My OH told me off yesterday for faffing about with my glucose meter (with shaking hands) trying to test by BG instead of reaching for the nearest packet of dextrose tabs. So do you always test if you are feeling hypo or if you know you're low do you treat first?
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do you always test when feeling hypo?
- Thread starter fruitloaf
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I tend to test as sometimes I've felt hypo but was high instead. But if I'm shaky it normally means low, so if it's not convenient then I'll just go for the sugar first. At night sometimes I just swig lucozade and stay in bed so as not to disturb my boyfriend.
newbs
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I always test before treating a hypo as I like to know my level, I can be in the 1's before getting signs or feel really low at a 4 so need to know where I'm at first so I don't over do it.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I also usually test before treating - depending on how low I am I might need more or less to treat it. Has to be said though that it sometimes becomes difficult to get the blood out, and also I seem to get more meter errors which is incredibly frustrating! 😱
Ellie Jones
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I always test if I feel hypo...
Those iffy readings one can gain when testing😱 My OH still laughs at one of my more spectacular ones..
I had tested and treated my hypo, but still felt a bit fuggy headed etc... Tested again and the meter read LOW😱:
I actuall hit the deck, I was sat on the settee and just dived onto the floor with meter clutched in my hand😱:
In my confuddled state, my brain was telling me that my BG can't be THAT low as if it was I wouldn't know about it the ambulance crew would though.. But just in case better to get to ground level, can fall off the ground and hurt yourself😱
Those iffy readings one can gain when testing😱 My OH still laughs at one of my more spectacular ones..
I had tested and treated my hypo, but still felt a bit fuggy headed etc... Tested again and the meter read LOW😱:
I actuall hit the deck, I was sat on the settee and just dived onto the floor with meter clutched in my hand😱:
In my confuddled state, my brain was telling me that my BG can't be THAT low as if it was I wouldn't know about it the ambulance crew would though.. But just in case better to get to ground level, can fall off the ground and hurt yourself😱
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
If I'm sure I'm hypo, then I eat first, test after. If I "feel odd" but I'm not sure whether hypo / hyper (incredibly rare, and more likely at times like weddings, which combine odd food patterns with more alcohol than usual 🙂 ) then I will test.
I tend to agree that faffing with testing (and co-ordination is not at its best when hypo) is just delaying getting sugar inside me - and since I always have sweets in my pocket, while my meter will be in a bag nearby, sweets are nearly always closer than meter.
I tend to agree that faffing with testing (and co-ordination is not at its best when hypo) is just delaying getting sugar inside me - and since I always have sweets in my pocket, while my meter will be in a bag nearby, sweets are nearly always closer than meter.
AlisonM
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Yes, I do. Though I'm not sure why, I know the symptoms well enough now to be pretty sure that's what happening. I think I got programmed to do it when I was still learning aboout the Big D so that now it's automatic. It's very rare, but I do occasionally feel hypo when I'm in the low 4s.
novorapidboi26
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Its always good to record the details of hypos, time and how low.......you can then conclude why it happened and how to avoid it next time.........
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
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The problem I get is with the more subtle warning signs.
I don't always get shaking, sweating, pale skin or tingling lips. Sometimes it's 'feeling a bit hungry' or 'feeling a little bit odd' not exactly helpful!
I also know that I have a tendency to feel or ignore these little cues depending on what I'm expecting to happen. It's very easy to feel a bit hypo when you know you've been a bit more active than usual, after the gym of doing a spot of gardening... on the other hand if you know you were 12.x an hour ago it's easy to think you must be still pretty high even though you might be dropping like a stone.
I do like to test, just to be sure. It's very annoying to have corrected for a hypo that never was, and pretty scary to find yourself in the 2's and think "oh yes I have been feeling a bit hypo for while..."
AlisonM
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Whatever, your type, I think it's important to test whenever you feel you need to, always supposing you can persuade your surgerey to give you the strips. I'm getting them at last, after having the emergency services called out to me twice in a month the surgery got the message and are letting me have 'up to' 100 per month. It makes a huge difference to me as I was having to buy mine and therefore scared to use 'too many'. My Excel chart has gone a long way to towards convincing the power that be as well. It clearly shows the roller coaster I've been on and is actually proving a very useful tool to see what's going on in between HbA1cs.
novorapidboi26
Well-Known Member
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- Type 1
As a type 1.5 I would assume you could obtain sticks as frequently as any type 1??
rossi_mac
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Good question Fruitloaf, was thinking this myself the other day. I used to but am trying to not bother so much now, in fact I was trying not to test so much in general, but that has resulted in some truely rubbish days! This sucks! But I think I was spurred onto only having 7 test strips left oops! So in future I will try and test if just feel odd (most of the time!) but if sheakey stevens is in the house I'll munch the carbs first.
novorapidboi26
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
AlisonM
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Nope. The view of my local PCT is/was that since I'm not on insulin... yet, I don't need to test. My doctor has gone out on a limb for me because of the ups and downs I've had recently and we still don't know if the PCT will ratify his decision. I'm supposed to be having more tests soon to decide if I need insulin now, but it could be months before that happens due to the swingeing cuts the NHS here has had to make. In the meantime, I struggle on with no clue what's going to happen next. It's exhausting and I'm getting a little annoyed, which for a Brit is tantamount to a declaration of war.
novorapidboi26
Well-Known Member
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- Type 1
That is unfortunate.................as type 1.5 is so unpredictable I would of thought all medicatios and resources would be available to you.......
Will there come a time when your insulin production will be thwarted eventually?
AlisonM
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Yes, my pancreas has been described as an engine on it's last legs. It will apparently give up the ghost at some point, after which they tell me I'll be treated as a Type 1. Then I can have all the strips I want.
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