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mamakin mamakin
 
M$1 July 04, 2009 09:34 PM

what uncommon symptoms can be attributed to hypoglycemia?

can hypoglycemia cause paranoia, delusions, dilated pupils, erratic behavior, and other symptoms associated with drug or alcohol use?
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pawsalmigh... pawsalmigh...
 
 July 05, 2009 07:57 PM
Not sure about uncommon, but typically not everyone has the same symptoms of hypoglycemia, the way to think of it is almost like drowning. Your brain needs two things to function, oxygen and glucose.
some symptoms are as follows:
confusion, vision/sound disturbances, erratic/odd behavior, passing out, coma, shaking, breathing problems, unresponsiveness.
sometimes a person with very low sugar, or sometimes with very high sugar (but usually low) can be mistaken for someone that is intoxicated. During my EMT training they made it very clear that even if it looks like alcohol/drugs it may not be (like if you get a call because someone in a bar passes out) don't just assume they are under the influence, also suspect blood sugar, and other causes as well.
Asker's Rating:
• i'm very appreciative of the detailed and sympathetic response. more appreciated is the sincere, not cut and paste, answer. thank you.


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mamakin mamakin
 
July 06, 2009 01:57 PM
in your experience, have you ever seen where a severe episode would make the person's pupils very dilated? ... and do you know if after an episode, the person might not remember all of what they said or did?

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pawsalmigh... pawsalmigh...
 
July 06, 2009 02:13 PM
Yes, it can cause pupil dilation, and sometims, uneven pupil sizes. As far as not remembering the event, I haven't personally encountered that, however because of what is actually going on (the brain is being starved and is shutting down) it's very possible that the brain would shut down short term memory.
The brain shuts down non-vital functions in an effort to perserve life. therefore, memory could be seen as non-vital when compared to breathing, etc. An easy test of all of this, would to be able to be near the person when they are acting this way and administering glucose (the quickest acting would be juice, or even better a glucose tablet or gel from the pharmacy). Glucose levels rise quickly and you would see a huge difference in behaviour within minutes, whereas if it was from alcohol or drugs, the adminstration of glucose wouldn't affect the neurological symptoms.

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mamakin mamakin
 
July 07, 2009 12:22 AM
with my latest experience with this person, (just a few nights ago), i gave him cherries....at first he seemed concerned they were poisoned....but with me eating them too, he ate. shortly....maybe 15 minutes, he started to become more of himself. after that, his behavior stopped being erratic and i got him to eat a small meal which settled him well and then he slept. he awoke remembering only some of the night's events.
i consider drugs, but he insists that he hasn't done any chemical drugs, but had smoked some marijuana. i've never seen weed make anybody act in such ways....
i know that the above was a statement, but could you give me your impressions about it all? i really need help understanding what to do to help if this happens again.

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pawsalmigh... pawsalmigh...
 
July 07, 2009 10:57 AM
It sounds like you are going through a really hard time with this. I have to say that thinking that the cherries were poision would not really be a symptom of hypoglycemia. Pot can, only if smoked in insane amounts cause some "tripping" but it really has to be an extreme amount. You may want to consider, however the source of the weed, as it's possible that it's been laced with something. I think, honestly that you need to consider a mental illness. I'm including a link to different quizzes for different disorders, you may want to consider Schizophrenia. The fact that he got better after eating, appears to make it look like hypoglycemia, however certain mental health conditions cause the person to calm down when they recieve special attention. It's really hard to call, as it could be a combo of things drugs, mental health conditions, hypoglycemia. If you could borrow or buy (Walmart has them for like 25 dollars) a glucose monitor, and he would let you, you could check his sugar when the behaviour gets odd. You can also buy at a pharmacy a home drug screening test that just uses urine, again you would have to have some sort of cooperation to obtain the urine. It seems complex, and I'm sure you are going through a rough time with it as well, I hope you are able to get it figured out for your own wellbeing! Sorry this is so scattered, my thoughts were jumping all over the place!
http://www.healthyplace.com/psychological-tests/

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mamakin mamakin
 
July 07, 2009 10:40 PM
no...you've reinforced what i've been considering. mainly that whatever pot is being smoked in this area (small town big supply) may be laced with something. by his behavior i'd think he was coming down from some form of ecstasy or ketamine during these episodes, but would prefer to think it something organic that can be dealt with by diet and behavior. i also thought about mental illness, but would be more comforted to find it to be merely linked to unknowing drug exposure or something physical.
it is, indeed, very distressing. i really appreciate your feedback. what you've said here is very similar to advice i've sought elsewhere, as well as my instincts, so i believe i know where to start.
thank you!!

