Victims of circumstance in HYPOglycemia unawareness - The Diabetes Blog

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Victims of circumstance in hypoglycemic unawareness - The Diabetes Blog:

"Victims of circumstance in hypoglycemic unawareness...

First Posted Jun 6th 2007 9:50PM by Allison Love Beatty
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, Research, Opinion, Support
http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/06/victims-of-circumstance-in-hypoglycemic-unawareness/

Lately the news has seen a lot of devastating diabetic events due to hypoglycemic unawareness. Hypoglycemic unawareness is commonly defined as an inability to recognize the symptoms (sweating, tremor, hunger, anxiety, and palpitations) of decreased blood sugar or a failure of the warning signs to occur before development of neuroglycopenia, which means a shortage of glucose in the brain. Curiously, this term was not coined for diabetes until 10 years after the introduction of genetically modified human synthetic insulin and insulin analogues.

I hate to say it but diabetes is a crapshoot. You never know what you are going to get, but you can sure try your best to keep your eye on the ball. Removing the inherent dangers of hypoglycemic unawareness would make me a happier diabetic, and improve the lives of all those I care about (diabetics like myself). The answer might lie in the only type of treatment available nowadays, insulin analogues. Diabetics who do not take any form of drug to control blood sugar do NOT have hypoglycemic unawareness.

It's called human but it is nothing"

...

http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/06/victims-of-circumstance-in-hypoglycemic-unawareness/#c5614998

Hi Love & Brent;

potentially 'OVERdosing' or potentially 'UNDERdosing' insulin or GM insulin ... (A) Which is SAFER; (B) Why does the human body sometimes appear to have an 'allergy' to human insulin; and (C) What is the optimum 'self-help' strategy for achieving an indefinite "Honeymoon Period" and/or maybe a "2nd Honeymoon Period" aka 'beta-islet cell regeneration'?

(1) re Love's blog & Brent's comment #3 relating to that blog...
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/06/victims-of-circumstance-in-hypoglycemic-unawareness
... "To put a chink in your “good control” theory, I present my own case—with attendant feelings. For more than 30 years, I used natural (animal) insulins to manage my disease. The “feelings” I had were sweats, tremors, hunger—and those “feelings” triggered an urgent need for food. Before bG monitors were even a gleam in the diabusiness eye, my “feelings” held me in good stead . . . never an episode of unconsciousness, never the need for outside intervention. A1c’s—which are the metric for assessing “good control”—were assessed infrequently, but my 5.5 readings should indicate I was not out of control. Quite frankly, I must state that while I did not enjoy these “feelings,” I was certainly appreciative that the “feelings” kept me out of danger and in control. Jump ahead to my interlude with “the latest, the greatest, rDNA Human insulin—it’s better” (so my doctor assured me). “Feelings” disappeared. While my monitor (upon which I became more and more dependent) told me my bG was low . . . my “feelings” did not. This interlude was short-lived, fortunately. Despite best efforts at achieving control with this peaky, unpredictable insulin, my A1c’s began to climb. Then I took a shot at pump therapy and Humalog/Novalog analogs. NO FEELINGS. bG monitoring became increasingly frequent. When my A1c reached 7.2 . . . I decided that as long as animal insulin was available and importable, I was better served using these products."

(2) re Love's blog & Scott's comment #1 relating to that blog...
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/03/the-honeymoon-period
... "But I think he has one undeniable truth, and that is the law of small numbers, namely that by minimizing the amount of insulin required, the patient also reduces the possibility for errors, and if errors occur, they are likely to be less severe ... but the basic idea is the same: insulin is not an easy medicine to use, therefore the idea of reducing our need for it is probably a goal that is worthy of pursuit."

(3) re Love's blog & Scott's comment #3 relating to that blog...
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/17/the-rising-prices-of-insulin
... "However, the biggest question was why are we treating patients with "human" insulin when type 1 diabetes is known to be the result of a human allergy to "human" insulin?"

AND another interesting question...

