with glucagon...

If you still had the sensability to fathom out a glucagon injection then you could have had something with carbs in it....rather than glucagon.

You could have "suspended " the pump for a while too.

I've only needed a glucagon once in over 30 years and this was from a doctor..
Not got in fridge... glucogel yes.... if absolutely desperate before operations... and officially nil by mouth.

I too am concerned for the need of a glucagon injection... especially being on a pump and having no sugar in house.
If it was outside and picked up wrong handbag or similar excuse I could imagine but in home???

 

[azure]

How are you today @Elise Broenlund ?