March 6, 2002
Insulin
Question from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada:
I’m 22 years old, and I have had type 1 diabetes for two and a half years. I take five to six shots of Humalog a day depending on what my sugars are in addition to 35 units of NPH at bedtime, and I think this is quite a lot of insulin for one person to be taking. My doctor told me that it is normal because my hormones are still changing, but I’m 22 years old so I don’t think my hormones are changing that much at my age. Will this much insulin at such a young age in life cause problems down the road for me?
Answer:
You do take a lot of insulin injections. However, I don’t try to put a lot of emphasis in the number of injections. Rather, what is your control like? If you tell me you have good control, I would say that would be worth it. Are there more simple regimens to use? Perhaps. This is where you need to connect with your physician. I will often speak with my young adult patients about different treatment options, while highlighting the pros and cons of their use.
JTL