Hypo - What Number?

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It depends what I am doing and how fast my BG is dropping.
With a fast drop, I can feel it at 4.5ish.
If I am engrossed in some exercise (which is making me sweaty and exhausted) and slowly drifting down, it could be closer to 3.
Interestingly, although it feels as if my heart is beating out of my chest, I wear a heart rate monitor during exercise and it shows that my heart rate is lower than usual when having a hypo.
 
helli said:
It depends what I am doing and how fast my BG is dropping.
With a fast drop, I can feel it at 4.5ish.
If I am engrossed in some exercise (which is making me sweaty and exhausted) and slowly drifting down, it could be closer to 3.
Interestingly, although it feels as if my heart is beating out of my chest, I wear a heart rate monitor during exercise and it shows that my heart rate is lower than usual when having a hypo.
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Just goes to show the massive difference between T1's and how our bodies react! One size definitely doesn't fit all with this bloody disease lol!
 
I feel it in the low 4s like @helli I remember years ago that my consultant said this was best, so over the years I’ve adjusted my target range to maintain my hypo awareness. @sharp00782 presuming you’re checking these with a fingerprick, you could talk to your team about how to maintain hypo awareness as it sounds like yours is a little low. I find always trying to stay above 5 helps.

If you’re not feeling hypo until 2.8, then that’s a loss of hypo awareness and needs sorting out. It looks like you’re quite recently diagnosed? I can’t stress enough how important it is to maintain hypo awareness. Just a few tweaks should restore yours over time,
 
I have lots of hypos, mostly very mild. Some like @helli I can feel coming on in the low 4s, usually when levels are dropping fast but mostly it is mid to high 3s and sometimes down to high 2s when I am sleeping deeply. Early signs vary from a very slight blurriness in my peripheral vision which is one of the things that I make a point of mentally checking for regularly or a feeling similar to going down in a lift/mild indigestion like a litle tummy flip, to frustration because I am suddenly finding whatever I am doing more difficult than it should be.... I had that a lot last week when I was trimming my horses hooves which is hard physical work, especially as one of them isn't able to hold his feet up for long because he has a pulled tendon. Sometimes I get the tingly lips and tongue although recently that hasn't happened until I am recovering and coming back up to 4. When it gets down to mid/low 3s I get black spots in my vision when I blink and I just start to feel really unwell. The heart pounding, sweating and jelly legs are also usually low 3s but often that kicks in when I am recovering and I associate that with the adrenaline release in response to the hypo rather than the actual low glucose itself.
 
In the mid 4s I get subtle signs. Mid 3s a neon sign. Hitting the 2s classic symptoms. I tend to catch it long before I look (to the casual onlooker.) totally wasted.
 
Inka said:
I feel it in the low 4s like @helli I remember years ago that my consultant said this was best, so over the years I’ve adjusted my target range to maintain my hypo awareness. @sharp00782 presuming you’re checking these with a fingerprick, you could talk to your team about how to maintain hypo awareness as it sounds like yours is a little low. I find always trying to stay above 5 helps.

If you’re not feeling hypo until 2.8, then that’s a loss of hypo awareness and needs sorting out. It looks like you’re quite recently diagnosed? I can’t stress enough how important it is to maintain hypo awareness. Just a few tweaks should restore yours over time,
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Hi, as I said, I have only probably had 5 in the last year as I maintain very strict control. I do not suffer from hypo awareness issues as I have my alerts set well to let me know when dropping which is the whole point of the technology I guess, sometimes I just don't have enough carbs to stop it getting to 2.9-2.8, but that's on me.
 
sharp00782 said:
Hi, as I said, I have only probably had 5 in the last year as I maintain very strict control. I do not suffer from hypo awareness issues as I have my alerts set well to let me know when dropping which is the whole point of the technology I guess, sometimes I just don't have enough carbs to stop it getting to 2.9-2.8, but that's on me.
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So are these 2.8 and 2.9 readings Libre readings or finger pricks? Libre generally over exaggerates hypos, partly due to the algorithm it uses. Hopefully this is the case as it would be concerning not getting hypo signs until you are that low.
 
