In my family, there is a tendency to develop type 1, which is to say, insulin-dependent, diabetes as an adult. This is not insulin resistance; it’s pancreatic failure due to an autoimmune disorder where the pancreas for some reason becomes the main target. Fortunately, it’s a slow attack, so any other organs it may be attacking don’t seem to fail. The pancreas tends to fail in one’s late 50s, although in one uncle, it didn’t happen until about 64, but he had seen the writing on the wall, and was following a low sugar diet beginning around age 50.
I am going to be 57 in January.
I have had reactive hypoglycemia since my mid-20s. I had a glucose tolerance test to diagnose it, and I was supposed to have 8 blood draws over 7 hours; they did a fingerstick with each blood draw. After the 6th, the nurses conducting it looked concerned, and started making lots of phone calls, then told me they were transferring me to the ER, and my diagnosis was confirmed.
My sugar at that fingerstick was 25. They transferred me for IV, IIRC, dextrose, and also, someone brought me a tray with some things to eat. They would not release me until my sugar was above, IIRC, 80, and tried to talk me into taking a cab home, but I didn’t want to get my car later.
So, since then, I’ve been on a low sugar, but not necessarily low complex carb diet. What happens is that when sugar causes a spike, I release too much insulin, and then my blood sugar goes low enough for me to feel shaky and dizzy.
It used to be that lows were 60-72, occasionally in the 50s. But it’s been getting scary, because in the last month, I have had five lows in the 40s, and several in the low 60s, with more than usual in the low 70s & high 60s.
I have a doctor’s appointment Wednesday, which is the earliest I could get in-- I called after having two lows in the 40s in a week.
What I want to ask is this: does anyone else have, or have a family history of, adult-onset type 1 diabetes preceded by hypoglycemia? As far as I know, no one else in my family has had it, but several doctors over the years have said it’s a “pre-diabetes” condition.