40 Comments
If you have T1D, has anyone ever misinterpreted your low blood glucose for intoxication?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ā© 2022 T1D Exchange. All Rights Reserved.
I was going to answer “no”, but I remembered a time around 1983, when I had one of my many low blood sugars when I was at work. I was sitting at a desk “trying to” write reports, my head bobbing. I’m sure I was accomplishing nothing at the time. Later, my boss told me that he came over and smelled the bottle that I was drinking out of to see if it was alcohol. I was so out of touch that I was unaware that he had done that.
Otherwise, I don’t recall any other misinterpretations of my low blood glucose.
I have another story about a time I came across someone who looked extremely drunk, but turned out to be a diabetic. I’ll save it for another time.
So your manager didn’t think to check out what was wrong?
A heart attack
Nobody who mattered! But yesā¦. And they were dead wrong
At my age, I wonder if someone might think dementia
I don’t think there was much awareness of diabetes back in those days. But, the bottle I was drinking out of was fruit juice. So, perhaps he saw that I was treating the problem. I don’t know. But, we always maintained a good relationship with each other, so I’m sure he would have helped. I can only guess.
Oops. this was supposed to be a reply to Sherolyn Newell’s reply to my previous comment.
Just wondering if intoxication was thought to be low blood sugar.
I answered ānoā as my son is only ten.
Honestly in the past B4 CGMās it had happened on several occasions but it was all due to my stupidity and poor management of my T1D. I took alot for granted in my youth and it took me quite some time to finally smarten up. The sad reality is that unless someone knows about your condition it can/will be misinterpreted and Iām speaking from experience over the last 43 years of numerous reactions. Now that Iām on a CGM and pump for over 6 years Iāve not been confronted with any such misinterpretation.
No, because I make it known that I have diabetes. Plus, people that know me know I do not drink alcoholic beverages.
how can I answer for anyone’s thoughts ?? aka …. “here say “
Yes, and on both occasions it was a police officer … UK Police Officers that is.
On the first occasion I was ‘stumbling’ and rushing to get home in order to treat the hypo, but the police officer was convinced that I was drunk so arrested me, taking me to the local Police Station. It was only when I lapsed into unconsciousness that they deemed it warranted an examination by a Medical Officer, even though I’d been trying to explain the situation to them prior to the ‘collapse’.
On the second occasion, I’d been to take some clothing to my younger brother, who also happens to be a Type 1, who had been admitted to our local hospital. On the way home, I heard a screeching sound and on investigation found it to be a motor vehicle that had skidded and hit a roadside sign. I helped to ‘bounce’ the rear of the vehicle into the gutter as it was evident that both the driver and his passenger had been drinking. Before I knew it, we were surrounded by police officers, who decided that we’d all been drinking, so arrested us all.
At the police station my pump began alarming, indicating that my blood glucose level was low. I asked about getting a sugar drink as I was very likely to lose consciousness before too long. I even showed the officers in the ‘booking office’ what my pump was stating, but they had no idea what an insulin pump was, nor what the figures indicated. I did ask for a Medical Officer to attend so that s/he could explain it to them, but they stated that they wouldn’t be phoning one as it costs them to get one in.
Eventually, they found that my ‘story’ held up with what they’d witnessed … that I wasn’t actually a party to the crashed vehicle … and ‘turfed me out’ onto the street, to make my own way home. I didn’t make it. Someone found me ‘clapped out’ and summoned an ambulance, which resulted in me being admitted to my local hospital.
You’ve certainly had more than your fair share of issues with disbelieving police. I’m so sorry for your experiences!
@KarenM6,
Thank you for your comment, ma’am. Sadly, it’s no only police officers that ‘get it wrong’. I recall being asked to leave a restaurant as someone had reported me to the owner as ‘shooting up’. This was in the days before I had an insulin pump, you understand. Luckily for me, several members of the group that I was attending with knew about my diabetes and convinced the owner that what I was doing was injecting insulin prior to me eating my meal. That seemed to have ‘done the trick’, but several people that I was attending with stated that the owner was repeatedly staring at me to see what I was doing. lol.
Wow, Mick. That’s quote a story. I’m so glad you made it through. Have you thought about a book or blog?
@TEH
I much prefer to focus my attention on other thoughts/plans/ideas/events that are not diabetes-related, my friend. I’ve seen, and done, a lot during my life … some of which it would not be appropriate to post on here. I’ll leave the diabetes-related stuff to others. š
Years ago, I used to hear that a number of diabetics died in local jails because they were left at intoxicated and their diabetes was not treated. However, this is all hearsay. I never witnessed such a thing.
