Blood Glucose Changes When Ill

[JimmyBlue]

Hi all, I did a little search but didn't find anything. Trying to understand the impacts of being ill while a T2. For the past few days my prick test had me at 5.7 - to 6.4 pre-meal and between 6.5 and 7.1 afterwards. Overnight I have come down with some form of fever and chesty cough and suddenly my readings are 8.6 and 9.4 after meals. I am not panicking about this but I am a little concerned that I need to do something to bring them down. Normally a walk or trip to the gym but the way I am feeling I am struggling to even get out of bed.

Any suggestions or guidance?

 

[rebrascora]

There is nothing you can do except keep hydrated and rest and possibly paracetamol. Those levels after meals are nothing to worry about at all and will likely return to what is normal for you when you are clear of this bug. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[mashedupmatt]

BG will go up (usually) when you are ill - there are specific rules if you are on insulin - check this link/pdf for more info for T2's

 

[JimmyBlue]

@rebrascora and @mashedupmatt Hi both thanks for the reassurance and the information. I am not on insulin so that is one blessing. As I am asthmatic, although normally well managed and rarely have issues, it does make me prone to chest infections so might contact my surgery tomorrow so see if I need antibiotics. Once again thank you both.

 

[saffron15]

@Jimmy Blue I assumed it was a thing. I've got the tail end of a cold week 6 which at week 2 included my first dose of sinusitis. I've today finished 2 weeks of oral steroids and watched readings go up when they should have gone down. The steroids were because I had an op last Thursday nothing to do with the cold but I was stressed in case the op was cancelled and I'd had the havoc of steroids for nothing. I'm only just past the three months since diagnosis so hope to get back on an even keel. My reading at end of September was 51 but haven't a clue what it would be now. Highest it's gone so far on steroids is 13.
Rest and drinking water is sensible. I did try a week of fruit teas to try and reduce the mucus.

Good luck

BG will go up (usually) when you are ill - there are specific rules if you are on insulin - check this link/pdf for more info for T2's

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly @JimmyBlue

Hope you feel better soon, and your levels are back in the range you’d expect before too long.

 

[JimmyBlue]

@saffron15 thanks for the info, I think I may have picked up covid from another family member but it was only in the last day that my readings started to go up much higher than they had been. Have been taken it easy with bed rest, plenty of liquids and continuing on my low carb journey.

My diabetes nurse is very much of the view that stress can be a big factor in people's readings so getting ready for an operation is always going to a trigger. Hope you have a quick recovery and that your readings get back to a happy state.