My 42 yr. old sister has had D since she was 4. She is very private about it, which is fine, but she goes in coma or insulin shock, not sure what to call it..at least 1 a month. Jaw locks shut, moaning , stiff rigid body. She gets all snippy if I ask even what type D she has. Seeing as I am the one who has to call 911 every time this happens, I have no information to give the medics because she won't tell me anything! What do I do? This has been going on for years. The medics give her the glucose tube and she comes out of it, can a person have those at home? Where would I get them? I totally respect her privacy, but shouldn't I atleast have the slightest bit of info?

I am very sorry to hear that your sister is having these serious reactions on a monthly basis. :( What's more alarming is that she is putting herself at risk by not trusting her family members with the knowledge that could very well save her life.

If she was diagnosed at age 4 she almost definitely has Type I diabetes, which means she is insulin dependent and requires injections, careful monitoring of her blood sugar levels, a balanced and carefully managed diet, and exercise to keep her healthy.

You most certainly can purchase glucose gel from the pharmacy, which can be applied under the tongue to treat a low blood sugar. You can also purchase injectable glucagon, which helps the liver break down glucose to help in an emergency to raise the blood sugar. During any future emergencies, you can easily check her blood glucose level using her personal machine so you can alert the paramedics and possibly help treat her while they are on their way.

Before you will be able to help her, though, your sister needs to open up about her diabetes. You can't help her if she won't let you, and it breaks my heart to hear that she's going through this (and putting YOU through this) frequently when many of the episodes could probably be prevented. She needs to open up to you (or another close family member) so that you can help her during these instances. I hate to put it so bluntly, but her life very well could depend on it.

Do you know if she sees an endocrinologist or "diabetes doctor" regularly? Does she have any close friends or other relatives who might be able to get through to her, if you cannot?

Hi Sunflower,

What you've described about your sisters episodes dont sound like a diabetic coma. When a diabetic coma occurs the person loses consciousness and urgent medical attention is needed straight away.

From what you've said it sounds like she's having a HYPO. (Hypoglycaemia attack). These are common among diabetics and it means her blood sugar has dropped too low. When this happens you need to give your sister anything that contains sugar. Milk, tea with 2 sugars, cheese, piece of chocolate, lucozade etc. Anything with sugar should bring her levels up again. Your sister should have a diabetic home blood glucse monitor in which she checks her sugar levels. This is VERY helpful in learning how to control ones diabetes and it also gives the doctors a good idea of how well controlled the diabetes is. Well controlled diabetes is a must. Its really benefits the diabetic in the long run.

But if at any time your sister seems very confused or sweating excessively and is soaked through to the skin, ring the emergency services for help. When they sort your sister out, ask them to arrange for a doctor or diabetic nurse to visit her that day or the next day. When the nurse or doctor comes find out as much as possible about her diabetes, what signs to look out for, how to control it, when to snack and when to take medication etc.

Good luck to you. :)