"Alan S" <loralgtweightandcarbs@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:374s94dfcd5dakrj1hktg9sig11svr2r90@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:53:57 -0500, guys@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>>Hypos are rarely the end of life.
>
> It's not balck and white. There are shades of grey.
>
> My own definition is that a hypo is any low blood sugar
> event which causes the patient to feel unwell.
>
> There are degrees of hypo beyond that point. Obviously,
> those like yours that lead to a 911 call are severe, and
> those that I used to suffer which involved nausea,
> disorientation, shakes and lack of limb control were much
> less severe. Yours were life-threatening and mine were not.
> Actually, a couple of mine were; one while swimming - the
> hypo wasn't going to kill me, but drowning was a distinct
> possibility and one while driving.
>
> But they were all hypos, and all were signals that our
> insulin/glucose system was out of whack and needed
> attention.
>
> Using an absolute number to define hypos, like
> 4mmol/L(72mg/dl) or 3.5(63) or similar, is a bit pointless
> because some people who have been far too high for far too
> long get hypo symptoms at 8(144). While you wouldn't call
> that a hypo, the symptoms to them are just as real and
> terrifying at that moment. The main difference for them is
> that they probably should ride it out rather than treat it
> with glucose.
>
>
> Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
> --
> Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
> Blog http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
> DLife column http://tinyurl.com/5v74xr
> http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
(The Taj Mahal)
Bear in mind, Alan and all who read this, that thew following are my
observations based on what I have experienced and not on deep research.
In my case, my first feeling of "hypo" was with a bg of just under 5 (90),
and that was indeed because of my body being used to running on a higher
than normal bg.
Nowdays, having been medicating on Insulin for a couple of years, I can
get
to below 3 and barely notice it - until some time later. That is not to
say
that 3 is acceptable.
I take an appropriate does of insulin, pre-emptively taking account of
what
(the amount of carbs) I'm going to eat, and the amount of exercise I'll
put
it afterwards. I have never taken Insulin before riding my bicycle. I
almost
never take insulin if my meal is going to be carb-free - not unless I plan
to have some fruit afterwards, and then only a much smaller dose.
I consider that if my bg drops to 3, that would impact my driving, so I
rarely drive if I have taken any standard dose of insulin. I reckon with a
bg below 2 (36) there might be a risk of me fainting. I would never want
to
allow myself to reach that level.
I can't speak on behalf of Type 1s, and I have had some serious
misconceptions as to what such cir***stances are.
Finally, if I do get a hypo, I don't like to over-react and stuff myself
with "counter productive" stuff like jelly beans or cakes. I prefer not to
allow a hypo condition to occur, and to pre-emptively have an apple or so
to
counter it before it happens. Even if through an oversight I do allow my
bg
to go down unacceptably, I know how much I have to eat to counter it, and
do
so with something reasonably healthy like a fruit or two.
Henry Mydlarz.
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