parent with autistic daughter and now diabetes

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jewels

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Hi there

I am a mother who has a 13 yr old daughter with autism.
a year and a half ago my daughter ws diagnosed with diabetes type 1. a double blow indeed.

she is still on insulin although the amount she needs is coming down.
this is because she is taking metformin powder sachets.

i was wondering whether there are any other parents out there that have a child with autism as well as diabetes. it would be so nice to know.

also does any one have any side effects of metformin. my daughter is now unable to eat outside of the house. i know she is autistic but just windering how to deal with this.

thanks for looking xxxxx
 
Hi jewels, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your daughter's health problems. If she has Type 1 diabetes then she will always need insulin - what type does she use? If she is having bad side effects from the metformin then you should ask your doctor about the slow release version, called Glucophage SR, as many people find they have fewer side-effects with it.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum Jewels. Sorry I can't you but I just wanted to wish you and your daughter all the best x
 
Hiya, double whammy indeed.

I'm not actually sure why your daughter is needing metformin if she's a straight Type 1 ? or indeed what impact the autism has on anyone's life, let alone diabetes.

Have you had a look at the www.childrenwithdiabetes.co.uk site and asked the same question there? Most of the parents (if not all) on this Forum are also members there.
 
Hi Jewels and welcome.

I am not sure what to advise the the metformin. The slow release version is in tablet form and are quite large, you can't crush them or chew them so that could be a problem if your daughter has an aversion to tablets.

Sometimes the side-effects of metformin can be minimised by starting on a low dose and builiding it up slowly.
 
Hi Jewells

Sorry to hear of your 'double whammy' - although my daughter is not autistic she does have other health issues, and sometimes it can be so hard explaining to others the combination of hurdles they have to climb over just to get thro' an average day.

I'm sorry but I don't know anything about Metformin(?), my daughter has only ever had insulin. Why can she not eat out of the house? Does she not like to inject around other people (understandable, but there are ways around it)? What does she do on a school day?

Sorry for all the questions, but with a bit more info someone may be able to advise you better.

In the meantime, check out the children with diabetes group link above and/or read the links on here. There is usually someone around who can help, even if it's just to be a 'shoulder to cry on'.
 
There are many generic brands of slow release Metformin.

I tolerate the Metabet SR version better than the others the pharmacy dish out and they are not as big as the Bolymin SR or the Glucophage SR.

May I suggest you have a word with the pharmacist to see what the ingredients are in the powder?

I find taking Metformin with food eases the side effects as well as going easy on the starchy carbohydrates eg. bread, root vegetables.

Regarding the autism, perhaps your daughter does not feel safe eating out as most fast foods are high in starchy carbs and the side effects of the Metformin and too much starchy carbs are loose bowels.

If I have to eat fast food out then my first choice would be 3 pieces of Kentucky Fried chicken without chips.

I hope that helps.
 
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Welcome Jewels.

What is preventing your daughter from eating outside the house? Is it that she doesn't want injections with meals away from home? Or that she needs to find a toilet urgently? Or some other reason?

There seems to be some confusion about metformin - the sachets mentioned by Jewels mean that the medicine is mixed with water, as some people find a drink easier to manage than tablets of any type. It's not too uncommon for a person with type 1 diabetes to need metformin, too, to deal with insulin resistance, particularly associated with being overweight, but the two don't always go together.

You may find it useful to register (free) and search round British National Formulary website www.bnf.org Although it's aimed at health professionals, including doctors, pharmacists and nurses, whether they prescribe or not, it's a good reference for anyone interesting in medication, trade names, formulations, side effects etc.
 
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