Diabetes concern

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2007
Diabetes concern
4
Mon, 07-07-2008 - 4:56am

Hello everyone.  My mum was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin-dependant) a few years ago, and recently developed Angina, which is being managed with medication.  Recently, she's had to have the paramedics out to her house twice for blacking out with no prior warning sign (normally she would know if she was about to have a hypo), and it was lucky that someone was there with her at the time to make the phone-call.  Her G.P. adjusted her Angina medication, as this seemed to be the cause of the black-outs, and she was fine for a while, but yesterday while I was at her house she started to get confused and couldn't concentrate all of a sudden on what she was doing.  She kept telling me not to worry, but of course I was worried!  I gave her one of her Lucozade tablets in case her blood sugar was dropping, and within a few minutes she was back to normal, but she said that this had happened to her a few times recently.  My concern was that she wouldn't have taken a Lucozade tablet if I hadn't have given one to her, even though she said she would have.  She lives alone and I just wanted to know if these types of episodes are normal?  Could anyone shed some light on this please?  My mum is quite secretive, as I think she doesn't want me to worry, but I was worried when I saw her like that yesterday.

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 07-08-2008 - 12:37am

Amanda,


This is not normal. Your mother needs to be checking her blood sugar especially when one of these episodes comes on. She also needs to contact her doctor immediately and be seen by him or her. She may need a referral to an endocrinologist to get her blood sugar back under control. At the present time, it looks like she is taking too much insulin and/or not eating enough. I am sure that she thinks that you will worry too much and that is exactly what is happening. She isn't preventing your worry but making it worse.


She may not think to test her blood sugar when this occurs. If you see it you could test her blood sugar. Without a blood sugar reading you really don't know what is going on.


I hope this helpful and please let me know what the doctor tells her.


iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2007
Tue, 07-08-2008 - 4:54am

Thank you very much for your reply Mary.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2007
Thu, 07-10-2008 - 7:50pm
What happens, to me anyways, is that after awhile the low blood sugar feeling becomes normal and you can actually get used to it, therefore making it hard to tell when your sugar is dropping. I've gone through periods like that (as well as period of high blood sugars) and what I do is eat a little bit of extra carbs, or foods that will stay with me, potatoes, bread, I always find that milk helps, and I'll check my blood every hour if I have to. It's a pain, but living alone with diabetes, and going through stuff like this, is very scary. Also, make sure she has glucose tablets/gel/(even candy bars will do in pinch) wll stocked up and in places that are out in the open. I've been through the whole starting to black out stage, but still concious, and the last thing you want to do is be rumaging around the fridge for some OJ. Anyways, I hope I helped, I've got a little too much been there done that advice. I hope everything gets better.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2007
Fri, 07-11-2008 - 5:15am

Thank you very much for your message.