Hypo unawareness due some to zinc in NPH?

[Scratch]

So far my googling efforts haven't yielded any links for me to help explain something I've seen said here:


People who've just come off NPH and moved to Lantus/Levemir especially feel their BG dropping - NPH contains zinc which impairs hypo awareness.

It was from the this thread (http://www.diabetesforums.com/diabetes/12112-free-falling.html?highlight=zinc)

I am curious about this because I've had some trouble with hypo unawareness, and had been using NPH and R insulins since March 1985. On September 29th, I converted over to using MDI with the NPH and R, and now after a doctor's appointment yesterday, have begun using Lantus and Novolog.

Now this morning at 11 I was feeling almost like I was going low, and checked my BGL and it was 111. Over the next hour it remained pretty steady, dropping to 102 at noon although we shouldn't assume the numbers of the glucose meter are accurate enough to state with certainity my blood sugar went down slightly.

Still, all the NPH was out of my system as of sometime this morning, and it seems that maybe I was seeing a positive sign that I'll get better awareness of my hypos again?

But it would be very nice if someone has a good link or two that confirms that zinc in the NPH is a known contributor to hypo unawareness.

[duck]

I can tell you the handful of times I almost died from a low was because of NPH...I couldn't care less why at this point, I'm just happy to be off that ****.

[Scratch]

I can tell you the handful of times I almost died from a low was because of NPH...I couldn't care less why at this point, I'm just happy to be off that ****.
I'm so glad I've started MDI. I'm looking back on it now and can't believe I spent 21 years feeding the insulin, instead of matching the insulin to the carbs.

[poodlebone]

I spent 18 years on NPH and after maybe 13 years I lost my hypo awareness. I don't think it was directly because of NPH, but because I was trying to get tighter control, which led to keeping my BG lower, which led to more hypos. Eventually my body just stopped feeling the signs of a low. When I switched to Lantus my awareness did not come back. When I switched to the pump using only HUmalog my awareness did not come back.

My CDE is convinced that if I run my BG higher my symptoms will return, but I've been pumping for 1 1/2 years now. I have my target set to 100-140, rather than 80-120 like it used to be. I don't have the severe hypos I had on MDI anymore. Still, no real signs when I'm low or dropping.

[BlueSky]

.... When I switched to the pump using only HUmalog my awareness did not come back....

My experience was similar. After switching to Lantus and modyfying the diet, the hypos have virtually gone away. But the hypo awareness has not returned. Maybe it has something to do with how long one has been a diabetic. For me, it is 29 years now. And it seems most long-time T1s have a similar experience. :hmmmm: