# Glucagon or Ambulance? Which is better?



## LorraineP (May 27, 2017)

Before you say, don’t have a severe hypo in the first place it’s not as straight forward as that.  I’m an experienced diabetic of 40 years but I occasionally get unexpected hypos at unexpected times. In spite of my vigilance, sometimes I have to fight very hard, sometimes for 2 - 3 hours, to bring my blood sugar up to safe levels.

These hypos are usually linked to episodes of vomiting which can come on very quickly with little warning. However as soon as I feel sick I check my BG (which is always low when I vomit), I suspend the pump and take Lucozade (double the amount these days!).

I give it full blast as early as possible because I know the Lucozade may not stay down for long especially if I ate not too long beforehand. For belts and braces I also take Glucogel and wait (whilst rushing to and from the bathroom).

A couple of nights ago, after a 3 month break from vomiting, it happened again and the accompanying hypo lasted for 240 minutes!  My BG varied between 2.2 and 2.6 for most of the 4 hour hypo. Even Glucogel made little difference, although when I came round after blacking out there was still some residue on my gums so that’s probably why I came round.

So in a situation like this I should take glucagon, yes?  But no, neither my GP nor my diabetic doctor will prescribe glucagon BECAUSE I LIVE ALONE!! Someone else must administer it.

So if someone else must administer it, I should ring for an ambulance, yes?  But here’s the problem. When my BG is so low and I’m projectile vomiting my ability to make decisions and articulate myself is seriously impaired.

On Tuesday night I worried that I’d be told off for phoning for an ambulance because they’d think I should know to just take glucose. I worried that I’d have to explain the problems I have in getting the glucose into my system. I felt too confused, exhausted and distressed to cope with that.

I decided I would phone for an ambulance if my BG fell below 2 but I kept falling in and out of consciousness and didn’t manage to do so. I thought if I waited just another 15 minutes my BG would start to come up again but instead it kept on falling. Luckily I had left the back door unlocked so if an ambulance had turned up they could get to me. 

My diabetic clinic’s attitude is that if I’m having such severe hypos then I must be doing something wrong. However, having gone privately, this week I’ve had a diagnosis of 1) atrophied pancreas 2) pancreatitis and 3) gastroparesis. I also had small intestine bacterial overgrowth diagnosed 3 months ago and Pancreatic Enzyme Insufficiency diagnosed 6 months ago.  So, pretty much the perfect storm for erratic blood sugar and gastro problems.  Thankfully the scans showed no sign of pancreatic cancer.

So now that I have a diagnosis I’m going to try again and ask for glucagon. I don’t know what I’ll do if they refuse because I can’t continue to live like this. Even if I don’t use it, the glucagon will make me feel safer just knowing it’s there.

Does anyone else here who lives alone get glucagon on prescription?


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## Bubbsie (May 27, 2017)

Lorraine...I'm so sorry.. I'm not any practical help here...my first instinct is to screammmmmmmmmmm call for an ambulance...however...as a type 2 diabetic using Meformin...I have no experience of hypos...insulin or glucagon...it sounds frightening in the extreme...no doubt someone with the necessary knowledge & experience  will be along shortly to give you support and the appropriate  advice...it sounds very much as if you are caught between  a rock and a hard place...why not ring the DUK helpline...I'm sure they could give you the right advice...or at least point you in the right direction.


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## CosmicHedgehog (May 27, 2017)

I've lived alone and i have never had a problem getting a prescription for glucagon! It's utter rubbish and i would seriously question the logic of who ever made the decision to not let you have it. It is a life saving treatment and yes, while it would be difficult to administer yourself when having a very bad hypo it is still possible to do so. i would talk to your consultant or dsn. your living arrangements have no relevance as to whether you can have an emergency glucagon or not


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## Pumper_Sue (May 27, 2017)

Hi Lorraine, I used to have glucagon and I live alone. I don't have it now for the simple reason I have Addison's disease so it can not be used. From what you are describing if it hasn't been done yet then please insist your GP tests your cortisol levels as a matter of urgency.


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## LorraineP (May 27, 2017)

CosmicHedgehog said:


> I've lived alone and i have never had a problem getting a prescription for glucagon! It's utter rubbish and i would seriously question the logic of who ever made the decision to not let you have it. It is a life saving treatment and yes, while it would be difficult to administer yourself when having a very bad hypo it is still possible to do so. i would talk to your consultant or dsn. your living arrangements have no relevance as to whether you can have an emergency glucagon or not



Thank you for telling me that. Before I take this up again this week it helps to know that one's own logic isn't flawed. I was doubting myself.

