Severe hypo symptoms

[Dos]

I'm Looking for feedback from others on their behaviour during severe hypos .....
I'm type1 diabetic for 28yrs, in the last 5yr I've experienced a few severe hypos, never gone into a diabetic coma or been hospitalised, my husband has managed to bring me around each time.
I'd like to know how other people behave during a severe hypo as I am very aggressive, extremely nasty and abussive, I become like Jekyl & Hyde, I am a completely different and vicious person and I don't remember any of it.
I have read that this is a symptom but I wonder do others behave in a similar way. It's very scary not to remember and to be so unintentionally cruel.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Dos, welcome to the forum 🙂 I think it's not uncommon to react in this way as you are not being rational when hypo - your judgement will be very impaired and you can easily misinterpret people's intentions when they are trying to force you to eat/drink something. What is your hypo awareness like - do you have difficulty feeling early symptoms? If you are not feeling symptoms until things are very low then this might account for your more intense reactions to those around you.

 

[trophywench]

Unfortunately, it's relatively common, I'm sorry to say.

In the 70s - a neighbour a few years older than us was also diagnosed T1. A nicer bloke you couldn't hope to meet - but not a 'gang of mates down the pub' type of chap at all.

My husband called an ambulance out to me one night (we're still in the days of long acting animal insulin at this point so if you got the carbs wrong or walked from the station instead of catching a bus - excellent control was all a lot more hit and miss) cos I wouldn't respond to eg Lucozade or anything else, and Hypokits weren't available either.

One of the blokes cheerfully regaled us with tales of having to fight our neighbour off, and then having to sort out his wife's black eye or whatever that she'd gained in his progress downward this time, after they'd sorted him out. We were absolutely appalled that he was repeating such things about the bloke 2 doors way! We did NOT want to know. (these days I'd have made an official complaint about the ambulance guy but then - I knew nothing about such things)

It does tend to be completely out of character in all the examples I've ever heard about. I can be verbally on the aggressive side if something/someone ruffles my feathers - but never physically cos I'm also a wimp LOL - but become like a giggly 'dumb blonde' when I'm well hypo. Think it must be like being a happy drunk? !

What have you tried or your team suggested to avoid these as far as poss?

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

My grandfather used to fight anyone who tried to help him when hypo, even lumping a paramedic! Fortunately I haven't inherited this trait, I'm more likely to cry than get aggressive or physical.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

On another forum many years ago a lot and I do mean a lot of people were saying how aggressive they were when hypo and all blamed Lantus for it all saying they were never aggressive until they started Lantus. So no idea if this is relevant to you?

PS welcome to the forum.

 

[Dos]

Hi Dos, welcome to the forum 🙂 I think it's not uncommon to react in this way as you are not being rational when hypo - your judgement will be very impaired and you can easily misinterpret people's intentions when they are trying to force you to eat/drink something. What is your hypo awareness like - do you have difficulty feeling early symptoms? If you are not feeling symptoms until things are very low then this might account for your more intense reactions to those around you.

I have good hypo awareness, it's decreased a little since I've been keeping my levels lower. I'm currently trying to have them sit higher as I'm aware that hypo awareness can go! The severe hypo only ever happens at night, while I wake myself up 99.9% of the time with lows the very odd time I don't and I that's when I become aggressive. As you noted, my husband tells me I'm going low to which I argue (though he is correct)! any time I've had a hypo I at least know why but it's so unsettling the things I've said and how they can come out of nowhere!

 

[Dos]

On another forum many years ago a lot and I do mean a lot of people were saying how aggressive they were when hypo and all blamed Lantus for it all saying they were never aggressive until they started Lantus. So no idea if this is relevant to you?

PS welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the welcome🙂
Funny you mention Lantus ........ I've been on it the last 8 years since moving to DAFNE ...... I never had severe hypos like the one described before then.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Thanks for the welcome🙂
Funny you mention Lantus ........ I've been on it the last 8 years since moving to DAFNE ...... I never had severe hypos like the one described before then.

You are more than welcome 🙂
Perhaps try a different basal and see if that helps.
Many obviously are fine on Lantus as some are on Levemir so worth changing just see if it makes any difference to you.

 

[Northerner]

You are more than welcome 🙂
Perhaps try a different basal and see if that helps.
Many obviously are fine on Lantus as some are on Levemir so worth changing just see if it makes any difference to you.

Also, Lantus does have a problem with a nighttime peak for some people and is hard to split, whereas levemir is easier to split doses so you have less at night and maybe avoid the hypos! 🙂