Big scary low.

[shiv]

Yesterday I travelled cross country to see some friends (who have an almost-4-year-old with type 1 and a pump). I hit 2.5 at 3am, really horrible one - woke up gasping for breath, couldn't walk, managed to eat a packet of dextrose and go back to sleep.

Today was the almost-4-year-old's birthday party. As it was a kid's party, there was food to snack on, a bouncy castle to bounce on, so on so forth. It was great - BGs stayed around the 7s/low 8s all afternoon. I caught the train back to Birmingham to meet up with some old friends I haven't seen in years...and so the problems started.

Arrived at the restaurant...3.5. Treated, and got a phonecall to say my mum was coming to pick me up (last minute change of plan to see some family). Got in the car - still hypo, I could feel it, so I had more hypo treatment.

Got to the family's house and felt really weird...2.5. A mug of coke and a glass of juice...'0.6mmol/l or less, seek medical attention' - retest - 2.2.

At this point I began freaking out in my head, I figured I must have been low for a pretty long time by that point, almost a couple of hours...I was wondering at what point to seek help. My mum was with me, so I knew if I needed to I could hand over my care to her - I was starting to feel like I might actually pass out.

Thankfully after another carton of full sugar Ribena, I came up to 4.5. I shovelled some cake down my neck to keep me up. However, even as I type, I'm feeling hypo again! Off to test...

Merci for getting through that, needed to get it out to people who understand. I haven't felt that hypo and out of control for a really long time, I was so glad to be with my mum!

 

[am64]

woooo shiv that sounds well scarey ...glad you ok now ...busy busy busy bee needs a rest for a while me thinks !...enjoy being looked after for a bit with your mum x

 

[rspence]

eeek

wow low for a long time you were low if it took that much to bring you back up. JP still doesn't recognise feeling low - he just hopes for it often to get sugar! but i appreciated reading your account because that helps me understand why sometimes it takes alot of hypo treatment to bring his levels back up - ie if he's been too low for too long.

hope you feel better soon,

 

[rachelha]

Scary, I have only had one low like that were it just stayed low for ages, and it was not nice at all. 0.6 is the lowest reading I have heard of. Take things easy tomorrow if you can that will have knocked you for six.

 

[margie]

Sorry to hear about your hypo - sounds awful.

I hope that this was just a one off and that today you are much better.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Crumbs Shiv, that was a long low hypo 😱 Hope things are ok today and no rebound. Mum's are def the best when in need 🙂

I wonder if far more energy was used up on the bouncy castle than you allowed for on basal reduction. So you had a knock on affect from the previous early hours low as well.

Only solution I can think of to try this theory out is, to hire a bouncy castle and we all come and play as well 😎
Hope you are not to washed out now from it all though.

 

[AJLang]

Hi Shive Low BGs that last so long are very scary because you just don't know whether to get medical help and they can be so unexplained I'm so glad that you managed to get through it without the need for further help. Hope you have a chance to have a good rest today and are able to let your body recover.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yikes! Sounds nasty Shiv. Glad you managed to get through it OK and hope there has been no fallout the following day. M

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Anyone heard from Shiv? If so, is she ok?

 

[Steff]

Shiv sorry to hear you had such a rough time not pleasent at all, hope you have had a better today with your BS levels

Take care x

 

[SusieGriff]

OMG! I hope you're ok now! That must hav been so awful. Thanks god for Mums. Let us know you're ok SHiv!

 

[rachelha]

She posted on Facebook this afternoon, so I think she must be ok. Hope your levels have been better today.

 

[trophywench]

I was wondering too Sue - been wondering whether she'd had a pump malfunction .....

 

[shiv]

I'm here 🙂

No pump malfunction!

I spoke to my mum today about what used to happen when I went to parties as a kid - apparently exactly the same would happen, the excitement/adrenaline would cause me to drop like a stone. Sigh! I haven't been below 8 today, but I'm happy with that.

edit: last night I hypo'd again at around midnight, I had bolused for a cupcake I had eaten (after the original horrible low) but had eaten a couple of biscuits since then. I dropped to 3.4, so had a big glass of juice and did -50% for 4 hours. Woke up on 13.2, not great, but I can deal with that.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi Shiv,
glad to hear you are in one piece 🙂
If you can look at anything positive from that awful day, at least you know there is a pattern to the lows.............party/excitement 😱 So at least you can now think party time lower my basal well in advance or perhaps not bolus for snacks etc.

 

[Unicornz]

Yikes, that must've been really scary! At least you know what caused it so you can try and prevent it next time. So glad you had your Mum with you! Hope you feel much better now.

 

[Hanmillmum]

Hi
Similar effect with excitement on our daughter, we took her to see rupert bear on holiday, it was really brief, no activity etc and her sugars dropped to her boots 1.9, really scary and no signs, must have been the excitement! She loved it though and still talking about how he touched her nose.
Glad to hear your better now.

 

[Natalie123]

Hi Shiv, Glad to hear you are feeling better now. That must have been terrifying, I have never had a hypo like that before, that has got to be the worst I have ever heard of 😱 At least we all know to avoid bouncy castles, or get a bouncy castle for a drastic drop in insulin needs!