I need to talk to people diagnosed later in life, their 40s, 50s etc versus early childhood. I’m finding that my symptoms are different from those that were diagnosed early in life. I find that I’m almost always dropping under all situations. I rarely go high unless I’ve eaten more than I should. I need confirmation on this. Anyone out there similar to me??? Thanks for any help.
Hi Suzanne. I was diagnosed at age 58, going on 3 years ago (actually misdiagnosed as Type 2 then figured out I was LADA). Are you LADA or true Type 1? No, I don’t have that experience. We all have different blood sugar patterns and I’m not sure if it can be attributed to age at diagnosis. If you are almost always dropping is there a chance you are on too high doses of insulin?
I was diagnosed T1 at 53. I haven’t experienced what you’re going through.
It sounds like your dosing needs to be adjusted some.
Hello Suzanne…I was diagnosed when I was 34, which is also considered to be later than average. I am curious to what your symptoms are and how they are different? and what medications you are on? Sounds like it’s something your endocronologist could do something about. I agree with Gerrie & Zoe, could just be a dosing thing.
I was dx’ed at 52 in ICU, DKA. For me I have high’s and low’s, a banana without insulin (I forgot) will send me above 250. LOL I have good control my last a1c was 5.7. I think the later in lifer’s LOL have some what easier because our bodies done with the young changes.
Please see my remarks above, and thanks for replying.
To me this has nothing to do with being LADA or not. It seems that the basal settings of your pump are dragging you down. I recommend to test and adjust your basal rate. Do you us the TBR to compensate for increased physical activity?
hi suzanne…was diagnased at just a few days shy of my 40th bday. 5 years later and i’m still trying to figure it out. the key is to test often log everything and ask for help. my ‘synptoms’ vary widely from day to day…so exciting! lol
Hi Suzanne…I was diagnosed at 50. I did go low a lot at first which I attribute to being put on Amaryl and also mistakingly over correcting. If I bolused what I thought was the correct amount based on carb counts and then checked my BS in one hour and was high, say in the 200’s, I’d correct with the amount to bring me down from that # without taking the insulin on board into account. I had my scariest lows that way. I thought I was good at carb counting, but I usually under estimated. I still have frequent lows but I blame that on trying to keep tight control. One thing I know is that for me, the more carbs I eat, the more insulin I need, the more likely I am to go low. The bolus doses are more likely to be the cause of my lows versus the basal. Along with the honeymoon factor, another issue could be fluctuating hormones. It can be frustrating trying to get this down…there are so many variables. Good luck to you.
I don’t think it’s an age thing, I think it’s an individual thing. I was diagnosed at 46 and have the opposite problem - frequent highs. I do get lows of course.
I echo what others have said. You basal rate or long term insulin dose may need adjustment. If the lows tend to happen after a correction or meal it may be that your correction or carb ratio needs adjustment.
Check you BG often and keep track of what you’ve eaten and dosed to help you find a pattern. Then adjust one thing at a time.
Good luck,
Terry
thanks for your reply.
Hi Suzanne: Most people diagnosed with T1 as adults, especially 50+, have a fair number of beta cells still producing insulin, and that would explain your “rarely go high.” And if the person keeps reasonably good blood sugar control, you can extend the life of those beta cells and maintain better control. Beyond that, I always say determining good basal rates is everything.
I was DX at age 52 and was told I was type 2. The pills, low carb diet and exercise was not working and my BS kept getting higher. I was referred to an ENDO and he dx me as type 1. I am now on the pump and doing much better. I still get highs when I under estimate the number of carbs I am eating. Are you having a lot of lows?
It’s been three years and if anything, I tend to run low, not high. Besides the occasional out to dinner with dessert, life is eating healthy and living a calm life. No more workaholic life, which miss, but could not handle. If it’s too cold or too hot, I drop and if I’m upset which is rare. In comparison to many, my life is wonderful with a great husband, retired, living in the most beautiful place. but it does get frustrating when i loose energy, even when sugar is in the normal range. Any idea what I can take to up my energy besides sugar???
thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne. I know what you mean about energy level. I struggle with that every day. Some days are better than others. You are lucky that you are retired; I wish I was but still have to work. I am 55 and plan on retiring at 60, as long as my health holds out. With work, the house, yard, and trying to keep up the exercise, I am exhausted alot of the time. I also have constant back pain, which I am getting a MRI for on Monday. I do have a wonderful husband, who helps me out so much, so I am thankful for that. To keep my energy level up as best I can, I try to get enough sleep, take lots of vitamins, eat very healthy, and exercise. Yoga and walking are my favorite forms of exercise. I get lows when I am very active. I had 2 lows today because I was working around the house all day, non stop!
Diagnosed in september at the age of 57. Had lows for awhile because my basal insulin dose was too high and I was taking Lantus at night. Now more highs than lows due to overeating carbs at times. And I do have fatigue, but again it’s usually when I’m running 175 or higher.
I have energy issues as well. I can sleep well for 7 or 8 hours and still take a good nap if I am able. I was never high energy but it has gotten worse since my diagnoses and it does not seem to be #'s related. My BS can be perfect but I am ready for a nap almost anyday, anytime. I can not blame stress, either. I wonder if our bodies are working harder than we realize dealing with the highs and lows and other challenges.
Do any of you have hypothyroidism? It is a concurrent auto-immune disease. I have it and take the generic synthroid,Levothyroxine, as a treatment. I was somewhat asymptomatic, it just ,showed up in my lab work. I was not particularly tired. I know of other diabetics, type 2sand LADA,s who had hypothryoidism; and were tired before they started on meds for it. This is just a suggestion.
God Bless,
Brunetta
Elizabeth, I think your tiredness may also be a dosing issue. Read Think like a pancreas and Pumping Insullin to get ideas on how to adjust your basal rates, and talk to your health care team. You may still be producing a bit of insulin, but i do not thnk that age at diagnoses has anything to do with your frequent lows. You just seem to be getting too much insulin. And you can change that.
Here are some analogies to type 1 self-care:
1.The doctor/health care team can give us the canoe, but we have to take the oars and paddle it, and navigate the trip down the river
2.You are your own science experiment
3. Small steps lead to large distances traveled, one step at a time.
God Bless,
Brunetta
Type 1 42 years
I called you by the wrong name, Suzanne. so sorry
God Bless,
Brunetta