In reply to Bubbsie, I did phone Diabetes UK re this issue, actually in a distressed state, and although they were very nice, they referred me to my local branch which is here in N Ireland. They told me that the reason glucagon is refused to people who live alone is because you need to have a clear mind to administer it. I'm still expected to manage my diabetes and administer insulin and other medication when sick, when in a hypo and when hyper. What makes glucagon different? That's what I don't understand. Perhaps its just the policy here in NI.


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## LorraineP (May 27, 2017)

Thanks Pumper Sue, I don't know if I've been tested for Addison's and it hadn't crossed my radar until now. But having checked the NHS website I do have many of the symptoms, although they could be explained by my other conditions.  Thanks for the suggestion. I have an appointment with my GP in early June and I will bring it up. 

I see that low cortisol levels can cause low BG. Can the lack of cortisol make hypos unexpected and make it difficult to come out of a hypo?


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## Pumper_Sue (May 27, 2017)

LorraineP said:


> I see that low cortisol levels can cause low BG. Can the lack of cortisol make hypos unexpected and make it difficult to come out of a hypo?


Most definitely, before I was diagnosed I consumed almost 500 carbs in one day just to stay conscious and I had no insulin at all.

Please do bring this up as a matter of urgency because Addison's is life threatening if untreated.


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

Mmmm......thanks Sue, you've got me thinking. Your experience is very similar to mine as I've also had to go without insulin some days. Especially in the heat my BG can sit around 5 or 6 for most of the day whilst eating normally. I used to joke that I was cured of Type 1 diabetes. My record for treating a hypo was 180 grams of carb.   I'd been putting this down to gastroparesis but I will definitely ring the diabetic clinic and my GP on Monday to ask if they have tested my cortisol levels.

Regardless of the outcome, thank you for alerting me to this


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## mikeyB (May 28, 2017)

I know I'm not here really, but I was just browsing while correcting a hypo before a day out.

All I can say is thank goodness Pumper Sue saw your post. (Take a bow, Sue). Addison's is one of the very few conditions that can give you those persistent hypos. It can do that in non-diabetics, so if you are carrying a dose of long acting insulin, you've got a double whammy. Vomiting for no reason is also a symptom, and I would lay money on you feeling tired all the time, with odd aches and pains. Lost any weight?

You not only have to insist on tests for this, ( and for heavens sake don't take no for an answer) if you have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency as well, due to pancreatitis, you need to join the happy band of Creonistas. If you don't take Creon with food and snacks, you will not absorb nutrients properly and develop vitamin deficiencies.

Your GP is unlikely to have seen Addisons in practice. Only 8,500 or so folk have it in the country, quite a few T1Ds in that number, it's a pretty exclusive club.

As a footnote, don't bother about the glucagon, chances are it wouldn't work very well.


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## khskel (May 28, 2017)

Aye, what @mikeyB said about the creon. I ended up with malnutrition.


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

Hello Mike and Khskel, yes I do have PEI and I'm on 10000 Creon tablets. Maybe the strength should be increased.

Mike, you're absolutely right about the exhaustion, I've had nearly 3 stone weight loss in the past year and I have aches and pains that I blamed on statins so I gave them up. The aches and pains didn't go away. On further reading of the subject I see that temperature regulation can also be a symptom. During my 4 hour hypo I was so cold and I shivered so violently I was worried that would bring my BG down even further. I put the heating on and wore a thick woollen jumper on the hottest day of the year. I thought that was odd because the sweat from a hypo can make me cold but a hypo doesn't usually make me feel like I'm in the Arctic!

In spite of so many matching symptoms I'm still hoping I don't have Addisons, but I would be extremely stupid not to check it out quickly.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 28, 2017)

LorraineP said:


> In spite of so many matching symptoms I'm still hoping I don't have Addisons, but I would be extremely stupid not to check it out quickly.


Addison's so easy to treat so don't worry about that side of things.
Please do not leave things for to long before you see someone as Addison's is life threatening when left untreated. Do you have an A&E near you? If so perhaps go there and tell them what's happening ask them if you have Addison's as the medics would not think about it due to it being so rare.


