Hypoglycemic unawareness

Type 1 and LADA Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes
1

After 10 years of having T1D, my daughter is complaining of not being able to feel lows. Is there a way to reverse this? I was reading somewhere that going to a higher BGs for sometime will bring back the awareness. Is it true?

2

It does work for some people.
It worked a little ‘too well’ for me!
Now I feel ‘low’ around 100! Which is crazy.

3

My approach would be a little different - I would start by determining what is causing the lows in the 1st place? If she is not on a CGM, how often does she check her BG?

4

For many years, I was hypoglycemia unaware. When I reduced the frequency and duration of low BGs, my hypo symptoms returned. Now, at 65 mg/dL, my heart rate elevates and I start to sweat, a result of adrenaline released due to the hypo.

I don’t know for sure, but if your daughter can stay out of hypoglycemia for a month or so, she’ll likely get a return of the physical low symptoms. This a highly valuable asset to help protect her safety. If she doesn’t already wear a CGM, I would get one. I consider it a crucial device for both health and safety.

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5

she is checking every 2 hrs…

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6

thats good to know thanks. I have asked her to reduce basal by 10% for that reason.

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7

What’s her normal A1C?

I’ve been unaware of lows for a very long time. My A1Cs range from 5.1 to 5.6. BGs stay around 100 average. I can be 45 and functional, so a CGM is essential for me.

I’ve been told by many doctors that I would need to keep my BG over 200 for a month to return to feeling low. Doing it often also. Not doing that.

CGM. It’s an important tool for T1s.

8

@Wonder my Endo late last year had me go on a binge to try and reset hypo awareness. She said it works “sometimes” for “some” people - good enough for me, hello Xmas party food! I had to sustain +200 mg/dl for 2 weeks (never dropping below 200), followed by 2 weeks of > 150 mg/dl (never going over 150).

I have some indications back, at a reduced level but nothing like when I was newly diagnosed. Was it worth it? For me, yes because a 29 when your cgm is running is just downright scary.