What about treating Patients with the absolute MINIMUM amount of GM insulin ... when type 1 diabetes is known to be the result of a human allergy to "human" insulin?

AND because Scott's question has inspired this question which in my opinion is one of the most fundamental questions ever to be asked about type 1 diabetes ... please allow my asking similar related questions, yet again, so We can really focus on quickly finding the right answers...

What about treating Patients [and especially newly diagnosed Patients still in their "Honeymoon Period"] with the ABSOLUTE minimum amount of GM insulin & carbohydrates ... when type 1 diabetes so often and so certainly appears to be an ALLERGY to 'excess' GM insulin [... or is it a transient ALLERGY to carbohydrates related to the inherent capacity of carbohydrates to induce high > low bs patterns even in 'normal' People?].

Brent's experience appears to be a raised level of normal and/or raised mean glycaemia marked by raised HbA1c ... irrespective of which Brent reports more insulin-induced HYPOglycaemia events with GM insulin than with animal derived insulin. For Brent, who has had experience of both animal derived insulin & GM insulin, it is the latter that appears to be more 'efficient' at removing glucose availability, from Brent's brain, even though his mean blood sugar level apparently remains high enough to raise his HbA1c measurements. If Brent adopted the absolute minimum GM insulin dose to prevent 'ketoACIDosis' [ie with a focus upon adopting GM insulin primarily for maintaining his pH above 7.1] ... then GM insulin-induced HYPOglycaemia events may be reduced? AND then Brent and other type 1 & type 2 Diabetics [in a similar position] could focus much more of their energy upon 'HbA1c control' by means of, focus upon, dietary control of carbohydrate ingestion.

Here's some related possibilities which may favour protection and/or recovery of pancreatic beta-cells by reducing GM insulin 'OVERdosing' at all times and especially during the "Honeymoon Period" ...

There is a 'middle ground' of SAFELY reducing insulin by SAFELY skipping meals / snacks rather than simply 'skipping GM insulin'...

Careful study of scientific literature provides scientific EVIDENCE that the substantial DAILY danger from insulin is from insulin OVERdosing [or does that usually 'flow from' carbohydrate OVERdosing?].

www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/19/no-food-no-problem
Every Diabetic has the right to substantially lower GM insulin dosage, on any given DAY basis [to their preferred 'skip meals' dosage] and/or skip meals and reduce their body fat % by that SAFE means [aka 'water fasting']. It is perfectly SAFE for a type 1 diabetic or type 2 diabetic to skip meals or eat just 1 healthy meal per day. Every Diabetic has the right to eat just 1 meal a day and to know that it is a FACT that is scientifically proven to be SAFE to lower GM insulin dosage in order to SAFELY skip meals and/or safely water fast...
http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/19/no-food-no-problem

HYPOglycaemia IS the most substantial of any 'Diabetic DISEASE' ...

How may the human body 'protecting itself from HYPOglycaemia' be related to the onset of type 1 diabetes and/or a reduction in a potentially indefinite "Honeymoon Period"?

PRE 'Diabetic Growing Children' aka 'Juvenile Onset Diabetics' are particularly venerable to HYPOglycaemia [related to 'fuelling' growth requirements] and it is reasonable to suppose that their bodies [including their immune system] may 'work overtime' to prevent HYPOglycaemia [possibly resulting from 'excess pancreatic (endogenous) insulin' and/or immediately upon treatment 'excess (exogenous) GM insulin'] which is often associated with eating carbohydrates... 'Too Much And Or Too Often' ... often associated with distress stimulated release of glucagon [which protects against HYPOglycaemia following insulin surges following prolonged stress (aka distress) including eating carbohydrates and/or GM insulin treatment ... 'Too Much And Or Too Often'].

Glucose = emergency fuel = very positive for emergency refuelling [as long as that emergency is other than HYPOglycaemia].

A "spike" or transient super glycaemia [TSG] is a healthy natural response to stress including eating excessively [as long as that stress is other than HYPOglycaemia].

