Swimming

[gail2]

Decided im going to start swimming again i need my exercise and hoped it wood help get blood sugars down. Went today tested before session and it was 29.4 did 20 lengths and then just messed about for about 20 minutes suddenly felt ill like you do when having a hypo so got out and tested again it was 15.00. i really did feel ill and like i was having a very bad hypo so i had a small packet of jelly babies and got home Dont know if i did the right thing by treating it as hypo but it felt like one so i did what i did Is it possible to have hypo at that no.
Questions for further swimming
1) is testing before and after enough
2) whats the best thing to take with me in case of hypo
3)should i think of eating something maybe before i go?
Then to cap it all when i got home i found i had lost my house keys, so had to call council out to be fair as soon as i told them i was diabetic and that it was nearly time for me to take my insulin she said i will put you top of the list and she did bless her only waited an hour. tested again and its now 17.00

 

[donnamarie]

Hi Gail,
I would imagine that if your BS are running high at moment when they start to drop, this time it was due from exercise, that your body reacts like a hypo but it is not an actual hypo. This happened to me when I was first diagnosed - my BS were so high and when I was started on insulin for a week or so I felt worse than before I was on it. But got use to BS being low and started to feel on top of things. My understanding (and bear in mind that I have only been doing this for 18 mths) is that you only need to treat a hypo if BS falls under 4.0.

If i'm doing exercise I test before and after so I can judge my food intake and insulin dose for the next time. I take glucose tablets with me as I find they get into system quicker.

Hope you get back on top of your BS soon, which I'm sure you will - as it sounds like you've been having a rough time of late.

Donna 😉

 

[Northerner]

Decided im going to start swimming again i need my exercise and hoped it wood help get blood sugars down. Went today tested before session and it was 29.4 did 20 lengths and then just messed about for about 20 minutes suddenly felt ill like you do when having a hypo so got out and tested again it was 15.00. i really did feel ill and like i was having a very bad hypo so i had a small packet of jelly babies and got home Dont know if i did the right thing by treating it as hypo but it felt like one so i did what i did Is it possible to have hypo at that no.
Questions for further swimming
1) is testing before and after enough
2) whats the best thing to take with me in case of hypo
3)should i think of eating something maybe before i go?
Then to cap it all when i got home i found i had lost my house keys, so had to call council out to be fair as soon as i told them i was diabetic and that it was nearly time for me to take my insulin she said i will put you top of the list and she did bless her only waited an hour. tested again and its now 17.00

Good for you for getting the exercise Gail! You're not in danger even if you feel bad at those kind of levels, as it's only when it gets below 4 that it gets serious. It still feels bad though, because your body has got used to much higher levels and is tricked into thinking it needs to top up fast! I would think that your levels fell pretty quickly too, and that would accentuate the sensation. It will make you feel hungry, but at those sorts of levels, you would be better having maybe just one jelly baby and then something non-carby like nuts or a diet drink to take the edge off. You could ask the lifeguard/attendant if you could leave a can of full fat coke or lucozade at the poolside in case you do hypo.

People on insulin are also told not to begin exercise if levels are above 14-17, as the exercise can actually cause them to go higher. I'm not sure what the situation is for Type 2s on a single insulin though, as I think you are? It might be worth asking your doctor about what he recommends for exercising.

I hope that, despite this, you enjoyed your swim! 🙂

 

[Cate]

It's possible to have hypos with high sugars - I have had severe "hypos" (inc seizures etc) with readings in double figures, after running high for a long time.

Good luck with the swimming though, hope you find something that works 🙂

 

[getcarter76]

It's possible to have hypos with high sugars - I have had severe "hypos" (inc seizures etc) with readings in double figures, after running high for a long time.

Good luck with the swimming though, hope you find something that works 🙂

Isn't this a hyper not hypo? Hypers are dangerous too but different technically speaking.
A hypo is where your blood sugar runs very low.

As others have said though exercise can do wonders for your levels...nice one 🙂

Bernie x

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

Isn't this a hyper not hypo? Hypers are dangerous too but different technically speaking.
A hypo is where your blood sugar runs very low.

As others have said though exercise can do wonders for your levels...nice one 🙂

Bernie x

it will be technically a hyper, but because the body has been running high for so long it thinks its having a hypo - and can be trickde into thinking its having a serious hypo and thus act up with seizures etc. It's not pretty

well done on the excersise gail! I'm thinking of starting up swimming again too

 

[gail2]

im off again this afternoon i found out yesterday that as i have a bus pass due to being disabled and not allowed to have a driving license due to being psychotic in past i can get in to swimming for free so am going to use it as much as i can.
one thing i did notice was that they have a jacuzzi pool side and on the notice it said that if you were diabetic you should not use it anyone got any idea why this is

 

[Steff]

I dont get how we cant use jacuzzis as when we are in the swimming pool we go by the jets which is like a jacuzzi.Id ask when your next there Gail.Maybe its something to do with if a diabetic had neuropathy and could not feel if the water was to hot and could be burnt.

 

[getcarter76]

I dont get how we cant use jacuzzis as when we are in the swimming pool we go by the jets which is like a jacuzzi.Id ask when your next there Gail.Maybe its something to do with if a diabetic had neuropathy and could not feel if the water was to hot and could be burnt.

Yes i think this is why.....i love jacuzzi's and if you don't have this problem i'd keep schtum why create problems for problems sake 😉

Have fun....

Bernie xx

 

[Northerner]

im off again this afternoon i found out yesterday that as i have a bus pass due to being disabled and not allowed to have a driving license due to being psychotic in past i can get in to swimming for free so am going to use it as much as i can.
one thing i did notice was that they have a jacuzzi pool side and on the notice it said that if you were diabetic you should not use it anyone got any idea why this is

See Gail, being a reformed psychotic does have some benefits! 😉 Great to hear that you'll be able to continue with the swimming. It will help you in so many ways, I am sure - extra energy, improved levels, lots of happy endorphins! Excellent!

It's a shame about the jacuzzi, it seems that they are treating us all as 'worst case' diabetics rather than recognising that a huge number of us have absolutely no problems whatsoever, and even those with some problems may still be perfectly OK. A crude sledgehammer to crack a nut.

 

[rachelha]

Well done on the exercise. I have used jacuzzis fine with no problem. I think they are just covering themselves. There are so many things which say not suitable for diabetics - hair waxing kits, hot water bottles etc. I think there are only problems if you have lost sensation so would not know if something was burning you. Personally - I just keep quite and use it anyway. If they have a sauna you might need to test lots if using it, as the extreme heat can send blood sugar levels haywire.

I could really do with a soak in a jacuzzi just now.

 

[Monica]

We've been told no Jacuzzi, because the water is hotter than normal pool water and it might send you hypo!