rebrascora said:
So are these 2.8 and 2.9 readings Libre readings or finger pricks? Libre generally over exaggerates hypos, partly due to the algorithm it uses. Hopefully this is the case as it would be concerning not getting hypo signs until you are that low.
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Finger pricks are generally accurate for me personally at those figures. As I have said, 5 times in a year I have had hypos so not that concerned, was just curious at other peoples "full on hypo number". My last HbA1c was 38 which is that of a non diabetic so I can't really complain.
 
sharp00782 said:
Hi, as I said, I have only probably had 5 in the last year as I maintain very strict control. I do not suffer from hypo awareness issues as I have my alerts set well to let me know when dropping which is the whole point of the technology I guess, sometimes I just don't have enough carbs to stop it getting to 2.9-2.8, but that's on me.
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If it’s just the Libre lagging, that’s fine (ie you’re on the way up, say high 3s, but the Libre says you’re 2.9). You shouldn’t rely on the tech and it’s crucial to maintain your hypo awareness. For example, you have to declare it to the DVLA. If you don’t feel hypos until your blood sugar is 2.8, then I’m afraid you do have signs of hypo unawareness - because you should be getting hypo signs at a higher number. Although you might feel ok at 2.9, your brain function is compromised.

Strict control is fine but if you’re running too low, you’ll mess up your awareness. It’s not necessary to run that low. Too much of a good thing, as they say.
 
Inka said:
If it’s just the Libre lagging, that’s fine (ie you’re on the way up, say high 3s, but the Libre says you’re 2.9). You shouldn’t rely on the tech and it’s crucial to maintain your hypo awareness. For example, you have to declare it to the DVLA. If you don’t feel hypos until your blood sugar is 2.8, then I’m afraid you do have hypo unawareness.

Strict control is fine but if you’re running too low, you’ll mess up your awareness. It’s not necessary to run that low. Too much of a good thing, as they say.
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I personally don't wish to have any hypo symptoms when I am 4.5 for example and in normal range. For me that would make this disease even more of a nightmare than it already can be. I just make sure it never gets down there and that works for me.
 
sharp00782 said:
I know everyone is different but I am just curious. At what figure do you really start to feel a hypo? Thankfully I don't have many at all, if I ahve had 5 in the last year I would be surprised.

For me personally, I feel absolutely normal at 2.9, then when it drops to 2.8 full on hypo mode. Sweating, confusion, elevated heartbeat and all the usual niceities that go with it.
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If you feel normal at 2.9 then you have hypo unawareness. You must urgently speak to your diabetes team about improving this, by running higher bg levels. You will also need to declare it to the DVLA and will lose your driving licence. Do not drive in the meantime until you hear back from them.
 
sharp00782 said:
I personally don't wish to have any hypo symptoms when I am 4.5 for example and in normal range. For me would make this disease even more of a nightmare than it already can be.
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That is exactly when you should start feeling hypos. Not feeling it until 2.8, and feeling fine at 2.9, is dangerous. Not only dangerous for you but if you drive then for everyone else on the road too.
 
We’re talking mild hypo signs @sharp00782 If you rarely get down to 4.5 (is that what you’re saying?) then it makes no sense that you have hypo unawareness because it’s usually caused by running low. Note - you don’t have to run super-low to develop it, just running along at, say, 4.1 can contribute as the tiny dips will blunt your awareness.

