I am having problems maintaining a good BS level.

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Have you by any chance lost weight? If so your insulin needs may be less.
 
angeladalton said:
I have recently had 2 readings below 4 with no symptoms.
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How much below 4 and did you double check each time with a second finger prick if you didn't feel hypo? Test strips can be wrong so it always pays to double check. Some meters even give a low reading if you don't get enough blood on the test strip, so always important to double check.
Have you had hypos in the past and was your awareness OK then or have you never had hypos until recently?

I am really sorry to hear that your licence has been suspended. I hope you are able to work at getting it reinstated, if you want to, but understand if you feel that you have lost your confidence or are a danger.
 
angeladalton said:
Just had my driving licence revoked due to having hypos with no symptoms
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I'm a bit puzzled as to what a hypo is in this situation - is there an exact definition, and is it actually an indication of impairment?
 
rebrascora said:
How much below 4 and did you double check each time with a second finger prick if you didn't feel hypo? Test strips can be wrong so it always pays to double check. Some meters even give a low reading if you don't get enough blood on the test strip, so always important to double check.
Have you had hypos in the past and was your awareness OK then or have you never had hypos until recently?

I am really sorry to hear that your licence has been suspended. I hope you are able to work at getting it reinstated, if you want to, but understand if you feel that you have lost your confidence or are a danger.
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Thank you. In the past I have been aware of hypos. It has only been in the last few weeks that I haven't had symptoms. No, I didn't double check.
 
Drummer said:
I'm a bit puzzled as to what a hypo is in this situation - is there an exact definition, and is it actually an indication of impairment?
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As I understand, a hypo is a bs under 5 according to info from dvla. They say a hypo can cause confusion and lack of concentration
 
I am really concerned that you may have surrendered your licence unnecessarily, which was why I was asking for specific circumstances earlier in this thread.

A hypo is unfortunately not clearly defined but generally below 4 for those of us on insulin. Definitely not above 4. You are misunderstanding the DVLA guidance if you believe it is below 5.

There is a saying that "You need to be 5 to drive" but actually, you can dive if your levels are between 4 and 5 provided that you eat some carbs which will bring you up above 5 after you set off. If you are below 4, then you cannot drive until 45 mins after your levels have come back up.

Sometimes I feel hypo signs at 4.2, sometimes 3.8 or 3.7. It depends upon how fast my levels are dropping and how high they are dropping from as to how quickly and obviously I feel it. Those 3.8s don't mean I have lost my hypo awareness, just that either my levels were slowly sinking and it wasn't as obvious or perhaps even that my test strip was reading a little lower than normal. I would not drive once my levels get below 4 or if I felt hypo above 4 but it doesn't mean I have lost my hypo awareness just because sometimes I get to 3.8 occasionally and don't feel it.
The whole DVLA guidance is fraught with misunderstanding and poor wording and it is no wonder that many people fall foul of it.

Technically a hypo is actually below 3.5 but those of us using insulin consider it to be anything below 4 because we need to preserve our hypo awareness. None diabetic people can drop to 3.5 and not be or feel hypo and not need to worry about driving, but those of us who use insulin need to be extra vigilant because our insulin can drop us dangerously low (below 3.5) and the more time we spend below 4 the more our body gets used to it and that erodes our hypo awareness. To me, as long as we feel it before 3.5 (the point that it is supposed to affect brain function) we still have hypo awareness. BUT you also have to factor in that BG meters and Libre are not 100% accurate, so you would be looking for a pattern of lost hypo awareness rather than an intermittent or occasional incident..... or incidents where you needed assistance because you didn't feel a hypo coming. Our bodies are not machines so there will be some variability in when we feel it and how we feel it and there are a whole range of different hypo warning signs. Added to that, the meters we use are not that accurate, so the whole situation with regard to hypo awareness is a bit flakey and open to interpretation.
 
Satan’s little helper said:
I’m somewhat confused over the series of events leading upto @angeladalton informing DVLA.

Five to drive & four is the floor to the best of my knowledge.
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This is not specifically DVLA guidance but a phrase which has been coined perhaps by clinicians to help us understand the DVLA jargon. There is no clear definition of hypo awareness or indeed hypo, but we are not allowed to drive below 4.
 
rebrascora said:
I am really concerned that you may have surrendered your licence unnecessarily, which was why I was asking for specific circumstances earlier in this thread.

A hypo is unfortunately not clearly defined but generally below 4 for those of us on insulin. Definitely not above 4. You are misunderstanding the DVLA guidance if you believe it is below 5.

There is a saying that "You need to be 5 to drive" but actually, you can dive if your levels are between 4 and 5 provided that you eat some carbs which will bring you up above 5 after you set off. If you are below 4, then you cannot drive until 45 mins after your levels have come back up.

Sometimes I feel hypo signs at 4.2, sometimes 3.8 or 3.7. It depends upon how fast my levels are dropping and how high they are dropping from as to how quickly and obviously I feel it. Those 3.8s don't mean I have lost my hypo awareness, just that either my levels were slowly sinking and it wasn't as obvious or perhaps even that my test strip was reading a little lower than normal. I would not drive once my levels get below 4 or if I felt hypo above 4 but it doesn't mean I have lost my hypo awareness just because sometimes I get to 3.8 occasionally and don't feel it.
The whole DVLA guidance is fraught with misunderstanding and poor wording and it is no wonder that many people fall foul of it.

