Hypo help please

[Katie beattie]

I feel like I've done so bad I've just tested before tea and now I'm 12.3 did I do the wrong thing treating it the way I did, I thought if after 15 mins you weren't above 4 you had to have a little more was I wrong, now I feel awful and am sitting nearly crying I've had to add 2 correction units on to tea and everything x

Hi babe, I hope you're feeling a bit better 🙂 it's so frustrating and still makes me cry sometimes (been type 1 for 13 years).

I think the important thing to know is that because every persons body is different (bmi etc) so the science is never exact.

As your so new to this, and will not be so aware of the signs and how you feel yet, it's best to be higher than lower when a hypo happens. The first priority is that you stop the hypo and feel better. Going low is MUCH more dangerous than going high while you work out these kinks. Trying to take just enough is risky because hypos can take a sudden turn. Whereas if you go too high after, you can adjust it.

It sounds to me that you handled it phenomenally! So well done! 🙂 12 is a totally normal number to have after treating a hypo. I would just keep an eye on it if it's only 1 or 2 hours before you eat, then if it hasn't come down by then (sometimes it will over time) have your dinner and add one or two extra unit if BS is above 12 like you did 🙂 Then keep a close eye the rest of the evening.

Having high bs is only a big problem if it's every day, so don't put too much blame or pressure on yourself. there's no way you're going to get it exact on your first one, or in your first year even!

Sounds like you're coping well honey! it's not just a physical disease, it really can affect you mentally. Its a lot to take on and can frankly just be a pain in the a**! So if you ever want a little chat, just holla 🙂

I hope this helps! Xx

Oh and for the head aches, make sure you drink lots of water as you just put lots of sugar into your body, that may well be your body needing hydration 🙂

 

[Wirrallass]

Thanks everyone, now I'm a little worried about dinner tomorrow though haha x

Come round to mine then K, pork loin chops on the menu - and I know how much you like them!!! x

 

[Kaylz]

Thanks so much @Katie beattie 🙂 I've just checked around 2 hours after finishing my dinner and it's currently sitting at 8.4, hopefully it comes down a little more before bed, I've been doing so well the last couple of days especially so seeing being over 12 was devastating, my pie chart on my meter was showing nearly all in-range and just a tiny 'slice' being above now it's going to look awful and now I'm scared it happens again as I was sitting at 5.9 before I had my lunch today so when I tested at 3 I didn't quite believe it so stabbed another finger and it came in at 3.2 so I had to believe it then x

 

[Kaylz]

Come round to mine then K, pork loin chops on the menu - and I know how much you like them!!! x

Oh please you shouldn't have told me that (can we leave the fat on and make sure it's really crispy and keep it to ourselves 🙂) x

 

[Wirrallass]

Oh please you shouldn't have told me that (can we leave the fat on and make sure it's really crispy and keep it to ourselves 🙂) x

Any way & which way if it will put a "crackling" smile on your face after what you've been through today. Does stuffing & roasties sound OK too? Take care hun xxx

 

[Kaylz]

Any way & which way if it will put a "crackling" smile on your face after what you've been through today. Does stuffing & roasties sound OK too? Take care hun xxx

I can take or leave roasties but stuffing sounds fab 🙂 x

 

[Wirrallass]

I can take or leave roasties but stuffing sounds fab 🙂 x

Done! x

 

[Rosiecarmel]

Hypos can be very scary. You're a proper diabetic now you've had one! 😉

You did the right thing, you have 15g carbs so three or four jelly sweets, then wait 15 mins. If you're still below three, have another sweet or two. If you're above four, it's usually a good time to have some slow release carbs. I normally have some toast or a banana. If your next meal is due, you can just wait but I wouldn't wait too long as you can drop again.

Being high after a hypo is perfectly normal. I've massively over corrected a hypo before and ended up in high teens! My DSN told me not to correct a high after a hypo as you'll end up hypo again.

The hypo hangover can last a while. Make sure you drink plenty of water!

 

[Wirrallass]

Hypos can be very scary. You're a proper diabetic now you've had one! 😉

You did the right thing, you have 15g carbs so three or four jelly sweets, then wait 15 mins. If you're still below three, have another sweet or two. If you're above four, it's usually a good time to have some slow release carbs. I normally have some toast or a banana. If your next meal is due, you can just wait but I wouldn't wait too long as you can drop again.

