i know a friend who has type 1 diabetes and she is skiping her shots in the evening and overdosing in the morning to cover for what she has missed at night and i knw they call that "diabulimia" this has been going on for a little less than a year, she lies about her readings, how much longer does she have if she continues to do this how much time does she have left untill it turns fatal? and if she keeps this up what may/could/will happen?
2007-08-30 15:56:13 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Diabetes
i am not refering to me at all it truly is a friend im talking bout
2007-08-30 15:56:48 · update #1
she eats everything she shouldnt like alot of chocolet and **** thats filled with sugar mostly candy and she drinks gateraid and poweraid
2007-08-30 16:00:59 · update #2
Sounds like she is rebelling against the restrictions that diabetes places on her life. Not all that unusual for a teenager but very very dangerous. A friend told me once that" diabetes is like a fire inside your body. It can consume you from the inside out and it must be controlled or it will eventually control you." tell you friend that it is time to become the master over this disease and you are willing to go with her to a new doctor or whatever it takes to manage the "fire" The worst thing about diabetes is not that you could die, it is living with all the complications such as blindness and amputations and kidney failure while you are waiting to die. Everybody has things that they hate about their life. This is one of the harder things, but you can be a winner and go toe to toe, or a loser, and just let it consume your life.
2007-09-06 12:15:04 · answer #1 · answered by Mama Mia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do ya mean she's deliberately keepin her bloods high to keep her weight down? What she's doing either way is pretty bad - it won't kill her right away but will be doing serious damage to her body and will almost def lead to complications like blindness or kidney failure. Also constant highs cause depression, which can kinda lead to a bit of a cycle of feelin bad so bloods are bad, so feel worse etc. etc. Mbe ya could ask her if she'll go on a health kick with you? (like it's for your benefit - say you can't do it on your own!) start going walking every day or go to the gym or something you both enjoy and can do together, give up chocolate together, etc. etc. hopefully it'll give her an insentive to start lookin after her diabetes better too - that's what i do if i get into that kinda cycle - exersise really helps your mood and your blood sugars so is important. Hope that helps - good luck - she's lucky to have a friend like you :) xxxx
2007-08-31 06:49:52 · answer #2 · answered by Cathy :) 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is doing that, she is probably feeling poorly most of the time. If she goes pale and sweats in the morning trying to catch up with her insulin, that is an indicator of a shorter life. An overdose of insulin is EASILY FATAL. It won't be slowly fatal. The first symptom could be death. What if she does it and then ends up someplace where she can't get sugar? Hypoglycemia causes severe mental confusion. She may not even remember that she needs sugar. You mentioned that she lies about her readings. Why does she share her readings with you? I am not expecting an answer, but Diabetes is a killer. A REAL killer. Right up there with heart disease.
2007-08-31 07:48:33 · answer #3 · answered by ninety9point8 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is very, very sick, and it sounds as if she has 2 illnesses, Diabetes & Bulimia. I had 2 very good friends like that, too.
Doing what she is doing means there is absolutely no control over her glucose levels. Her body is constantly on a roller coaster ride.
If she is skipping insulin, as well as binge eating, she could end up in a hypersomolar coma if her glucose levels shoot up too high. Conversely, in the morning, if she overdoses on her insulin, she could easily go into a hypoglycemic coma. Either condition can kill her at any time.
In addition, I'm assuming you are saying she's bulimic also. So, her life is in danger anyway, even without the Diabetes. Binge eating, followed by purging can kill her each time she does it. The forced vomiting can cause the esophagus to rupture, causing a person to bleed to death in minutes.
Also, her electrolytes are probably off balance because of the Bulimia itself. That can cause a heart attack at any time.
Combine the 2 illnesses, and you have someone who is basically a walking time-bomb. Your friend is a death waiting to happen, I'm sorry to say.
