Problems with blackcurrants?

[StephenMaudsley]

Hi,
I had an interesting trip to A&E over the weekend...

Went out for dinner and calculated carbs and took insulin appropriately...
About an hour after dinner and before bed measured bloods and got 4 which is a bit low for sleeping and slightly surprising. So time for 2 fig rolls... 3/4 hour later bloods less than 4 so time for glucogel (and 4 fig rolls...). I went to sleep. Wife measured blood at 2.2. and gave me 2 tubes of glugel. 15 minutes later and b/s 1.0. Time for paramedics. Many biscuits and a bottle of coca cola (not standard issue apparently) bloods start to improve and I come around and they decide a trip to A&E since they have no real idea what is happening. They put in i/v glucose and my blood sugar improves a lot.

So several hours later and many tests they decide insulin overdose and an infection and let me go.

So I think about dinner: I had a dessert with a lot of blackcurrants in a blackcurrant reduction.

Google says that blackcurrant extracts are being experimented with as carbohydrate absorption blockers.

So I'm wondering whether this is a partial blackcurrant overdose...

Anyone else?

 

[Owen]

Is it possible you hit muscle when you injected?

Not aware of the blackcurrant, but would be interested to know if you find the cause.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

Blackcurrant is full of fruit sugar. I would be a little bit sceptical about them not raising blood sugars. I would personally feel that the high sugar content would by far negate any possible carbohydrate blocking effect that blackcurrant might induce.

 

[Radders]

Hi,
I had an interesting trip to A&E over the weekend...

Went out for dinner and calculated carbs and took insulin appropriately...
About an hour after dinner and before bed measured bloods and got 4 which is a bit low for sleeping and slightly surprising. So time for 2 fig rolls... 3/4 hour later bloods less than 4 so time for glucogel (and 4 fig rolls...). I went to sleep. Wife measured blood at 2.2. and gave me 2 tubes of glugel. 15 minutes later and b/s 1.0. Time for paramedics. Many biscuits and a bottle of coca cola (not standard issue apparently) bloods start to improve and I come around and they decide a trip to A&E since they have no real idea what is happening. They put in i/v glucose and my blood sugar improves a lot.

So several hours later and many tests they decide insulin overdose and an infection and let me go.

So I think about dinner: I had a dessert with a lot of blackcurrants in a blackcurrant reduction.

Google says that blackcurrant extracts are being experimented with as carbohydrate absorption blockers.

So I'm wondering whether this is a partial blackcurrant overdose...

Anyone else?

Ribena is my hypo fix of choice!

 

[mikeyB]

I agree with DL and Radders, this can't be the blackcurrant. The story is that of classic insulin overdose, which takes us back to Owens comment. Though I do remember once years ago accidentally giving myself a lantus sized dose of short acting insulin. That was fun. I've never eaten so many jam butties.

 

[StephenMaudsley]

I agree with DL and Radders, this can't be the blackcurrant. The story is that of classic insulin overdose, which takes us back to Owens comment. Though I do remember once years ago accidentally giving myself a lantus sized dose of short acting insulin. That was fun. I've never eaten so many jam butties.

That's what I thought at first (and in fact it was an insulin overdose) but I had abou 100g of glucose and other carbohydrates over about 2 hours to little effect and two paramedics were confused and rather worried because it doesn't happen like this.

I've found reference to carbohydrate blockers based on blackcurrant extract and control of type 2 with blackcurrant powder so was wondering if that was what was affecting things...

 

[Caroline]

Never had a hypo with anything blackcurrant, but as a kid it always gave me a very upset tummy. Took my mum ages to get the connection on PE days at school...

 

[mikeyB]

That's what I thought at first (and in fact it was an insulin overdose) but I had abou 100g of glucose and other carbohydrates over about 2 hours to little effect and two paramedics were confused and rather worried because it doesn't happen like this.

I've found reference to carbohydrate blockers based on blackcurrant extract and control of type 2 with blackcurrant powder so was wondering if that was what was affecting things...

Stephen, you can probably find references to cement dust blocking carbohydrates if you search long enough on the net. Every single 'health' claim found for blackcurrant that I've seen on the net is made by, or is 'research' paid for by blackcurrant growers or others with a vested interest. In other words, about as reliable as Arthur Daley. 80% of British blackcurrant production goes into Ribena, a sugar laden squash so reliable that Radders uses it as hypo treatment. (I don't know how she can, to be honest, it's so sugary it makes me feel sick)

Would you not think that if blackcurrant or any extract really had any effect on blood glucose control that this would not have been exploited by the medical profession and drug companies?

You either need to stop searching the Internet, which is awash with similar flaky claims, or learn to better judge what is likely to be taurine effluent.

 

[Radders]

That's what I thought at first (and in fact it was an insulin overdose) but I had abou 100g of glucose and other carbohydrates over about 2 hours to little effect and two paramedics were confused and rather worried because it doesn't happen like this.
...

How long have you been diagnosed, Stephen? Just wondering if you could be honeymooning? How much insulin would cover that much carb normally for you - is it possible you up jabbed by that much? Could you have misjudged your basal insulin since the lows continued for several hours? Lots of questions but hopefully will help you work out what contributed to this.