Hi - our daughter was diagnosed in August and she is complaining of a lack of energy in her dance classes. She said her legs feel like she has run a marathon and she is having a difficult time in class. Before her diagnosis she didnt have these symptoms. The dr did blood work to check her thyroid, vitamin d, iron and to rule out celiac. Thankfully all the blood work came back negative but I am still baffled. Dr. said that maybe she needs counseling and that she could be afraid to exert herself but she claims she isnt. Anyone else had a lack of energy?
Chasey has lots of energy still but we have leg problems. When her sugars are off the first thing she complains of is leg pain. When her sugars go to high so will cry and refuse to walk sometimes. I'm not sure why it's legs for her but the doctor assures us that this is normal and the better control we have over her sugars the less she will complain about it. And so far she has been right. When we were on injections and the sugars were up and down I heard about her legs all the time. Since going on the pump a year ago it's has been very few and far between that we have had issue with her legs. It only happens when she is sick with something like the flu and her sugars sky rocket that the sore legs return.
I know that probably doesn't help you much but I just wanted to let you know that there are others out there with leg issues.
When Sarah's bloodsugar is high, her energy level plummets. She has a combination of acting, dancing, singing classes nearly every night after dinner and for awhile she'd be great one night, then totally off her game the next. We started testing her immediately before each class, and noticed that whenever her bloodsugar was approaching (or over) 200, she had low energy. Now that she is on the pump, it's much easier to keep her bloodsugar in a better range and we haven't had any problems for awhile.
It took about 5-6 months after diagnosis for Sarah to feel like "herself" again. Pre-diagnosis, she had a LOT of problems with low energy. It was the first symptom that made me think "something" was wrong, long before thirst and weight loss. And her legs aching were a part of that also. She got her BS under control, but it wasn't until her A1C improved that she started feeling better. Her A1C at diagnosis was 10.2, and she felt much better once it got down to 7.2. She hasn't complained about leg pain in a while. Hope your daughter feels better soon.
Wow - it does make me feel better that Megan is not the only one experiencing these weird leg issues. She dances in a company and rehearses at least 10 hours a week so obviously this has become a problem! Atleast I feel now that once we get a better control on her sugars it may get better. She is still often over 200 - at dance tonight in between one of her classes she was at 254. After her second class she was down to 180 so it does get down eventually.
My boys always feel their lows in their legs. She is new to all this. Swings in blood sugars are exhausting! Give her time to adjust. Make sure she is hydrated and listen to her. It is SO important for her to feel comfortable telling you about the cues her body is giving her. Tell her to do the best you can and maybe keep a journal of how she feels, so if it is something medical, you will have it all fresh in your mind.
I have never been as energetic since getting type 1 at the age of 10. Not that I was a whirlwind before - I'm an introverted, cautious girl by nature - but I do feel diabetes can affect one's energy level even if things like thyroid levels, personality, etc. are normal/typical for the individual/unchanged. I don't know what the mechanism of action is to slow some diabetics energy-wise, but I simply do not have anywhere near the hyperactivity of most twentysomethings. I get a little bit annoyed when people tell me I should be "living it up" more because of my age. I felt the same way when I was "supposed" to be an energetic kid and teen.
I agree with Khendra that T1 can affect your energy levels, at least for me personally. But, it hasn't stopped me from doing normal, daily stuff...
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Dr. said that maybe she needs counseling and that she could be afraid to exert herself but she claims she isnt.
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This advice makes me nervous. I agree that counseling is a wonderful tool to help children and adults dealing with a chronic illness like T1 that also presents with frequent comorbid depression. BUT, I personally would NOT advise telling her she needs counseling as an aftermath to complaining about the leg pain. I don't think it's sending her a good message -- like we don't believe you have an actual problem, it's all in your head. You don't want her to feel like she's not being heard on top of all she's going through.
I hope this all improves on it's own once her BG's settle down post-diagnosis.
Dr. said that maybe she needs counseling and that she could be afraid to exert herself but she claims she isnt.
this makes me so sad for her! my son has the EXACT same symptoms with his legs. it's not in their heads...it's truly what they feel. i think some (especially in newly dxd) are very aware of their symptoms. when his sugars are super high he feels it in his legs and in his cheeks...and he feels weak. and when they are low he feels it in his legs and stomach...and he feels weak then also.
this is why i love this site. because we're NOT alone in any of this...seems all the symptoms seem to run the same with most. :)