Re: low blood sugar

[Guest guest]

Chrissy,

what a scary experience. I am really battling my blood sugar since they had

to put me back on steriods for my liver disease. I've been on prednisone

since Dec 10th and by the time I got out of the hospital on Dec 14th, it was

evident that I could no longer control my diabetes with just diet and

exercise. My doctor started me on amaryl 4 mg. Even with taking it, I

have to be really good about not eating too many carbs. I had gotten lax

with paying attention to what I ate because prior to prednisone my diabetes

was pretty easy to keep under control. The bad thing is that sometimes the

medicine works too good. I've tried taking only half of the 4 mg amaryl

tablet but then my blood sugar still went up to almost 300 when I ate the

slightest thing. With taking 4 mg amaryl, I have an at least one episode of

low blood sugar. The lowest it's gone when I've checked is 40. Yesterday

it only went down to 63 but I swear I felt worse than times that it's been

down to 40. I have never passed out, but I've sure felt like I'm going to.

You feel confused, which doesn't help you to know that you need to eat! For

me, it comes on so incredibly quickly and that is the scary part. I have

decided I am not going to drive until I get this under control. My very

dear friend who has been a type 1 diabetic since mid-twenties blacked out

while driving when she was 9 weeks pregnant. She severed her renal artery

and they almost lost her before they realized it and removed a kidney. She

and the baby did fine and the 'baby' is now 7 years old and one of the

healthiest kids I've ever known.

My friend went through about 4- 5 episodes of passing out from low blood

sugar back in the fall. They never could find out what was causing it.

They think that maybe every now and then her pancreas decides to work and

produces a little bit of insulin - but they really don't know for sure. At

least with the recent episodes they were all first thing in the morning and

she was at home.

My blood sugar has never been higher than about 340, but suprisingly when it

went that high, I didn't even know it was high. Typically if it goes over

150 I get hot and sometimes tired and just feel crappy, but not always. If

it goes below 70, I break out in a sweat that at first makes me think I am

hot then I realize it is a cold sweat. I get somewhat confused, shaky, and

just generally don't feel good.

When I'm in the hospital, they always put me on a sliding scale and give me

insulin. Sometimes I think maybe I'd be better off with insulin at home,

but I don't really know enough to be sure. I've asked my doctor to set me

up an appt with a new endocrinologist in town that is fantastic but it may

be months before I can get in to see him.

Take care. I hope you get some answers soon.

W

[Guest guest]

; thannks for the pointers on how to tell if ones sugar goes

too low. I never thought for one second thats where I was heading.

I just got really sleepy then bamn! What a nightmare. Now I am so

sore I can barely walk, every muscle aches. I'm not driving right

now, seems like the right thing to do and I am trying to take it

easy. I see my surgeon next week and the endo the week after.

Oh; call that new endo and see if they have a cancellation; maybe

you can see him sooner rather then later. Thanks again for the help.

Chrissy