Hypothesis Testing

When I first started experiencing my regular morning hypoglycemia, I went to the doctor and asked him if the Cipralex I was taking could be causing it. He said no. Now, I am beginning to wonder if he was correct.

If I was experiencing reactive hypoglycemia, it would be unlikely that I would only experience it in the mornings. After all, I eat lunch and supper too! I've eaten larger meals for lunch and supper at times, and have not experienced the same 4 hourly post-prandial hypo.

If it was a reaction to the insulin, it would be unlikely that I would only experience it in the mornings. I have also taken insulin at supper, and haven't had a single night time low. I know that I'm not hypo-unaware, because I feel them coming on in the mornings, so it's not that I'm missing the night-time hypos.

I suspect it's the Cipralex. I take it only in the mornings, therefore it could be related to the morning hypos. I googled it yesterday, and found the same warning it said on the packet insert: "In people with diabetes, treatment with an SSRI antidepressant may alter control of blood sugar, possibly due to an improvement in depressive symptoms. Your dose of insulin or antidiabetic medicine may need to be altered. Seek medical advice from your doctor."

That sounds good right? Improvement in blood sugar? But no, it gets better. When googling "Cipralex diabetes hypoglycemia" I found out that "Diabetes: People with diabetes should be closely monitored by their doctor while taking escitalopram, as it may occasionally lower blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).". Right, so Cipralex can cause hypoglycemia in rare cases. Well, am I one of those rare cases?

To find out, I have decided to take my Cipralex with lunch today. I am eating the same meal for both breakfast and lunch (low GI muffins with pecan nuts), so that should rule out the hypo being a reaction to what I've eaten. So, now the waiting game is on - will I still have a hypo between 11am and 12pm, or will it occur between 4pm and 5pm? Let's see.