What hypo symptom is first for you - seizures or passing out?
If you have been T1 for a long period of time you have probably had at least one very low BG. Low BG has many symptoms, but when you get low enough it seems that passing out and seizures are the last step before possible coma. Coma does not necessarily follow, and usually doesn't, since the body is usually able to eventually raise BG enough to bring us back.
By seizures I'm talking about major uncontrollable muscle twitching, not "feeling shaky" that is sometimes included as a lesser symptom of hypoglycemia.
The literature says that for some people seizures come before passing out, and for others passing out comes first and seizures follow. I wonder which is more common - seizures before passing out, or passing out before seizures?
For myself, I have found uncontrollable seizures come first which gives me time to treat with sugar and avoid passing out. So I vote for seizures first. But I gather some people simply hit the floor without seizing first.
What about you? If you have ever passed out or had seizures because of very low BG, which one happened first? Did you start to shake uncontrollably and were able to treat with glucose to avoid passing out, or did you just pass out and wake up later? If you're T1 and lucky enough to have never done either, then how long have you had diabetes, and what age when diagnosed?
Results so far (Oct 14):
Seizure first: 9
Pass out first: 4
Both together: 4
Neither ever: 3 (juvenile onset); 6 (adult onset)
By seizures I'm talking about major uncontrollable muscle twitching, not "feeling shaky" that is sometimes included as a lesser symptom of hypoglycemia.
The literature says that for some people seizures come before passing out, and for others passing out comes first and seizures follow. I wonder which is more common - seizures before passing out, or passing out before seizures?
For myself, I have found uncontrollable seizures come first which gives me time to treat with sugar and avoid passing out. So I vote for seizures first. But I gather some people simply hit the floor without seizing first.
What about you? If you have ever passed out or had seizures because of very low BG, which one happened first? Did you start to shake uncontrollably and were able to treat with glucose to avoid passing out, or did you just pass out and wake up later? If you're T1 and lucky enough to have never done either, then how long have you had diabetes, and what age when diagnosed?
Results so far (Oct 14):
Seizure first: 9
Pass out first: 4
Both together: 4
Neither ever: 3 (juvenile onset); 6 (adult onset)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bug74 on -
I agree with Tim, I don't think the order is the same for everybody. Like others, I do start to "jerk", "twitch". I've never looked at myself while doing so. But it seems to be mainly my eyes. And sometimes this can kick in a short time after I have treated. Go figure. During the eye jerks it is very had to navigate (to sit down, for example). My eyes are jerking and therefore the whole room moves around. I think this is a combined product of very low and falling fast.
I have also had seizures as well as blacked out. I was dx in '74 at the age of 14.
Like others, during hard lows my survivial instinct must kick in and I become focused on just getting juice (or something to treat it with.) The weirdest one was after treating, I sat on the couch in the living room and swore someone had come into my house and rearranged all my furniture. I just couldn't figure it out! Even though I knew I was low, I couldn't associate my confusion over the mysterious rearranging of my furniture with the low. Sanity seems to come back a thin layer at a time. It took several minutes after the low for me to put it all together.
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Permalink Reply by Tim on -
With regards to eyes... only once in the past 30 years it happened to me, but I had a hypo such that I could not point my two eyes in the same direction. It only ever happened once. It was very disconcerting, enough so that I distinctly remember it. (As opposed to the thousands of other hypos of various severities that I don't remember individually!)
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Permalink Reply by Lila on -
I have never passed out or had a seizure.
I can go scarily low without feeling a thing. The scariest was waking up one night with no symptoms other than something in my brain saying 'wake up and test your BG' and discovering it was LO. On my meter, that's under 1.2mm/ol (21.6 mg/dl). On less scary days, numbers in the 20-30s range produce symptoms like a metallic taste in the mouth, and blurred vision, like having too much salt water in one's eyes.
The closest I came to passing out was during an antenatal scan. My BG went from the 30s to the 20s despite correcting, then the meter started flashing LO. That was after two corrections. I didn't pass out but I could feel myself floating away. Luckily I was at the hospital and before I knew it, I was surrounded by six nurses.
I was dx June 2010 at age 38.
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Permalink Reply by MossDog on -
Lila I am pretty similar as far as "feeling" lows. My symptoms aren't always apparant (different and mild every time). What really ticks me off about it is when I treat my lows I actually feel intense low blood sugar symptoms on the way back up. So I get all the negative effects of low blood sugar without the one redeeming quality- letting me know I am on the way down. I guess the silver lining is I at least know I am on the way back up?
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Permalink Reply by Doris D on -
For me it's passing out followed very quickly by a seizure. I've been a Type 1 for 38 years now though.I was diagnosed at 10
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Permalink Reply by Cassie on
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Dx in teens. Type 1 now for over 35 years.
In yearss gone by, I just passed out. Each time my sugar was low enough for a ride in the ambulance, and a day or two in the hospital.
For the past year I have been in a clinical trial. It helps hypoglycemic unawareness. I have not missed heading one off in 14 months.
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Permalink Reply by Jag1 on -
That's an impressive time to have had neither. You got T1 in the dark ages of management too, prior to glucose tests, A1c's etc.. Can I ask what were the worst symptoms of your lowest BG ever?
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Permalink Reply by Laura S. on
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Me? I see white giant blobby spots around 55 or so. So when I see those I gulp juice or coke and they go away right away. I think my lowest low is probably maybe 45. Maybe. And that may have been in the days of when I felt shaky and knew what it was.
Now, if you can believe it, my right hand goes numb when my BG is going low.
Very odd.
It's also odd I have a type I sister, ten years older who has also never needed assistance. However, she always got very sick with highs and I dont get sick at all with a high BG. She was in the hospital all the time.
How did I make it through four and a half years of college, as a dance major dancing five solid days a week? On urine testing???????? It must have been the peanut butter sandwiches and yogurt they served if you didnt want to eat in the cafeteria! Two shots a day and lots of peanut butter.......must have balanced everything out.
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Permalink Reply by monu on -
I've recentlly been diagnosed. So it's still not clear if i have T1 or T2. But recently about a month back i did swoon. My head started acting funny. I almost passed out. It happened many times that day. I thought i had high BG cause i was not that careful of my diet and was about one week into diagnosis. I did'nt eat that day and thought that i would stablise. But it continued till evening and then i thought to hell with it and had a hearty dinner. At night in bed also i felt the same though I stablised the next day. I then realised that it was low BG. I had been having frequent urination for some time. I thought that less food would make it go away. yesterday i ate less than normal and for some reason did not have normal breakfast. In the afternoon same thing started happening and my hands started shaking. Quickly had some rice and a fruit. stablised now. Doctors here in india hardly guide you. They take diabetes very casualy as if it is cold or flu. It seems they themselfves know little of it.
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Permalink Reply by Jag1 on
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I'm not sure your swooning was because of low BG. And shaking hands is very different from the seizures I was talking about. Are you taking insulin? These symptoms sound more like high BG than low BG to me - but that is a complete guess and you should talk to your doctor and get test strips and check your blood sugar when you feel odd - I think that is the best way to sort out what is happening to you.
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Permalink Reply by Lila on
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Monu, I hope you are testing your blood sugar regularly, especially when you feel funny. Testing is especially important in the time immediately after diagnosis. Don't go by physiological symptoms; only trust the blood glucose meter.
When I was first diagnosed, my blood sugar had been running high for so long that even at 120-140, my hands would start shaking. I learnt to always test my blood sugar before doing anything else.
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