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The Hidden Dangers Of Overdosing Or Underdosing Insulin
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The Hidden Dangers Of Overdosing Or Underdosing Insulin

The Hidden Dangers Of Overdosing Or Underdosing Insulin

Not a single serious conversation about diabetes occurs without mentioning insulin, which shouldn’t be at all surprising. Without too much jargon, insulin is the human body’s way of keeping blood sugar steady. Your body can produce enough of this hormone as long as you lead a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise, it’ll need prescription insulin to augment its supply.

But like any other medical drug, prescription insulin can be dangerous—if not deadly—in too little or too much dosage. As it’s delivered via injection, the insulin takes effect almost immediately and improper doses can lead to severe symptoms. Too little of a dose can result in extremely high blood sugar levels, while a large dose can reduce blood sugar to life-threatening levels.

Long story short, insulin is something you want just enough of. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for the following health risks:

Hypoglycemia

Starting with the most common of the effects of insulin overdose, hypoglycemia literally means “low blood sugar.” The term is a combination of three Greek words: hypo (“below” or “under”), glykys (“sweet”), and haima (“blood”).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that blood sugar that drops below 70 mg/dL is considered hypoglycemia and below 54 mg/dL for severe cases. It also cites that hypoglycemia is attributable not just to taking too much insulin but also to poor timing and not eating enough relative to the insulin dosage.

Regardless of what you think about sugar fueling America’s obesity epidemic, the body still needs it to sustain critical functions. The brain, for instance, uses an estimated half of your body’s sugar reserves, making it the most energy-hungry organ. As such, a lack thereof can risk mobility difficulties at best and death at worst.

As insulin injections can also be delivered by medical professionals, hypoglycemia is one of several health conditions that can be involved in an insulin lawsuit. Miscalculated insulin doses, improper insulin administration, and defective insulin can constitute medical malpractice.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is characterized by an overload of acids called ketones, which are the result of the liver breaking down fat (hence, the term “ketoacidosis”).

Under normal conditions, the liver doesn’t need to do this as long as there’s enough blood sugar for your body to use. But when it’s prompted to do so, it has to tap into the body’s fat stores to supply energy, typically to the heart and muscles. The problem is that the ketones can build up in the bloodstream quickly, outpacing the kidneys’ ability to flush them out.

A common cause of DKA is a lack of insulin. Besides regulating your blood sugar level, insulin also converts glucose into energy. When there’s not enough of the hormone, excess blood glucose isn’t synthesized, instead forcing the release of significant fat reserves.

DKA is more common among people suffering from type-1 diabetes, as here the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin is severely impaired. Complications include but aren’t limited to fluid buildup in the brain, cardiac arrest, and kidney failure.

Depression

Insulin vials on meal tray with glass vials in background.

A study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2021 correlated major depressive disorder to insulin resistance. Natalie Rasgon, professor of psychiatry and one of the study’s authors, explained the risk of depression is double among insulin-resistant people compared to otherwise. This applies regardless of any history of depression.

Insulin resistance (IR) is exactly what it says: the body has become resistant to or doesn’t respond to commands from the hormone. In 2021, the latest for which statistics are available as of this writing, IR was prevalent among 40% of Americans aged 18 to 44. Medical professionals are still unsure how this condition develops.

IR isn’t a direct symptom of insulin underdose or overdose. That said, it’s worse because it means no amount of insulin can help regulate blood sugar levels. Given that depression is a risk, it also raises the risk of intentional or suicidal insulin overdose.

Granted that intentional insulin overdose (also known as intentional massive insulin overdose) is a rare occurrence, self-harm is still serious no matter the numbers. It’s important for people prone to such thoughts to seek professional help as soon as possible.

It’s also worth knowing that, while no cure still exists, IR isn’t entirely incurable. According to the American Diabetes Association, getting more physically active is the most effective way of lowering IR. Physical activity works by opening muscle cells to glucose absorption, reducing the need to convert glucose into energy via insulin first.

Eating foods with a low glycemic index (GI) also helps because they don’t raise your blood sugar level as fast as those with high GIs. Low GI foods have a GI of 55 or less and include brown rice, whole-grain bread, low-fat dairy, and leafy greens.

Conclusion

Insulin should only be taken according to your doctor’s instructions, not one mL short or one mL too much. Coupled with a well-rounded diet and regular exercise, insulin can be effective in managing diabetes.

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