A labile diabetic is a person with uncontrolled type-1 diabetes. Labile diabetes is also referred to as ‘brittle diabetes’. A labile diabetic will often experience large swings in blood sugar levels. More commonly the blood sugar levels are high (hyperglycemic) and sometimes very extreme.
Blood sugar levels in people with stable diabetes fluctuate occasionally, but these fluctuations are not frequent and normally do not impact the diabetics ability to carry out regular activities. A labile diabetic, however, is frequently hospitalized, misses work, and has to contend with psychological problems. These factors, of course, add additional emotional and financial stress. Luckily, only 3 out of every 1,000 people with diabetes experience labile diabetic problems.
Labile diabetic problems can be caused by gastrointestinal absorption problems, such as gastroperesis. Gastroperesis is a problem which occurs when the stomach has a delay in emptying. Drug interactions, problems with insulin absorption, and hormonal malfunction are also some of the main causes of labile diabetic dysfunctions. Psychological problems, such as depression and stress have also been linked to labile diabetic problems (Diabetes.About.com, 2012).
Labile Diabetic Care
Labile diabetics are normally women between the ages of 15 and 30 who are overweight. People with psychological problems are at the greatest risk of developing labile diabetic problems. This may because psychological problems may tend to cause neglect of diabetes care. For example, the person may stop eating healthily, stop taking medication properly, or stop exercising regularly. Therefore, the most effective treatments for a labile diabetic is identifying and correcting the underlining physical or psychological problems.
Sometimes it takes a completely fresh start to break a labile diabetic cycle. A long stay in the hospital with the monitoring of blood sugar, food intake, and insulin is often needed. A labile diabetic may also require an insulin pump in order to control their glucose levels.
Patients with labile diabetes require close supervision. Sometimes a diabetes care team is required to make sure that the patient gets all of the care that is needed. Relative information and education is also needed. Support for the patient and their family and friends are also an essential part of labile diabetes management. In some cases, islet or pancreas transplants are useful. However, these types of therapies are in the early stages of development and many are have limited scientific backing. Therefore, the use of these therapies (the transplants of islets in particular) is at the patient’s own risk.
