
June 7, 2002
Hypoglycemia, Other
Question from Worthing, England:
Have you heard of a Hypoalarm to warn a person if the blood sugar level is incorrect? Where can you buy one?
Answer:
The Hypolarm HG-4000 is manufactured in England, and it senses sweating which is a sign of hypoglycemia. The GlucoWatch is also available on prescription in the UK. This device actually measures blood sugar and also has an alarm, but it is an expensive and still has some problems with calibration and accuracy.
You might also suggest to your friend that he/she talk to the doctor about switching to the peak free insulin Lantus (insulin glargine) for basal needs with Humalog or NovoRapid insulin for after meal blood sugar rises.
In any case, the main treatment of hypoglycemia is prevention and this often means establishing a profile of the blood sugar pattern over a few days and adjusting the insulin pattern and dose to minimise the risk.
DOB