No more symptoms for Hypo and Hyperglycemia?

[Honor2]

Hello,
This is my first time posting here.I have been a diabetic for 26 years, since I was 8. Up until recently I have had no complications. However, I started to develop neuropathy in my feet about six months ago. It is now worse. Also, I can no longer tell what my blood sugar is at all.I can feel fine and be 400 or 30.My average range is 120, however I can rollercoaster up and down for no reason. Having grown up as a very brittle diabetic,this recent development of not having any symptoms is scaring me to death! I find it hard to sleep because I wonder what I am. I have a diabetic son, so many times when we are getting up to test him, we test mine. I haven't been running consistently high, or low. Any suggestions for what I can do?

[JDRF-Team-cd]

This problem sounds like hypoglycemia unawareness.

Hypoglycemia unawareness tends to happen to people who have had diabetes for many years.  Hypoglycemia unawareness does not happen to everyone but is more likely in people who have neuropathy (nerve damage), people on tight glucose control, and people who take certain heart or high blood pressure medicines.

As the years go by, many people continue to have symptoms of hypoglycemia, but the symptoms change.  In this case, someone may not recognize a reaction because it feels different.

These changes are good reason to check your blood sugar often, and to alert your friends and family to your symptoms of hypoglycemia.

I got this definition from the ADA website and it seems to fit in your case.  Checking bgs many many times a day will be necessary for sure. Have you ever heard of the Guardian System by Medtronic Minimed that will alarm for a high or low.   Their website is www.minimed.com. I am not sure if insurance covers yet as it is new but worth a try.  Several companies are working on a continuous glucose sensor so hang in there.  Be sure to talk to your diabetes educator also.

CD

[JDRF Team SGG]

I totally agree with the response given here, and just want to add a couple of things. Frequent testing is really your key here, for if you test not only at mealtimes but at least once during midmorning, once in midafternoon, and before bedtime, you will end up testing about every 3 hours. Having a real number to go on will let you know if you are dropping low or spiking high before the numbers get out of control. So during the day, you should be safe with tests every 3 hours.

I happen to be a very heavy sleeper who doesn't tend to wake up if low during the night. So the nights have always been the most dangerous for me, for 8 hours is a long time to go without eating or checking glucose. I finally found a solution which works beautifully for me. I don't know what kinds of insulin you take, but I started taking the 24-hour Lantus insulin, which slightly peters out sometime between 20-24 hours. Most people take it at night before bed, but in my case, risks of lows at night make it safer for me to take it in the morning. That way it slowly lowers its strength while I sleep so I cannot have a dangerous low while sleeping. If you are prone to the high spikes, this may not be the solution for you, but it is something to discuss with your doctor. In the meantime, taking one glucose test in the middle of the night seems like a reasonable safety action for you.

Another possibility for you if you are indeed brittle and control is difficult for you would be to look into starting pump therapy. Many hard-to-control diabetics find that this brings a new stability to their ups and downs, for the insulin dose can easily be lowered or raised to meet whatever requirements your body has. Again, frequent testing is necessary if you do this, too. At this point, there is no way around that necessity, for you have to know the numbers in order to treat them. I do wish you the best.

[Honor2]

Thank you for your responses. I do check at least 8 times per day. I have been a pump user for 11 years, but in the last year have been using Lantus at night, and Humalog with meals. My A1C's have been the same on and off the pump. Not being able to tell what I am has been a very frightening experience. I now always check before I drive since I don't have any idea if I am 30, or 300. I have had different symptoms for Hypoglycemia throughout my life, so I have always tried to be vigilent in noticing any changes. Now, I have no signs at all! Hopefully this will be temporary, if not I will continue to check often.  I would love to have the continuous glucose meter, especially at night!

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Good info from the other posts.  I had an additional thought that might be helpful.

When we have a lot of hypos, our bodies adjust and "think" that those dangerously low BGs are "normal" for us.  That's part of the mechanism that dampens our ability to sense lows.

I have read on other web groups that folks are able to regain (some of) their ability to sense lows by ... not having any lows for a period of time.  By avoiding lows (which might require running a bit high for a week or so), our bodies will reset what "normal" oughta be.  Perhaps that strategy is worth a try?

I'm also not a physician, so please do check in with your doc to see if this suggestion is safe for you to try.  Good luck.

[JDRF Team SGG]

LRS' suggestion is actually one that was tested in a study a few years ago that I read about when results were published. Apparently, the study showed that when type 1 diabetics with hypoglycemic unawareness managed to go for TWO WEEKS without any hypo episodes at all, they were able to regain their warning symptoms. One other thing noted by the study was that it is more important than many of us realize to treat ANY hypo with the guickest possible carb. The reason, according to the study, that people lose their warning symptoms is because when frequent hypos or hypos that are treated with slower-digesting foods happen, the body has the time and need to send out for the emergency sugars stored in the liver. When this happens, the brain gets "confused" and thinks it HAS glucose available when the lows happen, for some of those emergency sugars still are present according to the brain, whichb is desperately searching for glucose. So not only do we need to go for two weeks in order to clear out any traces of these sugars, but also to, as a matter of habit, always treat each low (even the ones that are NOT severe) as if it is life-threatening by gettting the quickest-possible carbs into our bodies. If low at a meal, then, you don't simply eat a few more carbs, but you drink a small amount of juice first, to get those quick carbs going while your body takes its normal hour or so to digest the foods.

I was once one of the hypoglycemic unawareness victims, but by changing some of my habits have brought those symptoms back beautifully so that now I can feel when glucose even drops to the mid-70's. I do encourage you to set a plan to do the two suggestions from the study and see what happens. I am no longer afraid of passing out suddenly and am one proof that this study's suggestions work.

[maxe]

i am unsure if i have hyperglycemia as i have all the symptoms but am still awaitng test results to confirm either way my blood pressure is quite low for me normally it sits at 100/120 but as of late it has been 90/50 which means i can just stand and i get a dizzie spell of some sort i also have an increased thrist/craving for sprite at night about 7-8pm after diner should i be taking blood glucose level tests? and start writing down what i eat in a day? but i also have very little of an appetite i have spoken with my doctor on more than one occasion and still have no answers, i have seen another doctor as a second opinion so to speak these problems have limited my attendance at work due to feeling light headed all the time i have all ready had one concussion i do want anymore??? what can i do i feel like there is no help or answers out there for me??????

[maxe]

i am unsure if i have hyperglycemia as i have all the symptoms but am still awaitng test results to confirm either way my blood pressure is quite low for me normally it sits at 100/120 but as of late it has been 90/50 which means i can just stand and i get a dizzie spell of some sort i also have an increased thrist/craving for sprite at night about 7-8pm after diner should i be taking blood glucose level tests? and start writing down what i eat in a day? but i also have very little of an appetite i have spoken with my doctor on more than one occasion and still have no answers, i have seen another doctor as a second opinion so to speak these problems have limited my attendance at work due to feeling light headed all the time i have all ready had one concussion i do want anymore??? what can i do i feel like there is no help or answers out there for me??????