Friends, in the last two days, I have read more pleas for help or information; heard more questions on the street about what to do aboat HIGHS and LOS.
Here's what I mean: " I just took my Blood Sugars, and the meter reads 500 do you think I need to go the Dr,?" HUH????? What should they be doing? How can we give them information or get the info out there that this is a very serious situation? What would you say?
Second question: A friend calls and she says "my blood sugar is ONLY 39 ---do you think I should eat something? What do you do when you have a lo like that?" Good grief are docs not informing their patients when an emergency exists? So what would you have said?
When do you, if ever, or if you have had HIGHs and LOs what have you done for yourself? Let's do a little educating here, okay? This really scares me when people don't even know what to do to save themselves. Thanks, now I can sleep at night,
Sally, I think it's great you can maintain such a tight control. But not everyone can "test frequently enough to avoid highs and lows." To say people "are not educated on how to manage their diabetes and what an acceptable number is" is to assume that everyone can keep from having serious lows or highs. They can't. But you are right that it is important to know what to do when those highs and lows do appear.
That is great that you are able to avoid highs and lows by frequent testing, but just because someone has an extreme high or low doesn't mean they aren't educated and doing everything they know how to avoid it. I typically test 8-10x per day and have very frequent highs and lows (daily). I woke up at 17.3/311 with ketones this morning for some unknown reason. Yes, I treated it, and I rarely wake up that high, but the point is that it happened and it wasn't caused by anything I did or didn't do.
Some of the most faithful descriptions of extreme hypos and DKA emergencies that I’ve ever read, were in Dr. B’s books back in the early 80’s. “GlucoGraF method”?
Usually when my meter says HI or LO without me having any symptoms it’s been because of a problem with my blood sample getting clean to the strip. If there’s really a HI or LO it’s unlikely to come to me at least, as a complete surprise.
I don't think there's much "internet market" for information about true hypo/hyperglycemic emergencies.
History shows, you can rake in far more web hits and street cred about bg numbers on meters, by talking about how a number like 140 is doom and gloom and the end of the world.
I have highs and lows all the time--even with an insulin pump, CGM and testing 7 or more times per day. No matter how careful I am, how restrictive my diet, how exact my insulin dosages are, the highs and lows will happen. And most of the time there are these extremes, there is no straightforward answer as to why.
However, PWD do need to understand how to treat themselves in these situations, so I do understand the question. How can we do that? There are many threads on Tu about this subject. I would run some searches and I think you will find a plethora of information--then point other PWD here. Knowledge is only important if you want to seek it out.
Testing bg in rain I have had false LOs. My theory is that raindrop hit the test strip and diluted the blood after measurement had started.
I have also had false LO's and I have no idea what the cause was. Re-testing gives a number that makes sense.
Historically with color-change strips (going back a decade... or two... or three! to strips like Chemstrip and Ames Glucostix) not completely covering the strip would produce false lows according to the meter too. (But visual inspection would let us read the strip).
Me too. I have found not correcting as much depending on basal times and snacks helps but there are so many variables it is impossible to avoid them. I'm wondering at what level other people do corrections at? I should maybe start a topic about that.
I think most people know when their blood sugar is 39 they need to eat some sugar etc. Unless they're suffering from low symptoms that make them unable to think logically. That must be fairly rare. I was told if bg goes above 250 contact the endo I think. But I have spiked to that once or twice and just corrected, I don't seem to get ketones now as long as I have my basal.
