Granny is having problems again

[Dizzydi]

Granny is in trouble again with her injecting regime and eating etc.

Should insulin be injected before breakfast or after breakfast. I'm sorry I cannot tell you what type/brand she is on. Granny does it before / my mum has told her she should do it after.

She injects in the moring and evening only and I'm assuming that they are both slow release.

The problem she has been having is she has been being sick on a regular basis and her blood sugar levels have been dropping and then she has got confused and injected more taking her level even lower i.e. 2.9 lucky for her when she last did this my sister was with her and had to call an amubulance (previously her carer was with her who called my Mum) -she tried to get her to drink some fresh orange but just kept on being sick.

The hospital have told her she keeps being siick due to acid indjestion which I'm assuming is being caused by all the pain killers she keeps taking - but I'm not 100% on that (she is taking codine like it is going out of fashion)

Her morning blood sugar are currently excellent - I looked over her book yesterday - but for some reason now she has started to test about half hour after eating, which I ghave tried to explain is no good.

Any advise will be greatlt appreciated.......and I've got a little problem of my own now but I will start another thread on that

Thanks xx

 

[AlanJardine]

When to inject depends very much on which insulin she is using.

From the sound of it, you gran is only using a long acting insulin such as Lantus or Levemir. The usual recommendation is that this is taken before bed, but it can be split in various ratios am/pm. It terms of meal times, it does not really matter if you take this before or after a meal.

You do get medium term insulins, but I have no experience of these myself.

For short acting insulins e.g. humalog, you should be injecting before, or shortly after a meal.

If she is being constantly sick, there are injections which can be given to reduce or eliminate this, but you would have to consult a doctor about that.

In short, it's hard to give any specific advice without knowing what insulin your gran is taking.

 

[Caroline]

Are the pain killers taken on an empty stomach? The advice given to me a long time ago is that all tablets should be taken with or after food unless told take an hour before eating or something along those lines. Also are the pain killers being taken according to the instructions (most say take every 4-6 hours or no more than a certain number in 24 hours)

Sorry I can't offer any other advice.

 

[sofaraway]

Sounds like she is on a mixed insulin, some should be given 30 minutes before eating, others right before eating. But they could be given immediatly after eating. Some people do this so that they know that they have eaten so can take their insulin. It might be that as she has been sick alot she wants to know that she has managed to eat before she gives it. I don't see a problem with this.

As I suggested before I would see if the district nurses can come in and give the insulin for her.