How I Really Feel When My Blood Sugar Is Low

If you strugle low blood glucose you are not alone. Diabetes is tough. In this video I share my experience with hypoglycemia, how I deal with and prevent low blood sugar events and what else we can do about it.
Financial support for this video was provided by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. Thank you!
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[@TypeOneTalks]

Please share your experience with hypoglycemia so that we can learn from one another. Thank you! If you'd like to chat with me 1 on 1 join my Patreon community www.patreon.com/typeonetalks or book a private session calendly.com/typeonetalks

[@howlpendragon1460]

do dextrose tablets actually work for you even during physical activity? i found that they don't rise my bg at all when i'm moving (for example cycling) but give me a horrendous spike after i stop working out. Do they just work like this or is something wrong with me? I literally had to eat around 15 tablets of dextrose while cycling to keep my bg around 70 and it wouldn't budge for the next 3h i was riding my bike until i got home...then suddenly 400 out of nowhere. It happened several times and i just switched back to normal candy and the problem disappeared. Is there some unknown secret to using dextrose that i'm unaware of?

[@TheSheriff1970]

I completely agree with everything you said. My CGM is a godsend but I find I look at it constantly, even when I know I'm ok. I feel the doctors judge me when my hb1c is done if it's not perfect. Diabetes sucks tbh but it's something we have to put up with & learn to live with.

[@Chris_Hruska]

endocrinologists seem to always find something they want you to tweak for seemingly no big reason just make them look justified for making you see them 2+ times a year just to be able to get prescriptions. my Dr said I have the best control of any of his patients, yet always has critiques even though he knows I do my very best to get an A1c of 5.3

[@leeannulrich9874]

Absolutley cold sweats, shakes & severe brain fog. My servicw dog is the hero of the story & more dependable than my Dexcom but they are a power team ✌

[@crisbroadnax5033]

I’m so glad I found your channel….. you are amazing with all the information!!

[@PeggyHoffman722]

Absolutely hate low sugar, not a fan of high sugar either :). I actually get pretty panicky when my numbers start hitting low 90's going into the 80's, if I wait too much longer to treat it, the numbers will be hitting below 70. On the other hand, it's very difficult to wait that 15 minutes after using glucose tablets before doing a recheck.

[@lolly_bread]

I hear you. I nearly always overcompensate with the lollies coz those low sensations/side effects can be brutally discomforting.

[@shelleyhodgkinson1341]

You are required to test in Canada as well. Low blood sugar very scary, i have had a couple scary lows. I am late onset type one and my daughter is type one. We keep juice boxes in the cars, beside our beds. CGMs are a game changer.

[@leeannulrich9874]

@@shelleyhodgkinson1341 does testing work like a breathalyzer? Intrigued as nothing like this in US. Great idea

[@shelleyhodgkinson1341]

@@leeannulrich9874 I wear a CGM so I know where I am but a finger poke works too! A breath one would be great 👍

[@leeannulrich9874]

@@shelleyhodgkinson1341 Thanks but still confused. Is there equipment you have to verify numbers or is it just honor system?

[@shelleyhodgkinson1341]

@@leeannulrich9874 it is the honor system. I don't have to let anyone know

[@stacewalker7956]

@@leeannulrich9874I was wondering this myself.

[@JayWicky]

Thank you so much for this video. Love listening to your perspective.

[@karlahernandez5750]

I gave my morning dose of Lantus as usual. Got my stuff together and got in the car and took off. I got about a half a block away from my house and then BAM! Dexcom going bonkers and I'm not feeling good and I am drenched with sweat. I pull over turn off the car and do a finger stick. It was really low and dexcom was double arrows down. I couldn't do anything but sit there eating glucose tabs like crazy. It, I think was about 20 minutes before I started feeling good enough to even think about going back home. I was also doing finger sticks during this. As soon as numbers stated looking better I drove back home. I felt horrible. And then came the high alert from my dexcom. It was an awful day for me. The only thing I can think of is I must have injected into a vain by accident.

