3c Sick Day Rules advice please

sololite

sololite

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 3c
Hello fellow 3c'ers,

Can I ask your advice on 'sick day rules' please.

For first time in 18 months since my TPI am poorly with a cough , aches and running a temperature.

I have the DAFNE advice but generally doesn't work for me on non sick days which means I've switched to split dosing, having very few carbs in evening and then sticking in 3 units of Novorapid in around 10PM if I my BS is climbing to keep overnight BS down.

Normally I am pretty active but the last two days I am a couch potato.

Many factors in play here but would like to hear your experiences and guidance if you can tell me please.

Regards,

Chris
 
sololite said:
Hello fellow 3c'ers,

Can I ask your advice on 'sick day rules' please.

For first time in 18 months since my TPI am poorly with a cough , aches and running a temperature.

I have the DAFNE advice but generally doesn't work for me on non sick days which means I've switched to split dosing, having very few carbs in evening and then sticking in 3 units of Novorapid in around 10PM if I my BS is climbing to keep overnight BS down.

Normally I am pretty active but the last two days I am a couch potato.

Many factors in play here but would like to hear your experiences and guidance if you can tell me please.

Regards,

Chris
Click to expand...
Hi Chris,Sorry to hear you are not feeling so well and not sure I can respond in any informed way as generally speaking apart from my pancreas episodes I don’t get ill ( hope not famous last words).
The only time in last 12 months when I was not well ( I had an infection which gave me a lot of diarrhoea) my BG levels were remarkably low and stable but that was because my food was exiting before it was digested and the glucose absorbed into my bloodstream.
If you are sick and can’t exercise then that will likely mean you have to control your carb intake by medication alone ( insulin) but then again you are likely to be eating less so that adjustment will have to be taken into account.
So basically you just need to experiment and see how it affects you but again an infection can affect your overall levels and insulin ’ sensitivity but perhaps others can comment more relevant experiences.
GL
 
I don’t follow the sick day rules strictly @sololite eg that bit about taking so many percent of X, but I am paranoid about ketones so test for those. I also try to keep eating/drinking carbs as I find this very helpful. I have a pump so if needed, I increase my basal rate.

Could it be Covid? Do you have any tests? I found Covid put my blood sugars up more than colds and similar viruses.

How’s your blood sugar now?
 
Wendal said:
Hi Chris,Sorry to hear you are not feeling so well and not sure I can respond in any informed way as generally speaking apart from my pancreas episodes I don’t get ill ( hope not famous last words).
The only time in last 12 months when I was not well ( I had an infection which gave me a lot of diarrhoea) my BG levels were remarkably low and stable but that was because my food was exiting before it was digested and the glucose absorbed into my bloodstream.
If you are sick and can’t exercise then that will likely mean you have to control your carb intake by medication alone ( insulin) but then again you are likely to be eating less so that adjustment will have to be taken into account.
So basically you just need to experiment and see how it affects you but again an infection can affect your overall levels and insulin ’ sensitivity but perhaps others can comment more relevant experiences.
GL
Click to expand...
Thank you. Rightly or wrongly I kept injecting novorapid last night until I got my BS to fall and this morning it's down but not yet where I'd like to be. I think I will have minimal carbs today and walk a bit.
 
Inka said:
I don’t follow the sick day rules strictly @sololite eg that bit about taking so many percent of X, but I am paranoid about ketones so test for those. I also try to keep eating/drinking carbs as I find this very helpful. I have a pump so if needed, I increase my basal rate.

Could it be Covid? Do you have any tests? I found Covid put my blood sugars up more than colds and similar viruses.

How’s your blood sugar now?
Click to expand...
Thank you @Inka . I've never knowingly had Covid but will get a test today. BS did come down overnight thankfully. Regards, Chris
 
sololite said:
Thank you. Rightly or wrongly I kept injecting novorapid last night until I got my BS to fall and this morning it's down but not yet where I'd like to be. I think I will have minimal carbs today and walk a bit.
Click to expand...