It's wonderful that she has a friend like you who cares so much for her. You may have to do some drastic & uncomfortable things to try & help her. The most important thing to do is save her from herself. She may get angry at you for some stuff you do, but it's better to have an angry friend who is alive than a dead friend.
I'm sorry for sounding so blunt & harsh, but it is really serious, and she needs you. You might want to start by talking to your own parents and letting them know the entire situation. They may be able to help you.
If possible, you & your parents can go talk to her parents, when she is not there. Hopefully, they will not be in denial about the severity of the situation. If they are, do not be afraid to speak up & tell them anything you know. If they do believe it & want to help, they can start by calling her doctor & letting him/her know.
If your friend is binge eating & purging while she also has Diabetes, she may need to be hospitalized at this time, in an eating disorders ward. Your friend is not crazy at all, but Bulimia is an emotional illness, a deadly one; and hospitalization can help until she gets it under control. Once she does, she can be home & go to therapy to help her.
When I was in college, I actually had 2 close friends who were both Bulimic & had Diabetes. I knew their parents because I had slept over at their houses, so I talked to them about it. L's parents were in denial, saying "oh, she'll be fine" & things like that. J's parents were very upset, didn't know what to do. I was only 20, but I had to tell them to call her doctor. But that's OK; as long as someone gets help. J's parents & her doctor put her in the hospital, where she had to stay for 13 months. J was angry at and would not talk to me for 5 years. That was OK too. After 5 years, she thanked me, & we are still friends now. Unfortunately, my friend L died of a heart attack when we were 21.
Eating disorders are very common, and just because someone has Diabetes doesn't mean they won't become anorexic or bulimic. It just means they are in far greater danger of dying because of it. The bottom line is your friend will die if she doesn't get help.
Do what you can to help her. Hopefully, she'll accept help. But remember to take care of yourself, too. You can only do so much. You can't save someone if they don't want to be saved. The most important thing is to be her friend.
I wish you & your friend the best of luck.
2007-08-31 02:18:32 · answer #4 · answered by palemalefriend 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my best friend is diabetic and it makes me sad to see that she doesnt take her disease seriously. I've watched my best friend pass out from to little insulin and it wasnt a great experience. He has type 1 by the way. If she eating a lot of sugar, she's going to be in bad shape pretty soon. It sounds like shes digging her on grave, and soon she might be sleeping in it.
2007-08-30 23:22:46 · answer #5 · answered by Ryan 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your friend is dumb for doing this. Playing with insulin is like playing with fire. It's only a matter of time before she ends up dead from playing games like this. Too much insulin can kill you as well as too little can. If you're a teenager, talk to your friends' parents about what she's doing. Make an arrangement with them so that they don't tell her that you were involved. I'm sure that they just want their daughter to be healthy.
2007-08-30 23:04:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm sure your friend's Dr. knows when their test results come back, and probably gives your friend heck. Unfortunatly some ppl just don't care, and often it takes a major event to make them realise the seriousness of their condition, if they survive.
2007-09-06 03:05:52 · answer #7 · answered by johnnomads 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please tell your friend that I had a friend like that in college.
She'd abuse her diet, take shots at irregular intervals, and basically try to forget she had diabetes.
Finals week one semester she ended up in a coma.
Before graduation she'd lost a leg.
By her 25th birthday she was dead.
2007-08-30 23:30:31 · answer #8 · answered by transplant mom 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
its good that you are worried about your friend, because you should be! she can be doing horrible damage to herself! sit her down and tell her that you care, and help her get back on track...anyway that you can. go to the doctor with her if you need to do that. tell him what she is doing, try to talk some sense into her! she is killing herself and making her loved ones watch....horrible.
2007-08-30 23:00:53 · answer #9 · answered by Andrea 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it sounds like shes not really hiding it she just can't remember and she needs help with this. she is having problems remember she is older person i bet. you will have to help her or get soemone to help her it could turn really bad you cannot do this and get better and she needs help desperately
2007-09-01 21:40:22 · answer #10 · answered by Tsunami 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