My uncle has type 2 diabetes and my mother said his blood sugar went down to 33. She says he could have died. Is that true? His normal blood sugar is 130 now that he's on medication. She lives next door to him and he was able to call her. She said he was cold and was sweating profusely. It took about 45 min. and much juice to get the sugar back up. Should she have called for an ambulance? This is my favorite uncle. Can't have anything happening to him. Please help.
2006-09-21 10:26:04 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Diabetes
If someone is taking insulin a dangerous low can be at 70. The thing people need to remember is that meters are not 100% accurate. A reading of 70 could be as low as 56...and could still be dropping. That is why those taking insulin should aim for the higher end of normal. There are also some drugs that stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin and can cause lows. It's unlikely though that someone who is low for a short period of time is going to die from it unless they've really over did the insulin or drugs. The liver and muscles will release glucagon that will raise glucose levels and they're usually are aware that their glucose levels are dropping and can treat themselves. However, some people have hypoglycemia unawareness and can not tell when they're getting low. This happens with people who have diabetic for a long time and have had lots of lows. It's important that anyone who is taking a insulin, and some diabetic drugs, have a glycagon injection kit with them at all times and someone who knows how to use it in case they become unconscious or are not conscious enough to take in glucose, like juice. Your uncle should report this episode to his doctor and if he's staying on the low side of normal he may need to adjust his medications/insulin so that his blood sugar runs a little higher. He should also test every few hours and eat something to keep it from going to low. It's very scary for someone to witness one of these episodes, especially when they're severe. Older diabetics are usually given higher glucose targets because they're so sensitive medications and changes in their glucose levels. The other thing that concerns me is the "a lot of juice". I know from experience that people are always over feeding me when I'm low. This leaves me with way too high glucose later, because the liver has kicked in AND juice or coke or whatever. Use the 15/15 rule. Give 15 grams of carbs, like half a can of real pop, or half a cup of juice and then wait 15 minutes, check glucose, if it's back to normal great, if not, repeat 15/15 until they're in their normal range. It's scary, you want it to come up right now, but over treating can cause a rollercoaster ride that is hard to get back to normal. An ambulance is only needed if he is unable to take in sugar and there's not glucagon shot to give him (although some people feel more comfortable calling one even when they gave the shot) Or if he's unconscious and no one knows how long he's been that way.
2006-09-21 12:43:26 · answer #1 · answered by BRUCE D 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
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2016-05-20 18:17:51 · answer #2 · answered by Glenna 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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2016-09-19 10:05:36 · answer #3 · answered by Mercedes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put it this way: anything below 70 is too low, and zero is totally dead. Yes, your uncle could have gone into a coma and die. Most diabetics don't come out of diabetic comas, that I know of. Your uncle needs to test his blood sugar often (before meals and bed, even 2 hours after meals at times to see how his blood sugars are afterwards and be sure that they are below 180 after 2 hours after eating). Eating often also helps. He shouldn't go more than 4 hours without eating, even if it is small amounts of food. Diabetes is not a disease to mess around with. It is something that needs constant attention and control.
I have, personally, had my blood sugar that low and was able to take care of it myself, but not everyone can do that at that point. Some people end up in comas, in the hospital, etc. It all depends on that persons tolerance level. It is good that your mom and you are so good to your uncle and so concerned about him. He should do ok if he follows the simple guidleines I noted above and follows his doctors orders.
2006-09-21 10:34:47 · answer #4 · answered by honey 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm type 2 - my range is from 90 to 130, though I feel my best somewhere to 100 - 110. If I reach 90, I was told to eat a piece of candy, make myself a sandwich and have some milk.. but there had been times where at 90, I dropped to fast, and became shaky, cold sweats, etc.. I couldn't think for myself at that point, and trying to get anything to eat or drink was literally painful. I sat on the kitchen floor in tears and downed a bottle or two of sugar sweetened soda, and ate candy.. When I felt a bit better, I did make the sandwich..
My hubby came home, and I told him what happened, and that I had to lay down.. but to watch me, and test me.. by this time I was heading the other direction..
Getting to the hospital is sometimes a good thing, but they tell you to try and handle this yourself, because by time an ambulance gets there, and you get to the hospital.. well.. :(
2006-09-21 13:11:49 · answer #5 · answered by sassy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, 33 is very low. I have type one diabetes, and the lowest I've ever been was 27. It's very scary, being low.
There was no need to call an ambulance, diabetics will get low blood sugars, especially type one diabetics.
If we would have had a seizure, then she would have needed to call an ambulance.
