March 14, 2004
Daily Care, Hypoglycemia
Question from Dalhart, Texas, USA:
My husband is 31 and has type 1 diabetes. I woke up to him in a seizure, blood running out of his mouth from him biting down on his tongue. I checked his blood sugar and it was 66 mg/dl [3.7 mmol/L]. The EMT did not think that was low enough for him to be as out of it as he was. Is 66 mg/dl [3.7 mmol/L] low enough for this kind of effect or is there something else we need to look into? He has never has this type of reaction with his blood sugar count that high. Any information will be helpful.
Answer:
Although it is possible that there may be another cause for your husband’s seizure, it is also possible that the sugar was much lower at the beginning of the seizure. By the time it was measured, it may have increased. When serious hypoglycemia like this occurs, it is mandatory to work closely with your physician to monitor sugars regularly, including in the middle of the night, and work toward vigorous avoidance of hypoglycemia.
JTL
