Hello, I was just wondering if anyone else is having this problem. My son was diagnosed at age 3(he is 5 now). Since his diagnosis, we have to fight with him to eat the amount of carbs that he needs with his insulin!! It isnt every meal but at least one meal a day!! He will even refuse to eat when his bg is 52!! I just feel like the only one that has this to deal with sometimes. I keep telling the endo and she keeps saying "feed him whatever he will eat" Well there are times when I cant get him to agree to eat ANYTHING!!!!! Now hes caught on that chocolate milk has carbs so hes even starting to refuse that. I am lost. I am also a T1 and I dont remember ever doing this. I did a lot of sneaking food but never refusing it!!
I'm wondering if you are giving your son insulin shots ?? If you are, he probably has figured out that food or carbs equal getting a shot !! And I'm sure he doesn't like them (who does?)
Anyways - have you ever thought of maybe getting an insulin pump ??
Just a thought!
Every kid is different, and in my experience as a parent, little boys only eat when they feel like it. Why aren't you adjusting your son's insulin to the food he actually eats, instead of the other way around?
Will he eat candy if he's low? Cake frosting right out of the tube or some other treat that appeals to a little kid's appeal for doing something naughty?
I'm sorry you're having this struggle. Most kids are more contrary when they 3 than they even were in the terrible 2s. He'll outgrow some of it.
Maybe he has just lost his appetite, I am only 16 and Theres times that I just don't even wanna look at food! Was he a picky eater before you found out or does he just not like food at all?
We went thru this right after my son was diagnosed. It really was only a problem when he was low - since we always gave his insulin after he ate - and only enough to cover what he ate. So sometimes if he chose to only eat no carb foods he wouldn't get any insulin. Other times he always go some. I know some parents who give shots after still give a 'shot' even if they are giving no insulin so that their child doesn't figure out that if they avoid certain foods they don't get a shot. Switching to after meals is maybe not 'ideal' D management - but it sure beats a food battle at 1 or more meals a day.
If you are not on longacting (lantus or levemir) and a short-acting (humalog, novolog or apidra) this will not work and and you should definitely talk to your endo about switching to that kind of protocol. Then he won't have to eat on such a strict schedule or a strict amount of carbs like is needed with some other insulins.
Now - back to the not eating or drinking with lows. My son esp. at first hate eating and would throw grand scale tantrums if I said he had to eat - even though it was things he would normally like - like a pack of fruit snacks or a juice box. (Things that pre-dx were considered serious treats!) So I resorted to telling him that if he didn't start eating I would have to take him to the hospital because his body would just be getting sicker. I ended up having to throw him in the car at least 4 times and driving to the hospital. 2 times he would not start eating until I got out of the car to take him inside. After everything was OK and we were back home and settled down, I would explain how I didn't like doing that anymore than he did and that he needed to trust me when I said he was low and needed to eat. I think it finally kicked in after the last time when we were at my parents cabin and it was a 15 min drive to the hospital but I think what got him was that he had to miss out on cabin fun - and that if he just ate he didn't have to miss anything.