
April 25, 2001
Insulin Pumps, Puberty
Question from Marshalltown, Iowa, USA:
My son is 13,on a pump, and he was able to achieve good control in the past. Now, he seems to be resistant to the basal and bolus dosages. Can you explain to me why he can have good control and then poor control another? With the poor control he needs approximately 2 units of Humalog per 15grams of carbohydrates. Is it insulin resistance or growth or what? And if it is insulin resistance, could you explain this to me?
Answer:
It is possible that your son is now going through puberty. This is a great time for insulin resistance to occur, and so control will be more difficult to achieve because of insulin resistance. It is not unusual for the insulin requirements to double sometimes.
You need to keep monitoring the glucose levels and adjusting the insulin as necessary.
JS