Covid vaccination

[AngelaC]

Hello. My Mum is type 1 diabetic and in her early 70's. She had the Pfizer vaccine about 2 weeks ago. A couple of days ago she woke up to find her blood sugar levels at 32. She panicked and immediately went out to exercise, took extra insulin & didn't eat all day. At tea time her levels were still over 20. Subsequently she was told this can be a side effect of the vaccine. My concern is that she was not told of this possibility. I listen to lots of official information on Covid & vaccines & have also never come across this. With such a common medical condition as diabetes I think this information should be readily available to warn people.
Luckily she is fine now but that isn't the point.
Anybody else heard of this possible side effect for Diabetics?

 

[ColinUK]

Quite understandable that the vaccine will cause a spike in blood glucose and it’s also mentioned on the Diabetes U.K. webpage and on the NHS page too.

It’s still better to have the jab and deal with the spike than not to have it and deal with the complications from diabetes and COVID.

“Vaccines and blood sugar levels
Taking the vaccine may make your blood sugar levels go up.

When you get the vaccine, your body will start to produce what’s called an immune response. This is nothing to worry about. Your body is just reacting to the vaccine because the vaccine is new to you.

Your body needs energy to produce this immune response, so it may release some extra glucose (sugar). This is what leads to your blood sugar increasing.”

 

[trophywench]

Angela - I could be your mum, same age - I wondered if my BG would increase after I had my jab last Sunday but it hasn't. However I tested positive in early December then a fortnight later so just before Xmas my BG shot up ridiculously and that lasted until the new year then just as suddenly, lovely (well as lovely as it ever is 🙂 ) again. So I'm currently just waiting ..... but more importantly, watching! - and wondering if the same thing will happen.

A T1 friend in Cornwall's BG went silly just after her jab; same as everything with D - we can all react differently to things.

 

[Toucan]

It may be that although this information is available on Diabetes related sites, it may not necessarily mean that those living with Diabetes are made aware of this.

I had my jab yesterday and when it got to the 'do you have any questions' bit, specifically asked if it would effect my blood glucose levels. The GP overseeing the vaccinations looked a little bemused and said no she couldn't see why it should.

It has, and my reading was up this morning, but I have experienced this before with the flu jab and know that it will sort itself out in a few days.

I would say though that over all the vaccination process was a very well organised and positive experience. and I am so pleased to have been vaccinated and taken that first and very early step back to some kind of normality.

I did have some after effects for about 24 hours, but the leaflet I was given did explain that this could happen. So all good again now.

 

[ColinUK]

I asked the pharmacist whether the flu jab would spike my levels and she said that it quite probably would add the body behaves as if it’s fighting off an infection. She said that that’s possibly the case with all vaccinations which result in the body producing antibodies.

 

[rebrascora]

I would be surprised if your mother's very high levels 2 weeks after the vaccine were related. In the first few days after the vaccine, perhaps, but I think it may be stretching it to blame the vaccine after a fortnight. Just my thoughts.

 

[helli]

@AngelaC If your mother's (or my) blood sugars rose to 32, I would be looking to understand why and considering everything from sickness and stress to faulty insulin pen and dodgy insulin.
As others have suggested, the covid vaccination 2 weeks ago could well be a red herring.

Regardless of the cause, I would be using insulin to reduce the high and checking my ketones. Being above 20 for most of the day can be very dangerous.
Does your mother follow the sick day rules? This may be worthwhile revisiting with her and her diabetes team.
Knowing what to do when blood sugars are that high is, in the short term far more important than working out why.

 

[Steve_H]

From a couple of days after I had my Pfizer injection for about 7-10days after I had high BG, having to have around 50% more insulin for effect. If you are in UK you can report to the MHRA via the Yellow Card Scheme.

 

[Deleted member 25429]

@AngelaC If your mother's (or my) blood sugars rose to 32, I would be looking to understand why and considering everything from sickness and stress to faulty insulin pen and dodgy insulin.
As others have suggested, the covid vaccination 2 weeks ago could well be a red herring.

