Diabetes.For all you doctors out there please answer this question.?

Question

My god son has type1 diabetes. He is eleven and has three injections a day plus a Lantis at night. My friend weighs all the food and how much carbohydrate is in the food depends on how many units of Insulin she gives him. This is a new regime and she is absolutely convinced that he is allowed as much sugar as he likes as long as he takes a higher dosage of insulin to compensate. His blood sugar levels are regularly in the twenties and I am worried that she is doing him long term damage. I am positive that diabetics are only allowed sugar as a special treat or when they are hypo. Please can someone who knows answer this question. The hospital are considering pump therapy because they cannot work out the problem. I think its the sugar please help!!!!

Answer 1

It would be easy for everyone to jump on your friend, but she does have some semblance of understanding. Type 1 diabetes, as in your god son's case, does entail the balancing of food input with insulin requirement. Unfortunately, it does seem that your friend hasn't quite got the equation right. Blood sugars in the 20s are way too high, and will lead to nothing more than complications in the long term, and feelings of untreated diabetes in the short term.

Carbohydrates are all broken down into a simple sugar called glucose, so you are slightly mistaken in your belief that sugar can only be used as a treat or when they are hypo. (This is what's tested for when your friend tests your god son's blood.)

Granulated sugar, or glucose, can, and is used for treatment of hypos. This is because it's fast acting. It aids to help someone recover from a hypoglycaemic episode, but they should then take in something substantial to boost their sugar levels so that they don't suddenly drop again. (I won't go into detail about what happens when someone has a hypo, but it involves replacing a store of glucose, a compound that's stored in the liver as glycogen, which gets released in a natural attempt to rectify matters by itself.)

You are absolutely right in worrying that your friend is doing long term damage, but the thing is not to confront her with this as she will put up psychological barriers to prevent what she sees as interference. She really needs to be educated by a combination of the diabetes team treating your god son, which would include the doctor, specialist nurses, dietitian, etc., and information that can be found on websites such as Diabetes UK (http://www.diabetes.org.uk/).

You sound concerned that pump therapy is being considered for your god son. Can I just say that I've been using a pump since 1998, and it's the best move that's ever been taken in my diabetes care. Prior to having the pump I used to spend as much, if not more, time in hospital as I was spending at home. Since the pump, I've only been admitted infrequently, and one of those occasions was when my pump 'gave up the ghost'.

One advantage that I've found with the pump is that quite precise amounts of insulin can be infused, dependant on how much carbohydrate has been taken in. The downside, however, is that pumps use fast acting insulins which can cause hypos before you know what's happening. This means that more frequent blood tests are called for, particularly until a happy medium is reached. Even then, more frequent testing will still be called for.

I wish you all the very best of luck in getting to grips with your god son's diabetes. Believe me, you don't want him to end up dealing with the complications that I currently have.

If I can be of any further help, please don't hesitate to contact me via email. (Click on my avatar/photograph and click on the link to send me an email.)

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I'm a Type 1 diabetic who also uses the carb counting method. When I was younger I was allowed to eat what I wanted when I wanted as long as I compensated for it with my insulin, but this was still in MODERATION. Sounds to me what is happening is your friend doesn't want to have to tell her son that he can't have the things he wants, she lets him have it and then gives him too much insulin for it. Therefore, causing his blood sugar level to drop into the 20's. When his level gets that low she's putting him at risk for a whole lot of trouble. She needs to seek the help of a diabetic dietician who can help her find the right balance of food for his age. I am now 25 and use an insulin pump. It has helped me alot, but this requires even more discipline than when you're doing the injections. You become even more sensitive to eating the wrong foods and if you give yourself too much insulin with it, it becomes very serious. So until she can get help with controlling it with injections I can't honestly say the pump would be the best solution for the problem. I tell your friend she needs to make sure she is very up front with his doctors about what she is doing so that they can treat him properly. I can guarantee that if she was being upfront they could have already solved the problems he's having. Good luck to you trying to convince your friend that she's hurting her son and good luck to the both of them.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

Your friend is right. He can eat anything as long as he is given adequate insulin to cover the carbohydrates. Obviously they haven't quite worked out the formula yet, but it can be done.

Type 1 diabetics don't make insulin. So they get it exogenously... that's really the only difference between them and a nondiabetic.

BTW, pump therapy is state-of-the-art treatment, and not to be seen as a last ditch effort or punitive result.

As Cammie often says, don't worry about the thumbs down. I know what I'm talking about.

Answer 7

Did I read that right?...his blood glucose is usually in the 20's?? OMG...that child would be comatose. His mom needs to feed him a balanced diet of approved foods, avoid sugar (to avoid the highs then lows brought on by insulin) and follow a sliding scale for insulin as prescribed by the MD. She's playing with fire by not following the doctor's orders. No wonder the staff can't "work out the problem."

Answer 8

I assume your Son is receiving regular monitoring from his G.P., Hospital Diabetes Consultant or at the very least a Specialist Diabetes Nurse or Registered Dietician. Please seek their medical advice... Food is fuel for the body but is not the only aspect of control for a Diabetes sufferer - levels of exercise and underlying medical problems also contribute so I would urge you to seek professional medical advice rather than rely on trawling through a plethora of comments from people who are not fit to comment or even your friend however well-meaning and helpful she is trying to be.

Answer 9

My wife had type 2 diabetes and although not on insulin therapy had to watch her diet. The sugar readings of 20 in this boy are way too high... Sugar is a no no no Use artificial sweeteners instead. To counteract excess sugar with added insulin is medically wrong. How you can convince his mum that she is wrong I don't know. Is there any way you can tell his nurse or doctor of your concerns?

Answer 10

my sister is type 1,she up's her dose of insuline for treats or if she knows that she is going to have a big dinner, but her blood sugar is quite level. Your god son's sugar level is still way to high, i think he should go back to the docs and see if the dosage is right or even the insulin. My sister has had about 4 different types to get it right.