Why wild animal/demon behaviour when blood sugar drops

My father tends to be sloppy with insulin shots. Its not that he doesnt take it regularly or takes too much, but stubbornly takes it tooo late at night right before he goes to sleep, and doesn't eat anything.

My mom (and I from a distance) plead(s) with him to take it before his dinner not after, or at least eat a carb snack before bed. Over the years, he continues to refuse either. He's not retired or a senior citizen yet; in fact, he works full time.

There are have been to many instances last year where my mom awoke in early morning and found him walking around absent minded. She'd instantly try to get him to sip sugar in cofee or juice from a spoon, straw, to no avail. A few times multiple family members were around but no one could get him to consume the sugar thus as his sugar dropped further over minutes, he would go into a violent rage tumbingly around the room bouncing off the walls and making demonic sounding shrills and grunts, and grabbing at people in the room and scratching them, almost worse. It's a horrific site and in almost each instant it escalating into a 911 call and multiple officer (8-12!) entering the house, standing around him while the EMT administer glucose. Then he comes out of that demonic fit, and denies any possibility as to how he acted.

I have little sympathy for stubborn mature people, but he's my dad and though I'm not around in the state or even on the same coast to do something about it, I feel sad this happens to some diabetics.

I've been told that the violence part to it is rare. I was there for a few of the episodes and I couldnt even recognize him, his entire countenance changed into this for the lack of better words, possessed, demonic state. I mean, literally The Exorcist girl, but even more threatening cause hes a 170# grown man, army vet and all.

Just posting incase any of you have any experience dealing with this, or know about why humans behave so horribly like violent beasts when something as simple as blood sugar levels drop and the brain is 'sleeping'. What about in a fasting/starving situation. If non-diabetic people were barred from eating for days on end, would the brain eventually run out of sugar and some subjects suddenly behave violent, animalistically erratic while their brain is 'asleep', starved of sugar?

I'm vice versa.

I go crazy with too much sugar!

No redbull for me! Too much sugar and/or caffeine gives me migraines.

Although, it would have been good to know that sugary drinks (ie juice) might have helped me think better during high school and college tests (back then, I actually avoided sugar and even drank diet soda(!!))

I've never heard of having violent outbursts with diabetes. It could be something else. If you are deficient in certain nutrients and vitamins it can have a psychotic effect.

Vitamin Deficiencies that Cause Psychiatric Symptoms
Source

record one of his fits and show it to him a few days later but don't be condescending. if you present it to him right he may listen and take his medicine at a different time

violet
I've never heard of having violent outbursts with diabetes. It could be something else. If you are deficient in certain nutrients and vitamins it can have a psychotic effect.

Vitamin Deficiencies that Cause Psychiatric Symptoms
Source

It is fairly common, I've known two people who were like it. I worked on a building site and was standing on a wall, the guy in a 360 shouted at me in a rage saying I shouldn't stand on walls and then he swung the machine around and deliberately knocked me off the wall with the bucket. After he was DRAGGED from the machine and forced to take his meds he appologised to me, he said he knew what he was doing when he's like it but has no control over it.

I'm diabetic and frequently have " Hypo's " .........low blood sugars.
I've never acted in the way you're describing.....although I DO get very frustrated during an episode as the oxygen stops going to the brain and you become very confused.
A few times when family have offered me something sweet at the time, I've been to confused as to know what to do with the chocolate or lucozade that's being offered to me.
My wife has just reminded me that I actually DID become aggressive during one " Hypo " which happened after I'd just got back from the pub.
I haven't got an aggressive bone in my body but I'm sure the alcohol and low sugars must have caused me to act this way.

So......has your dad been drinking during these weird episodes ?

^Good idea, that will be hard as I'm on the southwest coast and he's on the northeast.

Hopefully police are trained for this occurence because its easy to confuse someone thats having a violent diabetic coma with a genuine predatory attack; its bad enough people in the past have been shot in their homes when cops responded and sometimes their girlfriend didn't even know it was a diabetic coma and assumed their boyfriend was a psycho when its just an agressive/violent onset of the brain 'sleeping'.

