Can a person with type 1 diabetes ever become hypoglycemic?
November 27, 2009 by Diabetes and Blood Glucose Tips
Filed under Hypoglycemia & Hyperglycemia
Can you answer Vena Cava’s question about Diabetes?:
THey don’t have any insulin. So I was curious if its even physically possible for them to ever become hypoglycemic. If so in what instances?
Managing Hypoglycemia
THey don’t have any insulin. So I was curious if its even physically possible for them to ever become hypoglycemic. If so in what instances?
Managing Hypoglycemia
Diabetes Feedback: Oh yes! Hypoglycemia is a HUGE problem for people with type 1 diabetes!!!! The basic problem is taking too much insulin for the food that they’ve consumed. Also, a hard workout can cause hypoglycemia for someone with type 1 diabetes. Balancing food-insulin-activity is a tricky thing to do and it’s easy to make mistakes in calculating insulin doses from time to time.
I have a son with type1 diabete and his blood sugar was just 63 for no reason that we could figure out, but a glass of OJ resolved that.
Diabetes Feedback: Type one diabetics are treated with insulin. I am uncertain if I understand what you are asking.
Any person getting a higher dose of insulin than is needed will suffer from hypoglycemia.
Diabetes Feedback: No….
You get hypoglycemia which then turns into diabetes because your pancries just poops out permanently… But only if you dont take care of it.
NO SUGAR NO STARCHES! Lots of protein!!!
Diabetes Feedback: No it would be very hard they would die of starvation yet still have a high blood sugar (in the absence of insulin like u said)
edit
why the thumbs down you ignorants ? the PROBLEM in diabetes is that there is excess glucose both from inability to use AND from an imbalance with Glucagon and Cortisol which make the body turn fat and protein into EVEN MORE GLUCOSE , thats why Type 1 s are characteristically thin at presentation . So its practically impossible for them to get hypoglycemia whule they are alive UNLESS they take too much Insulin . Capeesh ?
Diabetes Feedback: People with type one diabetes take insulin every day, multiple times. If the insulin is not perfectly balanced with food and activity levels (not taking into account other things such as stress or illness which impact glycemic control) the blood sugar will go either too high or too low.
Too low is known as hypoglycemia. I have had type one diabetes for over 18 years. I have had episodes of hypoglycemia at least twice a week during that time. So yes, it is possible… probable even. I’d say it’s a certainty. Everyone with type 1 diabetes will experience hypoglycemia at some point in time.
Diabetes Feedback: I guess I am just a poor “ignorant” that has been for no reason carrying around my emergency stash of sugar in case I “go low”. I “capeesh” that I have had several instances of very uncomfortable hypoglycemia and all it took was an imbalance between my insulin dose and what I had for breakfast!
Repeat the question in part “…to ever become hypoglycemic…”. As you will notice there were no qualifiers, the question said “ever”.
Diabetes Feedback: YES!
Scenario 1 Not enough sugar in meals.
Scenario 2 Too much basal or bolus insulin.
Scenario 3 If they exercise a lot that will lower their blood sugar too.
Hypoglycemia often occurs at night because of normal hormonal changes. People with DM also can develop hypoglycemic unawareness. This is where the normal signals of sweating, fast heart beat, and dizziness may not occur until the glucose level is dangerously low and they may pass out. This is especially true at night and called nocturnal hypoglycemia. These are dangerous (MORE so than hyperglycemia for most patinets). Quick sugar is needed but be careful not to over correct 15 - 30 grams of sugar and repeat in 15 minutes if not > 70 mg/dL.~ Clinical Pharmacist