• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Is always being tired an occupational hazard of a type 1?

B

bonerp

Well-Known Member
Messages
401
Location
Dorset
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I can't believe how lethargic I feel sometimes! My BGs aren't too bad. Just cant concentrate on anything. Dont think stuffy offices and the awful lights used in them helps! I just want to nod off!!!!

Any magic cures or potions any of you could share??!?! 2 gallons of caffiene hasnt helped today either!!!

Paul
 
Sarah
This week I've been doing tests every 2 hours and barely gone above 7.4!

I'm gonna check my meters!!!! My BGs are rarely 11.5 so no way should my HBA1c be 8.9!!!

Oh this is soooo weird.
 
Answer to your question-yes, if you're on synthetic insulin or insulin analogues. Had years of indescribable exhaustion, sometimes would come over me like someone had flicked a switch. Never related to blood-sugar levels
Answer- switch to purified animal insulin, and feel awake again!
Jus
 
I'm on synthetic insulin and I get days like that, just can't keep my eyes open. But I also get days when I am over energetic and can't sleep, so do lots of housework and stay up all night on the computer :D . I think I overdo it on good days then wear myself out and need lots of sleep to recover :lol: . My mums on same insulin too and shes always nodding off
 
I've sent an email to my SDN asking why we were put onto synthetics years ago and why bovine insulin is not offered, and whether trying bovine/porcine again would reduce my tiredness.....

I'll let you know the reply!

Paul
 
no I'm not putting weigjht on - I equally dont seem to be able to lose any. When I stopped smoking 1.5 yrs ago I put on 1.5 stone. Not been able to shift it since. I'm 14.5 stone - but 6ft 1 and fairly well built.

I eat well and pretty fit. Do around 30mins aerobic exercise plus weights in the gym 3 times per week.

Always felt sleepy tho!!! Could do with a little kip now! Even if I tried I couldnt tho!!! Quite a light sleeper.
 
stabatha said:
I'm on synthetic insulin and I get days like that, just can't keep my eyes open. But I also get days when I am over energetic and can't sleep, so do lots of housework and stay up all night on the computer :D . I think I overdo it on good days then wear myself out and need lots of sleep to recover :lol: . My mums on same insulin too and shes always nodding off
Click to expand...

Interesting post Stabatha,
About a year and a half after I started on Lantus my symptoms peaked. I was told I had Fybromyalgia and possibly ME. The over-exertion, then exhausting days you describe were what I was experiencing. On my exhausted days, I felt like I was dying. It was like a vicious circle and in the end I lost all my confidence, I couldn't go out of the house on my own, coz I was so scared the exhaustion would come over me. I didn't excercise(I was a regular cyclist before), as I knew I'd feel like death the next day or the day after that-it always caught up. Palpitaions started, muscle pain, loss of cognitive function, and feeling like I couldn't walk straight. My life was **** and I thought I was dying. I was referred to a specialist Prof at St Thomas's for Fybromyalgia, and he prescribed dopamine. I realised I was part of a study, did not want to be his gineau pig, so refused to take it.
I don't believe I ever had ME or Fybromyalgia, but am confident that i was suffering side-effects from Lantus. I have spoken to the IDDT, and I am not the only person to experience these kinds of symptoms on Long-acting synthetic insulin "analogues".
I am on Hypurin Porcine Isophane, and split the dose. I feel like a new person-and I am cycling again, and feel better than I've felt in years. I get tired, but it feels like a normal tiredness, not overwhelming. Ive been insulin dependent for 19 and a half years, have always been on synthetic insulin, and always felt tired, but nothing compared to taking Lantus. My BS control now is also the best it's ever been!
I must point out that I am still on a synthetic rapid acting-Humalog, but it works really well, weighing it up, I thinks it's worth sticking with.
Jus
 
thanks Janabelle some interesting info. I have not been to see anyone about this as I tend to avoid DRs and such like because they just keep shoving pills my way , that I don't want, as I don't like taking drugs unless they are absolutly essential, and my nurse isn't too much help either. They do try but all have different views on my treatment which just makes things confusing, and I don't know who to take notice of, this is why I find out as much as I can so I don't have to rely on them, I can then make my own choices of what I think is best for me. I just put up with it, thinking this is how it's going to be from now on as I couldn't find answers to this one. As you can see from the time of my posting I am having a "good" day today and can't sleep so I'm off to surf the web and to look up some of the things on your post. :lol:
 
Hi Stabatha, I understand how you feel. I hope u get things sorted out. I tried lots of things, changing my diet, drinking gree tea. Anything's worth a try. You could always change insulin and see how you get on, and switch back if it makes no difference.
Good luck and enjoy the good days! :)
Jus
 
...thats just cos its sunny outside (well it is here in Swindon!) and your mind keeps wandering - like mine I suspect! 2.5 hours to go before a week off woohoo!
Paul
 
I've had this problem for a couple of years and am now falling asleep mid day a lot in front of my pc. I have had a million and one tests and all clear, but, now I think about it, it does coincide to roughly when I started on lantus! This has been very frustrating and I will now discuss this with my doctors, I know to take this info with a pinch of salt, but it has still given me a little hope!!!

:)
 
I think you can split lantus into 2 doses (can someone confirm?) one am one pm like levimir - would that remove any tiredness caused possibly by bulking up on long acting insulin??
 
Hello bonerp,

Yes - lantus can be split into two doses. Splitting the dose worked wonders for my control.

Hi dee-uk,

You certainly wouldn't be the first person to have problems with lantus. Many people have
problems with erratic control and/or suffer from fatigue and depression, which stops
when lantus is discontinued.
However, most people get on perfectly ok with lantus.

Regards,
timo.
 
I'm on Levemir still the same tiredness. But like I said in previous post it's not all the time just some days, even when I haven't done anything much.
 
To be honest it's a strange phenomenon. I have had type 1 for 20 years and it's only recently (within 3 years) that this is happening. I'm over tired a lot and at least 2 or 3 times a week I fall asleep in front of PC, can you imagine what it's like? can you imagine what my colleagues and bosses must think!

It's not good and has to be fixed, if there's a chance it's lantus, then I have to come off it and see, which - I am not happy about as I like taking 1 injection instead of 2 for it!!! :(
 
I have recently been experiencing the same problems, I work normal hours and find that come 1500/1600 ij=n the afternoon im so so tired, I can sleep for 10mins and I would be fine just to recharge my batteries, but know that you all seem to mention Lantus this is ringing bells with me. Ive never felt so tired as I have done lately, just didnt know what it was, I 've tested my bloods and they always vary between 4 - 9 really depending so i'm not the best controlled diabetic in the world. I also struggle really badly with my weight, im over-weight and have been for many years. I want to loose 5 stone but struggle so badly ith this, Im never hungry and only eat because I have too. Can anyone help me with ideas, :? sash newby to blog) Diabetic for 21yrs
 
I've a small update to anyone who is interested. I came off lantus in october and started using levimar. I normally have 2 doses of it although they do say that you can manage on just one, i find 2 to work better for me.

I started to notice that I do not get any where near as tired as I used to, it took about 6/7 weeks before i noticed anything properly, but it took me that to get a handle on using the levimar too :-)

I can't say for certain if it was the lantus, I can only speculate about it. Perhaps it was just coincidence that i started to feel tired once I was on it, and less so when I came off it...

I am certainly much much happier with it and a lot less tired which is the most important thing. :D
 
been feeling this lately really bad too, only im on levemir and my numbers lately have been high (10 to 13 mostly) and with random hypo's thrown in there...
 
Back
Top