:confused: Hi! I been diabetic for last 12 years. I never experienced hypos before. But after my ICD (defibrillator) shocked me for first time last August I been experiencing hypo like symptoms - dizzy, feeling drunk and this lasts for a few seconds to 10 minutes sometimes 30 minutes. Same time I feel a rush of adrenalin as well. However blood sugar readings taken at the time of episode is not low but average. Therefore endocrinologists have not accepted my episodes as hypoglycaemia. My question is has anyone else had similiar experiences? Could it be what is accepted as low blood sugar readings may not be same for all? I was also taking carvedilol for my heart with Metformin and maybe they interact to mask low blood sugar readings? Now I have changed from Metformin (glucophage) to Repaglinide (NOVO) and feel better. When I take a sugar or a orange juice when I feel sick I feel better. So it must be hypoglycaemia??????
Help!
Raja :confused:

you might have hypoglycemia.. i was just told I had it.. i use to come home from school and just pass out I was soooo tired, plus I wasn't able to cobncentrate in school i was getting dizzy and headaches and I also got a really bad attitude. We realized this was happeneing because everyday I would have a can of soda throught the day and always eating sugar, which would just kill me. So now I am not allowed to eat sugar or it just messes me up.. its a pain though!

Hi Raja,

Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between a hypoglycemic reaction and other things such as nervousness (at least it is for me and has been for the past twenty years). When I'm nervous, I sometimes feel like my blood is low so I take it to make sure. That's the only thing I can think of to tell you to do. When you feel like it's low, take it. If it's low, do something about it. I hope this helps some. Good luck.

Sharon :)

Raja -
When people talk about hypoglycemia being "masked", they mean the symptoms. In other words, people whose symptoms are masked don't FEEL the symptoms even if their blood sugar is actually low (but if they test, the test will show that they're low).

It is possible to feel hypoglycemic symptoms at an average level of blood sugar if you've come down very quickly from a high blood sugar. For example, your blood glucose was 400, you injected insulin to bring it down, and an hour or so later you're at 150 or less. You could, under those circumstances, start feeling hypo even though you're not really low.

It's possible that the symptoms you've described are more related to your blood pressure than to your blood sugar. Low blood pressure can produce similar symptoms.

Ruth

Dear Ruth
Thank you for your comments. So it is not the blood glucose readings but the symptoms are masked? I am not sure because the customer service girl who called me on behalf of the Kredex (carvedilol) (my heart medicine) when told I was diabetic and on Metformin said - oh you may then get higher readings when you test your blood because you are taking Kredex and metformin 9glucophage). From that I believe my readings could be really low but getting on the meter a higher reading? Anyway I stopped glucophage now and gone to Novo repaglinide for diabetes but still taking Kredex for my heart.
I take your point about low blood pressure. My pressure during the episodes have been low between 90 - 100 / 60-70. But doctors do not think it is low enough for such symptoms!
Cheers
Raja
Raja -
When people talk about hypoglycemia being "masked", they mean the symptoms. In other words, people whose symptoms are masked don't FEEL the symptoms even if their blood sugar is actually low (but if they test, the test will show that they're low).

It is possible to feel hypoglycemic symptoms at an average level of blood sugar if you've come down very quickly from a high blood sugar. For example, your blood glucose was 400, you injected insulin to bring it down, and an hour or so later you're at 150 or less. You could, under those circumstances, start feeling hypo even though you're not really low.

It's possible that the symptoms you've described are more related to your blood pressure than to your blood sugar. Low blood pressure can produce similar symptoms.

Ruth

Dear Sharon
Thanks and please see:

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this may also help you.
Cheers
Raja
Hi Raja,

Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between a hypoglycemic reaction and other things such as nervousness (at least it is for me and has been for the past twenty years). When I'm nervous, I sometimes feel like my blood is low so I take it to make sure. That's the only thing I can think of to tell you to do. When you feel like it's low, take it. If it's low, do something about it. I hope this helps some. Good luck.

Sharon :)

Raja -
I think those blood pressure you listed could cause those symptoms, especially if you're not used to being at that level. 90/60 would certainly be low enough to cause symptoms, although 100/70 may not...but again, it depends on how high your bp was running before you started the meds.

Also, getting higher readings when you test your blood sugar means that your blood sugar IS running higher! Certain medications (or combinations of medications) can indeed increase blood glucose levels.

How often are you testing your blood glucose? Every time you make ANY change in medications, you should probably test 3-4 times a day for a week or so to see what's happening.

It can be frustrating dealing with more than one illness at a time, but it sounds as if you are getting things under control. I hope you're starting to feel better, too.

Ruth

Hi Raja,

Thanks for that link. I have diabetes and was just talking in the general sense about being nervous and feeling similar to when my blood's low. Thanks.

Sharon :)

There's another thread similar to this one you'll want to be sure to read. With your heart problems, how do we know some of your symptoms aren't because of that?

Is Novo something new, an oral drug for diabetes or for low sugar? I'm on Atkins (high-protein, low carbs) for otherwise-out-of-control diabetes still taking oral meds, glucophage, glucatrol, and glyset.