Help needed if possible please.

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Janey88

Janey88

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Hi I'm new here. I care for my dad who is a type 2 diabetic. He's been managing this for 20 plus years with diet and Metformin tablets. However over the past 18 months he hasn't been looking after himself properly as my mother had to go into a care home. Recently he started to complain about severe pain and a burning sensation in his head. After many conversations with the GP he ended up in A&E. Long story short they discovered that his blood sugar levels were touching almost 30. After a short stay in hospital he is now home and having to test his bloods 4 times a day and have an insulin shot every morning as well as his usual oral medication.

My question is now his levels are coming down ( this morning 10.8) he's saying that he feels constantly drained as if he has had the flu and all he wants to is sleep. I understand it's his bodies way of adjusting to the new levels however is there anything he can take that might be able to give him an energy boost to help him feel better?

Sorry for the long post. Any ideas would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance
 
Welcome @Janey88 🙂 Those feelings could well be false hypos, as you imply. His body has got used to very high blood sugars so anything significantly lower feels ‘too low’ and almost hypo, even though it’s not.

I suggest he always tests his blood sugar when he feels funny. He could also sit down and have a glass of water or a hot drink. His energy levels should increase as his body recovers from the high sugars and as his blood sugar comes back into range.

How often is he testing his blood sugar? What insulin is he taking (full name inc any letters and numbers)?
 
Hi @Inka thank you so much for your reply. He's testing 4 times a day. The diabete nurse told him to test before each meal and at bedtime. The insulin he's been prescribed is called Glargine: Semglee, he has to take this in the morning after his breakfast
 
Ok 🙂 Semglee is a long-acting insulin that works away in the background. It sounds like it’s already had a good effect on his blood sugars, and it’s great he’s testing four times a day. He should also do extra tests whenever he feels weird or if he thinks he’s going low. Make sure he has hypo treatments in the house and also ones that he can take with him if he goes out, eg Dextro glucose tablets, jelly babies, etc.
 
I've put together little hypo packs for him in case he needs them. He's lost his confidence with going out and about. He is feeling too shaky on his legs at the moment. However once he is wanting to I'll make sure he has a pack with him as well as his Accu-chek.
The Semglee does seem to be working for him. We're getting close to single figure readings.

Once again thank you so much for you reply
 
Welcome to the forum @Janey88

Great to hear that his levels are coming down 🙂, but sad to hear that the wobbly feelings have knocked his confidence :(

As @Inka has said, these sensations may be ‘false hypos’, as levels are just lower than his body is used to. If that’s what his meter confirms - then being restrained with treating those sensations should allow his ‘glucose thermostat’ to gradually reset. The feelings can be pretty overpowering, as the brain is essentially calling for food/energy with it’s loudest klaxon - but if levels are pushed back up above range, his brain won’t have as much opportunity to recognise in range numbers as being the new normal 🙂
 
Janey88 said:
Hi @everydayupsanddowns thank you so much for your reply. Every day is becoming a school day for us both.
Click to expand...

Haha! I see what you did there. I don’t write much on my blog any more, but the strapline of “Because no two days with diabetes are the same. Except when they are.” still feels like a fairly accurate summary of my day-to-day experience!
 
Janey - how old is dad, and how mobile is he - ie can he still get about on his own feet OK?
 
Hi @trophywench thank you so much for your reply. Dad is 72 years old and in general very mobile when he's well.
 
I've had a bit of trouble with my feet and legs from time to time, it does knock the confidence it the ability to get around. I got some walking poles - on our uneven pavements they should be issued freely, I think. It makes a lot of difference to stability and posture - and it meant I could go further faster and feel less tired after. I have some which fold up into a handy carrier and some which are all in one piece.
I have also acquired a couple of mobility scooters.
The big one gives me the freedom to travel about whatever state I'm in, avoiding the rough pavements I can get to various parks and down to the beach to walk on smooth paths, I can go shopping, and when it felt as though my feet were on fire, I could go into the supermarkets - I went at a time I knew it would be fairly quiet and checked with security first.
Not everyone will want to be seen as dependant, but it has meant I get out a lot more and go further - the range on the big one is tens of miles and the little one fits in the car
 
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