Regardless of the cause, I would be using insulin to reduce the high and checking my ketones. Being above 20 for most of the day can be very dangerous.
Does your mother follow the sick day rules? This may be worthwhile revisiting with her and her diabetes team.
Knowing what to do when blood sugars are that high is, in the short term far more important than working out why.

I had high sugars one day , couldn’t get them down . Changed pen cartridge in the evening and they came down , so as this post says I’d check that everything is working

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope your mum’s levels are back on an even keel again now @AngelaC

 

[nonethewiser]

Flu jab causes high bg for few days, expect covid vaccine to no different. Effect of flu vaccine is immediate so would think covid one to be same & not 2 weeks after, if that happened would be looking for other cause for high bg than vaccine.

 

[trophywench]

Well I'll obviously let you know ! I'm always very open, it was just simply so weird and unusual, and not on the usual list of possibilities.

 

[Jodee]

A friend who is type I has noticed since the Pfizer vaccine he has had to increase his injections whereas before he was in a routine and stable. The concern levels have not yet returned to his usual routine levels and as yet he has not had his 2nd dose of the vaccine.

I've found my blood glucose is running higher since the Pfizer vaccine too but then I probably need to reduce carbs again.

Its been difficult as CEV and Shielding for so long, but hopefully with warmer temperatures things will begin to improve again.

I was reading this just now for those who have not seen it: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus-vaccines

Reference the paragraph on;
"
Vaccines and blood sugar levels

Taking the vaccine may make your blood sugar levels go up.

When you get the vaccine, your body will start to produce what’s called an immune response. This is nothing to worry about. Your body is just reacting to the vaccine because the vaccine is new to you.

Your body needs energy to produce this immune response, so it may release some extra glucose (sugar). This is what leads to your blood sugar increasing. "

 

[helli]

Taking the vaccine may make your blood sugar levels go up.

The key thing, especially when treated with insulin is to do lots of testing as the effect of the vaccine on blood sugars seems to vary per person. For example, I became very sensitive to insulin and needed to reduce my dose by 25% to avoid hypos.

We may all have diabetes but we are all different.

 

[atoll]

found i was having higher than normal spikes after meals post AZ,so reduced carbs by 30-50% and upped nova rapid by 2 units breakfast and 2 units dinner, at the same time increased exercise which seems to have stablised things over the last 4 weeks,am able to eat more carbs now but still on increased NR

 

[rebrascora]

I am still having to increase my Levemir 7 weeks later. I had some real peaks and troughs in the early days after the vaccine around meals but the basal needs have just steadily risen at a time of year when I would have expected it to drop.

 

[Jodee]

The key thing, especially when treated with insulin is to do lots of testing as the effect of the vaccine on blood sugars seems to vary per person. For example, I became very sensitive to insulin and needed to reduce my dose by 25% to avoid hypos.

We may all have diabetes but we are all different.

This is so true helli

 

[Jodee]

thanks for sharing @atoll

@rebrascora - this is the situation my friend with Type I is having, hope things settle down soon before your 2nd dose of the vaccine rebrascora.

@AngelaC that's awful for your Mum hope she is doing ok now?

I am contemplating a hill climb today to check the sloe bushes but not sure I will find that easy, it could take me the best part of the day taking things slowly.

Wishing all a better day for the blood glucose levels.

 

[trophywench]

Always wonder I have to say - where are newly diagnosed PWD advised by their HCPs to get the latest news about their D from for the rest of their lives on an ongoing basis ?

Or come to that - newly diagnosed with anything chronic?

 

[Spozkins]

I tried to ask the nurse signing my consent form about any effects it may have on my medical conditions and she spoke to me like a five year old without answering my question. I quote "You do understand why you're here dont you? You understand why you need to have the vaccination?" Er, yes, that's WHY I'm here but I'm still allowed to have concerns about what's going in my body.

Fortunately my BG levels weren't affected, but I agree that there could have been a lot of improvements. But it seems this whole year has followed a similar theme.

Hope your mum is doing ok now!