June 13, 2004
Hypoglycemia, Insulin Analogs
Question from Reno, Nevada, USA:
Last night, my son went to bed with a blood glucose of 145 mg/dl [8.1 mmol/L] after a long day playing at a lake. Three hours later, I checked him while he was sleeping and his blood glucose was 25 mg/dl [1.4 mmol/L]. He did not appear to have had a seizure. Is it unusual to be so low without a seizure? During the summer, when we know activity level is very high, is it advisable to consider reducing his Lantus dose? Or, should we really give him extra carbohydrates before bedtime to raise his blood sugar?
Answer:
It is not unusual to have low blood sugars following a day of intense activity. I would suggest changing his insulin dosing to prevent the low blood sugars. Check with your diabetes team for specific advice about your son. I don’t usually suggest eating more to avoid a low. As a general rule, if you can change your insulin dosing, especially during the summertime active months, to avoid routine lows rather than force feeding when you’re not hungry, then you’re less likely to encounter weight problems in the coming years.
MSB
