Edemia when you start taking the correct amount of insulin after abusing it ever go away
My young adult diabetic daughter has gone into DKA from not taking her insulin as she should. She knows that this can harm her body and even if left unchecked could kill her. However, when she starts taking the correct doses she swells up with edemia and she slips back into only taking a minimum amount of insulin. She belives that the edemia will never go away since she has abused insulin. My question is, is she correct?
All she seems to want to do is sleep. Everything appears to be a great effort. She is now once again taken the correct dose of insulin, but is getting depressed because of the swelling. Her mother and I are so concerned that she will once again return to abusing the insulin.
Hi WorriedDad,
Here is a site on various types of edema link with Type 1. I think you should definitely consult a doctor, I can't say I have much expertise in edema. Please please talk to your doctor!
Meanwhile, I'd love to see if I can help your daughter understand how important it is to prevent her DKA and take her insulin! So much is possible with well-controlled diabetes! And so many health problems can be prevented!
Here are a few links about "diabulimia"...when people with diabetes purposefully skip their insulin, very common amongst teenage females trying to lose weight.
Can we get your daughter a profile on here?
Here are a few links for her:
•Roxy's Post - I Own My Body! Diabetes Does Not!
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/435176/49324/body-diabetes/?ic=4020
Diabulimia:
•http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/55832/weight-insulin
• http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/ask-ginger-260597-5.html
• A young woman's struggle with diabulimia diary
Anna The Track Star!
• http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/75529/workout-sugars
Diabetic Powerlifting Champ
•http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/69671/powerlifting-7
In the end, diabetes can be so hard to handle emotionally and the burden of dealing with something so complicated can twist our own emotions in ways we don't realize. Let's see if we can help your daughter understand why she would want to harm her own body, and hopefully encourage her to care about herself and take care of her disease.
Ginger
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worrieddad
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 06:33 PM
I would agree with Ginger. The best place is her endocrinologist! It could be several different reasons. The fact that she went a longtime without insulin may signal the body to react when blood glucose finally comes under control (this would be my first guess). If she toughs it out and stays in control, then this swelling should decrease and permanently go away. If she continues to abuse then she will suffer the problem every time her body finally gets to normal blood glucose levels. If she has been abusive to her body for a while, it will take patience on her part to allow it to heal and be healthy.
It could be a reaction to the form of insulin. She may be allergic to form that she is taking. Allie Beatty, http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/498417/profile has a rare condition where she is allergic to biosynthetic insulin and so she takes a purified pork insulin. This condition only happens in about 1% of the type 1 population, but who is to say without testing that she isn't allergic?
Here is another site with information about insulin and swelling:
http://doublecheckmd.com/EffectsDetail.do?dname=insulin&sid=12183&eid=2410&show=more
Best advice, take her to see a really savvy endo and CDE and have her start to work on her eating habits and blood glucose control. If she does, she will feel better and more importantly, not swell!
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I hope she can go to an endocrinologist who can get a pump started for her. She will not get edema with correct dosing and glucose monitoring. Please help her join a group of diabetic teens with whom she can interact and enjoy!
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Thanks to everyone for your responses. My daughter knows the risks and still has fallen back to abusing her insulin in order to be thin. She has an endocrinologist who she sees regularly who wants to put her on the pump, but she refuses to go on it. she says the reason is because it is so large and ugly, but my wife and I believe the true reason is that it would be harder for her to take less insulin. My daughter is an adult and the doctor basically says I can tell you what to do but it is up to you to do it.
My daughter is currently seeing a therapist, who has recormmeded that she attend a long term in house treatment center. Once again she is an adult and the decision is hers. My wife and I want what is best to help her, but feel that the loss of her job that would be necessary could harm her self worth.
As far as joining a support group, she is an adult so she can't be with teenagers.
Right now she is trying so hard and other than hating the fact that she is swelling up and gaining weight and wiorried about not being able to ever lose it she seems to be taking care of herself.
Thanks again to everyone, Has anyone ever been in her position and was able to lose the weight they gained after taking care of themself