My 7 year old has been T1D for over 2 years, the honeymoon is long over. For the last week or so we've been having low after low. In the last 24 hours we've seen two BS in the 30s. This is not normal for us at all. I know you can see some lows a day or two preceding a stomach bug, but this has been for a solid week with no illness in sight. At first we didn't change anything because she'd been running high for a while (growth spurt perhaps). Now we've lowered her basal twice, .05 for each time frame each time and we are still seeing lows.
Nothing changed prior to the lows starting, we haven't raised her basals in at least 2 months and we are more apt to use temp basals when she is temporarily running high.
So has anybody else experienced a sudden decrease in insulin needs outside of illness or the honeymoon period?
The only other cases I can think of were due to improved insulin sensitivity, which can happen from increased exercise and or weight loss. When I was rowing crew in college (hours of intense workout every day) my insulin needs were crazy low - so it can really make a dramatic difference. Even today my insulin needs (both basal and bolus) go down by more than a third when I'm traveling, primarily due to increased exercise as I'm wandering around exploring.
I think you would have noticed if she was losing weight, but is it possible she is getting more exercise than she has been used to? Anything change at school - more walking between classes, different gym activity?
If not, could it be hormones?? Maybe not eating her whole school lunch?
Just wondering what sites you are using. Have you changed infusion sites recently that you may have never used before? Unfortunately, I've had this happen to me with no explanation. And the other way around I've went very high with no rationality behind it.
No we are still rotating through the same sites, upper thigh, stomach, back of the arm. I don't see any appreciable difference between sites either. So weird.
No, if anything she's getting less physical activity because it's been cold they've been having indoor recess, which is much less running around and her sports seasons ended in November (starting back up soon, thank goodness!) No weight loss either, she just had her endo appointment last week and she weighed about 1/2lb more than she did over the summer.
She loves food and always eats her entire lunch, LOL. Her teacher would call me if she didn't, wondering what to do.
I just can't make sense of it. I actually lowered her basal rates during the day by .1u/hr. Her daily average is lower while getting less insulin. It is boggling my mind.
Interesting, I've been having to dial down my basal as well in the last 2 weeks, don't know if it's the cold weather, or if it's the extra standing rather than sitting at work. My step count is the same or lower but I keep drifting low during the day, even without any bolus on board. I actually have a half basal program running now, will be interesting to see how long it lasts, and if I will need to go even lower. I'll eventually catch up when I get a sick day or two.
I have had one other period where the same thing happened, but I reset back closer to my normal when I got the scunge and became one with the couch for a few days.
I have been having lots of lows and had to decrease my basal rates by almost half and raised my carb ratios. I am still going low three or four times a day and night. Is this normal? I have been using a pump for about 7 years and have always before had to increase my rates. I am eating the same but loosing weight as well. I have only had type 1 diabetes for 8 years. I was diagnosed when I turned 40. I’m confused. Anyone have the same experiences?
So it sounds like you’re 48? It could be that other hormonal shifts that happen around that age are contributing to the changes in insulin needs. Seems like the only given with this condition is constant change!
It might not be normal but it’s not all that unusual. Even the metabolic needs of a healthy non-diabetic ebb and flow. The human body is not static, especially as it ages. @Shadow2 brings up one reasonable possible explanation. Maybe this would be a good time to visit a doctor and have some lab-work done on your blood to see if some other fundamental metabolism has changed.
Good luck! Please report back if you discover something.
Yes, my DD had to drastically reduce her insulin just prior to being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroidosis one year after her Type 1 diagnosis at the age of 9. Her thyroid levels were very low, which causes insulin needs to decrease greatly. Just recently, her basal insulin kept inexplicably decreasing from 22 units per day to 13 units a day, quite the decrease. The endo noticed her dose of Synthroid needed to be increased, almost doubled. This was very sudden, in both instances. Get your child’s thyroid levels checked. Many Type 1s also have thyroid issues. This is a very common to have both autoimmune conditions. Also there is a decrease and increase very often during change of seasons but not as drastic as this decrease was.
I talked with one of my doctors and it might be that I am getting too much of one of my thyroid hormones but I am waiting to talk to my endo tomorrow. Thanks for responding!
Did you ever figure out what was going on? My blood sugar numbers have been really low lately and I have had to stop bolusing for meals because I kept bottoming out. My basal rate is crazy low as well. This has been going on for a few weeks now and I have no idea what is causing it.
