My daughter has so many headaches. Is this normal when first diagnosed with diabetes? She only found out the end of September. What causes them? How long does it usually take until the body and insulin get used to each other and you find a steady dose?

Also, have you heard of the new Dreamfields pasta? No one, not even my nutritionist, seems to know how to count the digestible carbohydrates or regular carbohydrates.

As for the headaches, it is not “typical” for someone with new onset diabetes to develop headaches. You should talk to her diabetes specialist. Insulin can be associated with a little, typically temporary, fluid retention.

Please read some of the many questions on this web site about when the insulin and glucose levels begin to level out. This is often referred to as the diabetes Honeymoon. But, do not be confused: there is NO “steady state” without a functioning pancreas. (And even WITH a perfectly functioning pancreas, as glucose levels normally fluctuate up and down, so does insulin.)

So, depending upon your child’s meal and activity plans, dovetailed with the insulin regimen, then you can begin to get a better feel for high glucoses that aren’t so high and low glucoses that aren’t so low. For example, if your child is using an intensive “basal-bolus” insulin plan by multiple daily injections or pump, a plan that REQUIRES good and accurate attention to counting those carbohydrates, then you might expect less fluctuating glucose levels when compared to an insulin plan that uses intermediate and short/rapid acting insulins a couple of times a day.

DS
Additional comments from James Michael Schurig, RD, LD, CDE:

With respect to the Dreamfields pasta, you can subtract the fiber content of the pasta from the total carbohydrate if it is five grams or more per serving. This would result in a “net carb” according to the American Diabetes Association’s definition of how fiber can benefit blood sugar. So, for example, for 2 ounces of dry Dreamfields spaghetti, you can subtract 5 grams of fiber from the 42 grams of total carbohydrate resulting in a net carb of 37 grams. I hope this assists you with meal planning and label reading.

JMS