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 Terrie on -
I have seen two different Children many years ago experiencing similar "black outs" with eyes open but starring. One was sitting and one was standing. The one that was standing zoned out for about a minute. I spoke to her and after a while you could see "Life" returning to her eyes and she finally came out of it and responded. The Child who was sitting was zoned out for a Good 3 minutes and did not respond to voice or touch or even hand waving or finger snapping in front of her face. That was scary. The Drs. said that these "black outs" were both due to Epileptic seizures. The Children did not have Diabetes. They remembered nothing about it afterwards. Just felt a bit groggy.
There was also a time in elementary school that I was allowed to stay at school for lunch since it was snowing so heavily.
My new Friend had been dxd 6 mths. prior and while we were having lunch together, I noticed her doing something odd. She would take a bite of her sandwich, chew, then take a bite of her apple, chew then back to her sandwich and so on. I spoke to her but she was "blacked out" and not responding, just starring ahead. I then knew that she was having a seizure so I found the Teacher and suggested that they give my Friend some orange juice since she was able to eat stuff. It didn't occur to me at the time that she may choke. Hey, I was a Kid but it worked. My Friend remembered nothing about the incident afterwards.
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Permalink Reply by Rye on -
I have never had a seizure or passed out....I usually get a very cold feeling going up my legs, foggy brained, heart beating really fast and sweating....
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Permalink Reply by Betty J on
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My first experience with seizures and passing out occured in the 1990s because I was just learning how to really control my D after almost 40 years. My husband was in another room and he heard a noise and when he came to where I was I was passed out and having a seizure. So since I wasn't aware of what was happening I would say passing out comes first and seizure next.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
I have been in the 30's but still conscious and able to treat myself, but then again, I have been in the 50's and NOT able to treat myself. Sometimes my hands contract so that my thumbs are touching my pinkies, and I can't get them open again, but I don't think that qualifies as a seizure. I have had diabetes for 20 years -- diagnosable by modern standards at age 43, but it was slow-onset. My hypo awareness varies -- sometimes I catch them in the 60's, sometimes in the 50's, but a couple of hypos I caught purely by coincidence -- my CGM told me to check my BG, but I was not feeling symptoms at all.
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Permalink Reply by Terrie on
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Even when I was a Child, I passed out first. I was never conscious during seizures.
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Permalink Reply by Doris D on -
Ok new symptom. Never happened to me till yesterday in my 38 years of being diabetic. I had a seizure 1st it only lasted about 5 minutes til my daughter gave me a gluagon shot and got my bs back up but diabetes is always changing isn't it?
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Doris I had the same experience at my 39th years in 1998. If my hubby hadn't come home a few minutes more I wouldn't be here today...had a dear friend who died in 2005 from a hypo because she was by herself.
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Permalink Reply by Marie B on -
after 44 years, I guess I'm pretty lucky never to have done either or ever needed to have the paramedics called.
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