Hi, my daughter is 12 and she has always a very good control. Since a few days ago her BG is going high. I changed the set a few times(she is on the pump). I gave her so many corrections, gave her injection ,but none of them work. I changed the ratio and basal much higher than before. but still BG is high around 15-20 after so many corrections and injections sometimes all together. I am getting worried. can you help me.
tina
I have a few ideas you could try:
1. Have you tried a new vial of insulin? Sometimes people occasionally just get a bad vial of insulin or the insulin goes bad. Switching to a new vial should take care of it.
2. Is she getting sick? Often sickness or stress can increase ones insulin needs.
3. Has she started menstruating yet? Hormone fluctuations associated with getting your period tend to make you have increased insulin needs a week or so before starting your period. That being said, just teenage hormonal changes in general can drastically change insulin needs.
4. And I hate to add this in there, but sometimes teenagers sneak food that their parents don't know about, so that might be a possibility if you rule out all others first. If that's the case, though, (having been a diabetic teenager myself) I highly suggest NOT punishing her for it, but talking with her calmly about it and the need to bolus with whatever she's eating.
Good luck figuring out the culprit! Diabetes is such a fickle disease and sometimes there ends up being no good explanation for a weird blood sugar, but hopefully that won't be the case here, and you'll be able to solve your mystery soon!
Thank you Erin for your prompt respond. I changed the vial before and it didn't work. She seems quite healthy and active and I am sure she doesn't sneak food. She is very responsible girl and her A1C is always under 6. The only thing you've mentioned that might be the culprit is menstrauating and teenage hormonal change. But honestly it is the first time that is happening. She got her period last year.I've drasticly increased her basal and bolus ratio.
Those teenage hormones can really do some WEIRD things. It may not even be her period but just hormones in general. Sometimes at her age there is no rhyme or reason. Their young bodies are growing and changing on a daily basis. How long has she been D? It's possible if she hasn't been diabetic for long, she's coming out of that honeymoon phase and if thats the case her insulin needs will change a lot.
Thank you so much,
I really think this is the case.
As people have said, hormones to the wildest things to diabetic girls at the strangest times. Teenage years can involve many '...no idea but let's treat it' levels.
12 is around high school age (or here any way). There might be an emotional reason for her levels? Stress and/or anxiety can cause highs so if she's adjusting to an increased work load or dealing with a change in friends? Also, April is testing time and I know she's 12 but I was getting mock exam things thrown at me at that age so it might be a tought?
Another suggestion is hypos during the night? That might explain the sudden spikes and the reason they are stubournly refusing to come down. For me personally, rebound highs are nutoriously hard to get rid of.
Remember with girls starting their periods young, you can start mensturating for a year or so and then receive another huge hormone shift later. Because bodies are fun like that :)
I hope you guys can get her sorted.
Thank you so much. It is under control again but frankly it was a huge burden on my shoulder and brain.
thanks again