Diabetics are able to handle low blood sugars better that non diabetics can. It's good that he was able to get his BG up, though.
2006-09-21 11:25:12 · answer #6 · answered by NecropolisXR 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
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2016-05-17 03:52:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Blood sugars either too High or too Low can cause diabetic coma and possibly death.
70-120 is roughly the "normal range"
the lowest I ever had was 56 and I had spotts in my vision, felt like I was losing my balance... it's not a fun thing, let me tell you.
If your blood sugar is too high, you may experience:
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Dry mouth
Nausea
Vomiting
Shortness of breath
If your blood sugar is too low, you may feel:
Shaky or nervous
Tired
Sweaty
Hungry
Irritable
Confused
2006-09-21 11:10:50 · answer #8 · answered by iamcreen 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The brain is being deprived of Glucose so yes it is very dangerous. Anything below 50 is considered too low. Your uncle has to learn how to manage his blood sugars. He will need to report to his doctor his last low blood sugar. Maybe his doses have to be adjusted.
2006-09-21 11:43:23 · answer #9 · answered by Art The Wise 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To answer your question directly. It was VERY DANGEROUS to have his blood sugar down to 33 mg/dl. He could have gone into a coma, which in turn could lead to death. IF HE EVER PASSES OUT, MAKE SURE YOU GIVE HIM A SHOT OF GLUCAGON (if you don't have it already, get it! and ask his Dr. how to administer it -very important!) and then call 9-1-1. Unfortuantely, low blood sugars will happen from time to time, but knowing how to treat it when it happens will save his life and keep him on the healthy road.
If he is conscious and shows improvement, then you should be okay. It might be wise to call the Dr. just to let him/her know what happened just in case additional instructions are needed or recommended.
Continue to monitor his blood sugars for the next 2 hours to make sure his blood sugar doesn't go too high as well as start to drop again. Juice is good for low blood sugar -I find a couple spoon fulls of jelly (make sure it's not the lite kind with Nutrasweet -you need to get him sugar) work the fastest. He should have a snack to help his blood sugars stay stable (juice wears off fast and his blood sugars could start to tumble after just 30 minutes or so). REMEMBER, it takes time for a person's blood sugar to rise back to normal levels, so DON'T GIVE HIM TOO MUCH SUGAR because it won't speed things up, just give him too high of blood sugar later. A good amount is a can of regular soda, or an 8 oz. glass of juice, then get him a snack with solid food to keep his blood sugar from going back down again. If he won't cooperate with you (this happens sometimes when you are having a low blood sugar reaction [a.k.a. hypoglycemia]) to take his blood sugar, give him some sugar and then try to get him to take his blood sugar.
Find out when his medication normally peaks, and watch him during that time because that's his highest risk for low blood sugar. Low blood sugars normally happen during the night while asleep, so make sure he takes the proper dose before bed as instructed by his doctor, and make sure his blood sugars are not low. On the high end of the normal spectrum is ideal.
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Look for the signs of low blood sugar, some prominent ones are: severe sweating for no reason; intense hunger; irritability; having a hard time thinking or paying attention; the shakes; acting strange. THESE ARE TIMES TO CHECK HIS SUGARS.
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This depends upon where your blood sugar is going at the time (i.e. is it on the way up? or is it on the way down?). If you recently took some insulin, then paying close attention to your blood sugar is a must if it's below 100 mg/dl.
ALWAYS KEEP CANDY WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES or some other sort of sugar. It is much more dangerous to have low blood sugar than high blood sugar. High blood sugar is bad for long term health, while low blood sugar is bad (and can be fatal if not addressed in time) right now when it happens.
On average, from my experience of being a Type 1 Diabetic for nearly 20 years, if your blood sugar (i.e. glucose level) is below 80 mg/dl, then you had better get something to eat right away.
If your blood sugar gets below 70 mg/dl, then get some sugar (i.e. juice, jelly, hard candy, straight sugar, etc.) right away, THEN eat a snack. After doing this check your blood sugar levels periodically within the next 2 hours to make sure you are on track (i.e. not too low and not too high).
HELPFUL HINT: If you feel like your blood sugar is low and it is in normal range (i.e. between 100-150) for a diabetic, your body could very well be telling you that your blood sugar is dropping rapidly. In this case, check your blood sugar again in 30 minutes to see if it drops substantially or not and take the appropriate actions if necessary.
RULE OF THUMB for diabetics: When in doubt check it out! -your blood sugar that is.
If I can be of any further help, feel free to e-mail me anytime.
Good health to you!
2006-09-21 13:43:22 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