Covid and T2 sugar levels

[AnneHS]

Hi, I’m recently diagnosed T2 and have been keeping an eye on my blood sugars with a home test kit to work out which foods to watch out for with raising levels and for the last few weeks my home tests after eating have been pretty stable and mostly under 8mmol/l a couple of hours after eating. Then I got covid, symptom wise it’s been very mild, just like a normal cold and I’m still eating and drinking as normal and taking my meds (metformin, statin and losartan) but I’ve noticed over the last few days my sugar readings after eating have been up a bit (11.9mol/l is the highest so far). I tried google and found a few things that said infections can affect sugar levels but nothing that said how to lower it, is it just a case of waiting for the infection to pass?

Thanks for any ideas on this.

 

[Eddy Edson]

I'd just wait for it to pass.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi, I’m recently diagnosed T2 and have been keeping an eye on my blood sugars with a home test kit to work out which foods to watch out for with raising levels and for the last few weeks my home tests after eating have been pretty stable and mostly under 8mmol/l a couple of hours after eating. Then I got covid, symptom wise it’s been very mild, just like a normal cold and I’m still eating and drinking as normal and taking my meds (metformin, statin and losartan) but I’ve noticed over the last few days my sugar readings after eating have been up a bit (11.9mol/l is the highest so far). I tried google and found a few things that said infections can affect sugar levels but nothing that said how to lower it, is it just a case of waiting for the infection to pass?

Thanks for any ideas on this.

Quite a few people notice their blood glucose is elevated from having CoVid indeed from any sort of infection or illness.
People who take insulin find they may need to increase their doseage.
Hopefully in your case it will settle back once you are better but meanwhile make sure you are drinking plenty and watch your carbohydrate intake, maybe cut down a bit.
What you were getting before sound spot on.

 

[RBZ5416]

Covid sent my levels through the roof & as I had no meter at the time, I was unaware & went into DKA

As a T2 on the meds you're on, there isn't too much you can do other than reducing carbs further, which may not be practical or desirable. If you're on less than the 2g maximum dose of Metformin, you could consider raising that temporarily. But you should seek advice on that from your surgery, probably not realistic now before Wednesday.

The danger zone for risk of DKA is being constantly around the 15 mark, so just keep an eye on levels & maybe purchase some ketostix in case levels continue to rise. DKA is potentially very serious & needs to be addressed promptly. But hopefully as you recover, your levels will start to return to normal.

 

[Alijp]

Covid sent my levels through the roof & as I had no meter at the time, I was unaware & went into DKA

As a T2 on the meds you're on, there isn't too much you can do other than reducing carbs further, which may not be practical or desirable. If you're on less than the 2g maximum dose of Metformin, you could consider raising that temporarily. But you should seek advice on that from your surgery, probably not realistic now before Wednesday.

The danger zone for risk of DKA is being constantly around the 15 mark, so just keep an eye on levels & maybe purchase some ketostix in case levels continue to rise. DKA is potentially very serious & needs to be addressed promptly. But hopefully as you recover, your levels will start to return to normal.

Don't know if it had anything to do with it but it was after Covid at the end of Sept that I began to get the lower abdo pain I was getting that was eventually diagnosed as an infection in my pelvis, but it was also the time that I began to started needing to wee more at night, started getting very tired (I put that down to the covid and starting work at 6am) and getting a dry mouth which led to me being diagnosed with diabetes during my admission to hospital with potential DKA and/or sepsis from the infection (fortunately it turned out to be neither of those).

I was very likely diabetic for a while before that based on my HBA1c on admission being 124 with fingerprick BG readings of 24 and blood ketones of 3.7 but I do wonder if it was the covid that was the catalyst that caused my sugars to increase to the point I started getting really obvious symptoms that I hadn't had before which fuelled the infection I had.

 

[RBZ5416]

I was very likely diabetic for a while before that based on my HBA1c on admission being 124 with fingerprick BG readings of 24 and blood ketones of 3.7 but I do wonder if it was the covid that was the catalyst that caused my sugars to increase to the point I started getting really obvious symptoms that I hadn't had before which fuelled the infection I had.

I guess we'll never know for sure.

I'd had 10 years of good control previously & when in hospital they mentioned they'd seen a lot of similar cases. I had an HbA1c of 117 & ketones of 4.4 on admission & went straight onto an insulin drip in one arm & saline in the other. If I'd had a meter I would have been more aware of what was going on rather than like you, putting the fatigue down to the well publicised symptoms of post-Covid. It would also have helped if the paramedic I saw at the GP on the Thursday had done a test on the spot, rather than ordering a HbA1c which didn't come back until the following Tuesday...

 

[Alijp]

I guess we'll never know for sure.

I'd had 10 years of good control previously & when in hospital they mentioned they'd seen a lot of similar cases. I had an HbA1c of 117 & ketones of 4.4 on admission & went straight onto an insulin drip in one arm & saline in the other. If I'd had a meter I would have been more aware of what was going on rather than like you, putting the fatigue down to the well publicised symptoms of post-Covid. It would also have helped if the paramedic I saw at the GP on the Thursday had done a test on the spot, rather than ordering a HbA1c which didn't come back until the following Tuesday...

Must have been a hell of a shock for you after 10 years of good control to suddenly end up with DKA like that.

Thankfully the paramedic who attended my house that day, when i mentioned to her the dry mouth and more frequent urination did do a finger prick and ketone test and got me off to hospital right there and then.

9 weeks on and I am feeling better than I have for several months, i'm transitioning off insulin and onto metformin (I no longer need to take a mealtime insulin) and my BG levels are all within the normal range, to top it all off I have lost several stone in weight too 🙂