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Addison's so easy to treat so don't worry about that side of things.
> Please do not leave things for to long before you see someone as Addison's is life threatening when left untreated. Do you have an A&E near you? If so perhaps go there and tell them what's happening ask them if you have Addison's as the medics would not think about it due to it being so rare.



Thanks Sue. I'm actually in the middle of writing an e-mail to my diabetic consultant at the moment as he's quite good at responding to requests for help. I'm also going to put a call request in to my GP tomorrow morning so with any luck one of them will answer!

I'm hoping I don't have Addisons, not because the condition frightens me but  because it would be yet another condition to have to deal with in my old age. And if I'm honest I worry about any steroid treatments in case it makes me put on weight again!!!


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

Another question for you Sue. I presume my diabetic consultant is the right person to deal with this as he describes himself as an endocrinologist at the Endocrinology Centre. I presume its an endocrinologist who treats your Addisons condition?


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## Pumper_Sue (May 28, 2017)

LorraineP said:


> Another question for you Sue. I presume my diabetic consultant is the right person to deal with this as he describes himself as an endocrinologist at the Endocrinology Centre. I presume its an endocrinologist who treats your Addisons condition?


Yes it comes under endo, but in all honesty just like diabetes it's self managing, a GP can diagnose it if pointed in the right direction.
If you have a full blown crisis you can be dead within 20 mins unless treated so please go get your self checked out.
My initial diagnoses came from my veterinary surgeon, we were gelding colts at the time and he suggested I get checked out for Addison's due to my almost constant hypo state with no insulin, the rest is history so they say


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## Pumper_Sue (May 28, 2017)

LorraineP said:


> Thanks Sue. I'm actually in the middle of writing an e-mail to my diabetic consultant at the moment as he's quite good at responding to requests for help. I'm also going to put a call request in to my GP tomorrow morning so with any luck one of them will answer!
> 
> I'm hoping I don't have Addisons, not because the condition frightens me but  because it would be yet another condition to have to deal with in my old age. And if I'm honest I worry about any steroid treatments in case it makes me put on weight again!!!


Sorry didn't see this one.

You wont put on weight due to the steroids because all you are doing is replacing what your body is not producing now. Obviously if you have lost a lot of weight then you will gain back what you lost but nope to the extra weight because you are on steroids.
The cortisol test needs to be done first thing in the morning because this is when cortisol is highest in your body so any deficiencies will show up.

It's a bank holiday in the UK so no one answers here


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

Thanks for explaining about the steroids Sue. Typical of me to worry about weight when there are more important things at stake

And no one will answer here tomorrow due to the bank holiday. I'd forgotten about that.


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## mikeyB (May 28, 2017)

Another unannounced visit. Lorraine, if you get another one of those unrelenting hypos with vomiting, ring 999. Don't wait for it to get better. That's an order.


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## LorraineP (May 28, 2017)

mikeyB said:


> Another unannounced visit. Lorraine, if you get another one of those unrelenting hypos with vomiting, ring 999. Don't wait for it to get better. That's an order.



I will definitely obey your order, Sir!!.  

I can't believe that I've been telling my medical team about my symptoms for over a year and they have either ignored what I've been saying or told me I must be doing something wrong to be getting such severe hypos.

Yet in just two days since posting here I've had clear advice and clear direction. Even if it turns out that I don't have this condition it's clear to me that it should have been checked out much earlier. It's been a difficult year trying to get someone to listen to me about my symptoms and I would check in to this forum from time to time hoping to find posts from people with similar problems but I didn't see any matches. So thank you everyone on this thread!!


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## mikeyB (May 29, 2017)

Aye, Lorraine, but I've told you how many folk have this condition. The chances of you finding someone with the same symptoms are microscopic. I'd buy a Euromillions ticket on Tuesday if I were you, you could be on a roll


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## Anna1 (Jul 8, 2017)

