high levels

[PJD]

hi. i am new to the forum. My husband has been type 2 diabetic for about ten years and it has never given him any problems. about four weeks ago his blood sugar levels were found to be in the 20s (highest being 29) He is now on 3,000 metformin and insulin injections. he is now on 60 units of humulin R but his reading just now before his evening meal was 20. Is it always so difficult to get under control once you start using insulin? He also has Crohns disease which I don't think is helping

 

[Robster65]

Hi PJD. Welcome 🙂

Sorry to hear your OH is havign problems. 20 is definitely way too high.

Have they excluded any issues to do with the Crohns ?

I don't know much about it but it seems to entail a lot of lifestyle changes which may not all be good for his diabetes.

Has it flared up recently ?

Bear in mind also that stress (physical or emotional) can cause BGs to rise.

Rob

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi PJD, welcome to the forum.
Is hubby on steroids at the moment for his Crohns? If he is this would cause massive high blood sugars.

Perhaps review his diet and if he hasn't done so look at the amount of carbs he is eating and the type of carbs.
Hope all improves soon.

 

[PJD]

thank you both for your replies. He has had Crohns for longer than the diabetes but he is having a bad flare up at the moment. He isn't on steroids though. I can understand that this could have started the high levels but don't know why they still aren't coming down. Do you have to just keep increasing the insulin until it does? He is feeling so ill and has lost so much weight.

 

[Robster65]

thank you both for your replies. He has had Crohns for longer than the diabetes but he is having a bad flare up at the moment. He isn't on steroids though. I can understand that this could have started the high levels but don't know why they still aren't coming down. Do you have to just keep increasing the insulin until it does? He is feeling so ill and has lost so much weight.

We can't really say whether he needs to increase the insulin or not. But I would certainly be back at the doctor's tomorrow morning to see what they propose.

Does he test his BG regularly or was it a spot check at the doc's ?

I wonder if it had been creeping up for a while and the high BGs may have affected his crohn's.

What sort of carbs does he eat ?

Rob

 

[PJD]

high level

I think you may be right, because he has so many health problems, his diabetes has been at the bottom of his list be honest His Hb ... was 12.5, so probably the diabetes has set off the Crohns. Getting used to insulin injections is a challenge isn't it? He is going to phone the diabetic clinic tomorrow to see what they say. I can't tell you how good this is to have someone to discuss it with!

 

[PattiEvans]

Diet does have such a lot to do with BG levels, so if you could post a typical day's diet for your husband we may be able to make suggestions as to which foods might be exacerbating the BGs. I know only a little about Crohns but what I do know suggests that the diet wouldn't clash with a diet which would control diabetes. Of course, as Robster so correctly says, the flare up in the Crohns will put his body under stress which makes it produce Cortisol which in itself is a natural steroid which will raise his BGs. Finally, he probably does need to go back to the Dr and at the very least ask for a referral to a specialist who can help.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I think you may be right, because he has so many health problems, his diabetes has been at the bottom of his list be honest His Hb ... was 12.5, so probably the diabetes has set off the Crohns. Getting used to insulin injections is a challenge isn't it? He is going to phone the diabetic clinic tomorrow to see what they say. I can't tell you how good this is to have someone to discuss it with!

An HbA1c of 12 is very high and means he has been running high for a minimum of 3 months if not longer I hope you both manage to get some help tomorrow.