Hypo help please

[mikeyB]

That's a bit strict Deus, if you're not going hypo every day, then you needn't worry about a temporary time in the teens. In the great scheme of things it doesn't matter a jot. And nobody above has suggested that routinely having blood sugars in the teens should be considered acceptable or normal.

If you can have hypos and correct to 5.5, then congratulations. The rest of us are normal human beings.

 

[Kaylz]

@DeusXM I completely understand where you are coming from, my levels have been around 5-7 for the last few days and haven't been in the teens for a good while, I was down to 7.5 for bed last night so not too bad, my hypo was around 2 hours after my last bolus and eating, thanks for the vote of confidence on doing well, just knew I would be high by next meal which worried me too, maybe if it happens again I will have the 4 sweets to start with rather than the 3, maybe I will try a drink but couldn't open the bag of sweets so might have to invest in some mini cans 🙂 x

 

[Kaylz]

Well no hypo's today but my levels have however been a tad higher than they usually are x

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Well no hypo's today but my levels have however been a tad higher than they usually are x

Good to hear no hypos today 🙂

 

[Wirrallass]

@trophywench. You couldn't have phrased it more clearly to convey your message in such manner that was easy to grasp & comprehend. (you're so adept as to this Jenny ) It's mind boggling for me as to what T1 & MOBY diabetics must endure to survive. I don't think i would handle it as well as a lot of the folk do on here. It's difficult enough for me to get a handle on my T2 tho I have to say I have progressed tremendously since joining the forum with having advice, support & encouragement 'on tap' - and on a daily basis for which I thank all concerned. When Kaylz posted her SOS yesterday, it unnerved me somewhat & I felt her fear & panic. I would hate to have been in her situation or any other T1's too.

 

[Wirrallass]

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

Hi Kaylz, I hope you are feeling better today & not too exhausted from your 1st hypo.
I have done a spot of researching & have come across the following websites which I hope you will find interesting & beneficial.Some offer courses on line, whilst others are about courses in Scotland re: Diabetes Education programmes. Have a look to see if they are of any help to you :-

Desmond-project.org.uk/location maps.html

Diabeteseducationscotland.org.uk

experthealth, org.uk

diabetesinscotland.org.uk

Good luck, take care & look after yourself Kaylz x

 

[Radders]

Does anyone else find that it takes 20 minutes rather than 15 for the hypo treatment to work? Until I found that out I was always overtreating mine because I am so rarely over 4 after 15 minutes but 9 times out of 10 I will be after 20 minutes. And that's with the fastest treatment I can find, which is dextrosol in my case.

 

[Ginny03]

Does anyone else find that it takes 20 minutes rather than 15 for the hypo treatment to work? Until I found that out I was always overtreating mine because I am so rarely over 4 after 15 minutes but 9 times out of 10 I will be after 20 minutes. And that's with the fastest treatment I can find, which is dextrosol in my case.

More like 30 minutes for me - I can only make 20 minutes if I treat with sugar disolved in water. So many people on here use jelly babies, but I find them absolutely useless.

 

[mikeyB]

Yes, me Radders. It was one reason why I tended to overshoot. The other reason is that if my BG goes very low, I have epileptic fits. So I'm always concerned that if I drag it up to 5 with, say Dextro, that whatever caused the hypo- insulin still on board - will still be around and drag it down again. So then I either eat something such as toast to give a longer lasting effect than just glucose. Then I can go to sleep knowing I won't end up in A&E.

Given those circumstances I couldn't give a monkeys red jacket whether my BG reaches the giddy heights of 10 or 12, no matter what anybody says. I've been doing this for more than twenty years and nothing has dropped off yet, except maybe my tolerance for blowhards.

 

[KookyCat]

@Kaylz you did just fine, treating hypos can be a controversial subject, we will all have our own particular approaches that develop over the long term when we completely understand how our body reacts to sugar, insulin, the direction the wind is blowing in that day. The key thing to remember in my opinion is that when learning how to handle hypos all concerns about high blood sugar stop at that point. The focus has to be getting your blood sugar to a safe level, you did that, you're safe and sound and you didn't do anything wrong. Good work Kaylz 🙂.

You will probably find that how you manage hypos will evolve over time. The key word there Kaylz is "time". When you're new to this your focus and number one priority should always be safety and in this particular situation safety means getting your blood sugar above 4 and staying there. A temporary reading in the teens is to be expected when you first start to deal with hypos, please don't worry about that. You can worry about refining your management strategy later, for now stick with the standard advice and use follow up carbs as you feel you need to until you are a bit more practiced. Hypos are one of the scariest elements when you're newly diagnosed, so take your time, it doesn't matter if your blood sugar is high for a short period, learn how your body reacts and then when you're more comfortable with it all you can consider your long term strategy. Some of the comments here about avoiding over treating are focused very much on the longer term strategy and it's right you don't want to get into a long term situation with over treating if you can avoid it, but and this is a big but, that's not something you need to consider just yet in my opinion. You're doing really well, diabetes is a very individual condition and the key thing is that you need to be comfortable with your management strategy.

