Can puberty and T1 cause fatigue?

[Joolzie]

Son age 14 keeps complaining fatigue. It's not continuous we had it last year and all tests clear / control good. Then before Xmas but improved over holidays. Now struggling as back at school. Coincides with massive growth spurt. Complaining too tired to walk down stairs. Today was dropping things and being clumsy. Struggling make it through a day of school. I know a child with chronic fatigue but his got worse and worse whereas my sons seems to come and go. Could it just be the strain of puberty on an already compromised system? Have other parents noticed fatigue with growth spurts being an issue. His BG is a bit high (mainly growth hormone at night peaks) but it's not terrible and doesn't explain the extreme fatigue.

 

[Northerner]

I'm not qualified to answer @Joolzie, as I'm not a parent, however fluctuating levels can make me tired though, and sharp ups and downs aren't really reflected in averages or HbA1c's. Have you considered trying a Freestyle Libre? You might be able to get a system prescribed for him - they are immensely informative and useful 🙂 Is he on a pump or injections?

 

[Joolzie]

Thanks we used libre and now have Dexcom self funded so are doing reasonable job managing levels as best can with a teenager and growth hormone in mix. I switched to Dexcom as I was getting up so much in night, so now just get up with alarms but as a result we can up his nighttime basal and not worry as much we might overdo it. I've been reading about fatigue and teens and that doesn't seem uncommon so perhaps it's more puberty than diabetes related. Info on chronic fatigue seems to suggest it's more common in diabetics. Which would make sense that it might have a bigger effect. Just worrying when interfering with ability to do a school day.

 

[Radders]

Thanks we used libre and now have Dexcom self funded so are doing reasonable job managing levels as best can with a teenager and growth hormone in mix. I switched to Dexcom as I was getting up so much in night, so now just get up with alarms but as a result we can up his nighttime basal and not worry as much we might overdo it. I've been reading about fatigue and teens and that doesn't seem uncommon so perhaps it's more puberty than diabetes related. Info on chronic fatigue seems to suggest it's more common in diabetics. Which would make sense that it might have a bigger effect. Just worrying when interfering with ability to do a school day.

Is he getting enough sleep? So many teens spend a lot of their evenings on mobiles and iPads which disrupt sleep.

 

[Ash]

Hi, I have a 13 year old T1 daughter who also has extreme tiredness especially when she goes back to school after the holidays. She sometimes comes home and goes to sleep straight away and can sleep til the next morning (I have to wake her up to eat and do insulin, while maintaining a safe distance from the mother of all attitudes haha).
I just let her sleep now, was worried about it at first. She also sometimes runs on the high side and this can affect her concentration so taking that into account, being at school all day and having to learn and retain lots of information I suspect must be very draining. She knows her own body and how diabetes affects her and I just have to go with that. Also if she has her periods or is feeling under the weather it takes it out of her too.
Not having diabetes myself I sometimes just have to take a step back and remind myself that diabetes isn't just about BM numbers, it has an impact on mood, concentration, perception, physical functions and a list that goes on and on....
All T1's on here please correct me if I'm wrong. I think diabetes takes a toll on the body mentally and physically that sometimes can't be seen nor can a diabetic explain it or even sometimes recognise it. The simple things we do every day is just harder work for a diabetic.

 

[trophywench]

It's the variations in blood glucose that takes the toll Ash - not diabetes itself if you see what I mean - but it might as well be cos if we didn't have diabetes we wouldn't have variations - in that it's a constant battle to get our BG 'just right'. All chronic conditions apparently (dunno cos D is the only one I have that needs such a ridiculous amount of self management) are sposed to be able to affect mood etc simply by the fact that they are chronic (lifelong) I doubt it somehow - eg I'm also hypothyroid but management of that involves me having a blood test every six months and my taking tablets first thing every morning. It doesn't require any other input from me at all because if the tablets need adjusting, they don't expect ME to decide how to adjust them.

Really the only PLUS thing about D is, it isn't actually painful - unlike Rheumatoid Arthritis, say - which most certainly is.

Female hormones mess with BG horrifically too so girls typically need to increase all insulin doses from about a week before until they finish, then drop em back down again. I assume the diabetes nurse will have done a tutorial on this for your daughter - cos I certainly wouldn't have had a clue about it if I were diagnosed as a child and no way would anyone not diabetic or mega involved in it like you are.

I have to ask - if she's dead beat when she gets in as you say which does actually concern me a bit, generally but specifically because of the diabetes - but aside from health - how the hell can she manage with her homework?

 

[HOBIE]

Son age 14 keeps complaining fatigue. It's not continuous we had it last year and all tests clear / control good. Then before Xmas but improved over holidays. Now struggling as back at school. Coincides with massive growth spurt. Complaining too tired to walk down stairs. Today was dropping things and being clumsy. Struggling make it through a day of school. I know a child with chronic fatigue but his got worse and worse whereas my sons seems to come and go. Could it just be the strain of puberty on an already compromised system? Have other parents noticed fatigue with growth spurts being an issue. His BG is a bit high (mainly growth hormone at night peaks) but it's not terrible and doesn't explain the extreme fatigue.

I have been T1 since being 3 yrs old. Keeping active all the time is good, I used to play Rugby for the school & never sat still, Good luck 🙂