(I adjusted your subject so the Type1's will see it.)
Post Edited By Moderator (Jeannie143) : 7/5/2006 12:12:36 PM (GMT-6)
Hi, my son has had type 1 diabetes ever since he was 3, now he just turned 7 two days ago. He has already gotten 4 seizures and the thing that worries me is that during the day he has gone down to the 30's and we give him of course something right away, but he had never gotten a seizure during the day all the ones he has gotten have been during the middle of the night but we usually give him cake gel in the side of his mouth (I don't want to give him the glucagon) and everytime we have checked him he is already in the 100's so I don't understand why he is getting seizures. The first time he got a seizure it was like 10 min long I'm so scared that the seizures can affect him someway. Does any one know if it does? I've been trying to look for information on it and i'm also scared that the seizures he is getting could be caused by something else. My other guess might be epilepsy.But that would be totally horrible for us it is hard as it is.
(I adjusted your subject so the Type1's will see it.)
(I adjusted your subject so the Type1's will see it.)
Have you taken him back to his doctor? What does he/she say about the seizures?
Also, just curious, why don't you want to use the glucagon? It is perfectly designed for what it does.
~ Jeannie
"People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Also, just curious, why don't you want to use the glucagon? It is perfectly designed for what it does.
~ Jeannie
"People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Hi Lily,
It sounds like your son is definately suffering from diabetic seizures resulting from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Either he's getting too much insulin at night or he's not eating a snack before bed, but somehow you have to adjust his blood sugar to keep him from going so low. Im guessing he needs to readjust his insulin type and or doseage at the very least.
Now as to whats happening. The 30's is a good indicator of whats happening to him and that his seizures are truely diabetic seizures. The fact that you tested him during the other seizures and got a reading of 100 is probably due to the Somogyi Effect.
The Somogi Effect (rebound hyperglycemia) occurs after a rapid drop in blood sugar levels sometime during sleep. Your body responds by releasing stored glucose (released from glycogen stores) from the muscles and liver in an attempt to elevate blood sugar levels. Your body may overcompensate, releasing large amounts of glycogen which results in a "rebound" effect, causing hyperglycemia termed "Somogyi Effect."
This may happen anytime during sleep, but hypoglycemia usually occurs around 3 a.m. The hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode is followed by an elevated blood sugar level towards morning. As I said before, going to bed without a snack or low blood sugar, inadequate food eaten for exercise, and too much insulin contribute to this response.
As to your son's convulsions, I really wouldn't put anything in his mouth as with any muscle spasm, he could choke on whatever you put there and then you have an even more serious problem. You could also suffer serious injury if he suddenly bit your finger. Best to use the glucagon injections as thats what they are for!
Let's take a look at what we can do to help prevent these bouts of hypoglycemia in your son and the subesquent seizures. Check his blood sugar at bedtime before an evening snack. If your reading is less than 120 mg/dL (or whatever pre-betime target your doctor has given him) he may need to eat a larger snack containing carbs and protein. For kids, or those on an insulin pump, pre-bedtime target ranges may be slightly higher. Be sure you understand what your doctor has recommended for him and if it is not working well for him be sure to talk to your doctor.
You should check his blood sugar at least once during each night. If he wakes up in the morning with a headache, or high fasting sugars, it may be a sign that low blood sugar is still occurring during the night. If you suspect low blood sugar during the night check his blood sugar at 3:00am. If his blood sugar is low at that time, he may need a smaller dose of intermediate insulin (NPH) or long-lasting insulin (Lantus or Ultralente) in the evening. DO NOT CHANGE HIS INSULIN DOSES WITHOUT DISCUSSING THEM WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST!!!
I hope this helps shed some light on what's happening to your son. Im reasonably sure from what you've told me that this is a classic case of diabetic seizures and not epilepsy, but in any event, a talk with his pediatric endocrinologist is in order.
Warren
- It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not. - James Gordon, M.D.
I can only please one person per day, today is not your day...tomorrow doesn't look good either.
Post Edited (Warren) : 7/6/2006 7:45:46 AM (GMT-6)
Thanks to all the people who are helping me out and giving me advice it is really nice to know that there are people who care out there and are trying to help. God Bless you all.
And thank for adjusting my subject it was very helpful, I'm new to this and don't know how to do lot's of stuff.
And no the Doctors haven't don't any testing but we are thinking about taking him to have some done but my husband just changed jobs so we are waiting to get insurance again.
Usually the seizures he has gotten have been from 2am-3am that is usually the time I now wake up to check his blood sugar level I didn't do it before the time he got his first seizure. But now I make sure I wake up. The last seizure he actually got it almost at 8am. But except for the first time that he got the seizure, all the other times he had eaten good and eaten a snack, probably he did do too much excersise and that was the reason he probably go the seizures.
When he has gotten the seizures he gets stiff,he shakes and has his hands in his chest in a certain position I can't really describe it, and his eyes are wide he looks like he is scared and to tell you the truth I think he does get scared because this last time I heard him, everytime he would shake he would cover his face with the blanket he looked so afraid and it would hurt me more to see him that way. I'm sure people who have gone through this experience knows what I'm taking about it's so scary and i'm so scared for my son.
The reason we don' give him the glucagon is because the doctor told us that if we do, we would have to still take him to the hospital or call the ambulance and we don't want that. Does anyone know if the glucagon is given if the seizures end faster?
And thank for adjusting my subject it was very helpful, I'm new to this and don't know how to do lot's of stuff.
And no the Doctors haven't don't any testing but we are thinking about taking him to have some done but my husband just changed jobs so we are waiting to get insurance again.
