For some of us though, we don’t have the alpha cell response. We only have stress hormones, like epinephrine/adrenaline and cortisol to raise BG.
Most T1’s no longer have responsive alpha cells and glucagon. That is one of the significant differences with T1 and T2.
We with type 2 are not immune from Alpha cell dysfunction.
Pancreatic α-Cell Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes: Old Kids on the Block - PMC.
As are those with type 1.
https://www.bjd-abcd.com/index.php/bjd/article/view/12/37
Yes, I did not mean to say that all T2’s have perfectly functioning alpha cells. I should have phrased that better.
It is possible that they have alpha cells that do too much, instead of too little. Or they can have alpha cells that do too little.
My generalization was meant to simply say that T1’s do not have alpha cells that respond to low BG at all. They are pretty much dormant in T1’s.
I know, one of the things is the feed back loop between the Alpha and Beta cells is broke because there are no Beta cells in the islets. Exogenous insulin does not signal the Alpha cells and there no Beta cells to receive the glucagon.
In a long time type 2 like myself on a pump, there are probably few Beta cells left, making my glucagon response and secretion much like type 1.
Early it was probably too much glucagon being secreted.
I do make a bit of insulin, well a couple of years ago, my C-Peptide was right at 1.