 

[Northerner]

Hi @Kaylz, sorry to hear about the hypo, but you handled it well for your first one 🙂 I clearly remember my first hypo - it was two days after my diagnosis and I was still in hopsital. The night nurse was supposed to check my levels every two hours, but she missed one in the middle of the night, and when she came to check I was feeling very weird, and the level was 2.2! 😱 She looked a bit panicked and quickly ran off and came back with aplastic cup of hot tea and a plastic cup full of sugar and handed them to me, she didn't speak much English apparently, and gestured to me to do something with the two cups she had given me. Bearing in mind that my level was 2.2 I couldn't really think very well, but had a vague idea that I needed some sugar so I tipped the cup of sugar into the cup of tea and started to sip it - it was hot (bad idea, nursie!), and a bit of a sludge from all the sugar, but I drank as quickly as I could. I started to feel better then she came back a bit later and tested again - I was 30! 😱

So, as you can imagine, that stuck in my mind, and when I got out and had my first hypos on my own I was careful not to go totally over the top, but to make absolutely sure my levels came up adequately. Like anything to do with diabetes, it took time and experience before I learned how to treat hypos without overtreating - and I still get it wrong occasionally nearly 9 years on, so it's not something that you can give an absolutely precise, single solution to, a lot will depend on the circumstances. Over time, I learned that - for me - some mild hypos only need a single jelly baby if they are just below 4 and not long before my meal, but some might need 3-4 jelly babies and something more substantial to carry me through to the next meal if it's an hour or two away (that usually means that I've miscalculated and taken too much insulin with my previous meal).

So, I would say learn what you can from this experience and any future experiences so that you can gradually improve how you react. Don't be afraid of hypos, just always be prepared with treatment to hand, and don't worry about occasionally going up into double figures after treating them, that's going to happen from time to time because it's not a precise science, more of an art - just consider afterwards what happened, what might have caused it, and whether the way you reacted was too muc, too little or just right. You'll develop an instinct over time for getting it 'just right', I'm sure, you're pretty switched on to things 🙂

 

[Owen]

I had attended a hype yesterday (and yes it is okay to discuss as I am not including names locations or any identifying attributes). The person was 2.4 mmol and convulsing, they went into cardiac arrest and needed some very quick support. Hypo's are not a badge to be worn or something to aim for. They are a glycaemic emergency that can quickly become life threatening. Harsh but true. So after CPR, Glucagon, Hi Flow Oxygen and IV Glucose 10%, a positive outcome.
If you over treat a hypo, so what. As long as you don't panic and start throwing in correction doses. Let it come down slowly. The hypo is an emergency. High blood sugars for a little while afterwards, no big deal.

Please stay careful and you did a great job. Some of my colleagues can be quite hard about hypo's as technically most of them are unavoidable. Personally I know how easy it is easy to mess up.

 

[Wirrallass]

Hi @Kaylz, sorry to hear about the hypo, but you handled it well for your first one 🙂 I clearly remember my first hypo - it was two days after my diagnosis and I was still in hopsital. The night nurse was supposed to check my levels every two hours, but she missed one in the middle of the night, and when she came to check I was feeling very weird, and the level was 2.2! 😱 She looked a bit panicked and quickly ran off and came back with aplastic cup of hot tea and a plastic cup full of sugar and handed them to me, she didn't speak much English apparently, and gestured to me to do something with the two cups she had given me. Bearing in mind that my level was 2.2 I couldn't really think very well, but had a vague idea that I needed some sugar so I tipped the cup of sugar into the cup of tea and started to sip it - it was hot (bad idea, nursie!), and a bit of a sludge from all the sugar, but I drank as quickly as I could. I started to feel better then she came back a bit later and tested again - I was 30! 😱

So, as you can imagine, that stuck in my mind, and when I got out and had my first hypos on my own I was careful not to go totally over the top, but to make absolutely sure my levels came up adequately. Like anything to do with diabetes, it took time and experience before I learned how to treat hypos without overtreating - and I still get it wrong occasionally nearly 9 years on, so it's not something that you can give an absolutely precise, single solution to, a lot will depend on the circumstances. Over time, I learned that - for me - some mild hypos only need a single jelly baby if they are just below 4 and not long before my meal, but some might need 3-4 jelly babies and something more substantial to carry me through to the next meal if it's an hour or two away (that usually means that I've miscalculated and taken too much insulin with my previous meal).