Usually the seizures he has gotten have been from 2am-3am that is usually the time I now wake up to check his blood sugar level I didn't do it before the time he got his first seizure. But now I make sure I wake up. The last seizure he actually got it almost at 8am. But except for the first time that he got the seizure, all the other times he had eaten good and eaten a snack, probably he did do too much excersise and that was the reason he probably go the seizures.
When he has gotten the seizures he gets stiff,he shakes and has his hands in his chest in a certain position I can't really describe it, and his eyes are wide he looks like he is scared and to tell you the truth I think he does get scared because this last time I heard him, everytime he would shake he would cover his face with the blanket he looked so afraid and it would hurt me more to see him that way. I'm sure people who have gone through this experience knows what I'm taking about it's so scary and i'm so scared for my son.
The reason we don' give him the glucagon is because the doctor told us that if we do, we would have to still take him to the hospital or call the ambulance and we don't want that. Does anyone know if the glucagon is given if the seizures end faster?
Post Edited (Lily09) : 7/6/2006 9:15:39 PM (GMT-6)
Hi there,
I quote"Fisher BM, Frier BM.
Diabetic Department, Gartnavel General Hospital and Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
Convulsions may occur as a consequence of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. We report three patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, who presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizures associated with nocturnal hypoglycaemia. None of the patients had experienced hypoglycaemia during waking hours and the convulsions were mistakenly diagnosed as idiopathic epilepsy. Recognition of the possible hypoglycaemia aetiology of these convulsions permitted appropriate alteration of the insulin regimens with no recurrence of convulsions"
I would certainly agree that your son receive a larger snack at bed-time and the 3 A.M GLUCOSE TEST WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA(DEFINED AS GLUCOSE VALUE BELOW 50 MGS%) OR NOT TILL YOU MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DOCTOR.On the face of it, it appears like hypo induced seizures,so not to worry! 
Hi ,
Seizures come under the category of severe hypoglycemia.Iam posting an intersting side-line called the "Rule of fifteen": The "Rule of Fifteen" is a reliable guide for mild or moderate hypoglycemia: take 15 grams of carbohydrate, wait 15 minutes, test blood glucose level, and, if it is not over 80 mg/dL, take another 15 grams of carbohydrate and retest in another 15 minutes
Hi there,
as far as your last question whether glucagon will shorten the seizure, the answer should be yes!BUT,as glucagon has to be given intra-muscularly and in a lower dose in your son who is only seven old;1 mg glucagon in children will cause vomiting and that is the last thing we want in seizures,in actuality it may take 10 minutes for recovery from the seizureand if after ten minutes there is no effect,intra-venous glucose is given,which is a tricky thing to do in someone who is convulsing!SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS PREVENT SEIZURES BY PREVENTING NIGHT-TIME HYPO'S
as far as your last question whether glucagon will shorten the seizure, the answer should be yes!BUT,as glucagon has to be given intra-muscularly and in a lower dose in your son who is only seven old;1 mg glucagon in children will cause vomiting and that is the last thing we want in seizures,in actuality it may take 10 minutes for recovery from the seizureand if after ten minutes there is no effect,intra-venous glucose is given,which is a tricky thing to do in someone who is convulsing!SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS PREVENT SEIZURES BY PREVENTING NIGHT-TIME HYPO'S
My son's pediatric endocrinologist told us that even if we don't hear our son going in the seizure, he would get out of it himself. Does any one know if that is true? It kind of just sound untrue and anyway I wouldn't want my son going through it alone or have them at all ofcourse.
Does any one know also if the seizures hurt? Maybe someone can answer that if they have type 1 diabetes, and has felt them themselves and are older to tell us how it feels, or they don't even realized what has happened. Because my son says that he only remembers what we were saying or when I was crying, hearing me cry and talking to him. But other than that he doens't really remember.
Does any one know also if the seizures hurt? Maybe someone can answer that if they have type 1 diabetes, and has felt them themselves and are older to tell us how it feels, or they don't even realized what has happened. Because my son says that he only remembers what we were saying or when I was crying, hearing me cry and talking to him. But other than that he doens't really remember.
Lily,
I'm going to direct you to an online forum for parents of children with diabetes. If you click on the words below it will take you there. I believe they will have much better answers for you than we can provide.
Children With Diabetes Online Community
They have lots of parents with similar circumstances and they have information for you.
~ Jeannie
"People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
I'm going to direct you to an online forum for parents of children with diabetes. If you click on the words below it will take you there. I believe they will have much better answers for you than we can provide.
Children With Diabetes Online Community
They have lots of parents with similar circumstances and they have information for you.
~ Jeannie
"People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Lily,
I have had type 1 diabetes since I was 14 yr old and I am 48 now.
Your son IS having LOW blood sugar. If he is taking a night time shot it will need to be reduced or he needs to eat a larger snack at night (Peanut butter sandwiches work for me). His exercise really effects the way blood sugars run. I am currently working on reducing my night time shot by exercising in the evenings. Do not change your sons insulin without consulting your DR. (DRs love to give too much insulin to their patients, remember their goal is to keep as normal a blood sugar as possible in their patient (Good), but sometimes we have to adjust many parts of our lives to maintain that thin line of a blood sugar leval between 80 - 120).
I use candy with DEXTROSE (dextrose = Glucose) in it to treat my LOWS. Sweet Tarts, Smartys, etc..... Dextrose is not digested by the body, it goes directly into the blood stream. That is why all of the Diabetic reaction stuff is made with glucose which is dextrose because it works faster than sugar.
Lows at night are very dangerous. I no longer feel Lows and it is very dangerous for me. I do not want to scare you, but do a web search of "Dead in Bed" for diabetics and you will realize how serious this is. You DR. is Deathly wrong about getting out of a LOW by yourself. It is not a gamble any diabetic should take, as many diabetics have NOT waken up in the morning after a serious LOW.
Bob