stomach bug and control

[Joules]

I am finding controlling my blood sugars crazy whilst having a stomach bug, where there seems to be a huge delay in getting sugar into my blood stream.

I basically had a stomach bug or food poisoning over the last 2 days. It started on Thursday evening where I had some insulin to counteract some chips (10u). However, once eaten the chips down the pub in nottinghill - I was really sick, so they weren't digested and the insulin continued to work. This lead to really low blood sugar. In between vomiting I forced hypostop in; though that made me more sick eventually. Also tried honey and lucozade, which stayed in longer. However, my blood sugar stayed at 2.2, then went up to 2.7 then back down again to 2.2!?
This went on for 3 hours.

I thought I had better call for an ambulance, though whilst talking to them my sugar finally went up to 3.3. Quite strange really and unsure why, thought that maybe it made me feel more relaxed which allowed the food to be digested?

It was 1am and managed to get some sleep. I woke up at 6am and tested my blood and it was 18. Took 4u to reduced it by 12, though when I woke at 9am found it was still 18!

Lastnight i felt a lot better, though had a low blood sugar of 4 at 8pm. I thought to eat some kettle chips with reduced salt, and 4 lucozade tablets and to take 12u of insulin (20mins later) as I am on a ratio of 2u=10g. The kettlechips were 75g of carbs, so thought that the sugars would raise with a little less insulin and the tablets. However, my Blood sugar went down to 1.4, I ate a whole pack of glucose tablets as they were not showing any effect with in 25mins, which was weird. I then got some lucozade which took an hr to go to my blood stream. So, why such a delay? Went to sleep at 11 after and my blood was 5.2. woke up at 6am, blood sugar 18. Took 4u in assumption to reduce the sugars by 12. woke up at 9am to find my sugars at 27!!
Got to be really careful now.

Just wondering what on earth happens to the stomach when sick?
2

 

[Northerner]

Hi Joules, very sorry to hear about the problems you have been having I was recently very ill and very worried about what I would do if hypo because I couldn't keep anything down. As I couldn't eat anything my insulin was just in the form of small and very cautious corrections, and whenever possible I sipped lucozade to try and keep the ketones down - I didn't inject anything for the lucozade, just waited until I was sure the sugar was absorbed, then did another correction.

It sounds like your whole digestive system had gone to pot. I believe that the carbs are largely absorbed via the intestines, so perhaps your digestion was significantly slowed by the illness resulting in the insulin peaking too early for the food, causing lows, then the food digesting, causing highs.

 

[Redkite]

Hi Joules,

Tummy bugs are a nightmare with type 1 (having a son diagnosed at age 4, as you can imagine I've had plenty of experience dealing with them!). Do you have any blood ketone strips, as you really need to keep an eye on your ketone levels with this type of illness. It is possible to have low/hypo BG levels and high ketones, which if you can't quickly resolve at home would need hospital admission.

Generally, during the illness, you need to test frequently and if you are running on the low side, take in regular small amounts of fast-acting carb with tiny amounts of insulin (to prevent ketones). We use things like sugary coke, lucozade, sugary jellies, and sweet ice lollies (all good for replacing lost fluids as well). If your levels run high, drink sugar-free fluids and take more insulin.

These type of bugs cause inflammation and damage to the gut, which can take 2-3 weeks to heal. During this time (even though your appetite may return to normal), your digestion will be much slower, so it is wise to inject after eating rather than before, otherwise the insulin will be in your system well before the food turns up as glucose in the blood, and you end up with hypos after meals and horrendous highs later on! I'm afraid your levels will be a bit turbulent for a couple of weeks, but hope you're feeling better. 🙂

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Chips take ages to hit the system hence your insulin worked and peaked way before the chips did.