Hi,  sorry to jump in but I'm a type 1 diabetic and have been reading about Addisons recently but the symptoms were quite vague unless you were in serious condition.  I have lost 1 1/2 stone in weight over a year (majority out of choice) and the last 3 months I've gone from having 48 units of Levemir in the morning to 17 units of Tresiba at night and my BG always keeps dropping around 5pm right the way through to 3am and I always have to go to bed on 10 or 11 to wake up on 7.  I am tired all the time, my last blood pressure reading was 97/71 which is on the low side and I sometimes get dizzy when I stand up quickly after sitting down but this disappears quickly once I start moving around.  I have no aches and I don't vomit.  I get hot flushes in the morning and my BG does go up when I eat but if I have a hypo it can take a while to register but then my BG will go up from about 4 to 15 but it can take 30-40 min.  Could this be the beginning of Addisons as just don't understand why my BG always drops in the afternoon.  I am pushing to be tested for that (to rule it out if nothing else) but apparently it takes 2 weeks to get the test and another 2-3 weeks for the result and worried that symptoms will get worse during that time as I live alone as well.  Obviously, your conditions before being diagnosed seem a lot worse but just don't know what to do?  Hypos at the moment scare me and really having issues living on my own at the moment - Thanks


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## HOBIE (Jul 8, 2017)

Anna1 said:


> Hi,  sorry to jump in but I'm a type 1 diabetic and have been reading about Addisons recently but the symptoms were quite vague unless you were in serious condition.  I have lost 1 1/2 stone in weight over a year (majority out of choice) and the last 3 months I've gone from having 48 units of Levemir in the morning to 17 units of Tresiba at night and my BG always keeps dropping around 5pm right the way through to 3am and I always have to go to bed on 10 or 11 to wake up on 7.  I am tired all the time, my last blood pressure reading was 97/71 which is on the low side and I sometimes get dizzy when I stand up quickly after sitting down but this disappears quickly once I start moving around.  I have no aches and I don't vomit.  I get hot flushes in the morning and my BG does go up when I eat but if I have a hypo it can take a while to register but then my BG will go up from about 4 to 15 but it can take 30-40 min.  Could this be the beginning of Addisons as just don't understand why my BG always drops in the afternoon.  I am pushing to be tested for that (to rule it out if nothing else) but apparently it takes 2 weeks to get the test and another 2-3 weeks for the result and worried that symptoms will get worse during that time as I live alone as well.  Obviously, your conditions before being diagnosed seem a lot worse but just don't know what to do?  Hypos at the moment scare me and really having issues living on my own at the moment - Thanks


Welcome Anna 1. I am sure someone will be along shortly who will know some answers for you. Have you spoken with your DSN or specialist ?


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## LorraineP (Jul 8, 2017)

Anna, I'm glad you jumped in. I would like to discuss this with you but I've just sat down to eat and my BG is low! Once I get myself sorted out I'll be in touch!


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## Anna1 (Jul 8, 2017)

Hi, Yes they think it is unlikely that it is Addisons but have agreed for me to get the test but it means waiting on the NHS to ring me and book me in which apparently will take 2 weeks.  My main symptom is the unexplained BG drop in the afternoon but I am not having hypos so severe that I end up in hospital (fingers x it doesn't progress) just a steady drop every evening and obviously a huge change in my insulin levels from the previous 10 years.


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## LorraineP (Jul 8, 2017)

Hello Anna, like you my insulin levels have dropped significantly over the past 2 years. This time two years ago I was on 36 units of Lantus which, thanks to hypos, I slowly had to reduce to 20 units by the time I got my pump a year ago. Since then I've dropped my basal further to 13u, so I'm now on one third of the basal rate I was on two years ago!!! Also my I:C ratio used to be 1:1 across the board. It's now 1u:20g in the morning (sometimes 1:30) and 1:15 at other times. So my insulin needs have changed dramatically but a recent cortisol test showed that my levels were normal. I don't have Addisons.

Like you I have weight loss, fatigue, dizziness on standing up. I also have vomiting.

I've recently been diagnosed with gastroparesis which could explain my hypos but I do cater for slow digestion on the pump by using combo boluses. Also, I often wait until my BG rises after eating before I bolus. These are just techniques I've adopted to protect myself. I'm not saying it's the right way to do things but as you know you have to do anything to stop hypos when you live alone. 

However I've also been recently diagnosed with a condition called Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency or PEI for short. This is where the pancreas doesn't enough enzymes needed to digest food. Most doctors associate it with heavy drinkers or as a result of pancreatitis or pancreatic surgery or cancer. However none of these factors apply to me. 

Last year I did some research because I couldn't understand why I was having so many hypos some weeks then at other times I would have days where my BG would run high. My DSN was very unsupportive. So I went to Dr Google and I came across this article http://www.thejournalofdiabetesnursing.co.uk/media/content/_master/3857/files/pdf/jdn18-8-320-3.pdf which I can't create a link to.

