Headaches with type 1

[LSPAngel2000]

Hi, I'm relatively new on here, I'm mum to a teenager with type 1. He's suffering from headaches and also struggles to get to sleep. He says his bloods are fine. He's been getting bad headaches on and off for over a month. Dr and diabetes nurse are aware also and advised keeping a diary of headaches. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[noblehead]

Not sleeping could result in headaches, is he worried or stressed about anything at the moment?

I was diagnosed in my late teens and suffered from really bad headaches, looking back it was a combination of being stressed about having type 1 diabetes and being on a roller-coaster ride of high's & low's with bg levels, just do as the Dr & DN suggests and keep a diary, also get him to take along his bg meter at the next appointment so that they can look back at his bg readings. Good luck.

 

[Lord_Azrael]

Hi. I've been a type 1 for 16 years now starting at 15 years old. In that time the only occasions when I have had a headache have been when both my blood sugar was low AND my circulation was poor (i used to be a bit fat!). I have no evidence other than my own opinion but as i became fitter and got my blood sugars under better control my headaches disappeared. I havent had a headache in over 10 years now... Maybe a silver lining to this disease!
My theory is that part of my brain wasn't getting the sugars it needed or suffering some other imbalance such as dehydration and so was complaining.

 

[Lord_Azrael]

Just re read your post.
Just because he says his sugars are fine doesn't mean they are. I used to tell all sorts of fibs to my mum to make her go away especially when i had low sugars. To some extent i still do that today with my wife! I'd advise watching him take a fresh reading and reviewing the result yourself.

 

[LSPAngel2000]

Thanks, makes sense if stress is a factor as the last 6 mths seem to have been the most difficult for him. He's 15 1/2 so I've had to take a bit of a back seat but I have been checking in with him daily and offering support and opportunity to talk. Its difficult seeing him suffer.

 

[slip]

Some people get headaches after a hypo, and I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to say that having high BS will result in headaches too! As Lord_Azrael said just because the boy said his BS are fine doesn't necessarily mean they are, but tread carefully on this one!

 

[himtoo]

Hi there @LSPAngel2000
welcome to the forum.

just want to add my experience regarding headaches.

one of the classic after effects of a hypo is a headache( i experienced these a lot as a teenager)
the headache typically lasted for about 4-6 hours post hypo and taking tablets did not help.

you need to work with him on this one and hopefully get a BG reading as soon as a headache starts to see if related to blood sugar at all.
there is no doubt that stress could be playing a part in this too. Being a teen is difficult enough with GCSE exams on the go at school and adding the D in on top certainly won't help.

all the best !

 

[tim2000s]

Just re read your post.
Just because he says his sugars are fine doesn't mean they are. I used to tell all sorts of fibs to my mum to make her go away especially when i had low sugars. To some extent i still do that today with my wife! I'd advise watching him take a fresh reading and reviewing the result yourself.

This. I used to lie through my teeth to my parents about my bg levels.

"Have you tested?"
"Yes."
"What was it?"
"7."

Hadn't been anywhere near the test strips, and at the time there weren't meters so it was easier to avoid. If he doesn't want you to watch, maybe look through his meter another time. I don't normally advocate this stuff, but what is said and done are often different.

I only used to get headaches after prolonged overnight lows, which you may not know about.

 

[LSPAngel2000]

Thanks all for your advice, suggestions. He's a known suspect of making out his bloods are better than they are. Keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. Am going to have a look through his meter today.

 

[LSPAngel2000]

Thanks again to all for your time and messages.......I checked his meter and there were good readings and some quite high ones and only averaging 1 test a day. So could explain headaches. I live in hope he will improve his management.

 

[AmandaD]

Im a type 1 28 years now and I get headaches if I have gone low during the night, doesn't happen when my blood sugar is high. I use a pump and a cgm so could pin point exactly when the low blood sugars were happening and remedy it. Hopefully he'll be sorted soon I remember 15/16 as a diabetic and I always told my mam my blood sugars were fine when they weren't I grew out of that thou.

