Awareness in Neuroglycopenia - Looks like Ministroke.

[Paresh]

i started with subcu Insulin/Lantus (16 Units) in August 20. When blood glucose hit 28 mmol/L(!). And charted morning reads of blood glucose. Plotted the graph with red dots showing incidence and symptoms of Neuroglycopenia. This shocked me initially - slurred speech, dizzy/giddy and balance problems in walking. Told this is glucose starvation of central nervous system - brain basically.

Anyone else had this? My GP had not heard of it. Had to Google.

regime -- Metformin twice daily 500 mg x2 ; insulin Lantus 4 units each morning.

 

[AJLang]

Hi I could be wrong but from what I’ve just read online Neuroglycopenia is just a part of having a diabetic hypo. I could be wrong. What do you think is different? I do know that modern thinking is for diabetics to minimise hypos. Based upon my experiences they didn’t seem so bothered by hypos in earlier years unless they were disabling.

 

[Paresh]

@AJLang : I think you're broadly right. Diabetic Hypo is the umbrella. And neuroglycopenia is under it. I heard it from a Stroke Doctor / Specialist. Who was analysing my symptoms. Which awkwardly looked like ministroke/TIA. Especially via the slurred speech. But then she noted the blood glucose level was 3.9 mmol/L (in A& E). And said there's the reason.

 

[AJLang]

Pljades that makes total sense. if only they’d checked your blood sugar at the beginning. The symptoms can get more pronounced the worse the hypo so always a good idea if you have “strange” symptoms to test your blood sugar first and always have hypo treatment with you wherever you are.

 

[trophywench]

Lantus isn't flat in it's delivery inside the body. Inject it and it builds up to an initial peak between 3-5 hrs later, then descends and flattens off.

See graph here Insulin profiles « Diabetes Support Information Exchange (diabetes-support.org.uk)

How does that timing compare to what times of day these 'red spots' occur?

 

[Paresh]

Lantus isn't flat in it's delivery inside the body. Inject it and it builds up to an initial peak between 3-5 hrs later, then descends and flattens off.

See graph here Insulin profiles « Diabetes Support Information Exchange (diabetes-support.org.uk)

How does that timing compare to what times of day these 'red spots' occur?

Indeed _ in the early days i injected insulin in the evening. And that's when i got "nocturnal neuroglycopenia". In my sleep- ! And then wake up with stroke-like symptoms. (Bad karma ?! ). The red spots are when i wake up with the "nocturnal neuroglycopenia"

Then moved insulin injections to morning. But there was moderate persistence with hypo's until i hit (really) low levels in insulin injections.

 

[Inka]

Isn’t this just a hypo symptom? There are potentially both physical and mental symptoms with a hypo - the sweating, fast heartbeat, etc then the confusion, slurred speech and sometimes out of character behaviour.

So, to answer your question @pliades yes, lots of people have this to varying extents with a hypo. I hope that reassures you 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Well whenever we have more insulin in our body than our body needs, we have hypos. With any hypo at any time of day whatever the symptoms or after effects are the very first thing is to fathom out why we had too much insulin at that moment.

Having identified why, we try to avoid it happening again.

Are you having difficulty avoiding it?