Using Novorapid as a correction dose is fine (just make sure not to stack the corrections) 🙂 I’m Type1 but I wouldn’t do either of those things you suggested. You need the carbs and insulin to stop the ketones, and with regard to walking and exercise, it often puts blood sugar up when ill rather than the normal down. Contrary to logic, I find resting when ill keeps my blood sugar at a better range.
 
Inka said:
Using Novorapid as a correction dose is fine (just make sure not to stack the corrections) 🙂 I’m Type1 but I wouldn’t do either of those things you suggested. You need the carbs and insulin to stop the ketones, and with regard to walking and exercise, it often puts blood sugar up when ill rather than the normal down. Contrary to logic, I find resting when ill keeps my blood sugar at a better range.
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Your hunch was right. My wife and I just tested positive for COVID. Have been dodging it for over 2 years and finally got it :(
 
Take it easy @sololite I found the fever came and went, and exertion made it worse. It really is a case of resting. I hope you haven’t got it too bad. I had it in February (despite being vaccinated the previous Autumn) and the first two or three days were the worst. The fatigue lingered on for ages though, so don’t push yourself even once you recover.

I hope you both feel better soon.
 
In the 14 years since my TP I seem to have avoided the usual illnesses (flu, Covid). However when feeling under the weather my BG will increase and I have a pump profile where basal is 3 times my usual baseline and I supplement this with additional bolus in an attempt to stay in range. Haven’t used the not well profile since I got the latest pump - I manage my blood sugar levels as I do an iffy infusion site - if going out of range for no reason, take action.
 
Inka said:
Take it easy @sololite I found the fever came and went, and exertion made it worse. It really is a case of resting. I hope you haven’t got it too bad. I had it in February (despite being vaccinated the previous Autumn) and the first two or three days were the worst. The fatigue lingered on for ages though, so don’t push yourself even once you recover.

I hope you both feel better soon.
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Thank you
 
Thanks for this advice. I've always been scared about giving myself higher doses of insulin even though they work. To hear a fellow traveller sometimes triples their dose actually makes me feel a whole lot better. I need to start investigating pumps too
martindt1606 said:
In the 14 years since my TP I seem to have avoided the usual illnesses (flu, Covid). However when feeling under the weather my BG will increase and I have a pump profile where basal is 3 times my usual baseline and I supplement this with additional bolus in an attempt to stay in range. Haven’t used the not well profile since I got the latest pump - I manage my blood sugar levels as I do an iffy infusion site - if going out of range for no reason, take action.
Click to expand...
 
I'm also very wary about taking higher doses but as you say sometimes its the only thing that works. During the day I tend to underestimate the dose but night time I'm having to take 50% extra and even then I spend most of the night in the 'yellow zone'. Haven't had a sick day yet although it does feel that the ongoing recovery from surgery is weeks of sick days in a row sometimes.
 
Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly @sololite

I’m another who mostly kinda wings it during periods of illness.

Thankfully I generally only get low-level BG bumps from coughs and colds so a 10-20% increase in doses/ratio/correction factors is usually sufficient.

If I had a more dramatic illness, I’d refer to the Leicester Diabetes Centre flow chart here:

Sickday rules pdf

Sick day rules flowchart from Leicester diabetes centre. Particularly useful for people with Type 1 Diabetes during the Coronavirus outbreak.
www.t1resources.uk www.t1resources.uk
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly @sololite

I’m another who mostly kinda wings it during periods of illness.

Thankfully I generally only get low-level BG bumps from coughs and colds so a 10-20% increase in doses/ratio/correction factors is usually sufficient.

If I had a more dramatic illness, I’d refer to the Leicester Diabetes Centre flow chart here:

Sickday rules pdf

Sick day rules flowchart from Leicester diabetes centre. Particularly useful for people with Type 1 Diabetes during the Coronavirus outbreak.
www.t1resources.uk www.t1resources.uk
Click to expand...
Thank you. I thought I'd skipped the COVID joyride. Thankfully today I am much improved and moving about. BS is still much higher than usual but looking forward to longer exercise soon.
 
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