Looking For Advice

[Janis Blondel]

Hi Everyone, it has been a while since I have been on the forum and things have been getting better for me. I have Type II diabetes and have recently been taken off my medication and am controlling it by diet. Unfortunately I have come down with Covid and because of my Rheumatoid Arthritis and the medication I take I am taking Antiviral tablets and antibiotics as the problem seems to be in my chest. I have not been doing regular testing of my sugar levels as the doctor says I could reduce to random testing as my bloods were well controlled. Today I decided to do a random test just to keep an eye on things and it was 15 I am really concerned, after getting off medication and losing weight I am terrified that my doctor will put me back on medication due to my high levels again. Is there any advice anyone can give me to help keep levels down while I am ill?

 

[gll]

Keep drinking plenty of fluids to help support your kidneys which will be trying to flush out the excess glucose.
Exercise usually helps too but that of course depends on how much you feel you are able to do with a congested chest. (don't over do it there).

Hopefully as you begin to recover your levels will fall back down to pre covid levels but do call your GPs or out of hours 111 if you are worried.

hope you feel better soon x

 

[Leadinglights]

It is most likely that the Covid and chest infection is playing havoc with your blood glucose level and it should get back to what it was before once you start to recover. It is however probably worth keeping an eye on your carb intake and keeping hydrated.
There would be no reason to restart medication unless you have an HbA1C test which shows a high level. But if you have been managing to keep your Hba1C in normal range and it has just been due to infection there is every reason to suppose it will drop down.

 

[trophywench]

Hi - I'd like to ask what medication you need to take for your rheumatoid arthritis - specifically, do you need to take steroids?

 

[Janis Blondel]

I try not to take steroids because of my diabetes and have managed without them for about two years now, I was taking and injecting myself with Methotrexate but that made me very sick, every time I took it I was vomiting for the night, so as I was bringing most of it up decided to stop. At the moment I am taking Leflunomide daily and that seems to keep it under control unless I have a flair up, I also take Tramadol for the pain.

I would like to thank you all for your replies, I have been worried sick about all this and after doing so well (and it wasn't easy) the thought of taking a step back has really worried me. I eat well and am very careful with my diet I have stuck to it even while I have been ill so when I took my blood sugars and found them this high I was devastated. Thank you all for listening.

 

[trophywench]

Glad you have managed to avoid them! Well done you. The other thing is though - anything causing pain or inflammation in the body, can increased the blood glucose - so the mere fact of having a condition which causes both isn't the greatest combination with any type of diabetes. On the other hand because it's been constant, and isn't new, whatever you have successfully done to treat your diabetes all along should still be. Once you manage to get rid of Covid, anyway.

 

[Janis Blondel]

Thank you for your reply Jenny, I think I am letting things get on top of me at the moment, the doctor has given me two types of anti virus tablets to take on top of my usual medication and I just feel all I seem to be doing at the moment is swallowing tablets. One of the anti virals I am taking gives you a horrible taste in your mouth, not that I have much appetite anyway, but whatever is going on at the moment it is really affecting my blood sugars. Anyway I am determined to get better and hopefully when I do I will find I can bring down my sugars again. I appreciate all your advice.