In short the article suggests that perhaps 50% of Type 1 diabetics may have PEI caused by atrophy of the pancreas which in turn could be caused by lack of insulin production. This can lead to malnutrition, sickness and variable blood sugars as well as unpleasant bowel symptoms which thankfully I don't have!!!  The research discussed in the article was based on a very small study but suggests that more research should be done and PEI should be considered in diabetics with symptoms.

PEI can be diagnosed by doing a faecal elastase test so I asked my diabetic consultant to do the test. The results came back confirming that my elastase levels were indeed low and so I've recently started taking pancreatic enzymes. The article says that the diabetics in the study found that the number of hypos they had fell after 16 weeks. I haven't been taking the enzymes for that long so I don't know yet if the enzymes will eliminate or reduce the number of the hypos.

I haven't had a chance yet to discuss the recent diagnosis with my consultant. But I'll be seeing him next week and I'll be interested to hear if he thinks the PEI or gastroparesis (or both) could be the cause of my hypos and vomiting.

Once the usual suspects have been ruled out and there is no obvious reason for hypos/falling insulin needs, there are of course a number of conditions that can be the cause such as Celiacs Disease, Addisons, Gastroparesis and possibly PEI. If there are other possible contenders I would be interested in hearing about them  I presume that your diabetic clinic has checked you out for these conditions?


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## Anna1 (Jul 8, 2017)

Thanks for all that info.  I have recently been tested for Thyroid and peri menopause hormones (I am 45) to see if that has anything to do with it. (haven't had results yet)  I am waiting on an appointment for a Synachten test for Addisons Disease but have been told that could take 2 weeks and then a further 2-3 weeks to get the results.  I have not been tested for Celiacs, Gastroparesis or PEI.  The weird thing is my BG only really ever drops in the afternoon after about 5pm.  It's as if my basal insulin requirements disappear after 5pm and then the basal just keeps counting down.  I wear a CGM at the moment so can see what is going on which is equally terrifying when you see a double arrow going down and then rush to the kitchen to try and eat quickly and then nothing happens for about 30 mins but so far it does eventually go up.  Just can't get anything right at the moment.  If I reduce my basal further then will go need more novo in the morning and I am already on 1:5 ratio am but then come pm it's more like 1:12.  If I take a high dose of novo around lunchtime then it just continues to drop for hours after (over 5hrs).  Hope like you I don't have addisons but then again cant work out why I'm tired, have low blood pressure, dizzy when standing up, and hot flushes in the morning.  Worried I will get worse before I manage to the the addisons test done as takes so long to get booked in and tested.  I have asked about a pump but they want me to stay on Tresiba for longer as they say the pump is the last resort but if my basal needs vary so much I can't see how I am ever going to get on.  Yesterday had a hypo after eating 46g of carbs and using the 1:10 ration and my BG plummeted within an hour.  At two chocolate digestives and 3 gluco tabs but then didn't see a massive improvement so took about 30g of lucozade carbs and that means I had eaten almost 60g of carbs and after about 40 min it did go up and ended up on about 20.  Then made the huge mistake of taking 3 novo shots to get it back down and it crashed straight away again so ate a banana and a snickers bar and finally settled on about 18 around 1am.  The thing is it just scares the living daylights out of me when I live on my own as just have such a panic!!  My family all live abroad I have great neighbours but don't want to stress them out.  I had brilliant control for 10 years and now it's just gone - as I'm scared to go low I end up being high all the time - thanks so much for all your input


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## LorraineP (Jul 8, 2017)

I totally understand your frustration. What you describes sounds very familiar to me.  I'm a bit further down the line in terms of completed tests and some knowledge of a screwed up pancreas but I haven't had a conversation yet with a specialist who can explain exactly what's going on. Your hypo that came one hour after eating could suggest slow digestion. You may not necessarily have gastroparesis but anyone can digest a meal slowly depending on how much fat they have eaten with the meal. This is where a pump can be really useful as you can set the bolus to deliver over a longer period.

I hope you get your tests done quickly and all possible causes are checked out to give you peace of mind. It's good that your BG rises fairly quickly when treating a hypo - 30 to 40 minutes to me is positively speedy!


