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10/05/09 10:03 PM

"Travelling on business. As a Type 1 Diabetic how do I prevent from developing lows in the middle of the night while I am all alone in my Hotel room??"
Asked By: taniadegian  
Category: Type 1

Background Info Hide
Please advise ASAP as I am 38 years old and I am having a terrible argument with my family members on my strong insistence on travelling by myself on business. For work purposes travelling will be local and international travel throughout 2009 and 2010. My mother is convinced I am going to die of a low blood sugar attack while I am alone in my Hotel room. What are the percautionary measures I should take? I am a type 1 which I take 3 insulin injections everyday for the past 20 years and my A1c's are in perfect control. As of September 2009 my A1C is 6.4. In the night times my blood sugar tends to drop but I always to handle my lows by myself. Right now I do live with my parents but they refuse to accept the fact that I can handle this on my own. I need piece of mind please advise. I feel as if I have a noose tied around my neck!!!!!!!

Expert Answers (1)

10/20/09 08:34 PM

Fear of hypoglycemia is real, and you and your family are experiencing it now more than ever it sounds like with the opportunities of travel you're faced with. First of all I applaud you for your excellent control. With tight control the risk of low blood sugars is greater. You mentioned being on 3 shots per day, but didn't tell what type of insulins you take. First of all I would recommend that you consult with your diabetes doctor for specific advice on insulin adjustments while traveling both to adjust for time zone differences as well as differences in activity levels and different types of foods. If you are having lots of lows during the night already then you may need dose adjustments for routine times and not only during your business trips. I don't know how often you test your blood sugar, but checking more frequently can be beneficial. You definitely need to know what you are before bed so you can eat an extra snack if already on lower side. If you are very worried about dropping then set an alarm clock to test your blood sugar in the middle of the night. That way you can test to be sure you're ok. If you will be travelling with colleagues then it is not a bad idea for them to know you have diabetes and know how to treat lows. In addition if you did not show up to your business meetings on time then your colleagues should know to check your hotel room and if no response then someone should check on you. You also sound like you'd be a candidate for a continuous glucose monitor so that it would alarm in the middle of the night if you went below the low threshhold. This is something to discuss with your diabetes doctor as well. If you are doing local travel then your parents could call you in the am to make sure you're up as well. I hope that you enjoy your business travels.
Answered By: Shannon Lyles
Accreditations: BSN, RN, CDE
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