my daughter was diagnosed on July 2. She will be three years old on September 18. she is now in the honeymoon phase and is having lots of lows, especially at night. The problem is not the lows, it is the fact that she refuses to eat when she is low. she fights me when I try to get sugar of any form into her. she clamps down and refuses to open her mouth and she cries until she gags. How do I deal with this? I am afraid that she will go into a diabetic coma and all of this after her being in diabetic ketoacidosis when she was diagnosed. Someone please help me through this. Has anyone else had this problem with their child?
This is common. Brains run on glucose, so when blood sugar is low the brain stops working well. That's why diabetics with low blood sugars can be mistaken for drunks.
You have a double whammy because kids sleep so soundly and aren't cooperative to waking up in the middle of the night.
You might try talking to her when she's not low and set a rule, like that if she is low she will eat anything you ask. Sometimes a straight forward rule can be remembered even when she's not thinking clearly. You can also tell her that if she's low she can eat frosting right from the tube. The thrill of that might get her to be more cooperative. The other good thing about cake frosting is that if she's combative it's easy to squeeze into the mouth, doesn't require chewing and will begin absorbing immediately.
I was diagnosed at 4 and used to fight during overnight lows too. I just couldn't think rationally enough to get help. Even as an adult, my husband would sometimes notice I was low before I felt it and would ask me to test my blood. But because my blood sugar was low and I wasn't thinking clearly, I'd get mad at his suggestion. We set a rule that anytime he asks me to test, I willingly agree. I know the rule and even if my brain isn't working, I know that's what I need to do. He's been right 90% of the time and it's saved a lot of stress and trouble.
Also, just in case you should have glucagon. I have one in my purse, one at work, and one by my bed. My motto - if I have them I won't need them.
My daughter went through this for a while. It didn't last long. Lows make her extremely hungry. I think it was more of a power struggle than anything else. Does she have a favorite treat? It might help to offer something really special like chocolate or chocolate milk. They aren't very fast acting but they are okay and long lasting.
Another tool to consider is a minigluc. You mix glucagon just like normal, take the big scary syringe out and get rid of it, and use a normal insulin syringe to give a small dose of glucagon - 1 unit per year of your child's age. It work about as fast as sugar. Once glucagon is mixed, it can be kept in the fridge and used for 48 hours (although some people say it will last longer). I've used it at night because I stubbornly didn't want to brush my teeth again. Mostly people use it when they're feeling nauseated and feel like they can't eat. Since glucagon is expensive (for me anyway), it's not a tool I use everyday, but I'm still glad to have it in my arsenal.
Ok, first things first-I'm a KID with diabeties.(not a parent of a kid with diabeties!) I'm in the honeymoon period, just like your daughter. I know that you're not really worried about the lows, but sometimes they can be scary, can't they? I know that you don't know me, but also know that you have my support!