Me Nan - She dosnt like hypos!

[bennyg70]

Well shes a T2 has been for years - tablet controlled. She always complains about hypos and her fear of them... (I didnt think T2s really suffered - but then my knowledge is lacking) anyway she was telling me about how she hates them, and how she suffers after a hypo for 3 or 4 days feeling terrible and sick.

She dosnt test so firstly Im not convinced her bloods are low... Im thinking she is high all the time and when her bloods dip to normal levels, this replicates a low? Does that make sense? Anyway...

I have my suspicions as I know we all suffer the odd hypo hangover, but I certainly havnt suffered for more than a couple of hours after a hypo. So I wondered if she was overtreating whatever was going on... So I ask..

"Nan what do you have when you go low"

Nan: "I have half a bottle of lucozade and a couple of digestives"

So theres me thinking,... ahh theres the answer. 250ml of lucozade is like 43g carbs - enough to raise me by 4.3 x 3 = 12.9

2 x digestives @ 10/11g a pop, another 6mmol/l so theres 19mmol/m raise on top of if it was a low 3mmol, shes in the 20s and possibly for days... making her feel naff!!!

So I go fetch a bottle of lucozade to double check the carb content, there was a 500ml bottle on the side so I bought this in, to which she responds...

"No not one of those" and then reappeared with a 1.5l bottle of lucozade... "One of these".....

Illl let you do the math.

 

[AlisonM]

Sounds to me like you have it right Benny, she's most likely high and coming down to normal rather than actually hypo. Are you going to try and wean her off the Lucozade? 🙄

 

[bennyg70]

I've told her under no uncertain terms. If she feels like shes low, she tests first so we know exactly whats going on.

Second, if she decdies she needs to treat it, its either 3 dextrose (I left her a pack) or 75ml lucozade and ride it out for 15 minutes and retest.

I dont think it matters so much if shes hanging around in the 10s and 12s and treat 4s 5s and 6s. Shes 82, lives by herself and much prefer her higher than lower... Shes not going to be worrying too much about complications in the way a young (Just like me!) T1 would. However she could earn herself a hospital trip if her bloods are that high!

Well see if she listens to my advice, or see how many empty bottles are in the bin next time I go round!

 

[pav]

Depends on which meds she is on, as certain ones like gliclazide can cause hypos, had a few myself.

If she is not testing her levels can't be certain if she is having a true or false hypo. It could be that her sugar levels are that high especially if she's drinking that much lucazade. When she is feeling hypo her levels could be in the normal range.

If you test your levels can you test hers for her, as if her levels are sky high, it would help her general health to get her levels back to normal ranges. If they are false hypos and she can get her levels to normal ranges the false hypos will disappear.

When I get a hypo normally it does not take me long to recover, I have had one hypo from hell but it was just trying to get my levels back to normal. As fast as the BS level was rising it was falling again just as quick.

 

[trophywench]

Wonder a) what she takes and b) how long it's been since she had a proper diabetes and drugs review with someone checking her meter results and not just her A1c?

I mean if her doc told her to take 3 of them and 2 of these, that's just what she'll do because he said so therefore it must be right - she's probably most unlikely to connect it to that that even if she does go properly hypo, neither would she think of altering dosage herself. probably.

I was brought up to obey the doctor too, and it was ages after I was married before I met a GP who I could have a conversation with about any condition and ask Why? Prior to that it was just Hello Dr, describe symptoms, get relevant bit of me looked at/examined if necessary, diagnosis and prescription issued, bye till I get summat else that doesn't go away!

The diabetes was incidental cause we don't deal with T1, you'll have to ask the hospital .....

750ml of Lucozade, @ 17g per 100ml = 127.5g carbs, plus 20 for the digestives, let's call that 150g. @ 3.0 per 10g, that's increased my BG by 45.0 !!

Yup, I'd feel a bit ill ........ her poor ole pancreas! 😱

 

[HOBIE]

Good luck sorting your "Nan" benny. Sounds like you are right to me 🙂

 

[spiritfree]

What a lucky Nan she is, having you to sort her out. Well done you.