is it true??

[makaveli22]

is it true that when a type one diabetis is getting older, the more insulin to inject into your body? thanks

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

No, this is not true. I have had type 1 diabetes for 38 years and my insulin requirements actually are less now than when I was in my 20's, for I require less calories now to keep my optimum weight. Insulin requirements can vary, but they do not go up as a person gets older and older. But there are several factors that can make a person need more insulin... read on for an explanation of a few of them:

Some people develop scar tissue if they do not rotate injection sites (this is important for both pump users and folks who take shots), and if that happens, it can mean that you need more insulin to keep sugar levels under control because the scar tissue does not absorb insulin well. So that is important to remember in order to keep your body absorbing the insulin properly.

Also, some people have a honeymoon phase that lasts longer than just a few years, and if at some point their pancreas finally does completely quit working, it will take more insulin to cover meals.

If a person gains weight as they grow older (becomes overweight), then insulin requirements will go up, for fat cells act as insulin-blockers, and the heavier a person is, the more insulin he or she will need.

One last thing that can make insulin dosages increase is hormones during the teen years. Many teens seem to require more insulin than they did as children because some of the hormones that increase at that time of life act to block the effectiveness of insulin. This settles down as the person grows up and hormones stabilize.

[makaveli22]

ahhh,,thanks for the info..if so,,if too much insulin is dangerous? or it depends?

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Too much insulin is only TOO much if it drops the person's blood sugar levels too low and the person gets hypoglycemic. In other words, some people need lots of insulin to have a healthy glucose level while other people (we all are different) require very small doses... and both situations are equally healthy if they work to keep the glucose levels normalized. So a person who takes lots of insulin is no "worse" than a person who needs a small dose. Insulin in and of itself is not a problem.

The only real danger in my opinion, and please remember that I am not a doctor, is that folks who take larger doses of insulin may have to test a little more often than folks who take small doses of insulin because if a mistake is made, it is going to have bigger repercussions. I mean, if a person is sensitive to insulin and only requires a small dose, then there is only a small amount of insulin working, and if a goof is made, it may not affect glucose levels very much.
One unit of insulin too much or too little is probably not going to make sugar levels spike too high or too low, or at least not dangerously so. If a person takes larger doses of insulin, then there is more margin for error just because more insulin is involved. If the person who takes 15 units of insulin at a meal miscalculates the amount of carbs he or she eats, then there is more insulin working, and a low can be more drastic, as can a high since it takes more insulin for that person to be regulated. Hope this makes sense.

You are asking very good questions. Smart questions. Good for you. People who learn as much as possible about diabetes are more likely to figure out ways to do it "right". More than our doctors, we individuals who live as diabetics daily have so much of our health under our own control. People who learn a lot and think it through are much more likely to remain healthy than those who go into denial and pretend that if they don't pay attention to their sugar levels, nothing will happen. It is SO very possible to live a long, healthy, and normal life as a type 1 diabetic as long as we keep our glucose levels normal.

One more note to you... if you are a teen (I am not sure), then you may be requiring more insulin because you are needing more calories as you grow. During the teen years, we grow so fast and require lots of calories. The more you need to eat, the more insulin you probably are going to need. This again will stabilize as the growth spurts quit happening. Also, I have read that some of the growth hormones can cause people to be a little bit insulin-resistant, meaning that more insulin is required.

[makaveli22]

thanks again for the info hehe..actually im now 20 years old and diagnosed as a type one i think last octtober 2006,,im using now a novomix flexpen, i inject 18 in the morning and 10 in the evening, my blood sugar in the past year are normal, but i think im a little bit thin.. what do you think the solution how to gain a lttle weight?? many thanks.. i think my weight right now is about not -100 pounds

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Well, a couple of suggestions here for you...

1. Make sure that your glucose levels are as normal as possible. If you are still running high sugar levels, your body may be using up its own fat, which is unhealthy and will keep you too skinny. So test often and adjust as necessary. Once the glucose levels are normal,the body can use the calories you eat properly, and you can gain weight by adding calories. But adding calories won't help if your glucose levels are staying high. I mention this because it is very important to take this step first. From what you wrote, it seems that you are already doing this, but I have to mention it in case someone else whose control is not that great is reading this. This will also protect you for years to come from any potential damages from the disease. We don't have to get complications!

2. Adding calories can be tough, because adding calories often means adding carbohydrates. But you could first try adding some calories via extra protein (meat and cheeses) and fats. Add some extra healthy oils to your foods to add calories, or eat some nuts (lotsa good oils and protein in nuts, hence lotsa calories -- and almost no carbs). Even by adding 100 calories per day, you might find that you start to gain some weight.

I tend to be on the lean side, too, and I follow my own advice, believe me! I especially like the nuts. I keep a container of mixed nuts on my kitchen counter and I nibble when I come home from work and before bedtime just to add some calories.

[makaveli22]

ok thanks a lot bro..ill follow your advice about the snack ill eat...