Taking a Bath

[zell828]

Does your D child drop quickly right after a bath or shower? My SD does and then it seems like we will boost it up and a few hours later she is prone to drop again. What are some things you do - carbs before or after or less insulin at a meal if you know they will take a bath that night?

[Mom2Deacon]

Unfortunately, my son is the opposite because he hates baths. They stress him out so he skyrockets. Like last night when he was 303 and then even higher.

Heat does make insulin work more efficiently. I have been told baths will cause it work well too.

--Sara

[wendyc]

Yes, warm/hot water will cause bg's to drop. It makes the insulin absorb more quickly.

We try and wait about an hour after bolusing to give a bath, or if timing just isn't right, then have some protien to keep things level. Maybe have a yogurt drink before getting etc. Also, you can always make the water tepid, we don't have issues with lows and tepid water.

[zell828]

Yes, warm/hot water will cause bg's to drop. It makes the insulin absorb more quickly.

We try and wait about an hour after bolusing to give a bath, or if timing just isn't right, then have some protien to keep things level. Maybe have a yogurt drink before getting etc. Also, you can always make the water tepid, we don't have issues with lows and tepid water.

Yes, I have heard to wait and not take the bath right away so we usually wait at least an hour, if not 2 hours too. It still makes her drop right afterwards anyway. My SD doesn't like it real hot either, just luke warm. So I guess she is just one that will drop regardless.

[AlisonKS]

I wait 2 hours, I read here somewhere it makes the insulin absorb faster. I also use lukewarm water, in hopes that it will get cold quicker so Tony will want to get out of the tub:p He'd live in there if he could.

[Mom2Deacon]

I wait 2 hours, I read here somewhere it makes the insulin absorb faster. I also use lukewarm water, in hopes that it will get cold quicker so Tony will want to get out of the tub:p He'd live in there if he could.

Can Tony please come over to our house and teach Deacon that baths are fun? If anyone walks by our house while I am giving Deacon a bath, you would swear someone was being tortured and killed in there. I can't even reason with Deacon either. I keep talking to him that I can keep the water out of his eyes if he would just lean back. Nope. He won't even wash himself. I thought if he could bathe himself, he would be okay. Nope that isn't the solution either.

--Sara

[twodoor2]

I use lukewarm water and they're only in the bathtub 10 minutes tops. I have to say I hate giving baths, so it's always been like this for us, even before D.

[AlisonKS]

Can Tony please come over to our house and teach Deacon that baths are fun? If anyone walks by our house while I am giving Deacon a bath, you would swear someone was being tortured and killed in there. I can't even reason with Deacon either. I keep talking to him that I can keep the water out of his eyes if he would just lean back. Nope. He won't even wash himself. I thought if he could bathe himself, he would be okay. Nope that isn't the solution either.

--Sara

he's always shocked people, he'll dump a cup over his head and would laugh when I'd do that when he was a little baby. I forgot that most kids didn't like that when I was giving my nephew a bath and it sounded like I was murdering him!

[wilf]

Hot water will cause the insulin to work more quickly than normal - the hotter the water and the longer the bath, the greater the effect.

The typical pattern is for BG to fall hard during or just after the bath, for the resulting low to be treated with unplanned carbs, and there to be a subsequent period of high BG (because much of the insulin was used up during/after the bath, and there's little left working once the low has been treated)..

Lantus is known to be specially problematic in this regard.