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Anything else I can do re: cough, ketones and needing extra insulin?

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AJLang

AJLang

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I've got ketones varying between ++ and + and a cough that partially affecting my chest (but no chest pain). After a lot of extra bolus/temporary basal rate I've got my BG down to 8.8. As well as the cough I had pains in my legs for a large part of the night (sorted out with ibuprofen and cocodamol). I feel more nauseous than usual and very achey. I'm sipping sugar free liquids regularly and made myself have a 10g snack to avoid starvation ketones.
But I am slightly paranoid that whatever's wrong with me is going to cause problems with BG levels/more ketones and I want to try to avoid doctors at weekend especially as we are meant to be celebrating Mark's birthday and the doctors can be so horribly busy on a Saturday evening.
What else should I do to stop myself getting worse?
 
Pharmacists are often less busy than doctors.
For a sore throat (although you haven't mentioned that), gargling with hot salty water can be effective and even stop infection descending to chest / lungs.
Hope you get the right help from a professional.
 
Thank you Copepod. I haven't got a sore throat, just the cough. I don't feel well enough to get to a pharmacy and Mark isn't here. He thought that with all the coughing that I did last night that my throats would be sore but it's not. It's the BG/ketones that I'm more worried about.
 
I've just spoken to a clinician at 111 and she has forwarded a very urgent request to out-of-hours. She said that it sounds like the cough is on my chest. I really don't need this for Mark's birthday - previous birthdays he has had to attend an urgent eye appointment with me, another birthday was at the breast cancer clinic (thankfully wverything was ok) and another day was a whole birthday at the pump clinic. He deserves a decent birthday with everything that he does for me.
 
Flipping heck I've been rushed through the system. My cough must sound worse than I thought! I've had an actual GP phone and he insistent that I go the next available appointment which is at 4.50pm. I hope I don't need antibiotics.
 
Very sorry to hear this Amanda, I hope you can get it sorted soon :( When I was last really poorly with high ketones I sipped on full sugar coke occasionally and this helped keep the ketones down and manageable, and using small corrections to keep my levels decent.
 
Thank you Alan. That's a good idea. I will ask Mark to get some full sugar Coke for me. I'm the queen of small corrections with my pump 🙂
 
AJLang said:
Thank you Alan. That's a good idea. I will ask Mark to get some full sugar Coke for me. I'm the queen of small corrections with my pump 🙂
Click to expand...
When I start to get ill and the levels start to rise I now happily start a TBR, and just take it up to what I need and keep monitoring. It seems to keep the ketones at bay, and I usually end up applying the same increased percentage to bolus as well. Just give yourself whatever insulin you need. That way your body isn't battling with the sugar levels and the infection.

With my serious kidney infection I managed to stay on target with BG but had to take my TBR up to more than 200%. A bit scary, but well worth it, as I was allowed to carry on managing it in hospital as the pump adjustments were clearly working.

Hope that you are on the mend soon
 
Thank you SB2015. TBR's are great but because my BG levels are so erratic because of my gastroparesis I only dare use the TBR wen I'm awake and can check levels regularly.
 
How are you feeling now, AJ?
 
Thank you for asking Bloden. Unfortunately this is the worse cough/cold I have ever had. I thought that I was making a slight improvement yesterday afternoon but started going downhill hill again and after another bad night coughing was so bad this morning I was sick (sorry for the detail) BUT I'm still keeping everything crossed that I will improve soon. On a good note my BG levels started settling down at the end of the weekend/beginning of the week and I was even having sugary cough syrup and lozenges (with appropriate boluses for both) with no BG problems.
 
Sorry to hear recovery is so slow @AJLang.
 
Thank you Copepod.
 
What a nightmare, AJ. I hope you manage to shake it off ASAP.
 
Really sorry to hear that you are not well AJ. Sending you a big hug {} and hope you will feel better very soon. 🙂
 
Thank you Bloden and Happydog. I've still got this stupid cough and cold.
 
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