Can any one highlight the symptoms of hypoglycaemia?What is the first and other symptoms .If any personal experience ?

[patliputra]

What to do when in hypoglycaemia.

[Hidden]

I had this experience many times.You feel some what disoriented,slight shivering,sweaty and a feeling of general lack of energy.Once I was caught in a traffic jam in Chennai and with great difficulty moved the vehicle to the side.Luckily,I found a fruit juice shop close by and had a glass of mixed fruit juice.Lucky on that day.

[Wynad in reply to Hidden]

I too had the same symptoms couple of times and for a moment you might feel that you are down the line and end of life. So as of now I keep some cookies in the glove of my car to meet any such emergencies. Beware when the sugar level goes down below 60.

[gangadharan_nair]

Hypoglycemia occurs when:--

* Your body's sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly

* Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly

* Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream

Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.

Low blood sugar is most commonly seen in people with diabetes who are taking insulin or other medicines to control their diabetes.

Symptoms you may have when your blood sugar gets too low include:--

* Double vision or blurry vision

* Fast or pounding heartbeat

* Feeling cranky or acting aggressive

* Feeling nervous

* Headache

* Hunger

* Shaking or trembling

* Sweating

* Tingling or numbness of the skin

* Tiredness or weakness

* Trouble sleeping

* Unclear thinking

Sometimes your blood sugar may be too low, even if you do not have symptoms. If your blood sugar gets too low, you may:--

* Faint

* Have a seizure

* Go into a coma

Sources:--

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypog...

nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/enc...

merckmanuals.com/home/hormo...

[Sethks in reply to gangadharan_nair]

Additioally

There may be an utter state of confusion in mind

[patliputra in reply to Sethks]

It is an old link ,supposed to be dead.but you are perfectly right,when hypoglycaemia sets it there is utter confusion.That is why it is so vital to understand and experience hypo,so that one is prepared to face it.It is always suggested that all diabetics should carry an ID mentioning his diabetes and medication he is taking.He should also carry with him sugar to ward off emergency of hypo.

[Sethks in reply to patliputra]

Glocose is more effective than sugar. Desolved in little water it assimilates in the blood very fast

[patliputra in reply to Sethks]

You may be right, but it has been seen and practically experienced by me that it is raw sugar when kept in mouth,dissolves quickly and act faster than glucose.

It is much more convenient to carry it,as it does not require any water.Youmay not find handy to carry water every where or find water at hand.

[Sethks in reply to patliputra]

Thanks

[Peace7]

My hypoglycemic condition all which are mentioned above starts daily around 12.00 noon. I dare not go out at that time. In case I have to, I see to it I carry some pure fruit juice with me.

[Peace7]

I am on 500 mg Glimy after breakfast. Splitting breakfast I think is a good suggestion. Thank you Indiacratus. Hypo doesn't happen any other time during day or night, why is it so ? I have also tried fasting in the night i.e. after lunch at 1.30 noon I eat nothing till the next day breakfast at 8.30, but never ever experience hypo. I wonder why does it happen around 12 noon.

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Peace7]

Glimepiride is causing hypo. It is reaching it's peak level before your hypo. So there is in drop in BS level. This type of hypo could be false hypo. When blood sugar drop is very steep in diabetics you may fill hypoglycemic. But actual BS levels may not be hypoglycemic.

[Peace7 in reply to shrisamarth]

Initially when I felt dizzy I used to check sugar immediately and there were times it showed 50 and sometimes 55. That is how I now know that I have reached hypo.

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Peace7]

From which level this drop is? If it drops that low then do you really need sulfonyluria? Have you tried Metformin? Frequent hypos may create problems.

[Peace7]

Sometimes I do enjoy the free ride

[Peace7]

Thank you so much for your explanation. You certainly took great efforts to put in every detail. Those who are not from the science stream need to have such teachers. Thank you once again.

I would like to mention one more point here that I tried taking half 500 mg Glimy so that I don't reach the hypo but I still could feel the same effect at 12 noon.

[Hidden in reply to Peace7]

What is the composition of Glimy 500 ?

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Glimepiride and metformin

[Hidden in reply to shrisamarth]

Would you be knowing how much of each ?

Metformin - 500 mg

Glimepiride - ?

Googling Glimy 500, did not give me proper result.

Thanks,

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

It is glimepiride 1mg or 2mg and 500mg metformin.