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krysstel krysstel
 
July 04, 2009 09:41 PM
If you or anyone have any unusual symptoms, see a medical professional immediately!

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia

nervousness

weakness

hunger

lightheadedness or dizziness

trembling

sweating

rapid heartbeat

feeling cold and clammy

irritability

confusion

drowsiness

slurred speech

double vision

in severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and even coma

http://www.aolhealth.com/diabetes/learn-about-it/understanding-hypoglycemia
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Source(s):
http://www.aolhealth.com/diabetes/learn-about-it/understanding-hypoglycemia


Tags: medical, illness, health, sick

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pellrider pellrider
 
July 04, 2009 10:15 PM
Uncommon symptoms of Hypoglycemia include seizers and loss of conscioousness. "Hypoglycemia is one of the principal conditions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. As a secondary condition, candida overgrowth is usually an issue with blood sugar problems."
http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/dealing_with_low_blood_sugar
People with bipolar disorder can have hypoglycemia.
I haven't seen anything like delusion associated with hypoglycemia.
Source(s):
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoglycemia/DS00198/DSECTION=symptoms


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mamakin mamakin
 
July 05, 2009 03:24 PM
i appreciate your including info about bipolar disorder and hypoglycemia.
do you know if one can trigger the other in conjunction? i'm trying to get a handle on something that is occurring on occasion with someone who i care about. delusion and paranoia not associated with hypoglycemia, but if it is with bipolar and one can aggravate the other, perhaps that's what is going on?

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changes changes
 
July 04, 2009 11:44 PM
Hypoglycemia or low blood glucose can have many symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic for Medical Education and Research, hypoglycemia is usually linked to diabetes. Some symptoms that are unique can cause low blood sugar in people without diabetes. For example a fever, which doesn’t indicate hypoglycemia and is therefore a red flag for possible health problems.

Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. If the blood sugar drops to low, as with hypoglycemia one can experience the following symptoms:

Confusion, or difficulty in completing routine tasks
Blurred and double vision
Heart palpitations
Tremors
Anxiety
Sweating
Immediate hunger

Uncommon Symptoms include:

Seizures,
Loss of consciousness

The Mayo Clinic states that in order to get the level of blood sugar up you should take in sugar or sugary foods such as fruit juice, that raise the blood sugar levels quickly.

There may be other causes for low blood sugar or the above symptoms. The only way to know for sure that you have hypoglycemia is to have your blood sugar level checked at the time of these symptoms.
Source(s):
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://organizedwisdom.com/Hypoglycemia_Symptoms
http://www.webmd.com/


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eiter014 eiter014
 
July 05, 2009 03:34 AM
The symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

* Shakiness
* Dizziness
* Sweating
* Hunger
* Headache
* Pale skin color
* Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason
* Clumsy or jerky movements
* Seizure
* Difficulty paying attention, or confusion
* Tingling sensations around the mouth
Source(s):
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/hypoglycemia.jsp


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daisyjre daisyjre
 
July 06, 2009 02:26 PM
Not unless you talk other medications while your blood sugar is low. The most uncommon symptoms are seizures and loss of consciousness.

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changes changes
 
July 06, 2009 03:31 PM
Yes, That is what I said. And, yes it can be very dangerous if it drops to low.

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daisyjre daisyjre
 
July 06, 2009 04:46 PM
Didn't see your answer, it didn't show up when I went to reply, sorry about tha. I have insulin restistance along with hypoglycemia and have been taken to the ER for low blood sugar and loss of conciousness. It sucks.

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sweettha sweettha
 
July 07, 2009 06:49 AM
Symptoms can include:

* nervousness,
* sweating,
* intense hunger,
* trembling,
* weakness,
* palpitations, and
* often have trouble speaking.

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