3 ms·

This isn’t accurate. A friend of mine was diagnosed with T1D freshman year of college and was still passing exams when he went to hospital with the initial diag

This isn’t accurate. A friend of mine was diagnosed with T1D freshman year of college and was still passing exams when he went to hospital with the initial diagnosis. He told me his blood sugar was so high those standard portable glucose measuring devices couldn’t even measure it.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
bigiain 9y ago
I'm type 2 ("adult onset") diabetic. I'm controlled with metformin and insulin. I got gastro a few years back, spend two days throwing up and pooping out all my medication, and then literally spent three days delirious. I should have called an ambulance, but wasn't thinking clearly enough to know it at the time. Eventually a friend dropped in, took me to my local GP, who immediately sent me off to hospital. In bad cases, it _does_ get that bad. Dehydration on top of losing control of my medication and a not particularly serious gastric bug ended up being a very serious thing for me.
- asimilator 9y ago
  “Bad cases” is a lot different than “really easy”. My friend has a pump which occasionally fails (that wireless pump, forgot the name). It’s possible (in a pinch) go without it for hours. I don’t think most diabetics are that brittle that “without insulin quickly loses their higher brain functions”. One of the above posters explains it better than I have.
cjbprime 9y ago
(Removed confused post about hypoglycemic coma.)
- tomca32 9y ago
  Insulin lowers blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is "low blood sugar". Insulin is NOT treatment for hypoglycemia. Insulin shot can be fatal in case of hypoglycemia. In case of hypoglycemia, it is imperative to raise blood sugar as soon as possible. You do not need prescription for that. It is achieved with regular sugar, sweets, or orange juice that everybody has in their household. In extreme cases a shot of glycogen may be required. Glycogen is not expensive and does not require prescription. Also, most people never use that shot. I have my one, and only, shot of glycogen in my fridge for many years now. Thankfully, I never used it.
  - cjbprime 9y ago
    Oops, yes, thanks.
- micro_cam 9y ago
  Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is a result of too much insulin for your food and activity levels. Not having insulin results in hyperglycemia or high blood sugar which causes longer term complications and severe illness but won't put you in a coma.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

bigiain 9y ago

I'm type 2 ("adult onset") diabetic. I'm controlled with metformin and insulin. I got gastro a few years back, spend two days throwing up and pooping out all my medication, and then literally spent three days delirious. I should have called an ambulance, but wasn't thinking clearly enough to know it at the time. Eventually a friend dropped in, took me to my local GP, who immediately sent me off to hospital. In bad cases, it _does_ get that bad. Dehydration on top of losing control of my medication and a not particularly serious gastric bug ended up being a very serious thing for me.

asimilator 9y ago
“Bad cases” is a lot different than “really easy”. My friend has a pump which occasionally fails (that wireless pump, forgot the name). It’s possible (in a pinch) go without it for hours. I don’t think most diabetics are that brittle that “without insulin quickly loses their higher brain functions”. One of the above posters explains it better than I have.

cjbprime 9y ago

(Removed confused post about hypoglycemic coma.)

tomca32 9y ago
Insulin lowers blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is "low blood sugar". Insulin is NOT treatment for hypoglycemia. Insulin shot can be fatal in case of hypoglycemia. In case of hypoglycemia, it is imperative to raise blood sugar as soon as possible. You do not need prescription for that. It is achieved with regular sugar, sweets, or orange juice that everybody has in their household. In extreme cases a shot of glycogen may be required. Glycogen is not expensive and does not require prescription. Also, most people never use that shot. I have my one, and only, shot of glycogen in my fridge for many years now. Thankfully, I never used it.
- cjbprime 9y ago
  Oops, yes, thanks.
micro_cam 9y ago
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is a result of too much insulin for your food and activity levels. Not having insulin results in hyperglycemia or high blood sugar which causes longer term complications and severe illness but won't put you in a coma.