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Sudden Agitation, Restlessness, Twisting And Unconsciousness. Have Diabetes. Cause?
Question: I was on the bed trying to get sleep. I was told I suddenly became agitated, restless and twisting and fell unconscious for four hours. What could be the cause? I have been diabetic for 27 years.
Hi there.
This kind of unconsciousness can be mainly due to hypoglycaemia which went without your notice due to long standing diabetes. The other symptoms are that of seizures induced due to hypoglycaemia.
Plain Seizures is another reason for such presentation.
In short yours is a neurological problem irrespective of the baseline cause and hence please see a Neurologist at the earliest for this. He/she will order a few investigations including MRI brain, some blood tests and EEG.
Get back for related query. Take care.
This kind of unconsciousness can be mainly due to hypoglycaemia which went without your notice due to long standing diabetes. The other symptoms are that of seizures induced due to hypoglycaemia.
Plain Seizures is another reason for such presentation.
In short yours is a neurological problem irrespective of the baseline cause and hence please see a Neurologist at the earliest for this. He/she will order a few investigations including MRI brain, some blood tests and EEG.
Get back for related query. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank u. I remember I had my insulin before dinner. My dinner was delayed and already had the feeling of hypo. After dinner I went to bed. Few hours later I had the episode. When i regained consciousness my sugar level was high at 12.00. Is It that I went into hypo before the meal I had raised my blood sugar? What can I do to prevent a repeat as this is my first experience.
For your age you can keep your sugars at an average of 8 to 9. So please make sure you eat every 3 hourly and have proper carbohydrates in your meals. Do not delay your meals after following the optimum gap between insulin prick and food intake.
Your symptoms are most likely due to hypoglycaemia but they can come due to dehydration or as I said as plain seizures.
If you happen to exercise or exert extra on some day, please monitor sugars little more frequently to avoid unawareness of hypoglycaemia.
Make sure to consume 'fast acting' sugars when you feel hypo. This means fruit juice, fruit drinks, any other sugary drink or glucose tablets. If you eat slowly and if you eat solid food (rich in fats and proteins) ignoring your hypo symptoms then the recovery will be slow and this kind of episode can happen. Hence treat the hypo with high glycaemic index food.
Keep a diary, if possible, to note down your doses and food intake to study your hypoglycaemia episodes.
Keep a card in your pocket mentioning you are on insulin and anybody who finds you in such condition should take care of your hypoglycaemia and alert the medical team.
Please let me know what the Neurologist says. It is better to see one and get investigated even though this looks like an episode of severe hypoglycaemia.
Take care.
Your symptoms are most likely due to hypoglycaemia but they can come due to dehydration or as I said as plain seizures.
If you happen to exercise or exert extra on some day, please monitor sugars little more frequently to avoid unawareness of hypoglycaemia.
Make sure to consume 'fast acting' sugars when you feel hypo. This means fruit juice, fruit drinks, any other sugary drink or glucose tablets. If you eat slowly and if you eat solid food (rich in fats and proteins) ignoring your hypo symptoms then the recovery will be slow and this kind of episode can happen. Hence treat the hypo with high glycaemic index food.
Keep a diary, if possible, to note down your doses and food intake to study your hypoglycaemia episodes.
Keep a card in your pocket mentioning you are on insulin and anybody who finds you in such condition should take care of your hypoglycaemia and alert the medical team.
Please let me know what the Neurologist says. It is better to see one and get investigated even though this looks like an episode of severe hypoglycaemia.
Take care.
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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