Well let me start of by saying I am very new to all this. I was told about 3 mounths ago that I had diabetes. So far every thing is goin well I have been able to get my bg under control and have even lost 30lbs! Go Me!!! well my ? is this should I ask my doctor or endo if I need a glucagon injection kit? last night I had a very scary low ( bg was 37 ). Some people have warned me of this saying that it was like being " drunk" for me it was like my life was ending that is the worst I have ever felt but luckily I was able to call out for my wife before I passed out. I ate some hard candy fallowed by a soda. it took about an hour to bring my bg level up. The next day I went out a got some glucose tablets, but I was thinking what happens if I pass out and can’t eat or responed? What if I am home alone with my chilldren? So I would like to hear some of your thoughts on this. and do I just ask my Doc or do I ask my endo for one becausefrom my under stading you need a prescription… Thanx jose
Congrats on losing 30 lbs! Fantastic.
Lows are horrible. Hate them!
Good to have Glucagon on hand, just in case. Make sure your wife knows how to use it, or your kids if they’re old enough. Good to teach your kids what happens with a low & that they need to call 911 immediately.
Yep, you need an Rx for Glucagon. It also expires, so you need to get it the prescription refilled.
Keep some form of rapid acting glucose in different places–your car, at work, on the night table.
i became very peranoid about the same thing, going low while home alone with my son. So I decided that preventation was the best bet. I never got a glocagon prescription because I have never gone below 50. I can feel a low comming like a Mack truck and with time you will know its comming or you may not. This past summer I started to get real bad allergies that felt like lows so I got confused and started over correcting. So I am to the point now that I check every 2 hours to make sure how I can correct for the given number at the given time. Are you checking two hours after you eat, when are your lows comming?
You may need to talk to your endo to adjust your insulin if you are getting too many frequent lows. It is hard at first but when I was first diagnosed I wrote down every thing I ate, every shot I took and how much and compared what would happen. It became a game of cat and mouse for me, always chasing the perfect number, not too high and not too low. I am still playing the game but I have seem to get it under control. After one year of insulin for me my pancreas started to kick in so I had to work very hard at adjustment of insulin to preven lower number.
It will take time for you to figure out what you should do and when to do it but you will get better with time.
take care
Normally, a type 2 not on insulin would not need a glucagon kit. If you are taking insulin or are using on of the class of drugs called sulfonylureas, then you may need to worry about hypos. If that is the case, then hypos are of concern, but a glucagon kit is a last resort. Instead, you need to set up a “layered defense” to try your best to never need the glucagon. As you probably are vividly aware, when going low you feel really, really bad. The best thing to do is obviously to avoid all lows, but they do happen. Learn to detect them early and promptly address them with escalating and measured levels of treatment. Most would probably advise testing at the first sign of any hypo and treating a mild hypo with a mild correction and testing every 15 minutes to make sure that you do not go further low. If you drop further, then you treat with escalating levels of glucose. A glucagon kit should be used as a last resort, either by yourself or someone who has been trained. A glucagon injection causes your body to suddenly dump a bunch of stored glucose and is what a EMT crew would do. The result is not pleasant, think about a very bad hangover. If you are with the kids alone and suddenly pass out, it is useless as your kids generally can’t give it to you. In the end, you need to become competent and confident in avoiding and handling these sorts of situations. Talk frankly with your kids so that the are informed and can handle things appropriately should it happen and that they don’t totally freak out. Kids are actually pretty resilient.
But basically, I want to know why being a recently diagnosed type 2 you have had a hypo. Are you on insulin? Are you taking a sulfonylurea? If not, you need to talk to your endo cause a 37 mg/dl is really odd. If you are on insulin, you need to become more alert to the possibilities of hypos, learn your body signals and test appropriately. You can handle this, it just takes some practice. Many type 1’s have had many hypos and handled them in stride without need for glucagon. You can do it too.
