Diabetes-Related Seizure

Diabetes-related seizures are seizures you can have when you have extremely low or high blood sugar levels. It causes symptoms like uncontrollable movements, confusion or loss of consciousness.

You need immediate medical care if you have diabetes and experience a seizure. Getting your blood sugar in a healthy range quickly can help prevent serious complications, like brain damage.

Symptoms of diabetes-related seizures

It can look different for everyone. Common symptoms that occur just before one may include:

• Shaking or jerky movements
• Sweating
• Confusion
• Changes in mood or behavior
• Vision changes

During a seizure, you can have these symptoms:

• Biting your tongue or clenching your teeth
• Fainting or passing out
• Losing bladder and bowel control

Diabetes-related seizure causes

The two causes are hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Seizures from low blood sugar are more common. Your brain needs glucose (sugar) to work. When your brain doesn’t have enough glucose, it can lead to electrical disturbances. The cells of your brain can’t process signals and begin acting erratically. This can trigger a seizure.

Having a seizure due to high blood sugar is rare. Too much glucose changes the balance of electrolytes in your body. This can disrupt how your brain works and lead to a seizure.

Risk factors for a diabetes-related seizure

The biggest risk factor is letting your blood sugar get too low. Work with your healthcare provider on ways you can keep your blood sugar in a healthy range.

Other things you can do to try to prevent a diabetes-related seizure are:

• Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly.
• Take your diabetes medication and insulin exactly as prescribed.
• Eat healthy, nutritious foods and exercise regularly.

Complications of diabetes-related seizures

A diabetes-related seizure is serious. It can cause several complications, like:

• Loss of consciousness or coma
• Injuries from losing consciousness, like falling down the steps or having a car accident
• Brain damage

How doctors diagnose it

Healthcare providers can usually diagnose a diabetes-related seizure by checking your blood sugar after a seizure. They’ll find that your blood sugar is too low or too high.

They may also order the following tests to check brain function or rule out any other conditions:

• CT scan or MRI
• EEG
• Blood tests

From there, your provider may ask you about how you manage diabetes. They’ll ask you if you missed your medication, took too much insulin or skipped a meal. All of these pieces can help them figure out what led to the unsafe blood sugar level. This is an important part of preventing a seizure from happening again.

How is a diabetes-related seizure treated?

Getting your blood sugar in a healthy range is the first step in treatment. If the seizure happened due to low blood sugar, raising your blood sugar quickly is the goal. If you’re still conscious, you may receive candy, glucose tablets or fruit juice. If you’ve lost consciousness or can’t swallow, your provider will give you a glucagon injection. IV fluids with glucose are also an option if you’re in the hospital.

If it happened due to high blood sugar (this is rare), your healthcare team will lower your blood sugar slowly and safely. They do this with insulin. They’ll probably also give you IV fluids to help with electrolyte imbalance.

Once your blood sugar is stable, your healthcare team will monitor you closely and try to get to the underlying cause of the seizure. This is typically when they’ll look at how much insulin you’re taking, which medications you take and what your daily habits are for managing diabetes. They’ll make changes to your medication/insulin and work with you to prevent high or low blood sugar levels in the future.

How to help someone having a diabetes-related seizure

Try to remain as calm as you can if a loved one experiences a diabetes-related seizure. Call 911 (or your emergency services number) and then do the following:

1. Put the person on their side.
2. Don’t put anything near their mouth.
3. Remove eyeglasses or objects from around their neck.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Contact your provider if you have diabetes and experience a seizure. Your provider needs to know so they can adjust your treatment.

What can I expect if I have a diabetes-related seizure?

After a diabetes-related seizure, your healthcare provider will work with you to make sure your insulin and medications are at the right dosages. They’ll talk to you about checking your blood sugar regularly, especially before activities that cause your blood sugar to drop. The goal is to prevent another seizure from happening.

Let close friends, family and coworkers know that you’ve had a diabetes-related seizure. Your provider may recommend that they know exactly what to do if a seizure happens again. It may be a good idea to wear a medical ID bracelet. It can be your voice if you’re in an emergency and alone.