The Diabetes Sugar Low: Symptoms to Know and Tips to Consider
If you’re living with diabetes, you know that managing your diabetes requires more than just preventing high blood sugar levels. Even if you eat healthy, exercise regularly and follow a treatment plan, it’s important to watch out for other diabetes-related challenges that can impact your health. One of the most dangerous complications associated with diabetes treatment is low blood sugar known as hypoglycemia, which can cause unpleasant symptoms and disrupt your daily routine. Here’s what you need to know about hypoglycemia and what to do if you are experiencing low blood sugar. Images throughout do not represent actual patients. Signs of Low Blood Sugar Can Be Easy to Miss Symptoms of hypoglycemia can come on quickly and vary from person to person. At times, it can be easy to miss the warning signs or dismiss them. Symptoms may include feeling1: Weak or tired Hungry Dizzy or shaky Nervous or upset Sweaty Confused Some people also experience: Blurry eyesight Fast or irregular heartbeat Change in mood or behavior Tip: Immediately check your blood sugar and alert your doctor if you experience any Gestational diabetes symptoms warning signs. Regularly record your symptoms and blood sugar numbers in a journal to keep track of how often you have hypoglycemic events. Low Blood Sugar Can Cause Complications Hypoglycemia is one of the most feared complications of diabetes treatment for many people with diabetes.2 Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures andor unconsciousness.3 Tip: Keep snacks handy in multiple locations e.g., in your car, purse, desk drawer at work that can help quickly raise your blood sugar, if needed. Discuss other strategies to treat and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia with your doctor, including whether your current diabetes treatment plan is right for you. Your Diabetes Medication Can Cause Low Blood Sugar Hypoglycemia occurs when your blood sugar levels drop below normal levels, which can be frightening and uncomfortable. If your levels become so low that help from another person is needed, this is known as severe hypoglycemia. Common causes of hypoglycemia include1,4: Taking certain diabetes medicines and then eating too few carbohydrates or skippingdelaying a meal Taking too much of certain diabetes medicines or taking certain concomitant medications Taking certain diabetes medicines and then doing too much physical activity Other existing health conditions Old age Tip: During your next visit, talk to your doctor about your concerns and risk for hypoglycemia and how your existing medications may play a role. Being Vocal Can Make a Difference People who experience hypoglycemic episodes may be reluctant to mention it to their doctor or even their loved ones. But the sooner these episodes are reported, the quicker your doctor can work towards a solution, including strategies to reduce your risk of events. Tip: Report hypoglycemic episodes to your doctor as soon as they occur. Jot down what you experienced and your blood sugar level and review the details with your doctor, so they can assess whether changes to your diabetes management plan may be needed. Long-acting Insulins Are Not “One Size Fits All”. Know Your Options If you are not currently taking a long-acting insulin, consider whether this may be an appropriate option for you. Long-acting insulins help to control blood sugar between meals and when asleep.5 For those taking a long-acting insulin, make sure to discuss your options with your doctor as there are differences between long-acting insulins. For example, Tresiba® insulin degludec injection 100 unitsmL, 200 unitsmL has a unique molecular design, which allows the insulin to release slow and steady throughout the day. This helps people achieve blood sugar control for more than 24 hours, with powerful A1C reduction. While it is encouraged that you take your long-acting insulin at the same time each day, with Tresiba®, adults can change the time of their once-daily dose if they need to. If adults taking Tresiba® miss a dose, they should take Tresiba® as soon as they remember, then continue with their regular dosing schedule, making sure that there are at least 8 hours between doses.6 In a large safety study vs. Lantus® another long-acting insulin in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Tresiba® did not increase their risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. In the same study, Tresiba® also had a lower rate of severe low blood sugar, a possible serious side effect of insulin.6 For more information and financial support and assistance on Tresiba®, visit .tresibam. Learning more about your treatment options can help you and your healthcare provider select a treatment plan that is right for you. Please see full Prescribing Information for Tresiba®. Tip: Make a list of factors that are important to you when selecting a diabetes medicine e.g., controlling your blood sugar, having the option to change day-to-day dose timing, etc. and discuss them with your doctor. Tresiba® Indication and Important Safety Information What is Tresiba®? Prescription Tresiba® is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children who are 1 year of age and older with diabetes Tresiba® is not for people with diabetic ketoacidosis It is not known if Tresiba® is safe and effective in children under 1 year of age Tresiba® is available in 2 concentrations: 200 unitsmL and 100 unitsmL Do not share your Tresiba®FlexTouch® with other people, even if the needle has been changed. Do not share needles or syringes with another person. You may give other people a serious infection, or get a serious infection from them. Who should not take Tresiba®? Do not take Tresiba® if you: are having an episode of low blood sugar are allergic to Tresiba® or any of the ingredients in Tresiba® Before taking Tresiba®, tell your health care provider about all your medical conditions, including if you are: pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding taking new prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements Talk to your health care provider about low blood sugar and how to manage it. How should I take Tresiba®? Read the Instructions for Use and take Tresiba® exactly as your health care provider tells you to Do not do any conversion of your dose. The dose counter always shows the selected dose in units Know the type and strength of insulin you take. Do not change the type of insulin you take unless your health care provider tells you to Adults - If you miss or are delayed in taking your dose of Tresiba®: Take your dose as soon as you remember, then continue with your regular dosing schedule Make sure there are at least 8 hours between doses If children miss a dose of Tresiba®: Call the healthcare provider for information and instructions about checking blood sugar levels more often until the next scheduled dose of Tresiba® For children who need less than 5 units of Tresiba® each day, use a Tresiba® U-100 vial Check your blood sugar levels. Ask your health care provider what your blood sugar levels should be and when you should check them Do not reuse or share your needles with other people. You may give them a serious infection, or get a serious infection from them Never inject Tresiba® into a vein or muscle Never use a syringe to remove Tresiba® from the FlexTouch® pen What should I avoid while taking Tresiba®? Do not drive or operate heavy machinery, until you know how Tresiba® affects you Do not drink alcohol or use prescription or over-the-counter medicines that contain alcohol What are the possible side effects of Tresiba®? Tresiba® may cause serious side effects that can be life-threatening, including: Low blood sugar hypoglycemia. Signs and symptoms that may indicate low blood sugar include anxiety, irritability, mood changes, dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headache Low potassium in your blood hypokalemia Heart failure in some people if taken with thiazolidinediones TZDs. This can happen even if you have never had heart failure or heart problems. If you already have heart failure, it may get worse while you take TZDs with Tresiba®. Tell your health care provider if you have any new or worse symptoms of heart failure including shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of your ankles or feet, and sudden weight gain Your insulin dose may need to change because of change in level of physical activity or exercise, increased stress, change in diet, weight gain or loss, or illness. Common side effects may include reactions at the injection site, itching, rash, serious allergic reactions whole body reactions, skin thickening or pits at the injection site lipodystrophy, weight gain, and swelling of your hands and feet. Get emergency medical help if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, sweating, extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion. Please see full Prescribing Information for Tresiba®.