[@cecilyholland5871]

We just had a guy here walked free after running over and killing 4 people when he had a 2.8 mmol. You need to be at least 5mmol to drive here. No surprise that the prosecutors are appealing. You are responsible for your condition. My Type 2 inherited brittle type has drug me into a 3.5 3 hour hypo which I slept through. Twice this week. No way would I drive at the moment

[@brianbowman5402]

About four years ago, I changed my diet to keep my body in some level of ketosis. Aside from losing 40 lbs, it keeps my glucose much more level. And when it does go low my brain is not glucose dependent, so you don't have the mental confusion at such a high level. You still know when you are low, but the danger is much lower. The pharmaceutical industry works very hard not to let doctors know about this, hence going below 80 is consider dangerous even though it is quite normal. I don't recommend going low, just ketosis keeps management much easier.

[@sameoldsonganddance]

@@brianbowman5402 I wish I knew how you did this is there a book you followed or a special website?

[@brianbowman5402]

@@sameoldsonganddance I discovered it somewhat by accident. I haven't seen anyone else mention this. I don't have a quick recommendation. Just start with Bernstein's book to make sure you understand type 1. Then watch some KZbin by doctors like Ken Berry and Shawn Baker. They are not specific to type 1, so adapt from that. Be careful and go slow. I've found my mental fog is much less and I feel good into the 50's when my level of ketosis is high. But this didn't happen quickly.

[@brianbowman5402]

​@@sameoldsonganddance I don't know of anyplace that covers this. I found out by accident, so maybe it just me. It was not a quick process for me. I started by reading Bernstein's book and got motived to lower my A1C after almost 50 years of being over 7%. This helped and I learned a lot, but his book did not get me there. I then started watching other doctors on youtube like Ken Berry and Shawn Baker. They're more general and not focused on Type 1. So I changed my diet based on they're recommendations. This took almost a year to get my A1C down. Then after keeping my control in reasonable shape (A1C in the 5s) I started to notice I didn't get the brain fog when I was low, but I could still tell I was low. It is more of a physical feel rather then a brain fog. Anyway be careful and take it slow.

[@Kates_Koffee]

Where do you buy the digital glucose reader behind you?

[@terencehawkes3933]

I am so glad I have my CGM with an alarm. I also keep glucose tabs in my pocket at all times. O also have them stashed in the glove compartment and all over my house.

[@LM-xb4fq]

Agreed, thank God for the invention of the CGM, especially when you are most vulnerable…SLEEPING, it can save your life. Lows are terrifying and dangerous. Gotta be prepared 🙏

[@karynstouffer3562]

I have a tendency to sleep through my alarm for a hypo event. My husband has told me several times that he hears it, and comes back to check on me. Sometimes it wakes me up, but not always. It's even gone off at work. My coworkers will tell me my pocket is beeping LOL

[@terencehawkes3933]

@@karynstouffer3562 Tom has a device called a Pixel. You can actually see one in the background of the video. It sits on your shelf or desk and displays your sugar readings In addition to displaying blood sugar values. It has its own built-in speaker to sound alarms, which are loud, VERY LOIUD. I guarantee you will not be able to sleep through them or ignore them. You might want to look into it.

[@terencehawkes3933]

@@karynstouffer3562 If you are using your phone to get information from your sensor, you might consider getting a SugarPixel. Tom has one in his video. It sits on a shelf or desk and displays your current glucose reading. It has a built-in alarm speaker, and it's loud, VERY loud. It will definitely wake you up. You will not be able to ignore it.