[Hidden in reply to Peace7]

I would go with SriSamarth's query : "Do you need the sulfonyl urea?". Whether you can totally eliminate it or reduce it, would depend on the observations & results of the experiment I suggest.

Would not advice you to split your breakfast currently, as that would be treating the symptom rather than the cause ( which in this case, appears to over prescription of sulfonyl urea) ( Note : Indiacratus has suggested a parrallel reduction of medicine with the split breakfast, which is what I totally agree with. )

Try to follow below guidelines & see if it is helpful :

1) Ask your doctor to prescribe separate medicine for Metformin - 500mg & Glimepiride ( This is very very very important ).

2) If your current Glimepiride is 2 mg, ask your doctor to precribe Glimepiride - 1mg tablets ( To keep him / her happy, Tell him / her, you will take 2 of these, after breakfast. If you have a open relationship, tell about your experiment to tackle hypoglycemia).

3) Have your regular breakfast ( say Idli's - 4 nos ) at regular time.

4) Take Metformin - 500mg - 1 tab & Glimepiride - 1 mg - 1 tab ( Half of what you are taking currently ), after breakfast.

5) Check your BS 2 hrs after BF & around 12.00, the time you have hypoglycemia.

6) Continue this pattern for a week & note down the readings.

7) After a fortnight, if you find, your BS is somewhere around normal, at about 12.00,

Split your breakfast in to half ( eg. Idli's - 2 Nos at 7.00 am & Idli's - 2 Nos around 9.00 - 9.30 am ). Try

reducing your Glimepiride further, to half tablet i.e. 0.5 mg - after the first breakfast ) & continue with the observations.

8) Be sure to check your 2 hrs BS in Point 5). If you find, your sugar is spiking way too high after 2 hours, try going in for LC breakfast or a bit of cinnamon powder, flax seed powder,.. sprinkled on your BF.

9) At no time, would I advice reduction of Metformin, till you eliminate the Glimepiride.

Note :

1) The above guidelines has worked for 2 people, I personally know, in reducing Glimepiride drastically. In one case, the person is taking Glimepiride - 1.25 mg - Half tablet - Once on alternate days.

2) At no point, split your breakfast, without reducing your medicines ( Though not necessary, am making this point, just to be on safer side. Hypoglycemia is any day, far more dangerous than Hyperglycemia. ).

Thanks

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

When I was diagnosed diabetic, my physician had given me sulfonyluria. It was minimum dose of gliclazide 40mg. It made me uncomfortable in the evening. Then I consulted An endocrinologist and he replaced the sulfo with Metformin. I was on sulfo for around 15 days only then never took it again. No other drugs except met. Even that also I want to discontinue.

[Hidden in reply to shrisamarth]

AFAIK, gliclazide is safer than glimepiride.

Metformin is supposed to be the safest drug for Diabetes. It is said to even help with weight reduction.

That apart, I agree with your approach of trying to eliminate Metformin also.

This being our first interaction, would like to say, you are one of those, whose posts, I make it a point to read.

Thanks.

[shrisamarth Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Thanks,

Ultimately our goal is the same to reverse diabetes.

[wrongan]

My hypoglycemic condition all which are mentioned above starts daily around 12.00 noon. I dare not go out at that time. In case I have to,I take a spoon of raw sugar readily with me.this happened regularly when I was taking "APRIDA LANTUS" insulin 10 units in the morning.when I met my doctor last time my Hbc1 was 6.4 and I was asked to stop the insulin.Now incidence of low sugar condition has disappeared altogether.My Hbc1 is now 6.5.

[ShooterGeorge]

Hypoglycemia is usually an aftereffect of either:

1. Higher dose of medication

2. Insufficiency of starchy food intake commensurate to medicine

3. Over-expenditure of Blood Sugar incommensurate to food & medicine

Taking sweet items is only a TEMPORARY remedy which should not be repeated in no case. WHAT IS TO BE DONE IS TO REDUCE MEDICINE, FOR SURE. ELSE ONE IS OPTING TO REMAIN DIABETIC FOR LIFE & PAY ... & ....

[patliputra]

Very conveniently you forgot the other half which is glucose.so technically you may be correct but not practically.

Glucagone injection is generally not not given to hypoglycemics.If unconscious iv glucose is given.

But it is only diabetics who have experienced hypo. Know it better.