I was settled contentedly on the carpet of my 12-year-old daughter’s room the other night in my fuzzy pink bathrobe, quizzing her for a big upcoming social studies exam, when it hit: that feeling.
“I feel weird. I need to go… check… now!” I heard myself saying, scrambling to my feet.
“What’s wrong?” Her eyebrows knitted.
“I think… I’m low. I need to check.”
“You can feel it?” she asked, for the umpteenth time (they always ask me that).
“Yes!”
“What does it feel like?” She really wants to know.
“I’ll tell you later,” I mumbled, “I need to check now.”
“Do you have a headache? A stomach ache? Do you feel nauseous?” she asks, with genuine, heartfelt curiosity, as I stumble out the door.
“No, no, no…” And it hits me that none of those ‘ordinary’ sick symptoms apply. How difficult it is for others to understand this sensation, that I can barely describe myself!
“I feel weird,” I repeat, for lack of a better explanation. But of course, it’s a very familiar “weird,” so I add:
“It’s this feeling I like to call scratchy...”
“So you feel itchy?” she asks.
“No, no… the opposite of itchy!” I sort of shout, as I make my way down the hall to my bathroom, where the glucose tabs await. My hands are fumbling for the light switch, which for the life of me doesn’t seem to be where it belongs.
As those last words escape my mouth I think, ‘How bizarre! The ‘opposite of itchy’? What the -#@$- am I saying? But that IS how my brain feels, on not enough sugar… kind of like someone’s taken a spoon to where the ‘reason’ ought to be…
Later, when my reason was restored, of course I looked it up on the web and found that some have tried to describe the feeling — notably, Bill Woods of 1HappyDiabetic in this video (hunger + fear+ head rush).
How would YOU describe the sensation?
Like panic, exhaustion, and a the wooziness of a middle-ear infection or fever, all bundled up in an extended moment of “where did I leave the keys?” or “now… what did I come in here for?” brain-fart. And, if it’s dropping fast enough, add the feeling of something crawling not ON my skin, but inside my skin.
It’s like waking up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. You have that panicked feeling and confusion. And add “out of body” experience to that. Like you’re moving through an alternate reality where the rules are slightly different, and you’re not sure exactly how to navigate them.
Q describes it in two ways: she was she feels like she’s going to “flop over” or that her legs are “wobbly” and won’t work right.
One time she said she felt like her chest was vibrating from the inside. I checked her and she was in fact low.
School staff tell me over and over that Q is so good about knowing when she’s low and needs treated. I remind them every time I hear this that when she’s low she might not be able to think and may need help. I think it creates a fall sense of security in them.
It wouldn’t be the appropriate explanation for your daughter, but I often feel like I have a good buzz on. My girlfriend says I’m funnier when I’m low. My best guess is that some parts of our brain shut down a little without enough sugar and for me one of them seems to be the ‘serious’ part.
I’ve also had insanely wobbly legs as a symptom while playing hockey. Or the well-described dream-like state where all of a sudden I realize that I don’t seem to be ‘at the wheel’ anymore. Naturally, rather than going for the juice (which I would do if I were at the wheel), I start musing about who might then be driving, and write a poem about it in my head.
I would say I’m I feel tired mostly, it’s its really low, I get numbness in my tongue and throat. Also, confusion. I can’t seem to grasp what I’m saying. But my husband always knows. LOL
Like death.
I’ve always described it like “fading away” or “shaky”. Sometimes (usually after exercise) I don’t always notice it in my gut, so can be complicated feeling to describe to others.
Weird sums it up.I went low (59) before lunch. It is hard to describe. An emptiness in my head, as if there are spaces between synapses, between thoughts. And sometimes, when I’m back above 70, the pieces seem to snap back into place. Sometimes it feels as though I had slipped into a parallel dimension, like Alice’s Wonderland, or a time inside of time. And then when things are good again, it’s like I’m back home on Earth.
If I go lower than usual, or if i’ve been skating that edge all day, I’ll know SOMETHING IS WRONG but not be able to figure out what.
I think it feels “fuzzy”. Like that picture of cotton candy is inside my head keeping the thoughts from zipping around like usual. Sorta like a little bit drunk. “Foggy” is another way I could describe it.
My first symptom, before all the others, is nausea. So I always check when I’m nauseated and about 50% of the time, I’m low. If I wait, the other symptoms will come – shaking hands, a feeling of internal pressure, a sort of anxious feeling. But the other symptoms are so awful, that I always check at the first sign of nausea, just in case.
Shaky, cold but hot, dizzy, wobbly, sometimes blurry vision. “Drunk without the high.” A.K.A. = weird.
Since I have hypo-unawareness my blood sugar usually drops quite low before I have any physical feelings at all. Recently when I felt suddenly “slowed down” and out of it – I checked my blood sugar and it was 37. For the life of me I could not remember where my glucose tablets were.
