As I havent had one yet, but can forsee one soon due to swapping over to MDI tomorow. How long have you got till feeling the symptoms and getting sugar? Generally have a few minutes? I have it in my head that it will all happen in seconds and I will have passed out. Quite scared about driving. IE will I have enough time to realise and pull over somewhere relatively safe!?
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Hypo Question
- Thread starter astbury1
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Northerner
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I've never had a hypo that I haven't been able to treat myself. In over 4 years I've had probably about half a dozen that had me a little worried, but that's out of hundreds. Most of them are very mild, just get a feeling something is not quite right, test and discover I'm maybe 3.8 or 3.4 etc. A couple of jelly babies and I'm fine again 🙂 It's only if you lose hypo awareness that you may drop too low before you can act, but if you can be careful not to run too low then you shouldn't have a problem.
I don't drive, but as long as you follow the rules about testing beforehand, and during if a long drive, you will be OK.
Try not to worry, just be prepared and you'll be fine 🙂
I don't drive, but as long as you follow the rules about testing beforehand, and during if a long drive, you will be OK.
Try not to worry, just be prepared and you'll be fine 🙂
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AJLang
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Provided you have hypo awareness once you get the symptoms you will have a little while to have something sweet. I have not collapsed from a hypo for 26 years and when I last did it was associated with alcohol. With regard to driving it is illegal to drive when your BG is under 4. You must also test before you drive and it must be above 5. You should then test every two hours. Personally, and this was definitely my personal choice, if I drove and my
Bg was below 7 before driving I would have some carbs before getting in the car. But that may be because I am very cautious.
Bg was below 7 before driving I would have some carbs before getting in the car. But that may be because I am very cautious.
Copepod
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You'll probably feel a bit odd - until you test, you won't know which "oddness feeling" is actually hypoglycaemia. Once you know and can recognise hypo feelings, you can treat with jelly babies etc before testing. Personally, I always ensure I have some sweets in my pocket, or bag if wearing clothes without pockets, or bumbag hanging from bedstead at night. There's no point risking going down stairs / get out of bed etc, when you can treat hypo without moving.
You should inform DVLA, who will post you requirements for drivers treated with insulin - that sheet is not available online, as far as I can find. Basically, test before setting off, don't set off if less than 5mmol/l, stop & test every 2 hours on longer journeys, always carry sugar and longer acting starchy food in front of car (so you don't have to get out of car to get things from boot, for example), if hypo, take keys out of ignition, move out of driving seat and wait until recovered - DVLA says 45 mins from detecting hypo.
You should inform DVLA, who will post you requirements for drivers treated with insulin - that sheet is not available online, as far as I can find. Basically, test before setting off, don't set off if less than 5mmol/l, stop & test every 2 hours on longer journeys, always carry sugar and longer acting starchy food in front of car (so you don't have to get out of car to get things from boot, for example), if hypo, take keys out of ignition, move out of driving seat and wait until recovered - DVLA says 45 mins from detecting hypo.
trophywench
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No - DVLA say 45 minutes from regaining a reading of at least 4 !
Or at least, that's how I have interpreted it. If it was a really really bad hypo, you could still be hypo!
Having said that, there would have to be something serioiusly wrong for that to happen, major (for you) overdose of insulin or something.
Or at least, that's how I have interpreted it. If it was a really really bad hypo, you could still be hypo!
Having said that, there would have to be something serioiusly wrong for that to happen, major (for you) overdose of insulin or something.
Estellaa
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11 years and i've never had one where i collapsed! i always feel shaky, weak and i dunno you know when you're just not right, depending on your control if its good you should be able to feel them when your about 4ish i usually feel mine at about 4-5 so but it does depend on the individual!
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Others have covered the [important] driving guidelines and no hypo should be ignored or treatment 'put off until I've finished this'... but to reassure you, it would be very unlikely for a hypo onset to be as fast as you fear.
You are likely to have minutes and minutes of gradually feeling slightly more dodgy before you reach a stage of confusion or reaching a point where you can't self treat 🙂
Lauren
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You'll be ok 🙂 You will know when you are hypo, you will feel off, you will probably feel weak and a bit shaky and might have a slight headache but you will be able to get to some fast-acting carbohydrates before collapsing.
I don't want to encourage this at all but just to put your mind at ease - I was feeling hypo at the beginning of a lecture in uni once, and instead of testing and drinking some of the lucozade in my bag straight away as I should have done, I decided to sit it out and treat myself at the end of the lecture so that I wouldn't disturb anyone. It ran over an hour and when I tested at the end my meter said 2.8. Obviously I felt pretty bad by this time and had to wait a good 20 minutes on a bench outside the lecture theatre before I was well enough to climb up the hill to my room, but I didn't collapse and was able to treat myself. I just want to re-iterate that I do not encourage putting off treating a hypo, but I hope this example shows that when hypo you have time to treat it before anything awful happens.
My advice is to test as soon as you feel a bit off and to always carry fast-acting carbs on you (I now carry Lucozade tabs in my handbag and sleep with my bag next to my bed so I can always get to them).
I don't want to encourage this at all but just to put your mind at ease - I was feeling hypo at the beginning of a lecture in uni once, and instead of testing and drinking some of the lucozade in my bag straight away as I should have done, I decided to sit it out and treat myself at the end of the lecture so that I wouldn't disturb anyone. It ran over an hour and when I tested at the end my meter said 2.8. Obviously I felt pretty bad by this time and had to wait a good 20 minutes on a bench outside the lecture theatre before I was well enough to climb up the hill to my room, but I didn't collapse and was able to treat myself. I just want to re-iterate that I do not encourage putting off treating a hypo, but I hope this example shows that when hypo you have time to treat it before anything awful happens.
My advice is to test as soon as you feel a bit off and to always carry fast-acting carbs on you (I now carry Lucozade tabs in my handbag and sleep with my bag next to my bed so I can always get to them).
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