[@carmen.t1d]

I used to be so scared of going high that I would constantly go low b/c I would overcorrect or rage bolus to get my numbers down. I would have plenty of scary wake ups from my hypos overnight where I would be super sweaty and it would be hard to breathe. Learned to put hypo snacks next to me after the first few times. I fortunately haven't had a scary hypo like that in a while but still guilty of rage bolusing sometimes

[@lolly_bread]

"rage bolus" I really giggled with that term. It's so true. I'm sitting here sometimes, going higher than I want, so I inject some insulin... 20 minutes later my numbers haven't budged or worse gone higher, then I say okay, I'll have some more... 20 minutes pass and it's still the same, then BAM I crack it - dial that sucker out to a big number and go again.... then 1 hour later... ah sheesh I need some lollies :|

[@mgv00]

I’m a T2. When I was on Glipizide, I got lows frequently. Since I got off, I have had no extreme lows. I got a shaky feeling and bathed in sweat. I got lows of around 46 md/dl. Jellybeans were my go to. I love my Freestyle Libre 3.

[@timsatchell6713]

Excellent video, you are telling my story. The fact that no one understands, definitely doesn't help. I have something similar to dextrose that I keep everywhere, carry everywhere and sleep with (schoko linzen in Germany) very easy to count and gauge the effect.. I find Dextrose difficult to unpack in a panic. Have been below 40 and getting over the confusion is difficult. If in doubt, I just start shovelling the solution in and balance things later. Yes, aren't CGMs a game changer. Love that big readout you have behind you. Thanks for what you do.

[@karlahernandez5750]

Lows are no fun. I also have essential tremors. Shaking is an everyday part of my life. It is not a sign of a low for me.I rely on sweating as my clue for lows. T1D or essential tremors which one do I wish I didn't have? The essential tremors. I can deal with T1D much better than the constant shaking of my hands and head.

[@Tsmoke1414]

When my sugar is low I feel sweaty and shaky. I don’t have any mental confusion (so far)

[@lolly_bread]

I notice the mental confusion more so when I need to use my intellect and concentration. I notice it being really affected during proper lows - and so can those around me to my slight embarrassment.

[@Chris_Hruska]

below 70 I can't even read things to myself. I can read out loud and hearing my voice I can comprehend. very strange. but the lower the more cognition goes away. I don't have depression but low sugar cause depression for me and it's the first sign. like why does it seem like the end of the world all of a sudden.

[@Free-ud9xq]

i feel legitimately retarded when i get low

[@MindyMikami]

When first diagnosed T2D a year ago, I was put on insulin. As I began to improve my eating, the insulin was too much, and I experienced hypos a lot. I’m now off insulin (on Mounjaro), but I still get hypos occasionally, especially when exercising. I always carry jelly beans with me for quick sugar. I prefer them to glucose tabs, since I can micro-dose carbs with them. When my CGM starts warning me that I’m going low, I just pop a few beans. 😉 Thanks for all of your informative videos… as a newbie, I learned so much!

[@terencehawkes3933]

Like you, I have learned to carry glucose tablets in my pocket at ALL times. I also have them in the glove compartment and all over the house. I never bother with fruit juice because it acts slower, and is inconvenient to carry and store. They also never spoil. I am SO glad to have a CGM that warns me when my blood sugar is going low. What I don't do is a scan just before starting the car, and I should. Thanks for reminding me.

[@traceymayo1583]

Thats why I love my freeystle libre , imy alarm always goes off when it gets to 4.2 :) and like you, I always have packets of glucose tablets everywhere I go :)

[@thirsk3]

I was diagnosed with DT1 3 weeks ago. 40 years old and was losing a lot of weight. Just experienced my first hypo and I want to thank you for your channel. I learned a lot about this condition in no time by watching all of your videos! THANK YOU!

[@lolly_bread]

Hey friend. Welcome to the T1D club :D Yell out if you need to chat.

[@thirsk3]

Thanks!

[@joserachi96]

Taking the picture for the thumbnail must have been hard keeping a straight face I bet 😂

[@marylinnnorton4126]

I have watched you for a long time. Wishing that you would speak about hypoglycemia. I have searched KZbin for this subject for my granddaughter. I cannot thank you enough. You have invaluable insight.

[@lolly_bread]

Yes everything Tom said was accurate, for me anyway. Ask your granddaughter to search for video comments where real people share experiences.

