Can you actually go into cardiac arrest from hypoglycemia?

[Austin_98]

It's something I've been worrying about a little lately.
I don't know how common tachycardia is with a hypo, but it's always present for me and is often the worst symptom (closely followed by profuse sweating). During more severe hypos, my pulse has been as high as 181 BPM*. It tends to be beating very hard at the same time, and on the times it has been in the 170-181 range I've literally thought "I think I might actually have a heart attack".
Is this possible and is a pulse that high actually dangerous?

*Yes, that's definitely right. On the occasion it was 181, my mum checked it, too, and then double checked.

 

[Inka]

Yes, I believe so. Cardiac issues are thought to be the likely cause of Dead in Bed syndrome. Hypos are best avoided as much as possible for many reasons.

 

[rebrascora]

If you think about it, the heart is a muscle and probably the most important one in your body and muscles need glucose to function, so if you run very low on glucose (hypo) and the adrenalin from the hypo is making your heart race, then your heart is doing a lot more work with very little fuel, so that will put it under a lot of strain and yes potentially cause it to stutter or stop in very extreme situations.

I have to be honest that I am far to busy dealing with a bad hypo on the odd occasion when they have happened to stop and think about checking my heart rate and as far as I am concerned it serves no purpose other than to alarm you further, so my advice would be to ignore it and focus on preventing hypos as much as possible and trying to deal with them promptly and relaxing as much as you can when they do happen, so that your heart race is more likely to come down quickly. The panic can be the worst part of a hypo sometimes, so learning to reduce that panic as much as you can is helpful. I find breathing exercises help but also having confidence in my hypo treatment to work.

 

[Inka]

Yes, it’s the adrenalin and related hormones, it seems @rebrascora Not so much the running out of fuel/glucose, but the arrhythmias:

“Hypoglycemia-induced sudden cardiac death results from enhanced adrenergic signaling at the level of the heart that leads to sinus tachycardia. Tachycardia is followed by third-degree heart block that culminates into a fatal bradycardic rhythm causing cardiorespiratory failure and sudden death.”

Severe Hypoglycemia–Induced Lethal Cardiac Arrhythmias Are Mediated by Sympathoadrenal Activation - PMC

For people with insulin-treated diabetes, severe hypoglycemia can be lethal, though potential mechanisms involved are poorly understood. To investigate how severe hypoglycemia can be fatal, hyperinsulinemic, severe hypoglycemic (10–15 mg/dL) clamps ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Inka]

I remember you asking about tachycardia before @Austin_98 :

Thread 'Diabetes and Tachycardia?'
http://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/diabetes-and-tachycardia.110941/

Did you see a doctor? The simple answer is to avoid going too low. Set your Low alarm at 5 or above, eat small amounts of top-up carbs when needed to stay around 5+, along with eating well and sleeping well.

 

[Wendal]

It's something I've been worrying about a little lately.
I don't know how common tachycardia is with a hypo, but it's always present for me and is often the worst symptom (closely followed by profuse sweating). During more severe hypos, my pulse has been as high as 181 BPM*. It tends to be beating very hard at the same time, and on the times it has been in the 170-181 range I've literally thought "I think I might actually have a heart attack".
Is this possible and is a pulse that high actually dangerous?

*Yes, that's definitely right. On the occasion it was 181, my mum checked it, too, and then double checked.

Hi Austin.You have had some really good responses here and I echo the advice about doing all you can to avoid going really low.
As your 3c effects Glucagon release as well as insulin you need to be even more careful and can only advise you that you may be better off just running higher than what you may be comfortable with and certainly set your alarm at a level to ward off an impending going low.
You sound as if you are possibly getting very anxious and although I recognise the situation of going hypo is not a pleasant one and can be very worrying I do think you getting advice and reassurance in dealing with these situations may help reduce any anxiety.
Really hope you get plenty of support in this matter and get the help you require.
VBW

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Did you see a doctor? The simple answer is to avoid going too low. Set your Low alarm at 5 or above, eat small amounts of top-up carbs when needed to stay around 5+, along with eating well and sleeping well.

And if you have tachycardia when you're not hypo, ask your doctor about it. Likely they'll want you to have an ECG and things just to try and find if there's anything identifiably wrong. And if they can't, there's medication they can offer (as there is for high blood pressure).