i don't get any hypo awareness at all and haven't done so since diagnosis in 1993.The hypos are causing a huge problem and affecting my life. It can take my parents up to 2hours to get me to come round.
What can be done?
I'm with you Anna. I maintain very tight control (like someone said maybe in some circles too tight). Anyway I like non-D readings 80-120 at all times. Granted there are times when I slip up, but by and large I make it. A new Endo didn't like my control, insisted on changing my pump settings and I have been consistently well over 200 for weeks now. I feel it. I am firing the Endo tomorrow.
As a note: I couldn't just go back to the settings I had tweaked to (my idea of) perfection. He was seeing me too often to cover that kind of deception.
It isn't going to be pleasant tomorrow, I have to stay in the same practice sue to insurance. Wish me luck
Update: I answered this question in 2011, and it's now 2014, and things have changed. At this point, I'm NOT feeling lows until I get into the low 50's, and that doesn't give me much time to take care of things. I got a Dexcom CGM to help with that, and I have my low alarm set to 80, so that I'm still in my right mind and can observe if it's steady, in which case I don't treat, or dropping, in which case, I do. I also tend not to feel highs, but I don't worry so much about that, because if I've taken insulin, they WILL come down. Maybe I need to correct after a couple of hours, but it's just not a problem. Even if I was sick, and running high, the answer is always more insulin, and prevention of DKA. But again, the CGM REALLY helps. Now if only Medicare would cover it!!!!!
I think first you should ask your doctor to prescribe you a Glucagon Emergency Kit. This is a syringe that has to be injected into the skin by your parents. It acts very quickly and will bring you out of the danger zone. Your parents should still call the paramedics if they can not wake you up within 20 minutes after the injection. They should not wait 2 hours like you describe it. This is far too long and can lead to a seizure you might not survive.
Second you should question your whole approach to diabetes management: the types of insulins you are using, the knowledge you have about diabetes management, your eating habits, your activity patterns and their influence on your hypos, your menstrual cycle and the change in basal needs this will bring. There is a lot to question and learn. In my opinion lows are part of being insulin dependent. But at the same time they should be treated with the same respect and care like high numbers. It is important to identify the mistake you have made that caused the low. With this knowledge you can do something about it proactively. Perhaps a book like "think like a pancreas" is a start. At the end it might be very easy to handle: You had a busy and active day - just eat a joghurt for the night that keeps you stable! Or your basal drags you into a low a night - adjust the dosage or (again) eat something against it! Somehow you will have to outsmart these patterns of recurring lows.