I have been Type 1 Diabetic for 15 years (on insulin pump) and last week I had a seizure due to low blood sugar. It was very scary. I don't even remember getting out of bed. The only thing I remember is getting my husband's lunch out of the fridge. My husband said he heard a loud crash, like I dropped something. When he came in the room I was on the floor convulsing and unconscious. He called 911 and managed to get some juice down my throat. I didn't wake up until about 5 minutes away from the hospital. I was in the hospital for 3 days. Since being home I have been really tired and have had bad headaches. I assume this is normal. I'm doing a 72 continuous glucose monitor test. My docs are going to try to get it permanently for me, but they said insurance companies don't like to cover it. I'm just really scared, because I am a stay at home mom, so I am home alone a lot during the day and my husband travels a fair amount for work. If it had happened during the day or if my husband had gone to the gym that day I would have been dead now. Has this ever happened to anyone? How long did the headaches/fatigue last? Any tips on how to prevent it? Am I more prone to another seizure since I have already had one? Is there usually any permanent side effects from seizures? Thanks.
Hi, not sure if I can help, but... I've had 2 seizures caused by low blood sugar. The first was when i was a baby, thats how they diagnosed me. The second i accidentally took too big of a shot too close to bed. I dont know if it makes you more likely to have more (mine were 16 years apart). I have no permanent side effects. It just scared me and of course my family. But my advise would be to buy some of the glucose tablets (from CVS) and keep them in your purse. Two of them will get your blood sugar back to normal if you start feeling low. And check you blood sugars regualrly.
I hope this helps you. Sorry I cant help you more.
(Feel better!)
I haven't had a bad low like that since going on the pump about 9 years ago. But before the pump I had several lows that knocked me out.
You need to figure out the cause. Did you mis-bolus the night before? Have you lost weight or had another reason your basal rate has dropped?
You may need to change your habits a bit, like to always test first thing in the morning. Sometimes when I'm distracted I can miss the symptoms of a low. That's also why I always test before driving, even if I'm crazy busy and running late. Hope you're able to get a CGM.
How is your A1c? How frequently are you having lows below 60? If you're having a lot of them you can develop hypoglycemia unawareness where your body doesn't have a stress response to lows anymore. If this is happening you need to avoid lows for a few weeks to get back on track. Before getting a pump I had severe hypo unawareness but thankfully have reversed the problem and can sense lows again.
Temporarily you may also consider having a higher target blood sugar (like aim for 150 instead of 100). That will give you a little cushion until you resolve the problem that created the scary low. Also, get a squeeze tube of frosting. If you pass out your husband can squeeze some between your cheek and gum. The sugar will start absorbing even if you aren't responsive and it shouldn't choke you. Do you think he would be up to doing a shot of glucagon if needed? I'm not a fan of it because of the nasty side effects however glucagon is better than dying from a low.
You aren't more prone to a bad low after having this one, however there is an underlying problem that needs to be resolved so you don't have more. Headaches and fatigue are normal. When I had one that left me in a coma for a day and hospitalized for several days (back in college) it probably took a month for me to fully recover.
A few bad lows aren't likely to cause serious damage. But frequent lows can cause brain damage. The bigger concern is that a low can kill you or can threaten other people if you are driving.
Thank you so much for your responses. I'm glad to know that I am not prone to another one just because I had one. I have been approved for a continuous glucose monitor system. It will be here wednesday. I have lost some weight recently, so maybe that is the reason I have been dropping overnight lately. I dropped my over night basal rates by 0.25 units per hour and that has helped quite a bit. My A1C is not very good...7.9 was my last. I do have a lot of lows in the morning so maybe that is why I didn't feel it. We did buy a glucagon kit. I didn't know there were side effects from it. We also bought some frosting gel. So, I think we are on the recovery road. Glad to know it will most likely be only another two weeks that I will feel fatigue and headache. Thanks again so much.
Your body went through a major stress. It will take a little time to fully recover, but you're doing well. Until you feel good again, baby yourself, eat well, sleep as much as possible, and take some sick days if you need to. If you have kids, see if the grandparents or friends will take them for the weekend.
Glad everything is going better for you. Bad lows are so scary and I know it's stressful for your husband too. It's been over 9 years since I've had one, but my husband still freaks out if he calls home and I don't pick up right away. I've learned to keep my cell phone on me at home and if I miss a call to return it right away, to alleviate that stress.
You're smart to take a look at your basal rate. Anytime I lose weight (even 5 pounds) my night basal needs to be cut too. If you can, try to wake up every hour or two through the night and test. If basal is accurate your blood sugar should be about the same when you wake up as it was when you went to bed.
7.9 A1c isn't terrible. Bet the CGM will help you catch some hidden highs. I struggle when I'm busy to remember to bolus for a meal or to look up the carb count of a meal. When I'm good about tracking my food then blood sugars tend to come down.
Take care and let us know what you think of the CGM and if it helps you. -Jenna