High blood sugar

[Confetti]

Hi all.

I am still abit new to injecting insulin and currently injecting whatever amount a nurse has told me to for breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight.

Usually I have been quite low around 12 however I am now currently showing 27 and rising after injecting dinner and overnight amounts. I had a hypo last night getting to just under 3.

I have started antibiotics and steroids today as I have a chest infection. Could this be affecting my levels?

I am wondering if there is anything I can do to bring it down more? Apart from injecting more which I am very reluctant to do at the moment due to not knowing the correct amounts.

I have a dietician appointment in December to learn about carb counting and how much insulin to inject.

 

[Lucyr]

You need to get medical advice to adjust your doses whilst on the steroids if you’re not confident at adjusting yourself.

 

[Inka]

What insulins are you taking @Confetti ? Steroids put your blood sugar up usually and 27 is very high. I’d phone 111 and get some medical advice.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi. Sorry to hear that you have such high levels at the moment. It is important to bring them down slowly and I see that you have only been on insulin for about a month so still early days, but going into the high 20s is not good. Have they been adjusting your doses to slowly and gently bring levels down during the past few weeks?

Can you tell us a bit about the hypo you mention? When did it happen and did you double check it with a finger prick test since I see from your other posts that you are using Libre. Are you aware that if you lie on your Libre sensor it can cause what is known as a compression low. This is where the tissue that the sensor samples is compressed by the sensor and changes the chemistry in the tissue causing it to give false low readings. It is therefore really important to double check any low readings, particularly through the night with a finger prick before you treat the hypo unless you clearly feel hypo and also to check your recovery 15 mins after eating or drinking a hypo treatment, with a finger prick, because Libre will often show your levels continuing to drop 15 mins later whereas a finger prick will usually show them recovering. A compression low is sometimes easy to spot on your graph as levels suddenly drop and then come back up to the previous level when the pressure is removed from the sensor. There are a number of other limitation with Libre which it is important to understand in order to get the best from it and to trust the info it gives you. It is a wonderful bit of kit but it doesn't always give accurate data and you need to know when to double check it.

Really sorry, if it was a genuine hypo and you felt really ill as I imagine you would if your levels are usually very high. W what advice have you been given on treating them?
Can you post a photo/screen shot of the Libre graph so that we can see what is happening?

 

[trophywench]

@Confetti - I don't think there is any chance whatsoever of NOT increasing insulin because the chest infection itself will have increased your BG for starters, then the steroid treatment will have increased that effect so unless you can just nip outside and climb Everest in the next hour - I think you'd better ring 111 and relate your sorry tale. You are going to land up being even iller if you don't get decent, proper medical advice very soon indeed about adjusting insulin properly.

Didn't the Dr who prescribed the steroids know you'd only just been started on insulin? - and if not, why not???

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Gosh sorry to hear about your high levels @Confetti , on top of your chest infection - they must be making you feel really grim.

Hope you’ve been able to speak to NHS 111, and can get a follow-up appointment early next week to give you some guidance on how to go about making adjustments during intercurrent illness.

It may be that you could get a copy of ‘sick day rules’ that is appropriate for you. Which often takes the form of a flowchart… If x and y do this, otherwise do this other thing.

Those can be very reassuring and helpful when your brain is a bit foggy with the illness.