September 12, 2003
Other Illnesses
Question from Christchurch, New Zealand:
My daughter who has had type 1 diabetes for four years started having some severe hypoglycaemic episodes, and there have now been multiple hospital admissions. C-peptide is negative, synacthin test is normal, and coeliac disease has now been suggested on the basis of a biopsy.
She is continuing to have severe hypos, and the dextrose drip takes as long as six hours to bring her up. We are not over injecting. Do you have any ideas? I am getting desperate for an answer.
Answer:
Celiac disease
is ten times more common in children and adults with diabetes as part of the
autoimmune
cluster. If someone has untreated celiac disease, the bowel mucosa is damaged (and therefore absorption of food) is poorer. As a result, blood sugar levels tend to be lower and are seldom high after meals as well. The insulin requirement is generally low and low blood sugar levels are commonly encountered with, as in your daughter’s case, lower rise of blood sugar levels after oral dextrose is a consequence of slow absorption.
MS
