Can a hypo upon waking be masked by the natural rise in blood sugar levels after getting up?

[Lanny]

Late last night, 23:45, as I was about to go to sleep I realised that I’d forgotten to wheel the big bin for the bin men to dump the next morning.

I live on a private lane about 750 steps, as measured by iPhone’s Health app, from the main road. Where I have to wheel it out, & come back in, so, a round trip of about 1500 steps.

I set an early alarm for 07:30 this morning to get the bin out before 08:00 when bin lorry comes.
The alarm went off but, I was too sleepy & snoozed. Jumped awake around 07:45/07:50, got dressed & took the bin out. Just about got back in & I was shaking like a leaf, feeling cold all over & my heart pounding in my chest. I put my dyson fan heater at the fastest setting & highest temperature to warm myself back up. Never felt this bad before during a hypo! But, I’ve also lost hypo awareness towards the end of a series of hypos recently: 8 in 10 days of which I only felt the first few just below 4 & didn’t feel the others even though they were lower.

I got back in around 08:00 & it wasn’t until about 09:00 that I started to recover a bit. Tested & BS was 8.5. I suppose I wasn’t think straight not to test before or have a hypo cure: instict was to get warm! It took another hour before I felt well enough to have some breakfast at 10:00.

More or less fell asleep straight after breakfast from about 11:00 to 14:00. When BS was 15.8. Had lunch & had to add an extra correction dose of 2, according to table of correction doses to add given by my hospital team. 2 hours after lunch BS 11.7.

My past experiences with hypos is that a hyper always follows. Which is why I’m asking did I have a hypo this morning but, my BS had already risen, due to dawn phenomen, by the time I tested?

 

[Davein]

Hi Lanny,
May have been the adrenaline pumping and the fear/stress that you were going to miss the bin men that caused that to happen

 

[Ljc]

It may have been a hypo but without testing you’ll not know for sure .

Our brain doesn’t function very well at all when hypo as it’s being starved of the only fuel it can use (glucose). I’m living proof of that, I had hypo symptoms , tested was in low 3s set the timer on meter for 15 mins , retested and so on till I reached 2.2 when in my very muddled state I realised I should be doing something to treat it, where I proceeded to scoff the . contents of the cupboards and fridge, it’s the hypo hunger and it’s oh so difficult to fight it off and do the recommended treatment of 15 is to 20 fast acting carbohydrates, many people here use jelly babies, I use 1 1/2 150 mls cans of full sugar coke or Dextrose tablets when I’m out, then test every 15 mins and retreat as necessary , this way we hope to avoid going hyper .

 

[Lanny]

Oh yes, Ljc! Been there, stuffing my face & over treating hypo to end with a massive hike in BS. It’s hard to control the eating when my brain is screaming at me to eat.

Thanks, Davein. It certainly was a stressful mad dash this morning. I’ve heard when policemen, or policewomen of course, get shot their whole body shakes from the adrenaline. My first cousin was a policeman for many years before retiring. He was never shot, thankfully, but, witnessed a lot of his colleagues being so.

 

[Davein]

Oh yes, Ljc! Been there, stuffing my face & over treating hypo to end with a massive hike in BS. It’s hard to control the eating when my brain is screaming at me to eat.

Thanks, Davein. It certainly was a stressful mad dash this morning. I’ve heard when policemen, or policewomen of course, get shot their whole body shakes from the adrenaline. My first cousin was a policeman for many years before retiring. He was never shot, thankfully, but, witnessed a lot of his colleagues being so.

Perhaps Lanny you could set the alarm for 7:15 next week and that would allow you an extra 15 minute buffer. Incidentally, it's now been 5 months since I started insulin therapy and I had my first hypo a few days ago. In all those 5 months I always had a waking bg level of between 5-6. But over the last few days I have been doing much more manual work and it caught me totally unawares, not prepared at all (bg level below 3)but my mind became totally focussed on finding something sweet to munch on. Strangely I was not panicked just totally determined to find suitable eats. I know being T2 I'm still producing some insulin but the hypo just wasn't as bad as I thought it could be. Made sure I'm well prepared for next time though!
I'm sure any penetration of the body by any sharp implement or bullet will result in the body going into severe shock and slowly close down.
Glad I'm not a policeman!

 

[Lanny]

Thanks, Davein. But, it’ll be two weeks time as the black & blue bins are emptied in alternating weeks. Which was why I REALLY wanted the black bin emptied. It’s been 6 weeks since the last time as the last 2 times it was snow & ice & couldn’t make it down the untreated lane. Why couldn’t it be when it was the blue bin’s turn? SO relieved the bursting bin is now emptied! Which reminds me, I have to go get it back!

 

[Davein]

Thanks, Davein. But, it’ll be two weeks time as the black & blue bins are emptied in alternating weeks. Which was why I REALLY wanted the black bin emptied. It’s been 6 weeks since the last time as the last 2 times it was snow & ice & couldn’t make it down the untreated lane. Why couldn’t it be when it was the blue bin’s turn? SO relieved the bursting bin is now emptied! Which reminds me, I have to go get it back!

We also live down a lane and have to wheel the wheelies a fair distance. I cheat though- I get my partner to do it!

 

[Lanny]

I live alone so, I have to do it myself! 🙄

 

[Davein]

I live alone so, I have to do it myself! 🙄

That's the drawback of living alone- having to do everything yourself. Mind you its advantage is you don't have anyone bossing you about!

 

[Lanny]

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

did I have a hypo this morning but, my BS had already risen, due to dawn phenomen, by the time I tested?

I'd say it's quite likely. Your liver pumps out glucose when you're hypo to try to correct it, and if it's anything like my liver, it pumps out glucose first thing in the morning whatever you do, so coming out of a hypo at that time of the morning without having treated it seems entirely possible. Not that that's a good reason not to remember to test and treat it another time!
But I get shaky with stress too, so could easily have been that as well.

 

[mikeyB]

The only way to discover the answer would be to use a Libre. Then you know exactly what your night time BGs are doing.