Being high after a hypo is perfectly normal. I've massively over corrected a hypo before and ended up in high teens! My DSN told me not to correct a high after a hypo as you'll end up hypo again.

The hypo hangover can last a while. Make sure you drink plenty of water!

@Rosiecarmel. Hi. I'm afraid I don't understand anything about Type1, apologies - but is it about timing?

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Wise advice from @Rosiecarmel I always have a banana after hypo, unless about to eat, and correct at next meal time. I usually go up to between 12&14. I hope you're feeling better now xx

 

[Kaylz]

Hypos can be very scary. You're a proper diabetic now you've had one! 😉

You did the right thing, you have 15g carbs so three or four jelly sweets, then wait 15 mins. If you're still below three, have another sweet or two. If you're above four, it's usually a good time to have some slow release carbs. I normally have some toast or a banana. If your next meal is due, you can just wait but I wouldn't wait too long as you can drop again.

Being high after a hypo is perfectly normal. I've massively over corrected a hypo before and ended up in high teens! My DSN told me not to correct a high after a hypo as you'll end up hypo again.

The hypo hangover can last a while. Make sure you drink plenty of water!

My DSN told me how to treat a hypo but never mentioned whether I should follow up with a slow release and I was going to be asking about it at my appointment next Tuesday but obviously haven't made it lol, I'm feeling ok now thanks headache has gone however I am a little on the sleepy side, never mind only about an hour till bed, hopefully I'll be out like a light in no time, had difficulty seeping since being diagnosed as obviously I felt tired all the time before and now I just don't and woohoo I'm a member of the PROPER diabetic club now too haha not that I want many of them obviously 🙂 x

 

[Kaylz]

@Rosiecarmel. Hi. I'm afraid I don't understand anything about Type1, apologies - but is it about timing?

Is what about timing hun x

 

[Kaylz]

Wise advice from @Rosiecarmel I always have a banana after hypo, unless about to eat, and correct at next meal time. I usually go up to between 12&14. I hope you're feeling better now xx

Had no bananas in the house and didn't have a clue if I should follow it up or not and yeah thanks I'm feeling better, headache has gone thank god 🙂 x

 

[Wirrallass]

Is what about timing hun x

@Kaylz. Sorry if it sounded a silly question - I'm standing here in no man's land really, feel like I've dug myself a hole! 😱 Timing as to when to eat during or post hypo - what to eat - how much & how often to help aid to overcome the effects of a hypo. I'm not usually at a loss for words but that's the best way I can explain in asking is it about timing! 🙄😳

 

[trophywench]

Right Kaylz and everyone - let's get this straight - take as much glucose, in whatever form you can grab it at the time, as it takes to get your BG far enough over 4 to be safe for a bit. And absolutely ignore however high it happens to get, until that next meal, providing it's soon-ish.

When eating within 4 hours of that hypo - do NOT have as much correction as you would normally choose to treat whatever your BG is before that meal - if it were only that 6.6 yours happened to be soon after and it had stayed there - don't even have ANY correction. Ignore it up to 7.0. You don't even need to test again in between those times, unless you feel yourself slipping downwards again.

When you test next, only have HALF the correction you need to bring you back to 7.0 ish.

If you correct too aggressively - you find yourself on that damned seesaw - up down, up down, up down - and it's hard to stop it.

If instead, you correct deliberately very conservatively, by tomorrow morning you should be back on the straight and narrow - and it won't hurt you to be a BIT high for not long at all. Hypos (and the lower you go, the worse and longer the after effects last) can affect our body - and brain!! - for up to 48 hours after.

Now then - what caused the hypo? Hypos come and go, we deal with them. Pfft. All in a day's life. Discovering WHY and taking steps to try and avoid the same scenario again - is the important thing we have to do next.

Sorry @khskel - that may work for you and I won't argue with it. However for someone not that long diagnosed and the very first hypo she's had - it's too aggressive.

