If my bg drops below around 70 I am accutely aware of it. Same if my bg drops quickly but stays in range. For me it’s an eerie unsettling experience. When I review my log w/ my doc he always points out the lows and asks if I’m aware of the signs of going hypo. Like I said I can’t help but feel it and I’m curious to know how others experience the sensation…
I generally get symptoms only if I drop in the 50 range or lower. I get profusely sweaty, dizzy and almost like a mind body disconnect - my reaction time and thought process are totally increased as if I am almost in a dream.
For me as well…when my BG falls below the 60 mark I get shakey, sweaty, and miserable.
For those of us who are insulin dependent need to really learn how their body reacts to injections apposed to the amount of carbs taken in. For me…personally this was the hardest thing to wrap my head around. Simply put…the way you eat will greatly effect the way insulin injections act on the BGs.
Good luck, and always keep some sort of quick sugar around.
I get really angry and irritated. People say what are you so mad at its not like you. Anything below 75 and I am P#$#@$# off at the world.
Feel sweaty below 70 and hands shake below 60
Used to feel the typical signs but around 15 years ago they just stopped. Now it can get in the 30’s and I still won’t feel anything but then sometimes I can tell around 50’s. It’s weird. My mental state seems to go before physical signs kick in. My husband can tell (thank goodness) I can’t. I think it also depends on how fast it drops. Over the years I’ve had every symptom; sweats, shakes, headaches, can’t read or focus, slurred speech, anxious, irritable, sleepy. The worst is in the middle of the night, by the time I have real physical signs my mental capacity to react is gone. I’ve “come to” on the floor with my husband trying to shove a third glass of juice down me, drenched in sweat with absolutely no memory of anything. Luckily my husband can get me something but I’ve had some very bad times. That’s why I check BG many,many times a day.
I usually start to feel it between 60 and 70. I get shaky, hungry, sweaty, and have a hard time focusing my eyes. A new symptom that happens sometimes is my mouth gets numb, it’s the worst. I also hate the ones that drop so fast and you are a pale sweaty mess, lying on the floor, eating anything you can get your hands on.
That’s me too.
Low BGs come in all forms.
A quick low from basal insulin on top of bolus insulin usually causes the good old sweaty, pasty and why is the world against me feeling for me.
A low during exercise that has only bolus insulin and is caused by over doing it is usually a discussion in your brain that says keep going, no you know you are low, I feel a little bit separated from my legs and another voice that says STOP and do something about this as you keep going.
The medium activity on top of a bolus level of insulin is ofter an experience that is a bit surreal and often accompanied by unawareness, the “I got to do this” feeling, along with the drops or lack of recall on the name of things or people.
A slow low with bolus level of insulin is usually only displayed by a wandering mind, loosing focus, not being able to recall things and people you know, unawareness and a “this can wait” discussion in my head.
Those are a few of the experience I have on the pump. Since I have been using a CGM (MM Paradigm) I have been able to catch many of the lows that would have gone really low before.
That’s interesting I’ve noticed a weird kind of numbness in my mouth too.
Usually my lows are subtle enough that I have to be paying attention to recognize them: lethargy, irritability, spaciness, very slight headache behind the eyes at times, tingling in my mouth, used to get black spots in my vision but haven’t felt that for awhile. Sometimes I go “hmmmmm” and test and am around or just below 60 (my threshold to act), once in awhile I do my regular test and am shocked to see a 48. I only had one bad one from a quick insulin drop very similar to what you describe above, Barb. Never want to feel that again! (Especially since I don’t have a husband to handle it!). When you say “come to” do you think you were unconscious? I’m beginning to think I was that time…scary. I’m very cautious with insulin now.
When my blood sugar gets below 4 i feel it. I get a funny feeling in my gut when this happens. When my blood sugar is low I can’t look at computer or tv screens without getting a headache and can’t focus. If it continues to drops then I become sweaty and shaky.