Lost warning signs for hypos how can I get them back?

[Sharon Johnes-Shorter]

Hello to anyone who can help. This is my first forum discussion on anything in life. I am a type I diabetic and been for for 26 years in September but lately I have noticed that my warning signs seem to have evaporated, I am desensitised.

I can even go down to 1.7 on my monitor and then suddenly realise how low and no sensitivity at all.

The other week I had no warnings and sat down to find myself being woken by ambulance crew my son had called apparently 2 hours later and again no visible warning from myself or my friend to notice who had just left me earlier.

Anyone know of any help tricks to reboot my system. I eagerly hope to gain your experience. Most of my diabetic life has been isolated.
If it helps I am female and aged 49
Thanks. Sharon

 

[Crimsonclient]

Sorry I'm not t1 but I think you need some professional help here you need to contact the diabetes clinic as this sounds really scary


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[mrman]

Usual advice would be to run your sugars higher than usual for a few weeks, testing more frequent to ensure your always above a set amount. If it was me I would try and aim for 6 minimum, and if around 6 or beliw top up with a carby snack. Doing that for a few weeks you would hopefully regain awareness of being around 4.

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[mo1905]

Hi Sharon, to get hypo awareness back you need to run your BG levels higher than normally desired for a couple of weeks. Good luck !
Mo

 

[Auckland Canary]

Hi Sharon. I have been Type 1 for over 30 years and my hypo signs are very erratic. I know all the medical staff and people on here say to run them higher for a few weeks and they come back but that has not been a proven success for me. They do come back but I find they vary wildly in their intensity and what signs I actually have as well as the levels that they start occurring.
I personally believe that after suffering Type 1 for an extended length of time that your body evolves and starts doing different things. I do get annoyed with my medical team as no one accepts hat I have this problem and insist I just need to run sugars higher for a few weeks even though I repeatedly have told them in the past that this is not really that effective. I just ignore it now and try and manage the best I can.

 

[Riri]

Hia Sharon, I was in a similar position to you and had a disabling hypo 3 years ago waking up with paramedics round me in work. They also told me to run numbers high for weeks and, due to the fact I was terrified of having another episode like this, I certainly ran them high but for a lot longer and higher than they suggested (not good). What seems to have happened to me is they have come back but they have changed completely and are quite subtle. I agree with the last poster, as well I get some stronger hypo feeling at 3.9 than I do at 2.9?! I personally believe that the body doesn't fully regain awareness and the way to go is to test regularly. I was also out on a pump and this helped as on the old MDI regime I did used to get sudden drops of blood sugars which I think was down to a Lantus/Levermir not acting in the long profiled way it's meant to. Have you asked about a pump as anxiety along with other things are part of the criteria for getting one. The pump only releases tiny amounts of fast acting throughout the day so you can control sugars better and help avoid the dreaded hypos. Good luck.

 

[Julie1471]

Hi Sharon, I was the same at one point it ended up with me having a hospital stay( but that was years ago, but the reg, then kept me in hosp and ran them high, for a few weeks). It's not good and I lost my signs again in 2012, I ran them high again, but it only worked a little. But my new DSN, told me that once you get older and being diabetic for 33years(myself), that your signs may change, and to keep a record of how you may have felt. I have now got some "normal signs, shaking", but that sign has only recently returned. I'd run them between 6-8, for a few weeks, but also get an appointment or call your DSN .

 

[iHs]

It does pay to not control bg levels too tightly. Usually really low bg levels below 2mmol usually comes through to trying too hard to keep between tight targets like 5mmol to 8mmol at all times. I too had a few lows below 2mmol and didnt even feel hypo..... really worrying as I only knew about them when I tested and then of course panick, get bottle of lucozade and quickly sit down before risking falling down. Ive now got a pump, test a lot more and manipulate the pump settings to stay within 6.5mmol and 9mmol.

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[Stefano]

Hi Sharon, I agree with the comments. I am 34 years diabetic, age 44. Signs of hypos change during our life but the more you are diabetic the more it becomes difficult to detect early signs. Also note that if your blood sugars fall very slowly it can become very difficult to detect a hypo. My 2 suggestions are:
1) keep your readings around 7 (not lower) for some time.
2) get a CGM if you can afford it. It will give you complete peace of mind as it will alarm every time your sugars go below a set threshold. It's completely worth it in my opinion.
Clearly the more you feel stressed the more these episodes can happen. But it can be reversible.
These are only my thoughts anyway. I'm not a doctor!


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