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## Anna1 (Jul 9, 2017)

Hi Lorraine, Thanks so much for all your replies.  What's strange is that you've had to reduce your basal so much, if you don't have Addisons then why is your liver producing so little glucose as that's (as I understand it) is what basal is for?  Think the recent hot weather is also affecting me as this morning I only took 1 unit for about 25g of carbs and although I ended up on 16 I thought I would go much higher bearing in mind a week ago I was taking 4 units for the same amount.  This is why it is so unpredictable all the time.  Can't judge it day by day.  Does it take a long time then for you BG to rise when you have a hypo?  What do you usually take for this?


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## declan88 (Mar 30, 2018)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Most definitely, before I was diagnosed I consumed almost 500 carbs in one day just to stay conscious and I had no insulin at all.
> 
> 
> That's about the same as me.
> ...


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## declan88 (Mar 30, 2018)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Yes it comes under endo, but in all honesty just like diabetes it's self managing, a GP can diagnose it if pointed in the right direction.
> If you have a full blown crisis you can be dead within 20 mins unless treated so please go get your self checked out.
> My initial diagnoses came from my veterinary surgeon, we were gelding colts at the time and he suggested I get checked out for Addison's due to my almost constant hypo state with no insulin, the rest is history so they say




What's the difference between Addisonisn crisis and non-duagnosed Addison's!


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## daducky88 (Nov 18, 2018)

Hi Anne

What was your diagnosis in the end and how are you doing now?


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## daducky88 (Nov 18, 2018)

H



Pumper_Sue said:


> Hi Lorraine, I used to have glucagon and I live alone. I don't have it now for the simple reason I have Addison's disease so it can not be used. From what you are describing if it hasn't been done yet then please insist your GP tests your cortisol levels as a matter of urgency.



Hi Sue
I have Addison's.  I don't think anybody told me not to use glucagon, since I was diagnosed with Addisons.  Would mind explaining why you don't use glucagon?
Thanks


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## daducky88 (Nov 18, 2018)

@LorraineP

Hi Lorraine

Can I ask you what the outcome? I don't often meet another (potential?) Addison's bod.
I hope you're doing better now either way.


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## Pumper_Sue (Nov 18, 2018)

daducky88 said:


> H
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hello,
it says not to use it in the patient leaflet


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## daducky88 (Feb 11, 2019)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Hello,
> it says not to use it in the patient leaflet



Well i make no recommendations for anyone else, but i used glucagon more than once with no especially adverse side fx re addisons disease or diabetes.

PS i also certainly been prescribed glucagon living along and used it.


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## Vicsetter (Feb 11, 2019)

Just a minor point as no-one has mentioned it, but lucozade isn't much good for hypos anymore, april 2017 they reduced the carb content to 8.9g/100 ml. Full fat coca cola isnt any better at 10.6g /150ml little can.


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## trophywench (Feb 12, 2019)

I know Vicsetter - I thought of swapping to neatish Ribena so read the back of a bottle thinking I wouldn't need more than a dessertspoon - and there's far less sugar in that too!  I'd have to drink 'quite a lot'.

I haven't found anything suitable to change over to yet.


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## SB2015 (Feb 12, 2019)

I find that fruit juice cartons seem to fit the bill for hypo treatments at home (too bulky to carry out and about compared to JBs)  I avoid cranberry as they seem to have halved the carbs in that but apple juice is still very high for the amount I need to drink.  Not sure how they explain the discrepancies, but just know that I am after about 10g/100 ml.


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## Vicsetter (Feb 12, 2019)

I woukd have thought fruit juices weren't very rapid as they contain fructose and not sucrose. Also  coke is sugar whereas lucozade is glucose.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Feb 12, 2019)

Grape juice works pretty quickly for me, and it's what I mostly use at home - I find 100g of it is about right.


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## daducky88 (Mar 9, 2019)

Coca colas fine.  Its 10g/ 100ml.
If i'm a bit low, i swig about 150ml.  Retest after 30 mins.  And take another 150ml if necessary. Generally it isnt.
When i was younger i used to pour loads of coca cola, fanta, etc into myself to correct.  And a couple of hours later be hyperglycemic.  Now i moderate the corrections and correct systematically.  Works for me : -) 



trophywench said:


> I know Vicsetter - I thought of swapping to neatish Ribena so read the back of a bottle thinking I wouldn't need more than a dessertspoon - and there's far less sugar in that too!  I'd have to drink 'quite a lot'.
> 
> I haven't found anything suitable to change over to yet.


