Diabetes and headaches

[pwish]

HI, My 13 year old daughter has been Type one for 4 years now. She has been experiencing sudden onset headaches sporatically throughout the day ever since she started taking insulin. The doctor calls them tension headaches, however, I disagree. They go away as suddenly as they come on and happen almost daily. We tried to establish a link to low blood sugars, but, that doesn't seem to be the problem. She is taking Lantus and Novolog. Has any one out there experienced this with their type one children? I'd like to blam it on hormones but it just seems that it really all started with the insulin use. Prior to that she took Metformin and didn't have the headaches.

[genie86333]

Do the correspond at all to the times she takes insulin? (not necessarily right after, but are they consistantly the same amount of time after a shot, maybe?)

You say that her blood sugar isn't low when it happens...I'm assuming she's not high at those times as well or you would have noted that as well, right?

Have you tried changing the type of insulin? - maybe it's a reaction to the particular brand.

Have you had her eyes checked? Both diabetic & non-diabetic eye problems could cause headaches.

Of course, it *could* also be hormones, tension, or a totally non-diabetes related problem.

[Subby]

Not a common complaint about insulin. That said, side effects do seem to occur for a lucky few. I am one of those people, everything but Novolog tends to have given me some side effects directly attributable to the insulin. Lantus gave me quite a definite fatigue and other "head" issues. Humalog in particular gave me daily nausia and almost unbearable motion sickness when traveling, that came with my trial of it for some weeks - and left the day after I stopped using it.

It's very hard to tell when you are stuck with using the stuff constantly, and hard to know what to do especially as many endos seem to poo-poo the idea that insulin might have side effects (others readily admit it, to their credit). My sense is that if side effects only affect a small amount of the user base, some doctors are happy to just completely ignore the fact you may be in that minority and insist it's fine for all.

If nothing else comes along that seems a likely cause, I would do as Genie suggests, stick to your guns and at least try changing the Novolog to Humalog. These are very similar insulins, the chances are that doses etc, stay pretty much the same, the cross over should not be traumatic.

As for the Lantus, your best similar option is Levemir (or, the pump). Again, am approach if issues are suspected, and even just to rule it out interactions, is to just give another type a go for at least a few days. You can always switch back.

But if you change both basal and bolus (or want to trial an alternative for both), be sure to do then some weeks apart for the sake of troubleshooting what might have been doing what.

Getting the doctor on side with this might be the biggest issue. A common approach is that diabetics or their parents overstep a line into "meddling", when it comes to such issues as meds or being involved. If the doctor refuses point blank to what really is a reasonable request to rule things out (to try a different brand/type of insulin) perhaps you are outgrowing the doctor and need to find one more amenable to patient involvement.

[Subby]

All that said, fast fluctuations or BG movement, whether it is up or down, can precipitate nasty tension headaches for me. It doesn't have to be a low: just rapid movement.

[RWright]

I second that Subby. Any fast movement brings on a migraine for me! I have migraines inspite of diabetes =) , but the BG movement is a definite trigger.

[oneluckyplay]

i seem to get a headache almost everyday,i noticed it was usually right after i eat. i also noticed if i was a little low or went high for more than a few minutes i end up w/ one. Once my bg levels are back in the norm and steady it almost always goes away. i rarely need to take anything for these type of headaches, i just wait them out.

[pwish]

Thanks Genie, No connection to highs either. I think you could be right about the hormone thing because the time span between her first mensies and the start of insulin was only 3 months. Also it doesn't help that she has a 21 day cycle so her hormones barely get a rest when they flare up again. Her doctor doesn't sem too concerned and she does get regular eye exams and all is ok. I just remember the headaches started right after starting insulin so that was what I have been blaming it on.

[eyeofgemini]

I would would agree that it is most likely her hormones. You might want to try getting her on a very low dose birth colntrol, that might help. But also do your research on the insulin. You can never be too careful, and knoweledge is the best tool we have.

[sweetlife]

Pwish next time when she complains take her to bathroom and advise her to stand near shower for atleast 10 mins.This looks like a migraine,same prob I am having with my daughter and this is more often seen during school days(weekdays)as she hardly complains during weekends!
When she has her shower she feels nice so worth trying.She also wears dark sunglass when she moves out,this also helped her very much and now headache issue is becoming lesser.

[sweetlife]

An update which I must share with all parents here.
We too had similar problem of headache and last it became very regular one,she always or most of time used to complain for headache and just a month back I increased her Lantus by 2 units(she now takes 28 units)and problem solved!
Since last 30-35 days she has not complained on this issue,no idea on its relations with Basal but thank God that she is okay now and smiling most of time.
Hope this helps.

[UpNorth]

I can get headaches if my levels are going up or down very fast. Other than that i don't have headaches which can be related to diabetes or insulin use. I've had migraines for many years, long before i was diagnosed with diabetes.