Early 1970’s in Dallas OD on NPH and Regular, wife and Parents got me to a Hospital 6 blocks away but ER Doc wouldn’t give Glucose because of my long hair he “knew” I was on “Drugs” Dad was a LADA T1 himself and convinced the ‘Doc’ of his misdiagnosis or at least that Glucose would not kill me and it didn’t
Intoxication, no. But I’ve gone low sitting next to my endocrinologist several times, and they just think I’m stupid and flaky. My CGM making a racket doesn’t phase them.
I’m so sorry for your experiences with your doctor, Mary! What they do is just wrong.
I wish I could give you my endocrinologist. They actively made sure I did not leave their office one time when my blood sugar was about 50-ish. This was even pre-CGM! This is the kind of care I’d like you to have!
Endoās are a strange bunch. They are never up on new technology. I learn about things
On YouTube. Weāre shocked when I developed hyperthyroidism. I diagnosed myself and the confirmed with blood work. I feel sorry for older type 2ās. They offer very little concrete advice.
Not me but it definitely happens to those w T1D . Had a cousin get thrown in jail when his bg dropped while driving. Wife finally located him and revived him. Cops were clueless. He was luckyā¦.
My answer was “no.” However, I have been accused of bad behavior and nastiness, occasionally by people who were well aware of my tid and the effects of a hypo. I recall that once, being told that I was nasty was what triggered me to realize that I was going low.
I’m guessing that many of us have been in a similar situation … many times.
I am unsure. I did have a situation where police were involved. If they gave their opinions, I didn’t hear them, but I was not taken to jail, thank goodness.
I kept trying to show them my MedicAlert bracelet. But, when they offered me regular coke, I wouldn’t take it because, I guess, my subconscious brain knew it “wasn’t allowed”.
No for authorities. But always unsure about everyone else.
Also unsure about all this water in central Florida. You guys in the arid west need any of this? I’ll build a pipe line. ā ā
Please send asap!
Got pulled over once for driving āerraticallyā. The very nice policeman noticed my alert bracelet and called for an ambulance rather than putting me in his squad car.
When I was pregnant. I was so low that the glucagon wasnāt enough, and a paramedic his first day on the job. But his coworker, who was a friend of mine, apparent set him straight in so many so many friendly words. He got an important lesson telling him how wrong he was, and how he could have killed and my unborn child. Iām sure itās something heās never forgotten.
No, but only because I do not drink, and am always out with people who know me.
Fortunately for me, my low symptoms donāt include confusion. My dad was T1d for 40 years, and he was stopped several times for ādrunk driving ā. Once spent 2 hours in the drunk tank. When my mother found him his BG was 10! But he recovered…..
In the mid 1960’s during my first week as a college student I has spent the whole day shopping for basic apartment living items. I was in downtown San Francisco, by Union Square. It had gotten late, past dinner time and my bg was dropping. I couldn’t find the location of the right bus stop because there were so many and it was dark. Naive me asked a traffic officer for help finding the stop. I was getting shaky, with two filled shopping bags starting to sway. Instead of helping me find the right bus he thought I was high on drugs and was going to have me picked up. I had just gotten my first MedicAlert bracelet and angrily showed him that and told him I needed sugar. I don’t know if he believed me or just didn’t want to bother because the bus I needed to take had just stopped across from us and he let me go. I was together enough to get on the bus, pay my .25 fare and collapse in the seat. I had glucose tabs in my jacket pocket and by the time the bus got near my apartment I was able to get off and walk the very short distance to the building. The whole experience left a vivid memory.
You had a narrow “escape” there, Janis! Thank goodness for glucose tablets!!
Yes and no, I was experiencing a very low glucose number while driving. Was stopped by police and they assumed I was drunk. However, I showed them my Sensor and Pump and they took it from there and got an ambulance at took me to the Emergency room at the local hospital. At that time, I was using a Medtronic pump and an Enlite sensor. I had also done some damage to my car, bouncing off curbs. It also went to the auto emergency room.
No not for low BG. I am a little surprised that I haven’t had a problem from a high BG.
No, but some have misinterpreted my intoxication for having low blood sugar š
I haven’t but I knew a guy who was always being screened for intoxication but really it was he had a low sugar but he didn’t watch very good for the signs and would be low a lot and drive
I went into convulsions and the EMTs thought I was on drugs. I can’t say for sure if they considered alcohol as well or not. All I know is that after they called my mother to ask if I was taking any drugs and being told to give me OJ, they wanted me to go to the hospital for testing, even though the OJ worked! They also informed my friends that, “That was not an insulin reaction, they’re not like that. She really should be tested.)!
No thank heavens! I have had ketoacidosis symptoms mistaken for a heart attack by a large city ER who refused to listen to me when I told them it was ketoacidosis.