WHAT CAUSED THE SYMPTOM LIST TO CHANGE?

Lilly Iletin® I 1986* Lilly Humulin® 1997**
The first symptoms of insulin reaction usually come on suddenly and may include: Symptoms of mild to moderate hypoglycemia may occur suddenly and can include:
1.   Fatigue (#2) 1.   Sweating (#7)
2.   Nervousness or "shakiness" (#7&11) 2.   Drowsiness (#1)
3.   Dizziness (#3) 3.   Dizziness (#3)
4.   Headache (#19) 4.  Sleep Disturbances1
5.   Rapid Heartbeat (#5) 5.   Palpitation (#5)
6.   Nausea 6.  Anxiety1
7.   Cold Sweat (#1) 7.   Tremor (#2)
X 8.  Blurred Vision2
X 9.  Hunger
X 10.  Slurred Speech2
X 11.  Restlessness
X 12.  Depressed Mood1
X 13.  Tingling in the hands, feet, lips or tongue
X 14.  Irritability1
X 15.  Lightheadedness
X 16.  Abnormal Behavior1
X 17.   Inability to Concentrate1
X 18.   Unsteady Movement2
X 19.  Headache (#4)
X 20.   Personality Changes1
X

On some of the lists, at times,
(21)  Confusion1

 

Signs1 of Severe Hypoglycemia can include:

X 22.   Disorientation1
X 23.   Seizures1
X 24.   Unconsciousness1
X 25.   Death1
 

Yellow blocks are "new" symptoms which have changed and been added to and reduced several times since 1986, sometimes including and sometimes excluding other useless signs (improperly called symptoms) such as "confusion."

1 Symptoms, more properly called "signs" since the victim cannot normally recognize them, of minimal, if any, use to the diabetic in dealing with the problem, and may interfere with appropriate corrective responses by the patient or at the very best simply lack the immediacy for utility for warning of sudden hypoglycemia problems.

2 Symptoms which would most likely be useless, arriving after the risk and probability of accidents and problems had already occurred.

* Source 1986 Physician's Desk Reference.
** Source March 26, 1997 Eli Lilly PPI PA6345AMP


It seems exceedingly strange that the 7 symptom "symptom list" consists exclusively of useful symptoms and was more than adequate from 1922 through 1987-9 (65-7 years of use by diabetics and medical professionals) while the "new" symptom list inclusive of at least 13-15 "new" symptoms, at least 10 of which are more signs than symptoms and none of which is helpful to the diabetic without an observer had to be added as and after questions were raised about the safety of human insulin. The 4 new "signs" are, of course, of absolutely NO use to the diabetic ever.

It seems further strange that "insulin reaction" suddenly (and defensively?) became "hypoglycemia" in this time-frame as if it were not being caused by the normal, healthy reaction to insulin.