And again it worries me what about when theres a food shortage will people with glucose insensitivities behave like that in shelters.. it would be crazy in there, its so scary being around it, the demonic wails and lunging at people violently; not something i'd get used to it, for now its mostly all on my mom

lambros56


So......has your dad been drinking during these weird episodes ?

Yep, he claims to drink ONE shot of vodka at dinner everyday. But I dont buy that; between diabetes, age, and having had 2 heart surgeries, he shouldNT be drinking except some light drinks on very special occasions (ie, observed holidays only) but the stubbornness just bewilders me and I'd have to agree with you that somehow (how?) alcohol worsens the sugar drop and the coma behaviour.

reply to post by gardener


Ive noticed demonic like activity in two of my closest friends. It worries me. If you dont mind me asking, what are your father's spiritual beliefs, if he has any?

Ive never experienced possession, but have experienced involuntary astral projection, sleep paralysis, and demonic visions in lucid states of sleep. I know these are supernatural, because more often than not, they happen at the same time that other family members and friends miles away experience similar or the same events.

Sleep paralysis is medically defined as the event when potassium levels suddenly plummet during REM stage sleep. That is the biochemical event, but what is the spiritual side to it? Is a demon waiting for the opportune moment, or even possibly triggering it? It seems more probable than just possible.

My point is, a medical explanation does not rule out demonic activity. Read the gospells in the Bible. Demon possession often manifested itself in paralysis, blindness, deafness, etc.

If demon possession is the case, the only permanent cure is faith in Christ. Upon faith in Jesus Christ as our saviour, the believer's soul is occupied permanently by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thereby leaving no room for demonic intrusion.

My childhood friend became possessed after practicing "mercavah" meditation, and they wound up having to call the SWAT team on him to restrain him, and he is skinny and weak. It was very out of character.

If you have faith in Jesus as the Son of God and saviour, then try rebuking the demon in Jesus' name next time. That will be the litmus test for your case.

I have been around diabetics my whole life. Both sides of the family, then for some strange reason, friends and personal life too.

My youngest experience was at around 7yrs old with my paternal grandmother. She actively and ferociously taught me about the disease. Eastern European immigrant super strong woman looked at herself and my mothers familys ' incidence of diabetes; young ones dying, older ones developing and dying from it. As a child, she taught me what to watch for, how to give her shots, and to be ever vigilant. The signs are subtle. She died from it when I was about 10.

In college, I met a great friend and we went to lengths to change our dorm rooms so we could live together. She was diabetic. I didn't know it at the time, but I grew to learn about type 1. That had been in our family too, but usually people die young with this one, so I didn't know anyone.

My dear friend, Cory, had some crazy episodes. We were kids in our 1st year of college. I hid candy bars all over the room. When she would go into the craziness, it was like talking to someone sleeping. I just kept going until I could get her to drink some juice, eat something, anything to balance it out. One time, she went really nutso and I couldn't help and she just tried to go to sleep and I had to get her to the hospital.
These memories are just hard. Her emotions were out of control. The reason was because she was young and immature in dealing with the disease. The hard part about diabetes is that you have to take a certain measure of responsibility and control over your life. Most people don't have to monitor it that strictly. For diabetics, if they don't take that responsibility, they die. No ifs, ands, or buts. Your dad needs to be responsible with his insulin, or he will die. I bet he knows this.

reply to post by gardener


I totally feel for you. My mother had hypoglycemia all those years,refused to get it treated and would on a DAILY basis become violent when she got up. I had to stop her from beating my older sister to death with a bathroom scale because of it.She also carved out a chunk of wall,slammed my brother in the back with her hand,and slapped me and kicked me down stairs, a real lovely person.I was totally pee od about it and screamed at her WTF is wrong with you??!! Then I told her to look at herself and tell me she was normal. My father never called her out on any of it and just tried to stay out of her way when she was like that. Us kids creeped around in fear of waking her up. The whole thing was stupid.

So I totally feel for you like I said. I wonder what would happen if instead of getting him on his meds when he's in a rage, you all instead had him sent to a mental health place? Let him get balanced out there and scare him into what he should be doing? It might be worth a try. I know if I blacked out and came back to in there I would be thinking about what I needed to do to keep out of there.

