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Hypos everyday

S

Seana7x

Member
Messages
10
Hi

Over the last month a have being getting multiple hypos everyday. A have stopped taking insulin and still having multiple hypos.

Spoke to the diabetic team the other day and the guy said am scratching my head . He really doesn't understand it. He is going to speak to a specialist to get advice.

Being a type 1 for a year now and everything was very well controlled until the last month where am getting constant hypos. Really don't understand it. Would make sense if I was taking insulin and it was happening then I would have to reduce my ratio.

I have had blood test recently where my liver count has being off twice now. Am back in for a repeat blood test in three weeks and have being asked to stop drinking alcohol. Not sure if this has anything to do with it.

Anyone any advice or similar experiences.

Thanks in advance
Sean
 
Seana7x said:
I have had blood test recently where my liver count has being off twice now. Am back in for a repeat blood test in three weeks and have being asked to stop drinking alcohol. Not sure if this has anything to do with it.
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Hi Sean and welcome to the forums.

Can I just double check? You've stopped taking all insulin, including basal? How low do you go with the hypos? What sort (if any) of diet are you on?

Haven't experienced this but can make a few suggestions, though I agree it seems very strange.

1) Maybe your liver isn't producing enough glycogen??? Normally the pancreas produces glucagon when your bg goes low which signals the liver to correct by producing glycogen. This would fit in with the alcohol request as alcohol generally inhibits glycogen release (liver too busy processing the alcohol)
2) There are a number of reasons why non diabetics get hypos, but most (all the ones I can think of) involve over production of insulin by your pancreas (eg benign cysts on the pancreas or RH where the pancreas over responds to carbs). I'll tag @Lamont D who knows a lot about the tests for non diabetic hypoglycemia and might be able to comment.

Any ideas what set off your T1? (COVID??? I'd expect anything weird after covid because we really haven't had long enough to see how it works yet.)

Anyway, hopefully your endocrinologist will be able to work out what is happening. Good luck.
 

Hi Ellie

Thanks for the reply and welcome to the forum.

I was only taking NovaRapid insulin for my night time meals but was asked to stop the this for the next few days to see what difference it makes. I used to take insulin 3 to 4 times a day but now a have stopped taking it completely.

The other morning I was 4.8. I ate some toast and jam and 2 hours later I was 3.2 I ate a roll and cheese a jam crumpet and 2 jelly babies to boost my sugars. 2hours later I was 3.5. Before if I had done that my sugars would probably be near double figures.

Last night was the first time not taking insulin for my dinner.I was 6 before my meal. Ate my dinner and had a few beers which also used to raise my bloods initially. 2 hours later I was 4.5.Then this morning I am 4.8. I used to be around 7 in the mornings.

Generally I do eat fairly well. A have multiple fruits and veg daily and rarely have fast food.Since being diabetic I have not eaten chocolate or cakes . I basically cut out high sugar foods

Thats some interesting information about the liver.

To be honest I have no idea. Yeah hopefully this week I might get some advice from the specialist.

Thanks Sean
 

Hi Sean. When I was first diagnosed (aged 56) during the first year I too had several hypos. Like you, my insulin was adjusted to the point where I was only on 1 or 2 units a day of bolus & basal. Eventually, after around 9 months I stopped using insulin altogether because the hypos were constant. However, I STILL had the hypos, down into the high 2s and 3s. My Diabetes Nurses insisted that was not possible as I wasn't using the insulin and tried to write it off as 'Well, even non diabetics go into the 3s, it's fine'. Ridiculous advice as I was still a type 1 having to abide with driving regs, etc. My Consultant put it down to still being in a honeymoon period where the initial use of insulin had given my beta cells a rest, they had then woken up and were pumping out sufficient insulin all on their own for that 3 months but even he couldn't explain why I was still going hypo. Anyway, after a few months my numbers started creeping up again so I resumed the insulin on very low amounts, and yes, I still get hypos but nowhere near as many. My blood tests and everything else were all fine during this though, unlike your liver count. Sorry I haven't been able to say why you are getting hypos but I just wanted to say that yes, it IS possible, it happened to me. x

Edited to add; Just seen you have only just stopped taking your bolus before dinner, your low readings after that meal may be down to the fact that your pancreas has come back to life because of the honeymoon period, as a type 1 though your next few meals without insulin may show a different story, either now or next week or next month! Of course you'll be testing, testing, testing.
 
Reactions: ert
After two months of injecting insulin, I lost my glycogen response from my liver where my liver gave out stored sugar after my blood sugars became below 3.9 mmol/l. I started to hypo. This lack of glycogen response may be what you are seeing here even after stopping insulin.
 
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Hi ert, that is such a good point. It's easy to forget that insulin is a hormone that works in tandem with many other hormones and responses, so just because we have an issue with insulin does not mean that our other linked responses either still work or don't, etc.
 
Or works too much as in adrenal, thyroid and in my case, insulin, there are many more hormones than you couldn't name that aids digestion and keeps homeostasis.

I'm not going to comment at the moment, except for I have experienced the daily hypos, but mine were lower than yours, I have read not much that could be RH, except the hypos.

Keep safe
 
Thanks for the reply.Alot of good information here.

My diabetic nurse that I spoke to did mention the honeymoon period but thought it wouldnt happen a year on.Yeah am testing bloods alot more now to see whats happening.Hopefuly get some answers soon.

Thanks Sean
 

Very possible. Its nice to join a forum with people with more knowledge than me that can give advice. Thanks
 

Hi maybe worth mentioning that I also have a underactive thyroid.

Thanks Sean
 
Seana7x said:
Hi maybe worth mentioning that I also have a underactive thyroid.

Thanks Sean
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That would definitely make a diagnosis difficult. A c-peptide test is needed.
See your doctor. And if you can get a referral.

Keep safe
 

Hi Sean, I'm still in my honeymoon period, 3 years on. It's fairly common I believe. x
 
I don't know if they are still doing it, but assuming you are in the UK Abbott were doing a free trial of the freestyle libre 2. (I know it sounds like it belongs in the feminine hygiene aisle of the supermarket, but it's a sensor that attaches to your arm and gives you continuousish readings of your blood glucose.) I believe dexcom are doing the same thing with their G6 cgm. Cgms don't stop you ever needing to use a glucometer, but they can make life a lot easier, particularly when you are worried about going low. (You can set alarms to go off at 4.5 before you go hypo.)
 
Reactions: ert

Thanks a have heard of these and looked into them before. It would definitely be beneficial.
 
Have you been more active, since the lockdown eased in U.K. or your country (if in a diffenrent country)

when lockdown happened my blood sugar was in balance the odd high sometimes, however when I lockdown eased and went back to cycling and volunteering at animal park. I ended up getting more hypos, due to being suddenly active again even when I decreased my insulin. Took me a while to get back into the right balance and I still struggle too when I volunteer in the animal park sometimes.
 

Nothing has changed for me a have being working a through since returning to work after the first lockdown. A was exercising doing Hiit training last year and I would sometimes have hypos because of the intensity which is understandable. My blood sugars would recover after resting and wasnt really a issue for me. A haven't being exercising this year .

Today at work I have had 4 hypos. Hopefully hear from my Diabetic team this week. I have other ongoing health issues that I need to get sorted out which may be effecting my blood sugars. Although I am not entirely sure.
 
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