D3HydroxyButyricAcid [D3HBA] is the body's normal fuel = very positive in normal situations including being free from emergencies [and protects from HYPOglycaemia]. D3HBA can be increased by skipping meals and/or substantially reducing the carbohydrate %percentage% of any given meal.

"insulin resistance" & "impaired glucose tolerance" by way of insulin receptors protects the intracellular contents of every cell [having an insulin receptor] from sudden rises / spikes of glucose. [HbA1c measures bs outside the cells NOT inside the cells]...

... However ... sudden rises in blood sugar following periods of HYPOglycaemia can have VERY negative effects IF the excess glucose [contained within the 'inside' of the bloodstream] can get out of the bloodstream and into the 'inside' of the cells ... too suddenly ... as outlined by this ORIGINAL research ...
http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/117/4/910
AND the commentary upon the abovementioned original research is also worth a read ...
www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=19870

"insulin receptors" can resist sudden surges of glucose into the cells and so help to prevent HYPOglycaemia ...

There is increasing evidence that 'tightly controlled numbers', 'low bs' and associated transient HYPOglycaemia should be of far far greater concern than transient 'bs spikes' / transient HYPERglycaemia ... Please read this ORIGINAL research to see why TSG is perfectly healthy ...
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/7/1486?ijkey=94e3c9770f5c4db2a7b913326420344c278b4260

Until PROOF exists to the contrary ... The FMCSA 140-200mg/dl blood sugar level recommendation should be every Diabetic's target range c/o basal GM insulin or any other DRUG:-
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/03/29/my-friend-jeff-the-trucker

Any bs lower than the FMCSA recommendation should be entirely via dietary control ie If 'high' bs is a concern for those blessed with 'insulin resistant receptors' (why?) ... increasingly reduce the amount of carbohydrates swallowed. AKA a LOW [sub15 %] carbohydrate Diet eg Dr Joel Fuhrman's [cure Type2 & reduce Type1 GM dose by half]; or Dr Richard K Bernstein's [probably cure Type2 & reduce Type1 GM dose by half]; or Dr Robert Atkins' [possibly cure Type2 & reduce Type1 GM dose by half].

Carbohydrates = glucose [lots of it]

Peanut allergy = 1 peanut = potentially fatal.

'Carbohydrate allergy' [aka 'insulin allergy'] = glucose = diabetes [alive and GM insulin kicking].

There is already evidence that lowering insulin levels can be protective eg...
www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852572F4006A7661
and there is increasing evidence that every Diabetic's primary concern should be that insulin levels can & should be lowered by focussing upon encouraging "KETOSIS" and controlling 'ketoACIDosis' rather than chasing questionable 'HYPOglycaemia UNawareness levels' of low blood sugar [bs] eg...
www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-5448.2007.00240.x

When have Diabetics ever considered how much easier an ultra low carbohydrate [sub15 %] diet is as compared to a zero nut diet?

Carbophiles may reasonably be described as craving eating emergency fuel to repetitively create emergency stimulation via 'repetitive HYPOglycaemia' ...
www.obesityresearch.org/cgi/content/abstract/3/suppl_4/477S

Why have breakfast? Why have snacks? Why have lunch? Why have snacks? What do You think 'body fat' is for? Why do You think every Human Being's LIVER produces "KETONES" [especially 'D3HBA'] when blood sugar [bs] AND insulin levels are 'healthily low'? 1 meal a day is enough for Anyone Who can chew...
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/19/no-food-no-problem

"Say NO to Carbophilia"

AND WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR '3 COURSE MEAL' ...
PLEASE REMEMBER WHERE THE 'SWEET' COMES?

Warm thanks, Nick Dynes Gracey, BSc(Hons) Medical Biochemistry, Birmingham University, UK, WATerian c/o www.TheDiabetesBlog.com @ 19:23hrs MON.25.JUN.2007.

ps... Diabetes Is Caused By Food And Or Drug Administration Too Much And Or Too Often.

First Posted at 3:53PM on Jun 25th 2007 by Nicholas Dynes Gracey