[@Bob-TheTechGuy]

We are slaves to knowing what our levels are at all times. :) Had a 50 last night. Nothing new. Its fun when you inject and it ends up going right into a blood vessel and all that insulin starts working in a few minutes. :) Thanks for the videos!

[@2Peachcobler]

Oh hell, no I’m not sitting through an advertisement that is gonna be 18 minutes long to see your video. It doesn’t give me the option to exit out of it like they used to specially considering who’s giving the thing I don’t need to see his face or hear his voice.

[@stefanstankewitz4376]

It's amazing how everyone copes ? I'm type 2 for 25 years insulin dependant my sugars between 46 and 90 l feel every point after 75 l start to get confused and my heart beats fast at night l can't sleep unless the sugar is around 50 it's like a roller coaster everyday some nights l can't sleep , lm 63 going on 80 lol l had 7 toes amputions and a arterial bypass in the left leg and both aortas widened from the lower stomach to the legs my grandmother lost both legs when she was 72

[@MaralinaDG]

After 50+ years, I usually only feel a low when I'm at 40 or below. Glucose tabs, for me, are like chalk so instead I use honey sticks/cinnamon flavor (usually 1 or 2 is about perfect). Tastes great, easy to pop open, doesn't over correct, low calorie. Being a syrup, I can put it in the lower gum area in front of the lower teeth for faster absorption. The most concerning is when the extreme low happens overnight (about 3 to 6am). My partner is well versed in using the Gvoke Hypopen (glucagon autoinjector) if needed and has saved me a few times. I also keep an oral syringe near the bed filled with corn syrup (about 1 tbs). Yup - it's a crazy, personal, educational journey for each of us and unfortunately, "practice" isn't always "makes perfect".

[@bytehead904]

My hypos mean that I literally lose my mind. While trying to get food, I've found that I've gone hypo, and luckily, my car with GPS was able to get me home. Because even though I was in a familiar part of town, and only a couple of blocks away from home, I was clueless. I don't worry if I'm showing 70 on my CGM, especially when it's a steady line. Because I know this CGM (G7) tends to read my sugar low. My Medtronics was much more accurate to my finger pricks. Of course, I was calibrating the Medtronic with finger pricks every 12 hours..... But the vast majority of my lows have been while I was sleeping. And with a disabled wife, the only thing she could do was call 911 on me.

[@JessCondo]

Hi m8 watching from Australia hope you are well, I have type 3 C diabetes not much info about type 3 C so I really enjoy your experiences and challenges your doing a great job really helpful thank you take care keep up the gd work cheers.

[@MariaFernandez-io1vl]

Thank you for the work you do. My hypo fear kept me from riding my bike. After lows during and after riding, I got too scared. Today, I rode 9 easy miles. Before riding, I was super stressed and had to practice deep breathing. All went well with lots of planning, refueling during the ride, etc. A lot of work for 1 short ride and a big step in growing my confidence.

[@gspotyt]

Again amazing (and this time scary!) content. Thank you for your energy and your videos and information. I wish you a good and long life. You are doing a fantastic job !

[@robertkustos2931]

I had a blood test last year and was diagnosed with pre diabetes. One year later (2 weeks ago) I had another. The results came back I'm still pre diabetes. The results were: 44 mmol/L. Cholesterol was 2.8mmol/L. Is this good or bad?

[@issafarhoud760]

Please can you share how you display your glucose level on the montor in the background. I use freestyle libre in the UK. That would be nice to diaplay in my office or bedside keep up the good work. Thanks

[@shellyrobinson2795]

i love your channel and i just want to say thanks for all you do and i want to allso say that you should check your blood sugar with a real meter sometimes as cgms can be off and it can be deadly if they give a rong reading :)

[@ximenaosorio1154]

Omg I m type 2 but that happened to me when I was driving my legs was shaking I stop driving and test was 50 did the same 1 glucose tablet

[@AlainKapture]

Hey thanks for the Video, What is the App you are using on the lockscreen ?

