with chronic diabetes may have symptoms of low blood sugar when it is people with diabetes may have rapid drop The fact that you have diabetes mellitus …
PATIENT INFORMATION
Drive Safely with Diabetes
If you have diabetes mellitus high blood sugar and are taking insulin or an oral hypoglycemic medicine, you may be at risk for having low blood sugar hypoglycemia Symptoms of hypoglycemia defined as a blood sugar below the normal range below 70 mg, may include: - sweating - shakiness - anxiety - heart palpitations - weakness - confusion sometimes These symptoms usually do not appear until your blood sugar drops below 45 mg Low blood sugar can affect your judgment and ability to drive The tips below should help prevent low blood sugar while you are driving
Keep your blood sugar level as stable as possible
Plan your trip carefully Try to eat the same kinds and amounts of food that you normally would at home Try not to change the time you eat Try not to miss a meal or snack
How much time do you need before you get there?
Plan your trip carefully How far will you drive? What will the traffic conditions be during the time you are on the road? Make sure your blood sugar level will be in a safe range until your arrival During a long trip, you want to be certain your blood sugar is stable and above 100 mg
An oral hypoglycemic agent, such
as glyburide Micronase, Glynase, DiaBeta; glipizide Glucotrol; glimepiride Amaryl; repaglinide Prandin; nateglinide Starlix; metformin Glucophage; pioglitazone Actos, and rosiglitazone Avandia Combination products, such as glyburide/metformin Glucovance and glipizide/metformin Metaglip are also hypoglycemic agents Please note: doctors are required by law to report patients to the Department of Motor Vehicles DMV when those patients have medical conditions which may impair their driving Keeping your blood sugar within normal levels will help to keep yourself, your passengers, and others who share the road with you safe _________________________________________________________________
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
Patient Education 7601 E Imperial Highway Downey, CA 90242 Phone: 1-877-RANCHO-1 FAX: 562-401-6690 http://www ranchoorg
Provided as a courtesy by:
Keep the supplies you need with you
Store the listed items in your car 1 Tool to check blood glucose eg, accucheck 2 Ready-to-eat snacks that are h 
igh in carbohydrate Make sure you do not over-eat them For example: fruit fruit juice a granola bar crackers 1 can of regular cola 5 pieces of hard
candy
Check your blood sugar before you start that engine
If your blood sugar is below 100 mg, eat a carbohydrate-rich food Recheck your blood sugar in 20-30 minutes Make sure it is above 100 mg before you start the engine
Pull off the road at the first sign of low blood sugar
If you start to have signs of low blood sugar, pull off the road and check your blood sugar If your blood sugar is below 100 mg, eat a ready-toeat snack Wait 20-30 minutes and recheck your blood sugar Make sure that your blood sugar is in the safe range before you start driving again
Rapid drop of blood sugar? Discuss it with your physician
Although low blood sugar is defined as less than 70 mg, some patients with chronic diabetes may have symptoms of low blood sugar when it is below 100 mg You may want to check your blood sugar often Some people with diabetes may have rapid drop in the blood sugar If you have this problem, discuss with your physician how often you should check your blood sugar for safe driving
Wear a medical alert bracelet or neck charm not wallet card stating you have diabetes mellitus
If you develop low blood sugar while driving, you do not want to be mistaken for a drunk driver The
fact that you have diabetes mellitus and are taking diabetic medications should be known right away An alert bracelet or a neck charm can communicate that fact quickly
Disclaimer: This information is for health educational purposes only If you have questions, you should ask your doctor, nurse, or other persons who you see for your health care needs Each clinician caring for the patient is responsible for determining the most appropriate care
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Provided as a courtesy by:
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
Patient Education 7601 E Imperial Highway Downey, CA 90242 Phone: 1-877-RANCHO-1 FAX: 562-401-6690 http://wwwranchoorg
S Fanchiang, PhD OTR/L, S Shaw, MD, H Chui, MD DM0001DriveSafelyWithDiabetesWPD 2/01/04
Source:thyroidtoday.com
