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Hypo Unawareness

Sharps

Member
Messages
7
I am Type 1 Diabetic on insulin for about 33 years. Now, in the last 9 months, i have been fighting this hypo unawareness, i can get as low as 2 and dropping further, without noticing!!!! It has caused me problems at work.Surely, it can't go on like this.
 
I'm not a T1 but I have read about how much this issue can put a T1 at risk, and have read about treatment options that can address it.

If you would like your thread to be moved to the T1 forum so it gets seen by more people with T1, you can ask a moderator to move it for you.
 
I Jenny, how do i tag a moderator, thank you
 
Have you asked your DSN how to get back your hypo awareness?

The only method I'd heard was to keep blood sugars highish for a few months. How high, I don't know, but I got the impression it could be around 10.

I recently heard of another method which was to reduce the standard deviation of your test results (basically reduce the difference between the high and the low blood sugars). I'm not sure how this is done.
 
@Sharps sorry to read about your hypo unawareness.
What is your target BG?
I ask because I understand we may be able to "retrain" our bodies to recognise hypos by getting them familiar with a slightly higher BG.
We see this from the other end when people are first diagnosed with diabetes: they experience hypo symptoms at levels such as 5.0 because their bodies have got used to be higher than 10.
So, if your target is, say, 5.5, for the next month, increase it to 6.0 or 6.5. As your body gets used to this higher level, when you go hypo, it is more likely to notice.
 
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My body has got used to higher and lower BG levels, the constant hypos may be affecting my memory/brain activity, am really worried about this. For the second time i am on a sickline in 4 years, never happened to me before. Sitting out of work for over two months.Not good.But i am really hoping to get this problem solved.I don't get any of the normal symptoms of a hypo until its too late then my brain starts shutting or some kind of speech problem
 
Rachox said:
@Sharps, I’ll tag in moderators who are type 1 for you, as I’m a type 2 and I can’t advise about hypo awareness. The type 1 mods are @himtoo , @Diakat , @urbanracer and @Juicyj
Click to expand...
Just in case you didn't see, the reason I tagged you in was so that if Sharps wanted to ask a moderator to move the thread to a T1 area, you and Juicyj were currently online. Thanks for adding the others though.
 
Hi @Sharps sorry to her of your troubles. The advice above to run higher is good.
Also lots and lots of testing (or libre/cgm if possible), treat a 5 as if it is a 4 so you don't go low for a few weeks. Talk to your team at work and medically. Are you in the UK? If so are you aware of driving issues if this situation continues? Hope you can get back to work soon.
 
Jenny15 said:
Just in case you didn't see, the reason I tagged you in was so that if Sharps wanted to ask a moderator to move the thread to a T1 area, you and Juicyj were currently online. Thanks for adding the others though.
Click to expand...
There’s other mods on line now, but unfortunately it appears Sharps isn’t, still I’m sure he’ll get the help he needs in due course (Thanks @Diakat , your post just popped up as I was typing)
 
I believe some/all CCGs have 'hypo unawareness' as one of the criteria for prescribing the Freestyle Libre Flass glucose system. The Libre is a fantastic device, in my opinion (and many others) and if you could get it on prescription, I'm sure that would help

I definitely recommend you discuss your hypo unawareness with your Diabetes Nurse and also ask about the possibility of the Libre on prescription

If you have to self fund, it's not cheap but it's definitely cheaper than smoking 20 cigs/day
 
hi there @Sharps
I went through this quite a few years ago and my Consultant advised me to stop driving for 6 - 8 weeks and to "run higher on purpose"..... that is to say reduce basal insulin and push I:C ratios up ( example from 1:8 out to 1:12 if that makes sense.
I followed this advice and indeed around 6 weeks later was definitely getting symptoms back at the right sort of levels.

doing this retrains the body to recognise the symptoms at a level thet is not as dangerous ( typically 3.8 - 4.3 )
 

Hi @Sharps ,

I know that DCUK is somehow involved with this, http://hypoglycemia.uk/#/

I don't know much about it but some element of it is related to helping people recover their hypo awareness.
 
Yes i am in the UK and am getting some help at the diabetic clinic but this hypounawareness is worrying me a lot
 
Yes i am using the libre sensor for the last three months plus normal finger pricking device
 
What about doing sports,does it make the situation worse?
 
Howareyou getting on? Has your DSN got any other tips for you?
 
I've been type 1 for 50 years and have had no hypo awareness for a few years, tried running higher but nothing changed DSN said due to the length of time I've been type 1, good control ( you can't win lol), and doubted that awareness would return, it's a bit worrying as I was 1.9 and still functioning normally, I hope running higher works for you, good luck
 
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