I am a type 1 [insulin-dependent] diabetic, and sometimes at night, when I haven't eaten enough to cover the insulin I took that evening, I 'bottom out': my blood sugar goes down very low and I wake up bathed in sweat and must go searching for orange juice. My question is about this: The nighttime sweat from low blood sugar just... stinks. It is powerfully rank sweat, as though I had not washed in many days. My partner agreed, he has noticed that it is different from any other sweat I sweat. "You NEVER smell like that any other time. It's a low blood sugar thing." Yet only at night! I also become clothes-soakingly sweaty if low blood sugar happens during the day, BUT it seems 'normal', the same as when I exercise. Can anyone tell me why this might be? Why is the night-time hypoglycemic sweat so incredibly smelly? [more inside]
posted by st looney up the cream bun and jam on Aug 24, 2009 - 9 answers

Can frequent periods of low blood sugar be a precursor to diabetes? I know that diabetes is actually high blood sugar. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 19, 2008 - 13 answers

How do I best care for my cat after a hypoglycemic reaction until I can get him to the vet? [more inside]
posted by Stacey on May 17, 2008 - 1 answer

So I've been diagnosed as prediabetic. What now? [more inside]
posted by geckoinpdx on Apr 23, 2008 - 21 answers