Q I've always been afraid to ask...
But knowledge is power, right?
What is the deal with otherwise healthy type I's dying in their sleep from hypos? I had kind of assumed (or maybe convinced myself) that there had to be more to the story, like drugs or drinking, but I'm losing my resolve. Is it really just a crap shoot to go to sleep every night? Is it a Q of glycogen stores in the liver -- and if so, how does one make sure they're stocked up?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric on -
Why is this a mystery? Hypoglycemia is just a normal part of a diabetics life....I had this happen to me, but I've been diabetic for 32 years, so really it was only a matter of time. I'm actually surprised that it took this long!
Eric
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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on -
I'm glad you're still with us, Eric. This is somewhat of a mystery, for example, because rubidoux says that she has had many night time hypos, but woke alive and well with only a high BG in the morning, because of glycogen from her liver. Why didn't yours do the same? Why didn't you and I have heart attacks and die, as it appears quite a few do? It seems there are people here who have had diabetes 20+ years that have never lost consciousness from hypos?
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Permalink Reply by Eric on
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Luckily, my brother found me and brought me back. Unfortunately I sustained some brain damage and now have problems forming new memories...but at least I'm alive....
Eric
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Permalink Reply by DeeJay on -
I've had hypos as a teenager where I wake up at 6am, take insulin, eat breakfast and went back to sleep at 7:30am, I didn't wake up until 1am the next morning, My family was out of town and I was alone. I managed to wake up and crawl to the fridge and get OJ, idk know if any of you have tried to walk and get sugar by yourself during a very low hypo, its horrible.I was confused on what day it was and the time. It took me a few hours to finally figure out what happened. I had no brain damage. Like someone said earlier in this post, we are all different and our bodies respond differently, I've had many of these episodes and I'm still alive. This post made me feel so uneasy as I am very Hypo unaware and I do not have a CGM.
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Permalink Reply by MissKitka on -
rubidoux,
I know of several diabetics who died in their sleep. It's commonly referred to as "dead in bed syndrome" and it is usually caused by having hypo unaware. I get up at night at least twice a month to eat. I always know when I am hungry and test only twice a month so I am not unaware.
I inject only 24 hour Basel twice a day so from 8am I am committed for the whole day. I always eat a bit more before bed than I know I need, my night time cookie. I may be 130 in the morning but keep myself below 60 all day by nibbling. This nets A1cs of 6.5. I have been doing this for 53 years.
Don
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Permalink Reply by rubidoux on -
This is probably the strangest regimen I've ever heard about! If it works for you, then why not? Have you ever tested more? I'm wondering why your a1c is as high as it is. I would think a 6.5 would reflect a much higher average blood sugar than it looks like you should have.
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Permalink Reply by Jan74 on -
I am basically on the same regimen - I take Levemir twice a day, and that is it. Unless I need a correction shot, I don't take other insulin during the day. In reality this works out to me using fast acting insulin during my period, but not the other weeks of the month.
Downsides: I have to eat the same amount everyday, at the same times. Plus sides: I don't need a ton of shots.
6.5 averages 139 blood sugar, according to the AccuChek calculator.
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Permalink Reply by MissKitka on
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rubidoux,
Additional.
If I have a low low, like below 25, I can still function enough to get something to eat on my own, but after that I keep my BGs above 100 for a few days to recharge my liver with glucose.
Don
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Permalink Reply by Samantha RIley on -
What is the auto off feature?
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Permalink Reply by MossDog on -
A feature that turns off the pump if buttons are not pushed within a time specified by you. A common time is 12 hours. So if you don't "wake up" the pump every at least 12 hours it will automatically turn off on you.
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Permalink Reply by tyler on
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When we have heard of this happening to teenagers we always ASSumed that they just did something wrong with the pump or did not eat as much as they were suppose too. But we all know what they say about assuming LOL
What I read here that I did not know was that the mornings that I wake up and have unexplained highs like above 200 is that maybe I had a low and did not know it .My mom checked my sugar at 2 AM every night after I was diagnosed for 2-3 years until the doctore finally told her to stop . I think she still does it sometimes . I have a feeling that since we read this she will be checking my BS at night again !!Got to love SUPER MOMS !!!!
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