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## Lanny (Mar 9, 2019)

I had to change from fruit juice to coke as the sugar tax on taking hold meant that supermarket stocks were changed at short notice from me checking the info online before ordering & me getting the order delivered! A lot of fruit juices have less sugar now with added sweetners.

Coke at the moment is still the same but, Fanta & Sprite, not the diet ones, have less sugar now & have what they call natural sweetners so, they not labelled as diet with artificial sweetners.

Sainsbury’s now label Coke & other full sugar drinks, not many left now, as having a sugar levy added & are more expensive! I don’t know if Coke will change later like Fanta & Sprite already have. Incidentally, 7up & shloer have gone the same way using natural sweetners & not labelled as diet either.

A few times when I ran out of Coke when hypo I used 2 tsp of sugar in a cup of tea. I always keep sugar for visitors’ cups of tea anyway! I found that just 1 tsp of sugar wasn’t enough & too slow for hypo treatments.

Now I’ve made the switch to jelly babies as the fizz in Coke bloats me up & isn’t particularly nice to drink when hypo. My brain tends to change the taste of things during low hypos & is sickeningly sweeter than usual! Jelly babies can taste disgustingly sweet too, during a bad hypo, but, at least it doesn’t bloat me up!


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## Pumper_Sue (Mar 9, 2019)

Lanny said:


> I found that just 1 tsp of sugar wasn’t enough & too slow for hypo treatments


Hardly surprising as 1 tsp is about 4 carbs


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## Madeline (Mar 9, 2019)

I did wonder if that poor woman who recently died had used lucozade not realising the sugar tax had affected the amount of sugar in it. She was the one found in her flat with her baby (who fortunately survived), with a bottle of lucozade next to her. Family raised the alarm after not seeing her post on Facebook.


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## Lanny (Mar 9, 2019)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Hardly surprising as 1 tsp is about 4 carbs



Gosh! As low as that? And here I was always berating my dad for taking 3 tsp in his tea & 5 tsp in his coffee. He’s in his 90’s now & has developed T2 as well in recent years!


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## daducky88 (Mar 10, 2019)

Spot on about none Coca cola drinks reducing their carb count.
I quite like the taste of coke.  I,ve found a few advantages over other forms of carbs:

1. Its (still) available at full.sugar
2. A bottle beside the bed means i dont have to throw myself down the stairs for sugar and tea from the kitchen.
    - i had to do this when living abroad b4 my addisons was diagnosed as i couldnt stand up with my hypo.  It was frightening.
3. Preservatives mean unlike home made syrup, it wont go mouldy b4 i finish it.
4.  It takes very little to fix my hypos (generally) and has a consistent concentration.
5. When low i tend drink a fingers width from a 1.75l bottle. ;-)
6. I tend open it and reclose it when i replace a bottle so that when low i wont have to struggle with breaking a seal.


But jelly babies are good too. Although i prefer fruit pastilles, especially the orange ones mmmm.  But knowing me the whole lot would be sent all over the bedroom.




Lanny said:


> I had to change from fruit juice to coke as the sugar tax on taking hold meant that supermarket stocks were changed at short notice from me checking the info online before ordering & me getting the order delivered! A lot of fruit juices have less sugar now with added sweetners.
> 
> Coke at the moment is still the same but, Fanta & Sprite, not the diet ones, have less sugar now & have what they call natural sweetners so, they not labelled as diet with artificial sweetners.
> 
> ...


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## daducky88 (Mar 10, 2019)

Poor lady.
I had a feeling that would happen.   Its regretable that drinks manufacturers havent sufficiently rebranded reduced sugar drinks as they believe public will avoid them.  Hence some maybe unaware.



Madeline said:


> I did wonder if that poor woman who recently died had used lucozade not realising the sugar tax had affected the amount of sugar in it. She was the one found in her flat with her baby (who fortunately survived), with a bottle of lucozade next to her. Family raised the alarm after not seeing her post on Facebook.


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## daducky88 (Mar 10, 2019)

Lanny said:


> Gosh! As low as that? And here I was always berating my dad for taking 3 tsp in his tea & 5 tsp in his coffee. He’s in his 90’s now & has developed T2 as well in recent years!