well thank you all for you input. Yes I am on insulin Lantis to be correct. Also I was just about to fall asleep. I tested right away and my BG was 40 then I drank some og tested 15min later and it ws 37! It took about an hour or so to bring my BG up. I went out the next day a got some glucose tablets what I am worriede about is what happens If i pass ot and can not eat or drink?. The hypo came on very fast if my wife was not there I’m sure it would of not been good for me…
Hi Jose, I suggest that you speak with with your doctor immediately about your low blood glucose events. You may be injecting too much insulin for the amount of food you are eating or your pancreas may be producing insulin in amounts greater than your doctor expects. Diabetics cannot skip a meal or reduce the amount of food they eat without reducing the amount of insulin they inject or they will get low blood sugar. Be very careful to inject just the amount of insulin your doctor ordered and no more. Your doctor may want to adjust the amount of insulin you take. Only your doctor should make the change for you. So you must speak with you doctor.
Lantus works 24 hours. You don’t eat constantly during those hours so you may need much less Lantus for just your base need plus some other quicker acting insulin just before you eat. Ask your doctor.
AaronM
Jose,
First, glucagon, should be used if you need it. I would tell your doctor about the indicent with low blood sugar, and then ask what he/she thinks. Just make sure you sit down with your wife (and kids if they are old enough). (They have videos on Lilly’s website on how to use it.) If your blood sugar is getting that low, it wouldn’t be bad to have a back up. Keep capri sun, or something with a straw next to your bed at night (let the kids know it is daddy’s medicine). Then have your wife tell you to drink if you are unresponsive and cannot eat something. She should not shove any food in your mouth. She may have to argue with you, because we all get a little cranky when our glucose is low. Try this before the glucagon.
Second, the more you weigh, the more insulin you need. If you have dropped 30 lbs, then you may still be adjusting to needing less insulin. It is possible you have too much Lantus or medication now. Maybe not, but possible.
Third, Be aware that your blood sugar will drop about 2 hours after exercize, not right after like you might expect, so you may not see it coming. My recently diagnosed Type 2 boss went on a hike, then when he got back into town, he went swimming. He couldn’t finish his normal swimming workout, because he was low from the hike.
I have to tell you, lantus is a long acting insulin. Used properly, it is not going to drop you sharply. If you are taking too much, it will over time drive your fasting levels too low, but proper attention to testing will usually show that long before you end up at 37.
Is it possible that you injected your lantus into your muscle? Lantus must be injected into the subcutaneous layer of body fat under your skin in order to work properly. Should you inadvertently inject into your muscle or a blood vessel, there have been reports of lantus suddenly acting like a rapid insulin. With proper technique you should basically never encounter this problem. Since you have been recently diagnosed, you might want to review your injection technique with your diabetic educator. I find pinching my bodyfat on my abdomen helps.
Also as other have noted, being on Lantus means that you basically have a halfway support for your pooped out pancreas. The insulin you are taking is doing two things, helping your fasted blood sugar stay at the proper level and helping you bring your blood sugar down after you eat. As others have mentioned, if you don’t eat a modest and consistent amount of carbs (like skipping a meal), your blood sugar will go low. If you exercise, you may go low. Being consistent, particularly with your meals/snacks will really help. On the regime that you are on, you would do best to eat 6 times a day, and keep the number of carbs in each meal/snack limited to the same amount.
I am a type II, using diet, exercise and Metformin/amaryl for control. However, I have had lows,never as low as yours, so I do know a little about the lows and feeling you are talking about.
What want to recommend to you is a Medic-Alert bracelet or ID tags, if you are out and about and can’t speak for yourself. It is a vital tool for getting you the help that you might need. Also, if you start feeling of the low coming on, if you do, you need to have something to bring your sugars up…pretty quickly if you don’t have an injection with you…the old stand by is lifesavers, small and easy to put in your pocket, glucoe tabs are great, but highly expensive…oj, pop with sugar, etc. and then test after 10 to 15 mins.
Depending on how old your chldren are, they should know how to dial 911 if 4 and above, they should now their address and phone number…the dispatcher will help with the rest. You should have a neighbor or someone they can get to, an adult, who could help if you are at home, and your children can’t dial the phone.
It’s about planning for the worst and hoping it never happens. Check with whomever is your physician for your diabetes about other ideas.