I was asked this question by a friend. Can high BS cause hallucinations? My friend has 2 T2 children so we sometimes talk about D things. He told the story of a friend from his home town that had hallucination and tried to harm his family. His bs was said to be over 600 at the time.
Maybe I've missed something but I've never heard of high bs causing that kind of behavior.
Yes, it is definitely possible. But probably more a result of deep DKA, than of high bg, although for many of us high bg and DKA go hand-in-hand. A bg of 600, is certainly high enough to be consistent with DKA (would not surprise anyone!)
I know that the morning before I was diagnosed... I had a very clear hallucination, that trees were growing in the living room of my house and that instead of leaves on them, they had baseball cards. I'm not making that up, the memory of that hallucination is super vivid. I'm not sure I've ever had quite so real and definite a hallucination anywhere else in my life. Of course I was in deep deep DKA that morning.
I have never experienced this with a high BG but I have certainly experienced it with lows. Even though it's not very common with high BGs; I strongly believe its possible since the brain is certainly affected by highs and lows.
I have seen some questionable things(wouldn't consider them hallucinations)when my bs was low but never while high. Since I'm T2 and have never experienced such super high reads or DKA I had no idea about what goes on when one is in DKA. A super high for me would be in the 300 range.
When I'm over 600 my blood stream is full of toxins and all the sugar makes it as thick as motor oil...I couldn't whip my way out of a wet paper sack.
If this guy was aggressive it was not because of his high BG but 600 could have little short term impact on a T2 ...on the other hand I can be a diamond studded A/H when my BG is low.
I've not heard of violence with high BG either. When I was at 809 & DKA, I could barely keep my head up. Between vomiting & peeing constantly, it was all I could to walk. I've been belligerent & irrational when low.
It's very interesting that you'd ask this! Yes, if bloodsugar is extremely high for a longer period of time you can go into Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS), where one can experience hallucinations and other altered mental states due to extreme dehydration.
I find it so interesting because the other night I experienced my first "diabetic hallucination" after I ate a very sugary snack, forgot insulin, and went to bed. I woke up several times in the night and saw some pretty crazy stuff (floating, flaming Greco-roman buildings?) I was completely unfazed at the time, though definitely fully awake. I know my BS must have been at least 600 at the time and had been for several hours. When I woke up the next day, I did some research because I had no idea what had happened!
It is a different state than DKA or high ketones which is more common in T1, because your body is still getting SOME insulin. So the typical vomitting and extreme weakness are not present.
I can see this happen ...after all the claim is , that in Canada 25 percent of PWD suffer from depression ...would one not think hallucinations could be a form of
" depression " ...just asking ??
Severe depression can also present with pyschosis, so possible.
Everyone who is suffering a life threatening imbalance of body functions including (DK) is probably going to have hallucinations, clarity is not going to be one of their strong points. My family has stated that I have said many things when floating in and out of conciseness...but I certainly was not chasing everyone around the room.
Reference Mayo Clinic :
Later signs and symptoms
If hyperglycemia goes untreated, it can cause toxic acids (ketones) to build up in your blood and urine (ketoacidosis). Signs and symptoms include:
Fruity-smelling breath
Nausea and vomiting
Shortness of breath
Dry mouth
Weakness
Confusion
Coma
Abdominal pain
Again I don't think these symptoms add up to someone trying to harm his/her, family.
I'm also sure the Devil himself could have high blood sugar....it shows no preference to social or economic status...;-)
I believe I saw something like this once. My mom was DKA and experiencing hallucinations but she was not violent. Mom clearly saw things that were not there and she held and talked to people who had passed out of her life many years before.
Now the explanation from the doctors is that a chemical reaction, low electrolytes, accompanied the DKA. Could she had been violent, no. Why not? she was so sick and had so many hallucinations, she could not find the door let alone the butcher knife. LOL
Rick Phillips
Funny you should mention a butcher knife because that is what he supposedly did, he tied up his family and went to get a butcher knife to kill them. According to the story told to me the mother managed to free herself then her children and all escaped.
My take is that if high bg did cause this it's because he already had violent tendencies which were unleashed by an altered mental state. Or he could have used high bg as an excuse to avoid arrest and the unknowing authorities believed him.
Well i just tossed in the butcher knife thing, nonetheless mom was never violent. Frankly she could not have picked up a tissue let alone something heavy or awkward. Had she done so the only person she might have hurt would be herself. She did have a passion for throwing the water pitchers to get more water. Likely it would have been a better way to go, if the pitcher had been empty. As it was all it did was get her water pitcher moved and we had to give it to her if she wanted it. This did go on for over 10 days so it was not a temporary thing.