62 Comments
Aside from the honeymoon phase (if you had one), has the amount of insulin you need increased the longer you have had T1D?
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I was diagnosed in 1962 at age 8. I seem to recall taking more or less insulin back then than I do now because of adjustments being made by the Internal Medicine MD treating me back then for factors of weight, height, activity and frequency of hypoglycemia.
Based on experience in my middle-age adult years insulin needs increased during a period of inactivity caused by physical injury with less than ideal physical activity leading to stress-related overeating and weight gain. Once recovered and back on my feet, overall daily insulin needs decreased and have remained stable for several years at ~ 20 to 30 units total per 24 hours delivered by pump or MDI. Depends on what I eat, level of activity, and mind/body/emotional stress. However, overall insulin needs are fairly stable and if anything seem to decrease as I grow older and mature as an aging adult.
@ConnieT1D62 – I was diagnosed in 1964 as well, but I was only 2 1/2 years old. Nice to know there are others who have lived through glass syringes, etc. like me!
Take care,
Pam K.
Me too!
My insulin dose did increase in my teens (1970’s), but settled down to the amount I still take today.
It’s varied throughout my 55 years years of Type 1 diabetes. Likely relative to the types of insulin used, my age and activities, my weight, number of doses and delivery modes of insulin and my understanding of DM management . Overall my TDD has decreases over time.
No. My insulin sensitivity keeps increasing. I use much less insulin than I did when first diagnosed at the age of 30, twenty years ago.
My weight has dropped a bit which puts me slightly underweight and I am LESS active than before. Eating and digesting food takes a lot more time now.
Not that I remember all 56 years of dosages well, but I think I take less insulin now. Of course it used to be, uh, U-40 & U-80? in strength, and I used to use Regular + NPH, or maybe Lente for awhile. Been pumping for about 20 years, which is a dream compared to fiddling with injections.
Not much has changed based on length of diabetes (61 years). Would change temporarily based on mental state, work or home stress, exercise etc, but basically the same for years now.
No…. my insulin needs were the highest after 20 years of T1D. I was unmanaged for the first 7 years (due to lack of an local endo). Once I went on a pump, my insulin needs dropped by 40 units.