I have them in literally every room of my house with the garage being the exception……..and still I couldn’t find the tablets. Then I looked in the fridge and found orange juice. By the time I found the juice, poured a glass and drank it, my Dexcom was going crazy.
It is a most difficult feeling to describe…
Notice that every description is different. You have to try and figure out which of your symptoms are repeatable, and try to respond by seeking treatment when you somehow recognize one of YOUR symptoms. It’s not easy!
[...] I read Amy’s post on describing the indescribable feeling of a low. I had already started work on this post, so I [...]
Hey Amy and others.
Had been working on my hypo-sense superhero post for a few days already, but your post inspired me to finish it today. I like that despite all having such different symptoms, we all use similar words to describe the feeling of low: weird.
All the best,
The … Diabetic
PS my post can be found at http://the3dotsdiabetic.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/the-superhero-diabetic/
Sometimes I feel suddenly super ambitious, like a feeling of invincibility and can-do (followed shortly thereafter by can’t-do – oops).
Other times I notice how difficult a thing can be – usually something that is otherwise easy — like taking off my coat (a sure sign), walking, or driving. If I think “wow, I don’t even have the energy to turn the ignition, unzip my jacket, etc.” I test. Sometimes it’s a feeling of “I just need to go to sleep right now” (which reminds me of how hikers with hypothermia mistakenly think).
If I’ve scared any moms out there, I’ve had remarkable success in 30 years in avoiding serious lows. Just fyi.
Fuzzy with dead areas in my vision as my first clue. Oh I’m getting a migraine, right? So I sit there like an idiot waiting for my eyes to go into a migraine aura. Oh, ok, not happening, where’s my meter? And the most bizarre thing… only AFTER I see the number do I realise I’m shaky as well. But “fuzzy” definitely.
@T1 in Boston: Totally! I was dreaming one night about writing some important email, and then in my dream, I felt totally overwhelmed and thought: “Oh wow, that’s so hard! No way I can write that email.” Of course I woke up and was low!
I feel weak, getting weaker like my legs are going to crumble. If I am low at night I get shaky and sweaty which wakes me up. I will do anything to avoid a low. It is not a good feeling. It is almost like something switches off internally which I guess is what happens and its all downhill from there until a glucose tab or juice or all of the above. Ive been in an exercise class and started sweating and wondered if it was the class or what until I felt dizzy and left the class, had no money for a snack and did not bring any gtabs (stupid) and ended up taking sugar packets for coffee and downing 1 or 2.
For me, it’s like being back in school. And you’ve done something wrong. And you know you’ve been found out. And you are just waiting to be called to the Principal’s office. It is a combo of panicky and anxiety.
Karmel Allison wrote a wonderful poem in response to this. I think she nailed it. Happy Holidays!
http://asweetlife.org/karmel/blogs/diabetes-management-blogs/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-low-a-poem/23077/comment-page-1/#comment-3505
My legs feel weak, my eyes feel “funny”, and I get very nervous that if I don’t eat right away I will pass out. It is the strangest feeling I have ever had. Since I became a diabetic [almost 4 years ago] I have a plenty of lows, mostly because I over do it on exercise. I know that exercise brings my numbers down fast so I usually try to walk 45-60 minutes [depending on the situation]. Usually 45 minutes will do it but I “always” want to go “more” to make sure my numbers are down and then of course I can always eat again. It is a constant battle that we all face if we want to take care of ourselves. No one really understands that is not a diabetic.
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[...] Tenderich of Diabetes Mine Low Blood Sugar: Describing the Indescribable (I often wonder how exactly Q feels. As she gets older she’s better able to communicate, like [...]
After 33 years, the lows are getting harder to detect. But when I do have a full blow hypoglycemic reaction I describe it this way…It is like my brain is short-circuiting. I can’t quite process everything at normal speed. Kind of like going from high speed internet to dial-up in one fell swoop.
I can sense his presence. The grim reaper is in the house. He may have just jimmied the basement door. But he is here. I can sense
his presence. And he has a card with my name on it. He is coming to get me. And I need to find a Gatorade bottle if I don’t want to see him tonight.
[...] cause of panic anxiety = Stress d.) Blood Sugar is irregular-Substances: a.) … Fetch Content What Is Anxiety?Digestion slows down Liver releases sugar to provide quick energy Sphincter muscles…talize;">What Is Anxiety?Digestion slows down Liver releases sugar to provide quick energy Sphincter [...]
Yes, yes, and yes…I have to agree with almost every comment left before me! Every “low” is a new sensation for me: sometimes it’s felt like spiders crawling on my skin, or a tingly mouth, or like waking up from a nightmare. Other times it’s weak legs, a feeling of drunkenness, and dark spots in my vision. Sometimes I can’t even speak to tell someone “I NEED SUGAR”. Once in awhile I’ll even feel a sudden onset of depression (and I’m usually a pretty happy person).
And you’re right…”weird” definitely does describe it well!