• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Covid and diabetes

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
T

The robin

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 3c
Hi all.
Unfortunately I’ve tested positive to the dreaded Covid,feeling very rough at the minute, headaches,heavy chest,sore throat etc.
My husband has got me some covinia,throat meds etc.
My question is,is it normal for my blood sugar levels to rocket.
 
When our body is stressed, our liver dumps glucose to help us fight the stress.
As a result it is common for our blood sugar levels to rise when we are ill such as if we got covid.
Unfortunately, high blood sugars can make us feel worse which adds more stres and our levels rise further.
Therefore it is important to try to reduce your levels.

If you are on insulin, you should have “sick day rules” to follow.
 
Thanks, yes I understand that stress can have an effect on your levels. I only became type 3c last September due to total pancreatectomy,so apart from recovering from surgery ( which is bad enough) I haven’t been I’ll.
What should ‘sick day rules ‘ be?
My levels at the minute are in the early 20’s.
 
I have had covid for 4 days now. Blood sugars maybe a little raised but nothing major. I had couple days of shivers and slight sore throat and achy but am on the mend now. Like a bad cold for me. My daughter had worse symptoms, more like Flu and my husband is asymptomatic but positive. So we are all different and will prob have different reactions depending on how ill we get. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope things return to normal for you soon.
 
The robin said:
T

Thank you, I’ll have a good look.
Click to expand...
Hi Judy, bad luck.
One other thing - keep yourself fully hydrated particularly while high. When high your body tries to dump some excess glucose by frequent urination, but that also dumps natural salts and minerals. So as a minimum lots of water and if you have them handy drink one dissolved hydration tablet per day. Being fully hydrated helps to flush excess glucose; this principle applies regardless of whether the high is from illness or just as one of those periods when BG control slips.
Also, keep in mind that the higher your BG, the more your body resists insulin, so your bolus needs to increase to get on top of highs above, say, 14. Because your basal is Tresiba it takes 3 days for a basal change to take effect; so you'll need to rely on your bolus to give you the necessary corrections. My DSN told me to be prepared to increase bosul doses by 20% when an infection was pushing me continuously high.
Good luck.
 
Proud to be erratic said:
Hi Judy, bad luck.
One other thing - keep yourself fully hydrated particularly while high. When high your body tries to dump some excess glucose by frequent urination, but that also dumps natural salts and minerals. So as a minimum lots of water and if you have them handy drink one dissolved hydration tablet per day. Being fully hydrated helps to flush excess glucose; this principle applies regardless of whether the high is from illness or just as one of those periods when BG control slips.
Also, keep in mind that the higher your BG, the more your body resists insulin, so your bolus needs to increase to get on top of highs above, say, 14. Because your basal is Tresiba it takes 3 days for a basal change to take effect; so you'll need to rely on your bolus to give you the necessary corrections. My DSN told me to be prepared to increase bosul doses by 20% when an infection was pushing me continuously high.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Hi Roland,
Thank you for the advice,very helpful.
 
How are you feeling today @The robin
I have been looking for sick day rules but they seem to be specific to each person. I guess that's because our doses are different.
There are always two parts
- increase insulin dose to reduce highs. If you have a "shorter acting" basal (not Tresiba) you can increase this. Otherwise increase bolus doses and remember we become insulin resistant above about 14 so may need higher correction. Test regularly.
- test ketones. We are at risk of DKA with high blood sugars so test for ketones regularly.
 
Hi Helli, I’m not too bad thanks,the shivers and shakes are horrible and fatigue is an issue but im hoping over the next few days things will get better.
I looked on the sick day rules and I agree with you everyone is different.
My levels have not been in target since 2 pm yesterday,I’ve been increasing my nova insulin,had to do it during the night aswell,not ideal when your half asleep. I’ve also been checking my ketone 0.3 so that’s fine.
Judy
 
Sorry to hear you have tested positive @The robin and @Loobyloo

Hope it passes speedily, any BG chaos is short lived, and you both make a full recovery 🙂
 
Hi Robin, hope you are doing ok. I had it last week. By BG levels actually went down. I'm clear now and they've gone by back up and past it! . But think theyve leveled up.

Hope you feel better soon.

Gill
 
Hi Gill,
I don’t feel quite as weak today,although vomiting from coughing is leaving me quite tender. Still having high readings so having to do a lot corrections. Hopefully over the next few days everything starts to settle down.
Judy
 
The robin said:
Hi Gill,
I don’t feel quite as weak today,although vomiting from coughing is leaving me quite tender. Still having high readings so having to do a lot corrections. Hopefully over the next few days everything starts to settle down.
Judy
Click to expand...
I was hoping today that I wouldn't have to 8ncrease my basal again as I had a really good night's sleep and felt better so I didn't. But seems I should have done so I'm correcting again today. .
 
gillrogers said:
I was hoping today that I wouldn't have to 8ncrease my basal again as I had a really good night's sleep and felt better so I didn't. But seems I should have done so I'm correcting again today. .
Click to expand...
It’s 1 step forward 2 steps back at the minute. Think we have to accept it will take time for our body to cope and recover.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top