So, I would say learn what you can from this experience and any future experiences so that you can gradually improve how you react. Don't be afraid of hypos, just always be prepared with treatment to hand, and don't worry about occasionally going up into double figures after treating them, that's going to happen from time to time because it's not a precise science, more of an art - just consider afterwards what happened, what might have caused it, and whether the way you reacted was too muc, too little or just right. You'll develop an instinct over time for getting it 'just right', I'm sure, you're pretty switched on to things 🙂

Well said Northerner

 

[SB2015]

Hi Kaylz, As others have said the early hypos are scary. My first had me back in hospital after a seizure, as I had no idea what was happening. So you did just fine.

I found it really helpful to put a reminder on my testkit, to remind me when 15 minutes was up, otherwise I would test too soon and then overtreat, and then.... for others as they have said they need to wait longer. I was originally told 10 minute but I found I then always overtreated as I was not back up.

One bit of advice I took on board early was to stick to using the same thing to treat my hypos. I use jelly babies, as it is easy for me to adjust how many I use they are easy to carry with me and cope with getting very squashed. I have a scale of destruction which I have only found out it works for me by monitoring what I did.
Just a head (or feet) if I am hovering just above 4.
One jelly baby from 3.5 to 4
Two jelly babies from 3 to 3.5
3 or 4 or more below 3 as or I switch to juice as it will be absorbed more quickly.

Just make sure that you are prepared for a hypo at any time, keeping whatever you use with you at all times. I have stashes of JBs everywhere and in every bag, in the car, in my workroom, by the bed, ..... the sooner your treat a hypo the better as you are more able to function sensibly if you catch it early

When it happens again I am sure you will be more aware.

 

[Kaylz]

Hi Kayla. As others have said the early hypos are scary. My first had me back in hospital after a seizure, as I had no idea what was happening. So you did just fine.

I found it really helpful to put a reminder on my testkit, to remind me when 15 minutes was up, otherwise I would test too soon and then overtreat, and then.... for others as they have said they need to wait longer. I was originally told 10 minute but I found I then always pvertreated as I was not back up.

One bit of advice I took on board early was to stick to using the same thing to treat my hypos. I use jelly babies, as it is easy for me to adjust how many I use they are easy to carry with me and cope with getting very squashed. I have a scale of destruction which I have only found out it works for me by monitoring what I did.
Just a head (or feet) if I am hovering just above 4.
One jelly baby from 3.5 to 4
Two jelly babies from 3 to 3.5
3 or 4 or more below 3 as or I switch to juice as it will be absorbed more quickly.

Just make sure that you are prepared for a hypo at any time, keeping whatever you use with you at all times. I have stashes of JBs everywhere and in every bag, in the car, in my workroom, by the bed, ..... the sooner your treat a hypo the better as you are more able to function sensibly if you catch it early

When it happens again I am sure you will be more aware.

Well my first was 3-3.2 as I didn't believe what I was seeing well it was rather blurry too, my meter automatically sets a reminder for checking again as I found out when it started beeping after 15 mins haha, I think if I'm that low again 4 in one go should sort it out hopefully without overdoing it x

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Its so difficult to master isn't it

 

[SB2015]

Well my first was 3-3.2 as I didn't believe what I was seeing well it was rather blurry too, my meter automatically sets a reminder for checking again as I found out when it started beeping after 15 mins haha, I think if I'm that low again 4 in one go should sort it out hopefully without overdoing it x

You are diong fine Kaylz.
There is so much to learn at the start.
You did well to sort yourself out and you already have a plan for the future.
Well done.

 

[Kaylz]

You are diong fine Kaylz.
There is so much to learn at the start.
You did well to sort yourself out and you already have a plan for the future.
Well done.

Thanks very much your kind words and everyone elses on this thread has made me feel much more confident thank you everyone 🙂 x

 

[Katie beattie]

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

Yeah do ask, because it helps a lot, there's things that I don't even know now or have forgotten lol so I'm doing another one.

Aw yeah I know what you mean, but it's going to happen unfortunately and it's actually maybe a good thing you had it before you're appointment because then you can discuss it with them and be more prepared for next time 🙂 Anyway the important part is how you handled it! And you did well! you just have to make sure you grab every sugary thing in sight and get yourself round again. It's basically a time limit to beat the insulin with sugar
Yeah carbs and cals is really good, haha I hate trying to estimate a pile on my plate lol tricky one x

 

[Rosiecarmel]

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

Carbs and Cals is my lifeline haha. I got the book for free from my DSN which I use when at home but the app was so worth the £3.99 or however much it was. Portion sizes vary so much so being able to see different portions on the app is worth the money alone for me.