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margie

margie

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I don't have a clue what's going on, I know I have an infection and that can affect my BMs but not this weird.

My BMs are all over the place as are my ketones. I have been giving myself extra insulin which reduces the ketones.

Yesterday I gave myself an increased dose base on what had happened the day before - then I had a hypo. Treated that and the BMs wouldn't come down. At bed my BM was 20 and I had moderated ketones - I took some extra units and went to bed. I told my OH I was frightened and he said . "Everyone has to die sometime I (ie he) might die tomorrow" strangely that didn't make me feel any better.

2:30 BM down to 18 and ketones have cleared.
Take some extra units.

Wake up at 5 sweating prefusely BM at 10. ( I guess its possible there had been a hypo and I was on the way up).

Wake up 7:45 check sugars 17.6 take antibiotics. Ketones ++
Go to brothers feed cats come home.
BM down to 14.6 in 1/2 an hour without any extra insulin.

Decide to wait an other 1/2 an hour before deciding if I needed to add any extra units - plus couldn't eat till then because of the antibiotics.

After another 1/2 hour down to 13.9.

I am drinking lots of water and will retest in about 1/2 hour to check things are going in the right direction, since breakfast.

I am so frightened. I think maybe there is an absorption issue but my sites seem OK.

I don't really want to go to the hospital - so will struggle on. I know the danger signs so if they appear I will go. Hopefully I can get to Monday without needing that and I will be able to speak to a DSN.
 
Dont panic - your doing all the right things.

I suspect its your antibiotics and the infection that is causing the high levels. Alex was the same last week and he was on 200% more insulin than usual!😱

It is amazing how much the body reacts to infection or illness, he has a cold this morning and woke up on 17! So we have upped his insulin by 30% to see if that helps. Just keep drinking lots of water and remember that you will be insulin resistant for a while and what usually brings you down may have to be doubled - but make sure you keep checking. I check 1 hour after a correction dose to get an idea if things are working. Hope you feel better soon.🙂Bev x
 
What Bev said.

Basically as much water as you can take. Check your blood every two hours and give corrections. Last time I had ketones I found that doubling the correction dose and sinking five pints of water cleared them out in about two hours.

Tom
 
Thanks - that makes me feel a little better. It just seems like a battle right now - and very little pattern.

Its just frustrating that things seem to be moving in the right direction then flip the other way - I don't know if I a am coming or going.
 
Hi Margie, I can't really add much to what the others have said - you know what you need to do and it's an unusual situation that your body is not used to handling when you get ill. Before diabetes, your pancreas would just kick out the right amount of insulin or glucagon to keep your levels under control, now it is a partnership between you and your body to fight the infection, and the human brain isn't quite as experienced as a healthy pancreas so things tend to be rather crude in comparison!

Your levels, whilst high, are not dangerously so, and you are keeping them at manageable levels albeit with a bit of a fight! If they do start to get stubborn and creep higher with ketones, don't be afraid to seek medical help - DKA must be avoided, as you no doubt already know😱

I hope that things settle down soon.
 
Thanks Northerner.

I had higher ketones earlier in the week with lower BMs. My body is just completely up the wall. In fact I had a BM of 9 and ++++ ketones at one point. The DSN said it may have been fasting ketones. So all in all its been a pretty yucky week.
 
margie said:
Thanks Northerner.

I had higher ketones earlier in the week with lower BMs. My body is just completely up the wall. In fact I had a BM of 9 and ++++ ketones at one point. The DSN said it may have been fasting ketones. So all in all its been a pretty yucky week.
Click to expand...

High ketones and low(er) levels shouldn't be a concern, especially if you've not been eating well due to the illness. Ketones need insulin so the body can clear them, so your levels of insulin must have been sufficient earlier in the week. I've only been diagnosed for less than 2 years and have not yet experienced any serious infection (touch wood!), but I'm sure I would be just as scared and frustrated as you have been at those horrid numbers! It really brings it home just how hard the body has to work when fighting illness - something I took for granted before diabetes, now it frightens me if someone sneezes in my general vicinity!😱
 
I feel a bit like I am a ketone yoyo at the moment. Have just taken some extra insulin and the ketones are on the way down. If only I could keep them there .......

It must be some mega infection I have - as I have had diabetes for years and no infection has ever effected me like this.
 
I hope you feel better soon. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself and you are doing all the right things. Sometimes being ill is scary, but we do get better.
 
Thanks Caroline. I think the scariest thing is in the 14 years I have had diabetes I have never had so much trouble controlling things.

I hope things are settling down - I keep thinking they have then they flare up. One day I will be right ....
 
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