Hi all,
Since being diagnosed with type 1 about a year and a half ago I have erred very much on the low side of BG. I’m so frightened of complications from high BG down the road that I’d much rather see numbers in the 30s and 20s than the 150s. Given that I have been in the 20s and even the teens and not felt at all close to passing out, I’ve not been terribly concerned (though obviously I’m aiming for 70 - 120). I get told off by endos, but only because they say it puts me in danger of passing out in a bad situation or losing the ability to sense these lows.
On my own, I’ve turned up a little info on the web, and I think it’s been mentioned here occasionally, about possible nerve damage from lows. Has anyone experienced this or know what typical problems can occur and from what severity and frequency of lows over what type of timescale?
Lately, I’ve noticed some mild symptoms that seem like my nerves are kind of generically aggravated. More random twitches and limbs falling asleep from pressure than usual, etc.
I don’t know about the nerves but I want to question your preference for 20s and 30s over 150s. I don’t like 150s either but an occassional 150 or even a day where you can’t get under 150 is not going to do much long term damage. While you may do just fine most of the time you go very low, it only takes one catastrophic low to take you to the emergency room or worse.
Jeska posted a funny post about her recent experience with a 36. You might consider whether you want to chance being in that mental state often.
One of the results of the DCCT was that the frequency of complications began to flatten out once patients were able to get their A1cs below 7. You’re probably not adding much risk, loosening up a bit and shooting for an A1c of 5.5 rather than a 4.8.
Issues can be short term memory problems. Also your Endo can alert the state and have your drivers licence revoked. Also in California a few years ago a diabetic was sent to jail after they went low behind the wheel and killed someone in an accident. I have issues with lows, but the issues you mentioned above could be caused by that for in my case it was vitamin D, B and some of the mineral deficiencies.
It can cause brain damage if you have too many lows! You are walking a dangerously tight rope if you continue to do it. And nerve damage. Anything that is wrong with your blood, high or low is not good for the nerves.
Thanks for the replies, all, and the concern.
Again, it’s not as if I’m happy to see any numbers, either high or low, outside the normative 70 - 120 range. So please don’t tell me to be, even “a bit,” “more sensible.” I’m doing my best to keep it in that range all the time. I already go low carb/ low insulin, but thanks for that suggestion. On 11 units of lantus (probably because I’m still slightly honeymooning) I can wake up with a BG anywhere from 55 to 110–outside of what I want for fasting on both sides. What I really want is detailed, scientific data on the long term, rather than possible sudden, consequences of low BG, so I can do a cost - benefit analysis that will help me figure out what end and what numbers to prioritize first. Information just seems to be scarce. Endos just give me dogma about avoiding lows at all costs–no doubt because they’re afraid of being sued.
Ah well, back to google scholar searches on the subject I guess.
Best to all, and thanks again.
–Mentha
Since you have only had Diabetes for about 1 1/2 years, I highly doubt that your symptoms are because of Diabetes. I’ve had shakiness from lows but I’ve not had “twitching” due to it. Continued lows can cause memory loss or perhaps other brain damage for sure. I do agree with Brock, that vitamin and/or mineral deficiences may be a possibility.
