October 3, 2003
Hypoglycemia
Question from Clearwater, Florida, USA:
My 13 year old daughter, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about two months ago, is on NPH with Humalog before breakfast and dinner. Her blood glucose readings were regulated within two weeks, but recently she has become extremely pale within an hour or two after injections. Although she recognizes hypoglycemia symptoms extremely quickly, she exhibits no other signs of possible hypoglycemia at these times, and her blood glucose readings are normal. What could be causing this sudden skin pallor?
Answer:
There are several possible causes for this. I am not sure, but it might be secondary to an abrupt drop (even within still normal values) in blood sugar that often happens after administering Humalog. Check blood sugar levels one hour after eating to exclude this possibility. In addition, I have seen these symptoms in patients who have no other remarkable disease or findings.
MS
