Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.
I am unaware until I hit the 40s. Then I get symptoms of a bit lightheaded, a bit shaky. If it goes lower I get the sweating and shakes. But I try hard not to get that low! Thank you Dexcom G-6!
I said No but I would rather have chosen Other if that had been offered. I believe the only reason I no longer have hypoglycemia unawareness is because I have a cgm and Tandem CIQ and get alerts that I am quite aware of and thankful for, though often annoyed when CIQ doesn’t understand that I’ve already treated for it!
Yes, but fortunately Dexcom G-6 alerts me. However, the G-7 was a very different story. I was found unconscious by my wife a couple of days in a row with blood sugars ready >75 on the G-7. But on the 2nd day, I checked it when I came around after she gave me Glucagon and at that point my G-7 was reading 130 but a finger stick was still reading at LOW. So, who knows how far apart they were. I went off of the G-7 and back to the G-6 and have been fine since.
Hey Rick. I’m sorry you felt it necessary to go back to the G-6. From my experience with both the G-6 and now the G-7, they both need calibration from time to time. I never trust the CGMs readings when I start a new session. So I do fingersticks until the numbers are correct. So you might want to try out the G7 again. To me the benefits of it (quicker warm up, Grace period at the end of each session, smaller, no transmitter) make it well worth it. Just a thought. 😁
When I first became a T1D, 46 yrs ago, I had lots of hypoglycemia awareness. But, I still had many low glucose reactions. After a few years, I got less awareness. In more recent years, since retirement, I’m noticing more awareness, including light headedness, confusion, sweating and shaking.
What I’ve noticed is that when I was working, I was too busy and too focused on external stimuli to be self aware. Now, that I’m retired, I still keep busy, but I have more time to focus on my internal stimuli. So, I am more aware of hypoglycemia. But, when I get real busy, with lots going on, I still have low glucose without awareness.
Largely depends on the rate of the drop. I usually sense rapid drops in BG. Conversely it’s the steady drops in BG I rarely feel. Thank goodness for CGM alarms.
I feel the symptoms of going low (less than 70) about 95% of the time. It’s that 5% when I’m busy doing something else or in deep sleep that I don’t notice until it goes below 56.
I did in past, due to frequent night lows, but use of CGM and then a closed loop pump with CGM have restored my awareness by removing the night lows. I am eternally grateful, as is my wife!
Since being on a CGM, I feel my lows much more often than before. Before I literally could be in the 20’s before I would feel a little bit shaky. Now I can usually start to feel a little uncomfortable in the 60’s.
Yes I do and it varies. I must say I do depend on G6 readings and alarms to alert me especially as I age and the internal mechanisms for detecting hypoglycemia diminish over time. I am so grateful for the science behind the bionic technologies that keep us long-timers with advanced duration T1D alive these days.
I am unaware until I hit the 40s. Then I get symptoms of a bit lightheaded, a bit shaky. If it goes lower I get the sweating and shakes. But I try hard not to get that low! Thank you Dexcom G-6!
I said No but I would rather have chosen Other if that had been offered. I believe the only reason I no longer have hypoglycemia unawareness is because I have a cgm and Tandem CIQ and get alerts that I am quite aware of and thankful for, though often annoyed when CIQ doesn’t understand that I’ve already treated for it!
Yes. And insurance sometimes requires a complication, like hypo unawareness, in order to approve durable med goods.
Yes, but fortunately Dexcom G-6 alerts me. However, the G-7 was a very different story. I was found unconscious by my wife a couple of days in a row with blood sugars ready >75 on the G-7. But on the 2nd day, I checked it when I came around after she gave me Glucagon and at that point my G-7 was reading 130 but a finger stick was still reading at LOW. So, who knows how far apart they were. I went off of the G-7 and back to the G-6 and have been fine since.
Hey Rick. I’m sorry you felt it necessary to go back to the G-6. From my experience with both the G-6 and now the G-7, they both need calibration from time to time. I never trust the CGMs readings when I start a new session. So I do fingersticks until the numbers are correct. So you might want to try out the G7 again. To me the benefits of it (quicker warm up, Grace period at the end of each session, smaller, no transmitter) make it well worth it. Just a thought. 😁
Almost always. There have been a few times I could tell. In the beginning I was always aware and as I aged it changed.
When I am resting
When I first became a T1D, 46 yrs ago, I had lots of hypoglycemia awareness. But, I still had many low glucose reactions. After a few years, I got less awareness. In more recent years, since retirement, I’m noticing more awareness, including light headedness, confusion, sweating and shaking.
What I’ve noticed is that when I was working, I was too busy and too focused on external stimuli to be self aware. Now, that I’m retired, I still keep busy, but I have more time to focus on my internal stimuli. So, I am more aware of hypoglycemia. But, when I get real busy, with lots going on, I still have low glucose without awareness.
Been a T1 for 24 years and from the beginning I have not been able to feel my lows, so I have to rely on Dexcom.
Thank God for my Dexcom and Tandem Alerts, otherwise I would not be here doing this.
Yes I do and mine comes with ecliptic seizures.
This is why I have a CGM.
Yes, I am thankful for my CGM alarms.
Largely depends on the rate of the drop. I usually sense rapid drops in BG. Conversely it’s the steady drops in BG I rarely feel. Thank goodness for CGM alarms.
I feel the symptoms of going low (less than 70) about 95% of the time. It’s that 5% when I’m busy doing something else or in deep sleep that I don’t notice until it goes below 56.
I am aware when my blood sugar gets around 45 I can feel that I am low. But my Dexcom will warn me with a baby crying at 55.
I did for the longest time, but since I started using linked pump and cgm, I rarely go low, and stated feeling at the 60’s
Almost complete unawareness. I depend on my Dexcom and Omnipod with my life, when I don’t have those, I depend on my spouse.
Yes, I’ve been hypo unaware since the early 90’s. My G6 is good but my D.A.D. is 15 min. faster than it.
I did in past, due to frequent night lows, but use of CGM and then a closed loop pump with CGM have restored my awareness by removing the night lows. I am eternally grateful, as is my wife!
Since being on a CGM, I feel my lows much more often than before. Before I literally could be in the 20’s before I would feel a little bit shaky. Now I can usually start to feel a little uncomfortable in the 60’s.
Yes I do and it varies. I must say I do depend on G6 readings and alarms to alert me especially as I age and the internal mechanisms for detecting hypoglycemia diminish over time. I am so grateful for the science behind the bionic technologies that keep us long-timers with advanced duration T1D alive these days.
I only seem to feel hypos when my blood sugar is dropping rapidly. Thank G_d for my CGM with alarms !!!!!!
Most of the time I feel when I am hypo, but occasionally I can be symptomatic at 70 and asymptomatic at 50. Very strange
Only began within the past 5 years. Have to give credit to the new CGM’s on helping me keep watch.
Yes, but I must be very low. Rarely occurs since I started using a CGM