
October 22, 2002
Insulin
Question from Taranaki, New Zealand:
My one year old daughter is getting Humalog with NPH after breakfast and after tea, based on her pre prandial readings and her carbohydrate intake, and she is having hypoglycaemia around 45 minutes after her evening meal. She has her shots in her buttocks and usually has a bath after her tea. Could the warm bath water cause the insulin to work more quickly (as in exercise)? My experiments suggest yes, but her doctor is unsure.
Answer:
It is possible that a warm bath after injecting insulin can increase the speed at which the insulin is absorbed. Have you tried giving the insulin before meals? This might reduce the risk of your child going hypo after meals as the insulin will kick into action sooner and so be more likely to cover her meals.
JS