Technically a hypo is actually below 3.5 but those of us using insulin consider it to be anything below 4 because we need to preserve our hypo awareness. None diabetic people can drop to 3.5 and not be or feel hypo and not need to worry about driving, but those of us who use insulin need to be extra vigilant because our insulin can drop us dangerously low (below 3.5) and the more time we spend below 4 the more our body gets used to it and that erodes our hypo awareness. To me, as long as we feel it before 3.5 (the point that it is supposed to affect brain function) we still have hypo awareness. BUT you also have to factor in that BG meters and Libre are not 100% accurate, so you would be looking for a pattern of lost hypo awareness rather than an intermittent or occasional incident..... or incidents where you needed assistance because you didn't feel a hypo coming. Our bodies are not machines so there will be some variability in when we feel it and how we feel it and there are a whole range of different hypo warning signs. Added to that, the meters we use are not that accurate, so the whole situation with regard to hypo awareness is a bit flakey and open to interpretation.
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Totally agree. I feel hypos. Never needed assistance. Though the symptoms have changed with my insulin regime changes over the years. I’m no longer a sweaty mess like I was on porcine. (As depicted as symptom by DVLA. Which is outdated.)

rebrascora said:
This is not specifically DVLA guidance but a phrase which has been coined perhaps by clinicians to help us understand the DVLA jargon. There is no clear definition of hypo awareness or indeed hypo, but we are not allowed to drive below 4.
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It does seem to have originated as a “jingle.” (Like “only a fool breaks the 2 second rule.” Regarding stopping distance on motorways.) I suppose the crux of it is being compos mentis to “pull over & treat.
I share your concern that Angela may have been a little premature?
 
Satan’s little helper said:
Though the symptoms have changed with my insulin regime changes over the years. I’m no longer a sweaty mess like I was on porcine.
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I am not so sure that it necessarily has to do with the insulin but perhaps just that your body doesn't go into panic and release adrenaline like it did in the early days after diagnosis when you got anywhere near 4. I think the honeymoon period also creates some nasty hypos sometimes, because your own insulin production throws in a bit on top of what you have injected.
From what I understand, it is the adrenaline which causes the pounding heart and sweating and clamminess and feeling like you are going to pass out and that is "experiencing a hypo" to me. The warning signs of impending hypo are the subtle things like the feeling of going down in a lift where your tummy flutters a bit or feels like mild indigestion or feeling like you are in a bit of a vacuum (a bit sort of detached from your environment) or tingly lips or tongue or your peripheral vision going a bit blurry or your ears starting to ring. To me those are your hypo awareness signs and as long as you get those in plenty of time before you get the heart pounding, sweating, scary stuff, then you have hypo awareness. I don't always get the same warning signs, so you have to be a bit switched on sometimes to spot them, but the proper hypo symptoms are usually pretty much the same and very obvious and you can't ignore them. Thankfully, like you, I rarely get those now.
 
angeladalton said:
I have recently had 2 readings below 4 with no symptoms.
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I have had about 3 in the past couple of weeks, the 1st one i was travelling to my parents and my head was sweating, checked blood when i got there and was 2.8, the other ones this week have been 3.3 and 3.1 and felt wobbly on my legs and my hands were shaking, so at least i am getting some warning that i need to check my blood again x
 
Do you have a Libre @kellie01 ? I can’t remember if you doubt if you have one, set your Low alarm higher and then you’ll get good warning of impending hypos. If you feel hypo symptoms or anything a bit off, always test and treat asap. Hypos aren’t just unpleasant, they can be nasty as our blood sugar can carry on dropping. In worst cases, this can lead to seizures and unconsciousness.
 
Inka said:
Do you have a Libre @kellie01 ? I can’t remember if you doubt if you have one, set your Low alarm higher and then you’ll get good warning of impending hypos. If you feel hypo symptoms or anything a bit off, always test and treat asap. Hypos aren’t just unpleasant, they can be nasty as our blood sugar can carry on dropping. In worst cases, this can lead to seizures and unconsciousness.
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No i dont have a Libre x
 
rebrascora said:
I am not so sure that it necessarily has to do with the insulin but perhaps just that your body doesn't go into panic and release adrenaline like it did in the early days after diagnosis when you got anywhere near 4. I think the honeymoon period also creates some nasty hypos sometimes, because your own insulin production throws in a bit on top of what you have injected.
From what I understand, it is the adrenaline which causes the pounding heart and sweating and clamminess and feeling like you are going to pass out and that is "experiencing a hypo" to me. The warning signs of impending hypo are the subtle things like the feeling of going down in a lift where your tummy flutters a bit or feels like mild indigestion or feeling like you are in a bit of a vacuum (a bit sort of detached from your environment) or tingly lips or tongue or your peripheral vision going a bit blurry or your ears starting to ring. To me those are your hypo awareness signs and as long as you get those in plenty of time before you get the heart pounding, sweating, scary stuff, then you have hypo awareness. I don't always get the same warning signs, so you have to be a bit switched on sometimes to spot them, but the proper hypo symptoms are usually pretty much the same and very obvious and you can't ignore them. Thankfully, like you, I rarely get those now.
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You may be right regarding Adrenalin. It may also depend on how fast the drop?
I am pretty calm with my lows. Knowing I have treatment in my pocket helps too.
It’s only those who know me V well notice any outward symptoms. (The “spark” is lost.) Nothing too strange, to the untrained eye of an onlooker.
 
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