How Fast does your blood sugar rise?

[kerry]

I have a roommate that has diabetes and last night she supposedly had an attack.   Now, I am not being mean when I say SUPPOSEDLY but I have never been around someone with it so I don't know.  This is my question.......last night I found her on the floor crying and shaking and my other room mate helped me with her because she knows about it....we gave her some sweet tea and within 2 minutes her sugar was at 135......my roommate is very upset thinking she was faking for attention and said that your sugar cant be that high in 2 minutes.  Am I being used and dont know it ??????  Help me so this doesnt happen again and I don't feel this way.

[Forum-vol-wak]

I am not a doctor, but the mom of a type one diabetic.  Each person is different on how quickly they come up from a low and it depends on how low you go.  My daughter usually comes up quickly form a low with in 5-10minutes.  She can also take up to an hour depending on how much insulin is still active in her system.   Also everyone has different symptoms at different lows.   Sometimes my daughter is having a bad low at 70 other times she could be having bad low at 50.    It is very possible that your roommate was low and came up quickly.  Most diabetics do not fake highs or lows are not a fun thing.

I would suggest your talk to your roommate and ask her what her usual symptoms are when she is high or low so that you might be able to help her before she gets into a crisis situation. If a person goes to low they can have a seizure of pass out the same can happen then they go to high.  I do this with my daughter’s friends and class mates this way they can help her.  Sometimes a diabetic cannot tell when they are going high or low, you being aware will help in the long run for everyone.

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

I agree with the answer above... yes, a person could be so low that they couldn't help themselves, and then after being given some sweet juice or tea, could have glucose levels at 135 within a very short time. What you and your other non-diabetic roommate don't know is whether her own body was already trying to help by releasing liver sugars stored for emergencies like this. I also agree that I have never heard of a diabetic doing this for attention. We get very embarrassed after an episode like this whereby we cannot help ourselves, and frightened, too, and would never do this deliberately. Or fake something that puts us at the mercy of other people and makes us feel so bad.

Don't feel used. What you did may have saved her life. While a severe hypoglycemic episode is normally no big deal if the person is found and given some quick sugar, it can be life-threatening if the person is not helped. Even if you have doubts about the honesty of the person's reaction, you cannot afford to not come to the rescue.

I personally am shocked at how cynical your other roommate's reaction is. If the diabetic roommate had NOT been hypoglycemic and had been faking, and you gave her sweet tea, her glucose levels would have spiked up way over the very normal 135 when you tested her, believe me.

[t1dbb]

She may really be faking it.... College girls can do some messed up things for attention (I knew a girl who lied about being raped) Either way you should still respond as if it were real.

[smip]

Just test her before you give her anything to eat or drink to be sure. This way you know to call an ambulance or not.

Yes. Blood sugars CAN rise that fast. Just give me a few sips of soda and my bg's (blood glucose) will skyrocket within 3 to 5 minutes.

I'm sorry that you distrust your roomate. This disease is bad enough.. but to have folks start doubting makes it even worse.

[kraysmom]

Always expect the worse!  My daughter can feel low at 191 and I have even questioned it before only to find out minutes later that she is 50.  Every diabetic is different.  My daughter can have a blood sugar of 35 one time and be fine but other times it is awful.  Diabetes is a cruel disease and it helps when the person has someone who understands them.  As bad as having a low blood sugar makes you feel, you wouldn't fake this.  This is coming from a mother that has seen it all and what it can do to your child.