 

[Katie beattie]

Thanks so much @Katie beattie 🙂 I've just checked around 2 hours after finishing my dinner and it's currently sitting at 8.4, hopefully it comes down a little more before bed, I've been doing so well the last couple of days especially so seeing being over 12 was devastating, my pie chart on my meter was showing nearly all in-range and just a tiny 'slice' being above now it's going to look awful and now I'm scared it happens again as I was sitting at 5.9 before I had my lunch today so when I tested at 3 I didn't quite believe it so stabbed another finger and it came in at 3.2 so I had to believe it then x

Aw hon Yeah that still happens to me sometimes, the insulin can go faster than the food. Maybe tomorrow for lunch, if you're only having carbohydrate as apposed to fast sugar, take the insulin five minutes after you eat and see if there's a difference.

it can also depend on how slow the carbs are. For example, some nuts have carbohydrate but they release so slowly that you don't take insulin (unless you have tonnes lol).

Making mistakes with going too high is better than making the mistake of going too low because it's imminently dangerous. Don't be too harsh on yourself, from what you've said, your doctors will think you're doing great 🙂

Have you done or been offered the DAFNE course? It's so helpful. I'm about to do it again because it's been like ten years 😱

 

[trophywench]

Why again Katie - has it changed then? Or have they started doing refresher courses now?

 

[Robin]

Why again Katie - has it changed then? Or have they started doing refresher courses now?

I'm guessing you'd have been quite a young teenager first time round, Katie, you may get more out of it this time round.

 

[Kaylz]

Aw hon Yeah that still happens to me sometimes, the insulin can go faster than the food. Maybe tomorrow for lunch, if you're only having carbohydrate as apposed to fast sugar, take the insulin five minutes after you eat and see if there's a difference.

it can also depend on how slow the carbs are. For example, some nuts have carbohydrate but they release so slowly that you don't take insulin (unless you have tonnes lol).

Making mistakes with going too high is better than making the mistake of going too low because it's imminently dangerous. Don't be too harsh on yourself, from what you've said, your doctors will think you're doing great 🙂

Have you done or been offered the DAFNE course? It's so helpful. I'm about to do it again because it's been like ten years 😱

No I haven't been offered a course, I had a look but there are no DAFNE courses run anywhere near me unfortunately, however I am going to be asking if there are any local courses available at my appointment on Tuesday, shame I didn't make it till then without a hypo eh, I'm just relying on the information on labels and referring to carbs and cals for a few things well one really my mashed potato lol x

 

[DeusXM]

Hypos can be very scary. You're a proper diabetic now you've had one! 😉

You did the right thing, you have 15g carbs so three or four jelly sweets, then wait 15 mins. If you're still below three, have another sweet or two. If you're above four, it's usually a good time to have some slow release carbs. I normally have some toast or a banana. If your next meal is due, you can just wait but I wouldn't wait too long as you can drop again.

Being high after a hypo is perfectly normal. I've massively over corrected a hypo before and ended up in high teens! My DSN told me not to correct a high after a hypo as you'll end up hypo again.

The hypo hangover can last a while. Make sure you drink plenty of water!

I would partially disagree.

The advice about having some 'slow release carbs' after a hypo is highly context dependent. If you're having a hypo an hour after a meal injection then maybe, yes, but if you're having one a good 3 or so hours since your last bolus, you probably don't need any slow release carbs....and I also wouldn't categorise toast or a banana to be slow release carbs.

High blood sugars after hypos can indeed be corrected but it is not healthy to yo-yo between low to high - sorry to specifically question someone here but if you're routinely going up to 14 after treating a hypo, you need to rethink your strategy. That's an increase of at least 10mmol/l, so you probably need less than half of the carbs you're taking overall in that situation.

I appreciate a hypo is a scary situation, that it is a medical emergency and that under-correcting is definitely not an option.

That doesn't mean it's ok to routinely punt your blood sugar into the teens.

I respectfully completely disagree that 12 should be considered 'normal' after a hypo - @Kaylz, I totally get this is new to you, so I'm not questioning what you did at all and frankly for your first hypo, you did fantastically well - I'm questioning some of the advice being given. I also don't claim that I treat every hypo perfectly either. But there are no circumstances whatsoever where routinely having blood sugars in the teens should be considered acceptable or normal if you want a decent long-term outcome.