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Have you ever needed to pull over while driving because of low or high blood glucose levels?
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It’s been quite a while back, year +, but I started heading down, 75-, and rather than risk it changed positions so my wife drove while I watched and treated. CGM saved the day….
If my bg is running high, I often find a place to walk before continuing a trip.
Has never happened around town or going to work as I always make sure I am in a good place before driving. On longer distance trips it has happened – thank goodness for Dexcom and alarms and notifications.
I said yes I needed to but did not. I was on the road for 6 minutes between my house and my parents and was in the 30s when I got home. Only once but scared me a little that I kept going. I was alone.
I answered yes.
It has been rare, but better safe than sorry.
Yes. I was between towns on country roads and my BG dropped. I had miscalculated a dose. I pulled over at at stop sign and grabbed my glucose tablets. While waiting for the BG to rise, a deputy sheriff stopped and asked me what was going on. I explained it and asked him to call me in 15 minutes to make sure all was well. He left and 15 minutes later called. I assured him all was good and it was.
Before Dexcom, I had two incidents where my blood sugar dropped extremely low while driving that could have been tragic due to Not checking my blood sugar before driving. Now I check before I head out and don’t drive until I am at a safe level.
Many times to the point I have given up driving. My last one, I wound up on a unknown highway going backwards on the. Wrong exit. People honked. One man going the opposite direction yelled if I needed help. He then came down to help me and notify 911. I so appreciate him for what he did.
Back in the days before blood tests, insulin pumps and CGM’s, I never knew for sure where my blood glucose levels were. There were several times where I had to stop to drink some juice.
In today’s world, it’s just a matter of checking my CGM before I drive, and checking the CGM while I’m driving on long trips. Easy-peasy.
I have not had to pull over, but I have had to eat sugar tablets or small snack due to low BG while driving to stabilize it enough until I got to my destination, and then I ate real food or drank juice.
Quite a few times before BG meters and cgms. Between 1969 and 1983, i didn’t have any big meter. But back the n I felt my lows. No glucose tabs then, or I didn’t know about them. I carried candies or juice. Sometimes I stopped, and sometimes I winged it. No accidents and no tickets so far…….
Not since my getting the Dexcom G6. Before that, I was lucky I didn’t kill some innocent through my diabetic stupidity.
I have never pulled over voluntarily for low BG’s, but twice I passed out at the wheel. The first time was in the days of urine tests, which showed nothing about blood sugars. It was 1978. And, it was just an hour after lunch, when I would not expect a low sugar. I was driving out of the bank parking lot after visiting the ATM and passed out as I was turning right. We had no air conditioning, so the windows were open. Someone called an ambulance, and it was easy to get into the car and get me and my toddler son out.
The second time was in about 2001, before Dexcoms. I was parking my car in the shared driveway, drove into the wrong driveway after bringing my 15-year-old daughter home from dance class. The lady in that house came out and my daughter told her what had likely happened. They revived me enough for me to eat some carbs.
I was so glad to have CGM’s available when we moved back to the USA in 2006.
I have had to pull over and switch drivers do to low blood sugar.
I don’t drive.
Apart from type 1 diabetes I also have a sleep disorder, called narcolepsy, where I fall asleep unexpectedly … sometimes several times a day. It would not be safe for me to drive as I could be danger to myself AND to other road users.
Have you considered a CPAP machine and Nuvigil, they work for me.
@Bob Durstenfeld,
Thank you, sir, for your suggestion.
I haven’t tried either a CPAP machine or Nuvigil. Apparently, the treatments for narcolepsy are steroids, which are contraindicated against the one (Fludrocortisone) that I take for controlling my blood pressure.
As my blood pressure is one of the things that affect me more intensely I opted to continue with the fludrocortisone.
It’s good of you to have made suggestions, though. Thank you.
I wasn’t aware I was low and kinda blacked out and ran onto the side of the road, coming to almost immediately I stopped and manually checked- was 34 and stayed where I was until it was back up. Dexcom isn’t perfect unfortunately and I was terrified. Fortunately I live in the middle of nowhere and our roads stay pretty empty. I was also on our road a few hundred feet from our driveway.
I have asked others to drive for me when I was low at the time I needed to go somewhere.
I love that now with the Dexcom you can check blood sugar levels hands-free while driving, using hey Siri.
Gosh, The wonders of modern technology.
Hmmm! What specifically do you ask Siri? I just tried and I got silence.
Steve, you have to set it up as a “shortcut”on your iPhone. I say “Hey Siri, what’s my blood sugar”, but you can set up any prompt you want.
https://www.iphonelife.com/content/siri-shortcuts-introduction-selecting-editing-and-creating-basic-shortcuts-ios-12
Yes, several times, long before CGMs and personal glucose monitors. Very fortunately I was still experiencing symptoms and was able to pull over and wait for the glucose tabs to work. It was always a very scary situation because I often had my young daughter in the back seat.
