hi, my husband is type 2 but insulin dependent. He has multiple health problems but his diabetes is usually well controlled. However, this week following levels over 30 we went to a and e where he had iv insulin. He was discharged the following day and told to increase his insulin. Also to test four times a day and they will ring next week to see how it’s going. Only to ring them if he has ketones. Every reading has been mid to high twenties. Should we be doing anything else? He had a liver infection and got antibiotics by the way
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Hyperglycemia
- Thread starter Pjd1
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TheClockworkDodo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi @Pjd1 and welcome to the forum - sorry to hear that your husband is so poorly at the moment.
The infection would explain the high readings, so hopefully they should come down with the antibiotics, but tbh if my readings were mid-high twenties I'd be putting my insulin doses up a bit more, and I'd be testing a lot more than four times a day - and I'd also be thinking hard about whether I should go back to A&E. Does he normally test before or after meals, or both? If he's only testing before meals his blood sugar could be getting even higher after meals, and if it is then I'm not sure I'd wait for the ketones, I'd get in touch with the hospital and ask for advice from a Diabetes Specialist Nurse.
Drinking lots of water should help (if his other health problems allow this). I'm not sure what else to suggest because we can't really give medical advice, but I'm going to tag @everydayupsanddowns who is more knowledgeable about diabetes generally than I am, and @mikeyB who is a former GP and more knowledgeable about medical matters generally.
The infection would explain the high readings, so hopefully they should come down with the antibiotics, but tbh if my readings were mid-high twenties I'd be putting my insulin doses up a bit more, and I'd be testing a lot more than four times a day - and I'd also be thinking hard about whether I should go back to A&E. Does he normally test before or after meals, or both? If he's only testing before meals his blood sugar could be getting even higher after meals, and if it is then I'm not sure I'd wait for the ketones, I'd get in touch with the hospital and ask for advice from a Diabetes Specialist Nurse.
Drinking lots of water should help (if his other health problems allow this). I'm not sure what else to suggest because we can't really give medical advice, but I'm going to tag @everydayupsanddowns who is more knowledgeable about diabetes generally than I am, and @mikeyB who is a former GP and more knowledgeable about medical matters generally.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome from me too.
I'm sorry to hear your husband is experiencing such high BG levels. If it was me, I would be looking to reduce the carbohydrates in his diet a little at a time and check more regularly.... before a meal and 2 hours after.
Reducing his carb intake too quickly could cause him to go hypo, but if he is currently eating a reasonably normal diet then reducing carb intake would be more sensible than keep increasing the amount of insulin he is injecting.
Can you give us an idea of what his daily menu looks like, so that we could advise where changes could be made?
I'm sorry to hear your husband is experiencing such high BG levels. If it was me, I would be looking to reduce the carbohydrates in his diet a little at a time and check more regularly.... before a meal and 2 hours after.
Reducing his carb intake too quickly could cause him to go hypo, but if he is currently eating a reasonably normal diet then reducing carb intake would be more sensible than keep increasing the amount of insulin he is injecting.
Can you give us an idea of what his daily menu looks like, so that we could advise where changes could be made?
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I confess I’m not really equipped with much knowledge of how ‘sick day rules’ apply with T2.
There are fairly established principles for T1 eg here https://www.t1resources.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/Type1_Sick_day_rules_InsulinV3.pdf which might give you some ideas, but I’m not sure how applicable they are for T2 so you should check with your nurse first.
Other than that, plenty of water and keeping a close eye on BGs and checking to ensure ketones are not building up are good ideas.
Illness and injury often elevate BGs so his insulin need will be higher than normal.
There are fairly established principles for T1 eg here https://www.t1resources.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/Type1_Sick_day_rules_InsulinV3.pdf which might give you some ideas, but I’m not sure how applicable they are for T2 so you should check with your nurse first.
Other than that, plenty of water and keeping a close eye on BGs and checking to ensure ketones are not building up are good ideas.
Illness and injury often elevate BGs so his insulin need will be higher than normal.
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