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Weird behaviour!

C

clarecat

Newbie
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4
My partner was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a couple of months ago and with the help of pills and changing his diet, exercising, not drinking and not smoking his levels have gone down from about 27 to around 10 most of the time (sorry I am new to this, so not sure exactly that means other than it is the reading on the machine he uses). He was a bad binge drinker before the diagnosis and his behaviour was manic which I assumed was the alcohol. A few days ago we had friends here and he decided to have a few glasses of wine - all fine at the time, but in the last couple of days his behaviour has been rapidly swinging from appearing very drunk to fairly normal within minutes and I know he hasn't been drinking since the other day. Does anyone have any idea what this could be about? His readings tonight were about 8 which seems fairly normal but he is not behaving normally by any standards. He is alternating between staggering about and then nodding off in the chair (peed himself) and five minutes after taking a bloody sample, he doesn't even remember doing it. I am at my wits end and don't know where to go for advice. As it's a weekend I haven't been able to ask a doctor and phoning 999 seems like an over-reaction.
 
Try the 111 helpline - it might be a dead loss, but it really doesn't sound like something you should allow to go on for any length of time. If he continues to be confused and falling unconscious dial 999 - that is not an over reaction to such symptoms.
 
Hi,

What type of "pills" is your partner on? Can you grab the name of the meds of his pill box/packaging??
 
Thank you - I'll give them a ring and see what they say. I did tell him I would phone earlier but he insisted that I don't (in his lucid moment), but he's now asleep again, talking a load of rubbish which is how he was in his binge drinking days. That is the problem - if they know hear the word alcohol, I think they will just assume he is at it again. Anyway, I'll try and thanks again for your advice.
 
Sorry - I replied further down by mistake (not ignoring you) and thank you for your advice.
 
clarecat said:
Yes it's Gliclazide - I've looked at the side effects on it and can't see any relevant info.
Click to expand...
I don't use the stuff... (Irrelevant what I take . Actually? It is insulin injections.) but the drug your partner takes stimulates insulin production in the pancreas..
Too much insulin production? Will/may cause hypoglycaemia? "Low blood sugars." (Staggering & passing out could be?)' Though to be fair. His figures "around 8" don't apear to be around that state...

Are you sure he's not hitting the booze on the "sly"..???
 
Hope you manage to get to the bottom of the problem...Don't wish to panic you but the behaviour you discribed is very similar to my experience... Was quite a heavy binge drinker then stopped... Started acting very strangely falling asleep at the drop of a hat and urinating lots... Started then a few weeks later to vomit and couldn't hold anything down, was dillusional erratic and started having severe breathing problems partner dialed the emergency services was in America at the time and turns out it was ketoacidosis this was when diagnosed with T1D....So based on my experience I would get straight to hospital to find out what's going on..... Hope everything turns out ok and you get to the bottom of the problem
 
Gliclazide may cause hypoglycaemia ( you should be able to see the symptoms described on the leaflet) and your partner's behaviour does sound rather like a hypo episode. If he's only recently been prescribed the drug, it may well be that it is lowering his sugars too much. Ketoacidosis is also a possibility, but his symptoms seem more like a 'hypo' episode.
Whatever, you/he need to contact a doctor as soon as possible.
 
i agree with all above get on the phone quick and if you have a camera phone record him while
he's asleep and show him when he wakes why you called for help
 
I was on 4 Gliclazide a day. with 4 Metformin tabs too. I went low carb diet, and started having low bgl readings around 2.1, but I was never incoherent or staggering or slurring, or losing control. I have been sleepy, but that is often due to dropping carbs, not due to low bgl. I did get a quick temper when low, though and was irascible at times, especially against inanimate objects.

Think the advice to ring 111 is sound. The symptoms may be a hypo event, but we cannot be sure. I think ketoacidosis is usually due to very HIGH bgl and would have occurred before he took control of his lifestyle, so is unlikely.

How many Glic tabs does he take? I am now down to 1 Glic a day, and I still get lowish readings, but not hypo. PS hypo levels start below 3,9 mmol/l in the UK, so 8 is well clear.

But some starting a very LC diet have reported what are called 'false' hypo's which seem to occur if the blood sugar drops quickly. and the body over reacts to this until it gets used to the new diet.
 
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