Yes, but it was before I had a CGM! Now I have not.
Many years before glucose meters or cgms, I can remember a time or two that I was driving alone on a long trip. My vision began to double and I barely made it to somewhere to get something to eat. I had to close one eye to be able to see. Really scary!!!!! Of course now with my Dexcom no problems like that anymore.
When I was younger it happened too many times. In my life of employment throughout Canada, as a TD1 since age 13, I taught my self some time management skills that naturally varied as I got older and technology changed a diabetics daily lifestyle and the methods used to best keep you on track and “away from the lows”. I sort of have a 2 hour rule that I follow that is pretty simple to do. CHECK YOURSELF EVERY 2 HOURS !! Now I know a lot of you will think I gotta’ check my glucose which means the meter and strips or checking my CGM which may be noisy and on and on because I’m in a meeting I’m out of glucose tabs or candy and my meter is in the car etc., etc.
Everyone if they adopt the “2 hour rule” and start using it will find it is not that hard to follow and come up with their own reminders such as phone alarms/reminders (vibration mode works well), watches, self timers and/or even telling a colleague that is with or near you about you need a nudge or something to remind you of something very important at xx:xx time. Sometimes it can be as subtle as a smile and nod or wave across the meeting table. Then once you have established your awareness to this special time simply review how you are presently feeling, your conciousness to the environment your in, those around you etc. This actually takes a very short time and you will immediately know if you need to take some kind of action because of a possible low glucose issue and whether you can deal with it where you are know or if you need to temporarily dismiss yourself or most importantly ask for some assistance or medical help. Most of the time you will be fine but you must keep the awareness with you whether it is at home, the office, out shopping, on the bus, on field visits or outings etc., etc.
I know the question originated about driving and I have very specific rules I follow about that too. After over 54 years of driving while on insulin I use the following blood glucose data. It is very easy to remember. Upon entering the vehicle I must have a blood glucose reading of a minimum of 6.0 mmol/L (108 mg/DL) and feel like it is not about to start dropping, some quick and easy to get at and eat treats, snacks or glucose tabs available and quickly accessible.
I’m fortunate to have been diagnosed after meters (and now CGMs) but never drove without testing shortly before. Likewise I have glucose tablets in both personal trucks or snacks near in work vehicles “in case.” So no but even in a hint taken something.
Yes and it was scary. (This was before CGMs and possibly even a blood sugar meter… and I was on twice as much insulin as my body required… so, a very bad combination.)
I was a new driver and I was driving back home from work with my Dad and brother. It was an hour and a quarter drive. I got to a busy and complicated area of freeway interchanges and got double vision.
My Dad had been sleeping because he was exhausted, but I had to wake him up. I was a bit panicked and I told my dad I couldn’t see where the lines were and that I needed him to guide me to the side of the freeway…
We did and got him in the driver’s seat… and we all made it back home without incidents… I don’t recall having glucose tablets or anything to bring my BS up…. so, not sure how I made it home on the hour drive… providence and good luck, I think!!
Yes, back around 1955 when I could not find the parking lot at work..
More often for highs than lows. I get headaches above 120/130, so taking care of them immediately is a must for me.
Had to let my wife a few times because of lows
It is rare to have to pull over because I regularly check my CGM while driving. Dr. Bernstein recommends at least once an hour.
Hypoglycemia. Driving while hypoglycemic is like driving while intoxicated to those around you
prior to CGM had pulled over multiple time to correct what must have been low BG. Since, I have not needed to pull over!
I answered no, but I definitely should have if I had recognized that I needed to. I didn’t cause an accident, but my sugar was low and I didn’t realize it until later. This was before getting a cgm.
Yes but it was over 34 years ago while I was pregnant. Only time in my life I didn’t feel a low blood sugar. FYI; My son was born healthy, 8lbs 9 oz. perfect❤️
I gave up driving years ago when I realized I could bike or walk for most of my trips and/or take public transit to commute to work. That way I got exercise and it was much cheaper than owning & maintaining a car. Also saved the cost of yearly auto insurance and parking costs.
Another factor was rude drivers who tailgated me on freeway commute or people cutting in front of me while I was trying to maintain safe braking distance behind car in front of me. About 20 years ago, the final straw was noticeable increasing rudeness of other drivers…people getting in fist fights, and now guns! Taking public transit removes much stress and frees me up to check my tablet or cell phone, or engage in chats with other passengers. I just tap my bus card when using light rail or bus. It costs only $1 for seniors (or students) & covers 2 hours riding (including any transfers).
yes once but before CGMs
I also live with uncontrolled epilepsy so I am not able to drive a vehicle.
Years ago, yes…. a rapid drop was happening forcing me to pull over, meter (no CGM back then) and treat. Now, I don’t drop too low or go too high because I can use Siri connected to my car and verbally hear my Sensor Glucose and the trend arrow via the Dexcom G6 app. Lifesaver! I can munch on snacks before the low is serious.