Has anyone been able to recover their hypoglycemia symptoms?

[MeiChanski]

Hello diabuddies, how are you?

I just wanted to ask has anyone been able to recover their hypo awareness feelings? like will the symptoms ever come back? or are there diabetics who are permanently hypo unaware?
I've been running high recently and when a hypo does occur, I don't feel it or it's a very light hint, quite unclear foggy symptoms. It's not a full on strong feeling if you know what I mean.

 

[WuTwo]

My DSN told me that if ever I lost awareness (because I run my bloods low she was concerned) then the way to get it back is to deliberately run a lot higher for a few months, until you feel it come back. Sadly she didn't say how much higher; maybe one of the others has more idea? Certainly I don't know of any other way (although that's not to say there isn't one).

 

[WuTwo]

If you're losing awareness then it's important to do something to try and get it back. Could you give your diabetes team a ring for advice?

 

[MeiChanski]

My DSN told me that if ever I lost awareness (because I run my bloods low she was concerned) then the way to get it back is to deliberately run a lot higher for a few months, until you feel it come back. Sadly she didn't say how much higher; maybe one of the others has more idea? Certainly I don't know of any other way (although that's not to say there isn't one).

That's quite interesting, I'm currently running slightly high (below 16.5mmol/l) and that often frightens me because of my constant hospital trips in the past for DKA. But running high is lesser of the two evils, right? I just wanted to know if it's possible to retrieve those onset symptoms back and that we as type 1 diabetes are not permanently hypo unaware.

If you're losing awareness then it's important to do something to try and get it back. Could you give your diabetes team a ring for advice?

I did call them some time in April about this, while DSN said CGM might help but only the consultant can authorise funding for it. But i'll see them again in June and hopefully there might be a solution of some kind.

 

[Dicko]

I have sucessfully regained Hypo awareness, I used to run 4-5 all the time when i was on MDI, i tried (very hard) to keep it there thinking it was the best thing to do, unfortunately running this low does cause Hypos, i was told by both my Consultant and DSN to keep it higher if poss as it would help me regain better Hypo awareness ( i had had a few scary episodes). I asked what the desired number was, my Consultant went all scientific on me, but basically if i could keep my BS around the 8mmol mark over a 3-4 month period then that would certainly help...........
It has, i am now on a pump and have possibly the best control i have ever had.

 

[endocrinegremlin]

I did for a few months as a teen. I only had to run 1-2 mmol higher than usual to get my symptoms back. My DSN said it was just giving your system a poke kind of. So a 4 could become a 6, an 8 a 10. I certainly didn't get the impression I had to really throw things out of whack and run into the teens.

 

[Deleted Account]

My bg target is usually 5.5 but I was hyping too low (not noticing until low 2s). A couple of months ago, I increased my target bg to 6.0 and now feeling hypos in the low 3s. I plan to keep my target at 6 for another month and then gradually bring it down to the original level.
So the short answer is "yes"

 

[MeiChanski]

@MeiChanski Yes it is but you would have to run up at the 10-12 mark not sure how long.

As for "running high is the lesser of two evils" really depends on how high is high which could related back to your HB1aC results.

Problem with running high sugars is the long term effect or the damage long term that can happen, which I'm sure you are aware of.
Either way its always best to try and keep between 4 and 10mmol

Oh thank you, 10-12 doesn't sound too bad, would it be best ask the DSN for the duration? but I'm assuming it depends on the person? I'd be hesitant if anyone told me between 14-16 to get hypo awareness back. 4 is borderline a bit low for me and at 10, my consultant will be after you.

I have sucessfully regained Hypo awareness, I used to run 4-5 all the time when i was on MDI, i tried (very hard) to keep it there thinking it was the best thing to do, unfortunately running this low does cause Hypos, i was told by both my Consultant and DSN to keep it higher if poss as it would help me regain better Hypo awareness ( i had had a few scary episodes). I asked what the desired number was, my Consultant went all scientific on me, but basically if i could keep my BS around the 8mmol mark over a 3-4 month period then that would certainly help...........
It has, i am now on a pump and have possibly the best control i have ever had.

Thank you, you and me both have had scary hypos from your input, if I strategically work hard this summer, maybe i'll have a some hope to regain some awareness back before university.

My bg target is usually 5.5 but I was hyping too low (not noticing until low 2s). A couple of months ago, I increased my target bg to 6.0 and now feeling hypos in the low 3s. I plan to keep my target at 6 for another month and then gradually bring it down to the original level.
So the short answer is "yes"

At the moment I have catching myself a bit too late, similar to you at around 2.4 mmol/l, thats when I feel slightly funny. I rarely find myself feeling low at 4. I am aiming between 6-9mmol/l

 

[MeiChanski]

I did for a few months as a teen. I only had to run 1-2 mmol higher than usual to get my symptoms back. My DSN said it was just giving your system a poke kind of. So a 4 could become a 6, an 8 a 10. I certainly didn't get the impression I had to really throw things out of whack and run into the teens.

That's an interesting thought to run 1-2mmol/l higher, I guess a bit of work for me this summer. I spike really badly so I don't know how it'll work.

