February 28, 2002
Hypoglycemia
Question from Athens, Ohio, USA:
I have had type 1 diabetes for 19 years, and recently, when my sugar gets low, I don’t feel the reaction until it is below 50 mg/dl [2.8 mmol/L]. Even then, when I do feel the reaction, it is different from years past when I got shaky and started sweating. I am concerned about nighttime reactions which so far I have woken up from.
My doctor says that the body sometimes becomes immune to reactions after many years of diabetes. Is this true? If so, is there anything (besides the good control I am already practicing) to alleviate this?
Answer:
Your condition is referred to as hypoglycemia unawareness. which tends to occur with increasing duration of diabetes. It is frequently preceded by recurrent bouts of hypoglycemia.
It is very important to work on avoiding hypoglycemia. It is only by avoiding hypoglycemia that you can get some of the earlier symptoms of hypoglycemia to return. I strongly suggest you work with your physician on doing this.
JTL