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  • With Mayo Clinic diabetes educators

    Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

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  • Aug. 28, 2009

    Blog: Dealing with diabetes emergencies

    By Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

10 comments posted

Ever forget your insulin? Or did your snacks get all eaten and then you had a severe low? A couple of summers ago we had a family vacation in Florida. Our son, who lived in South Carolina and has type 1 diabetes, mentioned that he forgot his insulin and these were his exact words: "Oh well, I guess I just won't eat."

Of course, I was horrified and told him that that wasn't an option. We went to the nearest pharmacy that was able to call and get his prescription. This was a good learning experience for him. No matter how well you may be prepared, diabetes emergencies happen. Here are a few tips that our family has learned along the way:

  • Have a backup plan in case you forget to bring your insulin or something happens to your insulin and you're not able to use it. In the United States, you can go to a pharmacy and they can call your doctor for a new prescription. U.S. insulin strengths are U-100 strength, while in foreign countries insulin may come in U-40 or U-80 strength. Check with a local healthcare provider for adjusted dose. If you need to use a different insulin, you'll need to buy new syringes to match the new insulin to avoid a mistake in your dose.
  • Snacks — When out with family or friends, snacks tend to disappear. To avoid a hypoglycemic emergency, it's a good idea to carry sugar tablets. My son has found that if he carries lifesavers or other candy, those tend to be eaten (by him). He finds it less tempting to snack on sugar tablets.
  • Always wear a diabetes medical ID bracelet or necklace — Information on the ID is invaluable to emergency medical personnel. If you are having a low and not able to communicate well, you can point to your ID. There are many attractive styles available.
  • Carry a bag/backpack with your diabetes supplies and keep it close to the door when leaving. My son calls his backpack his "man purse." Gotta have a sense of humor!
  • Did you get to work and realized that you forgot your insulin? — Ask your employer whether you can store an extra insulin vial/pen in a refrigerator.

Do you have a close call story? A frightening low? A time where you were caught unprepared? Please share your experiences and what you have learned.

Peggy

10 comments posted

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  • February 5, 2010 8:49 a.m.

    My husband is Type 2 and had a frightening low. He was on 30/70 insulin & his numbers were all over the map. His worst low was 1.9 (Canadian) & although I knew how to treat him I was doing so with the phone in 1 hand to call 911. It took about 1/2 an hour to get him back to normal but it was very scary. His mood changes when he's low and he's very cranky. I know not to react to that mood as it's caused by his low. We keep glucose tabs everywhere & I know how to use his meter as well as when to test during a low. It's hard to believe a person can sweat from every pore in their body and the extreme exhaustion of the low. Now switched to NovoRapid & Lantus and control much better. Next time he hits a low like that we now have glucagon to inject and I WILL call 911. We have the education & tools to do it ourselves but better to have the pros there just in case!

    - Lorna

  • February 3, 2010 6:09 p.m.

    I have type 2 and take 1--1000MG tablet daily Once had some kind of reaction. It seemed I was debating deep in my mind unaware of anything or anybody. The person i was talking to got angry, I don't know why. Help.

    - Dolly

  • January 26, 2010 2:02 p.m.

    No name given, I would see your doctor as soon as possible. Over medicating is a concern and so is the hair loss.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • January 23, 2010 1:20 a.m.

    I am a fairly new type 3 diabetic. I must admit that I have not had much education on diabetes but have been having issues that I am researching. I can always tell when my sugar gets too low because I get light headed and sick to my stomach fairly guickly. Recently I experience a real low while sitting in christmas traffic and woke 3 times at the same stop light. Luckly I had eaten a breath ment or two but not soon enough. I made it to the parking lot whereby I woke up in my care a little bit later( approx 25 min). I have had two more similar situations, one being tonight where I didn't get the sick feeling first just felt my brain stop for a few seconds. I guickly took my sugar 113 and within a few minutes it was in the lower 70's. I got out the warning but was gone by the time my husband showed up with help. So..because I have not had blood sugar over 141, even after a meal sense I started my pills, I am now concerned that I am on too much medicine and it is knocking me out from my second dose in the evening. Also I am experiencing a tremendous amount of hair loss. and I mean alot alot. In the last 3-4 months I have probably lost half my hair, but I have (had) thick thick hair prior. Now I am worried becasue it is not slowing down. Suggestions? I started omega' 3 fishoil and sea kelp to help slow it down but my understanding is it will take a few months to turn the hair loss around. Also my insurance company will not cover diabetic classes..where do I go now?

    - No name given

  • January 9, 2010 9:40 a.m.

    My father has type 2 diabetes and my mother and I are still learning how to take care of him. He also has other health issuse such as severe nerve damage, and cronic pain syndrome. I was told these also could affect his sugar level, but I also learned he was not checking his count every day. I need more information on how to help my parents. Diet, counting intake and so forth would be helpful. He runs a low blood level from what I saw, it was 66 last night.

    - Olivia

  • September 21, 2009 8:59 p.m.

    I have someone that stays with me. It seems like to me at least twice a week, at night (or early in the morning) his insulin starts dropping & I nearly start going into a panic attack because I don't want anything to happen to him. Sometimes it scares me & I get all shook up but hold everything inside because I don't want to upset him. I don't want to feel like I a "nagging lady" so I don't ask many questions. I try to find out the answers on my own. I do know though that considering circumstances, I do have panic attack pills handy, just in case. I need someone to PLEASE let me know what happens when someones insulin drops & they have to have something sweet to get it back up. I'm afraid to ask the man that lives with me because like I say "I don't want to nag." I'm not that type so I'm trying to find out through you all. Please let me know what causes someones insulin to drop. To me "It's scary". The man I have living with me has Type 2 diabetes. Can someone if not more than one person give me a lesson on this to help me calm down a little bit more. Around the same time every night, I start getting nervous inside but keep it to myself. I would appreciate it if someone would give me some history on this. Again, he has Type 2 diabetes.

    - Angela

  • September 11, 2009 10:46 p.m.

    My little granddaughter who was diagnosed with Type 1 before she was 2 years old. She just turned 9 & I'm happy to say that she has not been hospitalized for Diabetes. We have found that a bedtime snack of 2/3 Cup of milk along with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter keep her from serious lows during the night. Her parents & anyone caring for her keep juice boxes close by. They don't need refrigeration & don't take a lot of room. Plus, she likes them. When she was a baby, lows became a big problem. It is hard to get a 2year old to eat or drink anything if they don't want to do this.

    - Bobbie

  • September 3, 2009 7:10 a.m.

    I have problems with extreme lows during the night. I wake up fighting nothing, with slurred speach, drenched in sweat and not able to stand or walk. I one time thought I was okay and fell straight back, cracking ribs. I was beginning to be afraid to go to sleep. My solution: Have a snack with protien before bed, I got a service dog who wakes me if he senses my blood sugars are going to low, and I keep a box of sugar cubes in my night stand. Not perfect solutions, but I am no longer afraid to sleep.

    - Catherine

  • September 1, 2009 7:17 a.m.

    .I recently had a close call. I mistakenly took 62 units of Novolog (fast acting) rather than Lantus my night insulin. The results were my wife finding me in a comma. She called 911 with paramedics getting a 23 glucose reading. I now have a day kit for my Novolag and a separate kit for my night Lantus insulin.

    - Dale

  • September 1, 2009 7:13 a.m.

    .I recently had a close call. I mistakenly took 62 units of Novolog (fast acting) rather than Lantus my night insulin. The results were my wife finding me in a comma. She called 911 with paramedics getting a 23 glucose reading. I now have a day kit for my Novolag and a separate kit for my night Lantus insulin.

    - Dale

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