 

[EllieM]

I had a trip to the hospital with a hypo about 18 months ago and my DSN told me to keep my blood sugars between 6 and 12 for a while. I'd reached the stage when I was frightened to be home alone at night. I haven't had any bad hypos since then and have relaxed the lower end of that range.

But I lost hypo awareness during both of my pregnancies (kids are 23 and 27 now): it seems to happen whenever my hba1c gets much below 7. I am considering self funding a dexcom, which would allow me to go lower safely. Note that my last bout came after I'd been using the libre and an hba1c of 6.5.....

I like being able to wake up at night if my blood sugar goes below 3.5..... (Though I prefer to avoid the hypo in the first place.)

 

[MeiChanski]

I had a trip to the hospital with a hypo about 18 months ago and my DSN told me to keep my blood sugars between 6 and 12 for a while. I'd reached the stage when I was frightened to be home alone at night. I haven't had any bad hypos since then and have relaxed the lower end of that range.

But I lost hypo awareness during both of my pregnancies (kids are 23 and 27 now): it seems to happen whenever my hba1c gets much below 7. I am considering self funding a dexcom, which would allow me to go lower safely. Note that my last bout came after I'd been using the libre and an hba1c of 6.5.....

I like being able to wake up at night if my blood sugar goes below 3.5..... (Though I prefer to avoid the hypo in the first place.)

I'm sorry to hear Thank you, It is something I'm trying to work on and retrieve my hypo awareness to some degree because I keep catching myself at 2.4-2.6 and I could argue that is dangerously low. I have a hba1c of 6.5% (48) as well, it's a cocktail of hypos and some high blood sugars. I agree, I too, would like to avoid hypos or at least catch it at a slight low level and not dangerously low.

 

[GJD]

Guys, you have to reset your "glucostat" (glucose measurement in the brain). Do this by at least two weeks of NEVER going below 3.5. Normal sweating symptoms will gradually return at around 4.5. Each time your blood glucose dips below 3.5, the brain begins to accept this as normal, so you lose symptoms. Look up HARPdoc. https://www.harpdoc.org

 

[alaska]

Yes. In my late twenties, I had poor hypo awareness. I was starting to cycle through what were new hypo symptoms then which were coming on only when very low (2.8, 2.6, ...). Buzzing in the ears was a weird one. Feeling like I was cycling back and forward through time was the most weird and unsettling one. This was getting nasty and I was having severe hypos at work causing seizures.

I responded by doubling down on my control efforts. Ended up trying low carb. I attained much better control and the hypo awareness came back. It's hard to say how long it took because I wasn't struggling with lows (and is now over a decade ago since I struggled with hypo awareness).

I think things got better reasonably quickly. I wasn't doing the thing where people try to get their blood sugars higher to avoid lows, I was just taking smaller doses, thanks to fewer carbs, which prevented me regularly facing sharp drops in blood sugar.

Possibly some of what helped was, having more time to spot symptoms . If I did go low, the lows came on more slowly, so I had a bit ore time to react. Because I wasn't going too high so often, I wasn't tired all day. Therefore, if I started to get tired, I could recognise this as a hypo -rather than what before was a near-permanent state of being (eek).

So, short summary. Yes, I regained hypo symptoms. It probably took a few months. I was fortunately able to cut out the sharp drops in blood sugar and the very low levels from happening, which I believe was probably handy for regaining hypo awareness.

 

[Benny G]

The last couple of weeks I have been running my levels higher, upto low double figures, absolutely no hypos. Trying to regain hypo alert at 4ish rather than 2ish. Tight control with low carb and libre has pushed too low. Even the little hypos add up.
Hypo awareness shall return!

 

[MeiChanski]

The last couple of weeks I have been running my levels higher, upto low double figures, absolutely no hypos. Trying to regain hypo alert at 4ish rather than 2ish. Tight control with low carb and libre has pushed too low. Even the little hypos add up.
Hypo awareness shall return!

Yes. In my late twenties, I had poor hypo awareness. I was starting to cycle through what were new hypo symptoms then which were coming on only when very low (2.8, 2.6, ...). Buzzing in the ears was a weird one. Feeling like I was cycling back and forward through time was the most weird and unsettling one. This was getting nasty and I was having severe hypos at work causing seizures.

I responded by doubling down on my control efforts. Ended up trying low carb. I attained much better control and the hypo awareness came back. It's hard to say how long it took because I wasn't struggling with lows (and is now over a decade ago since I struggled with hypo awareness).

I think things got better reasonably quickly. I wasn't doing the thing where people try to get their blood sugars higher to avoid lows, I was just taking smaller doses, thanks to fewer carbs, which prevented me regularly facing sharp drops in blood sugar.

Possibly some of what helped was, having more time to spot symptoms . If I did go low, the lows came on more slowly, so I had a bit ore time to react. Because I wasn't going too high so often, I wasn't tired all day. Therefore, if I started to get tired, I could recognise this as a hypo -rather than what before was a near-permanent state of being (eek).

So, short summary. Yes, I regained hypo symptoms. It probably took a few months. I was fortunately able to cut out the sharp drops in blood sugar and the very low levels from happening, which I believe was probably handy for regaining hypo awareness.

Thank you, looks like we're going to boot camp for a few months to regain hypo awareness I find it a bit awkward that noone from my diabetes team has told me to try and run slightly high for a while to regain some awareness.