T1, puberty and fatigue

[northernglam]

My son is 14 and T1 which is fairly well controlled. Past year he has complained on and off of fatigue and at times struggles get through school day. It hasn't got worse and seems come and go (which chronic fatigue / ME presumably wouldn't). He is having a massive growth spurt. Can puberty cause extreme fatigue if you also have diabetes. Will be getting him blood tests to rule out other things but they were done last year and all clear. has anyone else experienced similar with their T1 teen?

Poss could be coeliac are they testing for that? Also low iron. I'm not a type 1 teen but have had it 17 years and am often exhausted

Yes they test for coeliac, thyroid etc annually and are running those tests again + iron levels. But last time nothing showed up but he can't make it through a school day at moment. Climbing the stairs is exhausting

I'll be honest, I feel like this quite often. I'm T1 (not 14!) and don't remember the teenage years. But nowadays I know I'm v v low on vitamin d. No idea if there is a link with T1 or not but they have always tested it so maybe.

Puberty and T1 are notoriously difficult. I'd certainly mention it to his dsn or consultant. Do you have email contact?

I don't get on well with levemir or novorapid insulin's and made me feel awful tired, headaches etc.... could he swap basal insulin and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've had him on vitamins since November so it shouldn't be vit deficiency although like most teenage boys he lives in his room and hides inside a hoodie. Hopefully they will test for all this. I will mention changing insulin type.

with the growth spurts, the insulin is inhibited, which leads to higher blood sugars.
Could it be possible that he is getting the feelings of fatigue, because his sugars have become higher and so he is sluggish and lacking energy? You say he is well controlled. I'm not suggesting he is lying/faking, but do you know he is well controlled, as in do you see the BGs, or does he tell you the results? Living in his bedroom suggests he may not be so active either, which can raise the insulin requirement.
I think a growth spurt could cause fatigue as your body needs energy to grow. Is he eating enough? But for teens, the enemy is usually high sugars. It's the worst time of their life for good control......I am dreading this with my son.

Thanks we fund Dexcom so I see all the readings he has been a bit high at nights but that's coming down (at my expense of lack of sleep). If it is this then he should start feel better soon as I've got his bg average down a lot since fatigue started. Thanks for replying. We are back to gp Friday so will see what else suggest.

My pre pubescent DS with T1D experiences a lot of fatigue. It's worth ruling out thyroid and celiac as well as anaemia, but I do think fatigue is an unspoken complication of the condition. You have to remember as well that their BGs are out of normal range a lot of the time even if they have a great HBA1C and time in target and I do think that takes its toll.

Teenagers are generally more tired and need more sleep so I read. Still it could be hypothyroidism. Annual review will show if antibodies are present.