Hypoglycemia Caused by Oral Diabetes Medicine

Home care

• During the next 24 hours, get some rest and eat frequent small meals. This will help prevent the return of low blood sugar.

• Learn the signals your body gives as your blood sugar drops (see below).

If symptoms of hypoglycemia return

• Keep a source of fast-acting sugar with you. At the first sign of low blood sugar, eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting sugar. Examples include:

  • 3 or 4 glucose tablets (found at most drugstores) or glucose gel.

  • 4 ounces of regular soda.

  • 4 ounces of fruit juice.

  • 2 tablespoons of raisins.

  • 1 tablespoon of honey.

• For other sources, check the sugar content on the nutrition label to figure out how much you need to eat or drink to get at least 15 grams of sugar.

• Check your blood sugar 15 minutes after treating yourself. If it's still low, take another 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting sugar. Test again in 15 minutes. If it remains low, call your health care provider or go to an emergency room.

• When your blood sugar returns to normal, eat a snack or meal to keep your blood sugar in a safe range.

• Complex carbohydrates or foods that contain fats along with carbs (like chocolate) can slow the absorption of glucose and should not be used to treat an emergency low blood glucose.

• Avoid taking any herbal or dietary supplement without first checking with your health care provider.

• Do not change the dose or frequency of your medicines without first checking with your provider.

In the future, if you can't eat your normal amount due to illness or vomiting, stop taking your diabetes medicine and contact your provider.

Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace or carry a card in your wallet explaining that you have diabetes. If you have a severe hypoglycemic reaction and can't give this information, it will help medical personnel provide proper care.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your health care provider as advised. If your hypoglycemia occurs often, you may need to work with your health care team to choose a different medicine and adjust your activity routine. You may also need to use continuous glucose monitoring. This can check for patterns of high blood sugar so it can be addressed. You can keep your blood sugar levels stable with lifestyle changes, a healthy diet and exercise routine, and taking insulin on the right schedule.

If you have the equipment to monitor your blood sugar, do so at least twice a day—before breakfast and before dinner. Do this for the next 5 days. See your provider during the next week to review these records. This will help show if your diabetes medicine needs to be adjusted. Ask if a family member could be taught to give you a shot of glucagon. A new form of glucagon is now available that's given through one nostril. This will raise your blood sugar if you can't eat or drink.

For more information about diabetes, contact the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org .

When to get medical care

Contact your health care provider right away if symptoms of low blood sugar occur and haven't gone away with the above measures. Symptoms of low blood sugar include:

• Severe tiredness (fatigue).

• Headache.

• Shakes.

• Excess sweating, chills, and clamminess.

• Hunger.

• Feeling anxious or restless.

• Vision changes.

• Personality changes.

• Rapid heartbeat or thundering heart rate.

• Nightmares or crying out during sleep.

Call 911

Call 911 if any of the following occur and don't resolve promptly with the above measures:

• Confusion

• Lightheadedness, dizziness, or loss of consciousness

• Seizure

• Drowsiness

• Weakness