I had job interview recently, which they'd delayed for me by some weeks, and was having a hypo on the way to it.  When i arrived at the place i had sit a competency test which i duly filled incompetently.  Then the interview began with a cup coffee.  I asked for 3 sugars which.caused some mirth.  I felt better afterwards.  I didnt mention anything as they already delayed the interview for me.


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## daducky88 (Mar 10, 2019)

When say fruit juice, do you mean "pop" ie tge stuff one dilutes?
As real fruit juice pressed from fruit would not* be different ie still had 10g/100ml sugar (~same as Coke) and apple juice 14g/100ml.

* Unless they,ve been genetically engineering less sweet fruit ;-)



Lanny said:


> I had to change from fruit juice to coke as the sugar tax on taking hold meant that supermarket stocks were changed at short notice from me checking the info online before ordering & me getting the order delivered! A lot of fruit juices have less sugar now with added sweetners.
> 
> Coke at the moment is still the same but, Fanta & Sprite, not the diet ones, have less sugar now & have what they call natural sweetners so, they not labelled as diet with artificial sweetners.
> 
> ...


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## Lanny (Mar 10, 2019)

daducky88 said:


> When say fruit juice, do you mean "pop" ie tge stuff one dilutes?
> As real fruit juice pressed from fruit would not* be different ie still had 10g/100ml sugar (~same as Coke) and apple juice 14g/100ml.
> 
> * Unless they,ve been genetically engineering less sweet fruit ;-)



I’ve never really liked drinking pressed juices as I don’t like bits in my juice. I’m aware that drinking pressed is the most natural, as you say. But, most other juices are concentrated & now, because of the sugar tax, they dilute them more & add sweetners.


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## trophywench (Mar 10, 2019)

I thought 'I know! I'll buy some Ribena cos you'd most likely only need a teaspoon of that, neat, to instantly cure a hypo!'  Yes, it would get stuck round your teeth a bit but then it would have longer contact with your gums plus your tongue when trying to clear it out again and swallow it - so worth a try as I like it and easy to decant into a small bottle to cart about.  Great!

Fail.

They've reduced the sugar content and so had every other cordial brand and variety on Tesco's shelves.


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## daducky88 (Mar 11, 2019)

Lanny said:


> I’ve never really liked drinking pressed juices as I don’t like bits in my juice. I’m aware that drinking pressed is the most natural, as you say. But, most other juices are concentrated & now, because of the sugar tax, they dilute them more & add sweetners.



Oh i see.
I spose if you squeeze an orange and pour it thru a sieve you could make it bits free .

Yes i noticed that del monte had a half sugar orange recon juice?.  It wasnt bad.  Bit too sweet inntaste for my taste.  Dorrisons have a non homogenised real oj , (smooth or bits), which has the ting of fresh oranges about it like one used to get in those glass bottled libby's oj of old. I dont like the homogenised ones that most cos sell these days.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Mar 11, 2019)

I buy fresh red grape juice (eg Tropicana) - no bits, plenty of sugar!


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## daducky88 (Mar 16, 2019)

TheClockworkDodo said:


> I buy fresh red grape juice (eg Tropicana) - no bits, plenty of sugar!



Ooh at the Tropicana all the drinks are freeeee.
There's no wory, there's enough for everyoon.
Wwooooo all..

Oops old memories flying around.


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## Pigeon (Mar 17, 2019)

trophywench said:


> I thought 'I know! I'll buy some Ribena cos you'd most likely only need a teaspoon of that, neat, to instantly cure a hypo!'  Yes, it would get stuck round your teeth a bit but then it would have longer contact with your gums plus your tongue when trying to clear it out again and swallow it - so worth a try as I like it and easy to decant into a small bottle to cart about.  Great!
> 
> Fail.
> 
> They've reduced the sugar content and so had every other cordial brand and variety on Tesco's shelves.


Don't know if you have Sainsbury's nearby? Their summer fruits high juice is still sugary, 19g per glass if you dilute correctly. This is now my go to hypo treatment since the Ribena change


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## Sally71 (Mar 17, 2019)

We've got some blackcurrant cordial called "Rocks" which I think is still available in most supermarkets, which is 44% sugar undiluted!  Also available in orange flavour.  So you don't need much of that, especially if you drink it neat or don't dilute it fully.  The only problem is, once it's opened you need to keep it in the fridge or it will go mouldy within a few days!


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