[@teresawright5924]

I feel like that to when my sugar is low I'm type2 luv the videos.

[@Snowplow82]

Does your CHM warn you?

[@anitaboddington4837]

Thank you I absolutely love your content

[@elainemcgoldrick-hp1ce]

I eat 5 jelly babies carry them everywhere

[@worthybookjourney3231]

My son wears a cgm (Libre 3 and 3 plus) and has trouble with keeping connected to the app on his phone. I am thinking about getting him the sugar pixel kind of thing that is on your shelf behind you for the nights. Do you have issues with it staying connected to the cgm at all? Do you know if it will work with a cgm if it is already connected to the app on the phone--for Libre 3/3plus? How helpful is it to have the sugar pixel to you?

[@lolly_bread]

Yeh having the CGM reliant on the phone is a bit annoying. I have a Libre 2 connected to a Samsung phone and I think the Bluetooth connection range is about 10 metres, so unless you take your phone "everywhere" you have to reconnect. I think it mostly reconnects automatically after say a minute, but sometimes I have to manually scan mine. I also have a Samsung Watch and I can't wait for the day the Sensor can talk directly to the watch.

[@HunterChristianDarkman]

Glucose/Fructose tablets are ridiculously expensive in Alberta, Canada. I use a Halloween candies called "Rockets," which is a cellophane wrapped pack 15 small dextrose disks. 2-3 of these packs will do the trick, fast.

[@Chris_Hruska]

oh wow how much? I can get a 50 tablet container at Walmart in the US for $4.00

[@HunterChristianDarkman]

@@Chris_Hruska 275g (I counted 39 rolls of 15 small disks in a freshly opened package) for about CAD$3.50 at Walmart here. I don't have a current price for the Destrose Tabs, but the last time I checked, it was quite high, by comparison. The pharmacist there told me that the candies were pure Destrose and suggested them to me.

[@tallmukesh]

Thanks

[@DorothyFan1]

Snicker bars is my current solution to this issue - I don't have glucose tablets yet. I'll talk to my Endo about getting this. I usually wake up to low blood sugar but my issue is my current Ac1 is 5.7 which is a bitter pill to swallow because I'm in the pre-diabetic range for now and I'm supposed to be happy about that. I should be but because of my condemned state I can't rest easily anymore.

[@lolly_bread]

I hope you're talking a mini snickers bar and not a full-size puppy?

[@susanc9525]

Too much fat for me for it to work quickly enough.

[@sameoldsonganddance]

Doesn’t your meter beep? I go as low as 55 but I’ve never felt weird. I ate a big spoonful of apricot preserves and it works. Is low blood sugar worse for a person with diabetes 1? I’m a 2 diabetic.

[@leeannulrich9874]

Blood sugar can drop quickly you can sleep through alarms

[@sameoldsonganddance]

@@leeannulrich9874 like I said I’m a type two diabetic and so far I’ve never slept through an alarm because it’s crazy high-pitched but the lowest I’ve went was I believe 49 and I really didn’t feel strange so that kind of scares me

[@leeannulrich9874]

@@sameoldsonganddance yes that's hypo unware. Please mention this to your doctor

[@lth1072]

Why do you still use the old 1950s style insulin syringes? . Don't you have access to a pen?

[@leeannulrich9874]

He actually uses a pod or pump

[@lolly_bread]

Hehe, yeh I wondered that for a tick. I stopped using them a long time ago - thank god. Originally (circa late 80's) those needles were harsh!

[@lth1072]

@lolly_bread Same. I did recently speak with an elderly man. He said in his country that they continued using them up until 2013. Hopefully, the syringe in this video was just included for some Hollywood effect .

[@DENIEL1908]

Important question here! 🤌 Does coffee affect you in some way? Does it cause hypo or in the opposite it maybe helps maintain healthy blood sugar level? No sugar, just the old balanced espresso. Thank you guys in advance for the answers! Have a nice day! 🥳 🤗