When I used the Libre, I found it quite inaccurate. Is it possible you’re dipping lower than you think?
 
sharp00782 said:
I don't come on here to be chastised. I run 98% in range over 90 days. My diabetes team and my consultant know my situation and aren't concerned at all, as I am not also. Was just a generic question as to what number people felt full on hypo.
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you do need to be aware that if you drive you’re doing so illegally though. This could have serious consequences if you were to have that 2% hypo happen whilst you’re driving. 2% hypo is half an hour every single day so could well happen whilst driving, killing other road users and landing yourself in prison
 
Lucyr said:
you do need to be aware that if you drive you’re doing so illegally though. This could have serious consequences if you were to have that 2% hypo happen whilst you’re driving. 2% hypo is half an hour every single day so could well happen whilst driving, killing other road users and landing yourself in prison
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I never driver unless I am above 5.5 and my blood sugar has never dropped that fast from 4.2 alarm to hypo as I have never given it a reason to. If I were driving and my 4.2 alarm triggered I would stop driving and take my glucose tabs until it had risen above 5.5, substantially above 5.5.
 
sharp00782 said:
I never driver unless I am above 5.5 and my blood sugar has never dropped that fast from 4.2 alarm to hypo as I have never given it a reason to. If I were driving and my 4.2 alarm triggered I would stop driving and take my glucose tabs until it had risen above 5.5, substantially above 5.5.
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That isn’t safe enough. Your blood could drop suddenly to 2.9, libre has a slight lag so wouldn’t catch it immediately, you’d feel fine at 2.9, but your brain isn’t functional at that level so you could crash and kill someone before the alarm went off.

That’s why you have to report hypo unawareness and will lose your driving licence when you report it. You can’t just rely on libre alarms. It isn’t safe enough

You need to take this very seriously, fix your hypo awareness, report it to the DVLA and do not drive in the meantime.

You may be able to get your licence back in the future, if you can prove well enough that you’ve regained reliable hypo awareness ie that you feel hypo at 4 not just when you get down to 2.8
 
Type 1 and insulin is unpredictable @sharp00782 Nobody expects a nasty hypo until they have one. Moreover, the Libre lags. If you don’t have hypo awareness, you do need to inform the DVLA.
 
You mention that you have only had 5 hypos in a year. Is that using the Libre data?
I am wondering whether you are just unaware of other hypos that you may have had.

I was driving, had done my checks before setting off and was above 5 and level on my sensor.
30 minutes later I had had to stop on the motorway as I was hypo. I feel these around 4.2 but it depends on speed of descent. I know there is a lag on the sensor, and when I checked I was 3.9. That meant a long wait until I could drive again (45 minutes AFTER recovering levels back to 5) My diabetes is well controlled and this was a one off, but I am glad that I had full awareness. I managed it myself so did not need to report it to DVLA, but as well as the usual checks I am now super cautious and always eat something before setting off.

If you are not feeling hypo when below 3 you have lost your awareness. The number of hypos you have is irrelevant. You only need one severe hypo whilst driving to cause a serious accident, and without awareness your insurance is not valid and you should not be driving.

You need to work with your team to ensure that you recover your hypo awareness.
 
@sharp00782 I see you deleted your opening post. Lucy spoke bluntly but she’s right. You need to let the DVLA know about your impaired hypo awareness. Quite apart from the legal and insurance aspect, there are very obvious safety issues.

I’m very sure that nobody is having a go at you or criticising or trying to feel superior or anything else that you might worry about. For myself, yes I’m saying it out of concern for you (and because you can do something about it) but the main reason I’m saying it is, like other commenters here, I drive and I have relatives who drive, are passengers, or are pedestrians, including children. Without adequate hypo awareness, you are putting every other person at risk.

This is the section from the DVLA below. You’ll see that you might need some medical input and that you might get your licence back. I repeat - you can sort this. Your control looks like it’s too strict. You’re not gaining any extra benefits from that. Relax it a little. Please tell the DVLA:

Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia – ‘hypoglycaemia unawareness’
Group 1 Car and motorcycleGroup 2 Bus and lorry
✘- Must not drive and must notify DVLA.

Driving may resume after a clinical report by a GP or consultant diabetes specialist confirms that adequate hypoglycaemia awareness has been regained.
 
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