 

[Beckstar]

Hi, i am 27 and I had constant headaches myself a couple of years ago. I would advise you to check his blood readings yourself over a period of a few days, if all is good, it could be that he is having low blood sugar through the night (this was the case with me) it took something as simple as changing my long-acting insulin from night time to morning. Although some doctors believe long-acting insulin stays at a constant level for 24 hours on average, it actually doesn't. It tends to peak at around 8 hours. Low blood sugars through the night are actually more common than people think (google it). Hope he's feeling better soon

 

[lunuka]

Hi,
I get terrible headaches when my sugars are low or high - when my control was bad after regime switch I had them all the time. I was teenaged then too, and was equally opposed to not admitting problems and not testing my blood sugars. One day I woke up and realised how important it was to take more care, and I test plenty these days. Hopefully he'll grow out of it too

 

[LSPAngel2000]

Thanks for all responses. He's was injecting the first yr to 18 mths then onto the accu check combo pump for 4 yrs, then had an upgrade to the accu check insight pump back in May. He's on his 3rd bg meter as the others were crashing and erroring. He gave up on that meter and is now using his expert bg meter from when he first got diagnosed along with the insight pump. The 2 don't link up so a lot of button pressing and making good use of maths. Without a doubt it's affected his management. Waiting to hear about an update on new devices. During these few months he's also been through exams and teenage anxieties. He was quite low in mood without realising but I've kept a close eye on him and offered guidance to help him sort through a few issues. Being a teen is bad enough at times and with diabetes I can see how easy it is to be fed up especially when your equipment isn't doing what it should. He's agreed to do bg tests at least 3 times a day and I am going to monitor the results consistently for the foreseeable future. So glad I found this forum as no support group locally and I had no idea about things like a forum until this year. I've learnt so much in the last 2 mths with regards to the emotional side of diabetes for my son and progressed to a more effective level of support. I always used to focus on the future and possible complications. Now I focus on each day at a time with him and am hopeful he will be ok later on in life. I shed my tears every few nights and start fresh again the next morning. Respect to all with diabetes........xxx

 

[nmr1991]

Whenever I get a headache it is a really painful one and I sort of lose my mind because my brain can't cope, most are just tension headaches or migraines put on from watching TV or looking at the computer screen for extensive periods of time (although I use computer most of the time, I should be getting headaches more often). They either happen when I experience a nightmare or when I have a hypo and don't treat it, it must have a connection with the brain where if you starve it of energy (glucose) it tries to gain it by other means such as through muscles and that might create the tension headache, just a theory.

 

[vix107]

Hi, I'm relatively new on here, I'm mum to a teenager with type 1. He's suffering from headaches and also struggles to get to sleep. He says his bloods are fine. He's been getting bad headaches on and off for over a month. Dr and diabetes nurse are aware also and advised keeping a diary of headaches. Does anyone have any advice?

I find if im struggling with migraines its often down to a. a lack of sleep (of course this can be catch 22 if suffering regular headaches/migraines) b. getting dehydrated or c. a lack of salt
often find I start suffering horrendous cramps mostly in the legs and feet if it goes on too long aswell
if he really isn't showing any signs of up and down sugar readings then it is possible his overall levels are a tad too low for him, some people find they feel a million times better when their sugars are in the 7-8 sort of region, would be worth a check with his specialist x

 

[LSPAngel2000]

Thanks that could be a reason but he doesn't often have readings below 6-7 and generally when he has he's had a hypo not long after. I think he tends to keep them above target to prevent hypo's. He does get cramps sometimes but will ask him if it's when his headaches are bad. Going to ring his SDN first thing Monday. X

 

[tim2000s]

The most important thing for you to do is provide support and understanding. Never judge blood glucose levels. If you can, always nudge, never demand. Life is fairly tough as a T1. There's a lot to manage. As a T1 teen it's harder. Support and understanding are really important. Provide that rather than judgement and you'll get through anything chucked your and his way.

 

[LSPAngel2000]

So true, thanks