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Sudden insulin reaction

Gully Jimson

Newbie
Messages
1
Location
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Dislikers.
I was diagnosed with Diabetes 2 three years ago and have been stable with daily insulin injections. Suddenly, I have been experiencing hypoglycemic reactions periodically within an hour of my daily injection.

The symptoms include a severe diminution in my ability to communicate, sweats, flushing. They don't occur every time I inject, which is more troubling.

My insulin is delivered from a Lantus Solostar pen. I had been injecting 73 units daily. After the first episode, my primary care provider advised me to drop the dosage to 50 units and monitor my glucose, gradually raising the dosage to get my glucose level down to between 110 and 120.

I'm now injecting 59 units daily, my glucose level fluctuates between 155 and 140. My most recent episode occurred October 3. My glucose was 146 an hour after a snack of sauteed shrimp and I injected 59 units before dinner and fell asleep. My wife had to keep waking me to finish eating dinner and then walked me to bed where I slept for three hours.

Anybody experience anything similar? Any thoughts?
 
Hi @Gully Jimson, As a T1D, not professional advice or opinion:
Have you been able to check your BSL during one of these episodes to confirm a level < 65 mg/dL (or others say < 72 mg/dl)?
Do you partake of something sweet food-wise to ease these symptoms?
Now about Lantus: if you use the search box Right upper corner of the Forum page "Lantus ...AGAIN UGH help please", a post by tim2000s quotes sources stating that accidental injection of Lantus into a blood vessel can cause sudden onset hypos AND that this does not happen with Tresiba or Levemir, two other long-acting insulins.
You have not mentioned what other treatment you are prescribed for your diabetes, past and present, or what sort of diet you follow. These facts may be helpful to see what other things might help and give you some things to discuss with your doctor, as well as the Lantus. Best Wishes.
 
As above, assumng that you have some glucose levels showing hypo, and that taking some quick acting and slow acting CHO to sort hypo.
Often folk successfully lose weight which will make the treatment more effective and they go hypo.
Sometimes after a period of good control in T2DM, the person's beta cell function and insulin sensitivity improves so that the treatment is more effective ie folk go hypo. I thnk this is quite common.
Sometimes people have stopped a medication which wa sputting up their glucose level such as steroids, thiazides, beta blockers, anti-psychotics.
Sometimes folk have started medication which lowers glucose such as tramadol, cipro type antibiotics or alcohol
Sometimes it is due to developing an undeactive thyroid or a decline in renal function so it is worth getting these tested at GP if not clear why going hypo; very rarely folk get an underactive adrenal gland which can cause this, but this is exceptionally rare.
Being on insulin within 3 years of diagnosis of T2DM is a little (not a lot) unusual.
Best wishes
 
I have been on combined insulin for 2 weeks and was steadily increasing my dose, up to 20 units twice daily of novamix, thought I was doing well with BG coming down, but still a little way to go, saturday had 20 units followed by usual breakfast.
Checked blood 2 hours later, 6,5. Has a buttered scone before going out for a short walk of 1.2 miles and then to Tesco’s for shopping. Never made it into Tesco’s, had a massive hypo at the cash machine and woke up in the ambulance., followed by 2 days in hospital. Can give no reason why I had such a massive hypo. I thought I was hypo aware, certainly in hospital about 2.30 am I felt Hungary and a bit shaky so asked them to check my BG, it was 2.8.
I have looked at all of my previous readings and I always seemed to be running high so never considered myself to be at risk of such a massive hypo, added to the fact the hypo was over four hours after the Insulin injection so the rapid insulin should have stopped working by then, any theories?
 
? Exercise causing increased uptake of insulin particularly if you injected into an exercising part of your body such as your thigh?
? less likely, a partial injection of insulin into muscle leading to quicker uptake of insulin?
 
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