weight gain and increasing insulin requirements

[nisha_suri]

I was detected to be a type 1 diabetic around 2 years back. I have been taking short term insulin since then. Recently i have found a drastic increase in my body weight and increased insulin requirements. I have been changing my insulin dose myself. I take erratic dosages everyday n decide using trial n error. My dose decided was 10 12 10 units everyday by the doctor 6-7 months ago. I have increased it to 18 18 20 on my own. I am worried that my requiremnts are going on increasing. And my weight gain also bothers me. I dont do much physical exercise either. Will that help? And will my insulin requirement continue to shoot up, n how do i control better. My hba1c recently was 6.5.
I need advice as to how to reduce my weight too. I feel my diet has also increased. SO has insulin.
I hope u can help me. I thank u in advance and any help will be deeeply appreciated.

[nisha_suri]

thanks a lot for your help. I think i need exercise and professional help to set my dosage. Also i will educate myself regarding insulin pump. Although my doc is against it. Thanks a lot. and take care.

[nisha_suri]

i forgot to add , that i am a girl, and 21 1/2 yrs old.

[JDRF-Team-JW]

Hi Nisha,

I'm not a medical professional but a volunteer on this forum with a similar story to yours. I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 18 (that was over 11 years ago). I too struggled at first with insulin doses (which I also tried to adjust myself), trying to understand carb counting, etc. And I too gained wight steadily for years. I know how frustrating it all can be but trust me, what you're experiencing is very common, yet it doesn't have to be this way. What you need is to take control of your diabetes with a team of specialists: an endocrinoligist, Certified Diabetes Educator, and a nutritionist. I know it may seem to you that adjusting your own insulin doses is ok if you know what you're doing, but the truth is you need a doctor to help you get on track. I would also suggest you discuss going on an insulin pump with your doctor, since that is what ultimately helped me. Your hbA1c is pretty good (anything under 7 is, according to the American Diabetes Association)so the numbers must be good, despite the increase in insulin need. Don't worry that your insulin need is greater now than it was when you were first diagnosed. Often time that is what happens. Especially if you lost a lot of weight (a sign of undiagnosed Type I diabetes) and your body is now trying to recover and return to a more favorable weight. As diabetics we also tend to focus more on food in general, since it is what causes our sugar to rise, so in many cases people actually end up eating more, such as during hypoglycemia or in anticipation of low sugars. You say you don't do much physical excercise. That may be something you need to consider. Excercise can lower your sugar and your need for insulin, as well as of course bring down your weight. Please speak to your doctor, ask him/her to recommend a nutritionist who can help you determine a healthy way to eat and excercise to keep your sugars, insulin intake and weight lower. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better. I've been there. Also, consider the insulin pump. I was resistant to it for years but finally decided to try it exactly a year ago and I couldn't be happier. My hbA1c, insulin intake and my weight all came down. It takes some effort of course but it's well worth it. Good luck to you and please come back if you have any more questions.