Need Your Thinking Caps. What's Happening To Me?
I trust the collective wisdom here more than my doctor to shed some light. Two days in a row I had staggering afternoon lows, unlike anything I've experienced. EMS left a few hours ago. Thankfully, my husband was home to call EMS because I was unable to speak or move. He tested me. BG 37, which has never left me near comatose before. Ok, here's the strange part. I had taken Apidra 7 hours before the low. None should have been available to cause a plummet. Also use Levemir. If I accidentally took two Apidra shots (sure I didn't), I would have been dead before I hit the floor. I'm careful about rotating injection sites & take small doses, so I don't think it was a scar tissue absorption delay. No exercise to account for a low either.
EMS injected IV dextrose because glucagon would have taken too long. A minute or so later, I was able to talk. BG went to 315 after the dextrose & then dropped to 223 10 minutes later & then to 175 after I ate crackers with peanut butter & is holding at 175. Needless to say, I'm terrified to take a correction to bring it down.
Thanks for your isights!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gerri on -
Am trying to gather info to present. Right now, my understanding of using dextrose IV is minimal. Have to admit that I didn't have glucagon on hand when my low hit. I kept refilling the Rx & throwing glucagon out when it expired. It's expensive & doesn't last long & didn't get around to refilling it. If learning to safely inject IV isn't a problem, I want something that works instantly now that I've experienced a life-threatening low. Can't tuck a bag of dextrose in your pocket, but something helpful to keep at home.
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Permalink Reply by David (dns) on -
Interesting about the Glucagon expiration issue. Just getting ready to buy some for the first time. May have to rethink it. It is expensive and if it's just going to have to be constantly replaced . . . now I'm really looking forward to the outcome of this discussion.
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Permalink Reply by Laddie on -
I don't bother with Glucagon because you're really not supposed to use it if you can take anything by mouth. I have heard of people self-injecting Glucagon, but that's not something I see myself doing. My husband would never in a million years inject me, but he would call 911 immediately.
The only time I think that I would buy Glucagon would be if I went camping or on an international trip where I couldn't count on rapid 911 service.
I used to buy Glucagon, but never used it and always threw it away. If you can't count on having someone with you who will use it, it's really a waste IMO.
Glad you're doing better. It's always scary when diabetes totally kicks your butt. -
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Permalink Reply by Terrie on -
Hi Gerri:
Oh I know it will. Actually it probably has already. I know it has helped me. Thanks! :)
Geesh, being overdosed at the hospital:(
Ya, I mentioned about it here somewhere. She was a younger, inexperienced Nurse. Of course, I was given a shot by an old, experienced Nurse many years ago also. :D It was a minor seizure. Spaceship type stuff. Not worth talking about.
Been there, done that with the terrible fatigue and nap. I always test before a nap. I'm gonna up you one on the testing before a nap. Since meters are inaccurate, I'm going to have something solid to eat even if my meter says 5.8 or 6.2 before my nap. Been fooled by that before. I felt safe wih numbers like that and woke up disappointed cuz I dropped, sometimes for no good reason. Excessive heat and exercise really sucks the sugar outta me when working outside though and keeps my sugars low especially if I fall asleep. I prefer to wake up a bit higher for the short term than in another seizure.
LOL! Weren't you just starving at 315? :P Phil obviously missed my high number since he said the highest I tested was 8.9. I'm surprised he missed a test since he didn't leave the room. Oh yes he did. When he got my oatmeal. Darn oatmeal! :( I'm glad that the pharmacist explained it for you. That's good to know.
Thank you much! :) I have some more work to do on my fingers and side of hand. I am encouraged. I haven't had full strength in my hands/body for years with the RA but the seizure took more away from my hand. But I can now hold a pen and read my writing again. I can hold a spoon properly and stir food plus turn the doorknob and so on. I guess it's time for that R-ALA. This should prove to be interesting.
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Permalink Reply by Gerri on
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Hi Terrie,
Can certainly see how you'd want to avoid a seizure. How exhausted & horrible you must feel after one of those.
Learned the lesson about testing before a nap. Never dawned on me to do that. Heat does the same to me. The combo of the sun & exertion drops me fast while gardening.
Oh, yea, you had to be higher than 8.9. Stunned how quickly I dropped. Actually, I wasn't hungry. Maybe because I felt so fuzzy headed. All I could choke down were two crackers with peanut butter, at EMS insistence, & didn't eat anything but some nuts & cheese later that evening. Was really thirsty from the induced high, though.
Really glad your hand is improved. Have you heard of LDN (low dose naltrexone)? http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/. It's used to treat RA, along with other diseases. Very promising! Please check out the site. Hate knowing you're in pain & limited by that. I know people taking it for MS & it has vastly helped them.
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Permalink Reply by Gary on -
My thinking cap tells me in order to eliminate these consistent BS issues we need a biological effective treatment otherwise we will continue to be at the diseases destructive mercy.
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
Gary, Gerri doesn't have "consistent BS issues". She usually has very stable numbers, which is why she posted it as an issue when she didn't. She gets these stable numbers (please forgive me, Gerri, for speaking for you) by eating low carb, by frequent testing and by taking appropriate insulin based on I:C, ISF and basal rate.
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Permalink Reply by Gerri on
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Thanks, Zoe. You can speak for me:)
Would be lovely if we had a more reliable handle on why anomalous things happen as they do & a means to prevent them. Until then, & I'm not holding my breath, we can only do the best we can with what we've got. Play the cards we have.
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Permalink Reply by Gary on
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I'm speaking in general. If you read most of the posts here its generally not about how well peoples BS is running but more about their problems trying to control it. Despite how much I hate diabetes in general my levels run fairly consistent but that doesn't free me of constant worry and the fact that I am extremely mentally unstable from it.
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on -
"Don't ask, don't well" LOL!
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