Sugar lows stimulate a feeling of "depression".

You're emotionally low. (Which makes it hard to think about others.)
Pain is stronger feeling. (Which means you can't tolerate ANYTHING.)

And more frustratingly, depression stimulates "sugar lows".

If you're in a totally foul mood, and you don't keep track of your blood sugar, it causes more problems when it finally does dip.

But there are more things than medication to regulate this. You are what you eat, you know.

I worked in a nursing home when someone is acting this way when the sugar is to high are low it causes a chemical in balance in the brain also,when i had a patient who acts normal one minute then they have a episode of low blood sugar they change into someone who can become violent,hostile,rambling talk

Diabetes is another disease often associated with chemical imbalance in the brain. Diabetes results from high concentrations of sugar in the blood. Although such condition and disease necessarily does not affect the brain, it has often been associated with chemical imbalance in the brain which in turn leads to other factors culminating in diabetes disease. Chemical imbalance in the brain may cause insulin imbalance in turn in the body. Insulin imbalance causes diabetes

reply to post by jasmine23


Or Betty White.

@ Dimathae, dear Lord! =O

BELIEVERpriest
reply to post by gardener

 

Ive noticed demonic like activity in two of my closest friends. It worries me. If you dont mind me asking, what are your father's spiritual beliefs, if he has any?

If you have faith in Jesus as the Son of God and saviour, then try rebuking the demon in Jesus' name next time. That will be the litmus test for your case.

My father was raised Presbyterian but around his 20-30s was inducted into to meditation, chanting, mantras and multiple-deity worship and it has stuck ever since. (I myself in contrast somewhat, am a non-denominational minister, vegan, farmer, among other roles)

I sense that when we are at our weakest point (ie, distracted from recognizing the omnipotence of our Supreme Lord, worshiping multiple deities, drinking, smoking, drugged up, and otherwise ill (including the lack of sugar to the brain) we are the most vulnerable.

Weak body, weak mind.

reply to post by gardener


Well, considering blood sugar is directly related to food, and food is pretty much our primary primal instinct I don't think it's odd at all that people suffering from extreme low blood sugar act like animals.

My father is diabetic, and he get's more aggressive when his blood sugar is low. Grumpy, short temper, explosive, and just a pain in the ass to deal with really. I can't say he's ever gotten to the point he's been "crazy." How ever, I did work with a woman named Irene years back who got into intoxicated like states and she was diabetic.

I'll post a reply. I have had diabetes for a lot of years. There are two manufacturers of continuous glucose monitoring systems. I use one of those, and it has helped a lot with the problem you are having with your dad. I hope that he has medical insurance, and tell him to really bug his insurance company if they don't want to cover it. The two companies that make the prducts are Dexcom and Medtronic.

I would recommend you do your research, but one thing to remember is that continuous glucose monitoring is not as accurate as a finger poke, but it does give you an overall broader picture of where the blood sugar is. Most people that I have read prefer the Dexcom, because it is less painful and the sensor they say is more accurate. Once again, do your own research and have your dad talk to his doctor.

If he can get coverage for it, I will tell you that this type of device has now saved me from many trips to the hospital. If he ever passes out, turn him on his side and call 911 to get the paramedics to come to his help with the IV dextrose (sugar). The reason you want to turn him on his side is because diabetics when they go into seizure bite into their tongue and it bleeds and can cause them to choke to death on blood. Turning the diabetic on their side will keep their airway from becoming obstructed. I know from the relatives I have lived with in the past. It's scary losing conciousness like that, and very scary for all of the people around.

If you ever need any tips for the future, I can tell you everything that I have done to get it to where I can sleep well at night. Diabetes is a battle. Best wishes to you and your dad.

Thanks for reminding! Yeah I recommended the gluc monitor (the one that stays connected to the waist with a strap) months ago and keep checking with mom to see if they asked doc for it yet. He's an engineer with NYC and has great coverage, and retires in a year.

Im going to keep pressing. I dread the 7hr flight each way just to visit each time theres a crisis/death. And the sheer stress this puts on my mom, she's has HBP as it is.