I am caring for a relative who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a year ago. She is in her eighties and also has repeated urine infections. One GP implied there was a link as the increased sugar in her urine feeds the infections. Initially after being diagnosed she saw a dietician and made some adjustments to her diet but has gone back to eating a very high sugar diet again (ie full sugar cans of fizzy juice, jelly, sugary cereal, custard, ice cream, cakes, sweets, biscuits every day). She is on medication for diabetes and all her blood tests come back fine and she has been told they are very pleased with her diabetes and she should eat whatever she likes. If this is truly the case then we (her family) don't wish to tell her otherwise and would never tell her she can't eat something. However if eating a diet lower in sugar would lessen the frequency of the urine infections then we would want her to understand this link so she could decide herself if she wants to try to adjust her diet again to stop them happening so frequently. The infections make her quite unwell, feel down and more prone to falling and injuring herself. We have accompanied her to the GP a couple of times with her consent to ask if high sugar intake increases urine infections and the GP hasn't answered the question and has been quite hostile to having another relative present at the appointment. I would be grateful if anyone has any experience or knowledge about this issue.
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Type 2 - urine infections
- Thread starter peppa_pig
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Rosiecarmel
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
High blood sugars CAN cause frequent urine infections and thrush. As she seems to be getting very ill from urine infections maybe ask her to try cutting down on sugar and see if it makes a different?
I only got diagnosed with T2 because I thought I had a UTI!
I only got diagnosed with T2 because I thought I had a UTI!
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I find the response of your relatives healthcare team quite astonishing! It's certainly true that elevated blood sugars will exacerbate any UTI, and the advice that she can 'eat anything she wants' is certainly not going to help her 
Diabetes, whatever medication you are on (even insulin) is extremely difficult to control if you have a high sugar intake - I would love to know what her blood results are, and why they are considered 'normal'. I know that, with elderly people, they advise running levels higher than they might for a younger person, partly to reduce risk of low blood sugar levels and partly because complications of diabetes can be slow to develop. However, having high or fluctuating blood sugar levels at any time can make you feel very unwell and have a big effect on your mood and general well-being, so there ought to be at least some moderation to try and achieve stable blood sugar levels.
It's hard to know what to advise without knowing the full story i.e. what her blood results are, what medication, and what her day-to-day levels are like. It might be worthwhile doing a food diary though, if possible, to monitor how much carbohydrate (not just sugar) she consumes in a normal day. Sugar and other carbs are fine in moderation, but consumed in excess means that a person is ignoring the diabetes completely and will inevitably suffer the consequences of that. Is there another GP she can see? They're not all as obstructive and ill-informed!
Diabetes, whatever medication you are on (even insulin) is extremely difficult to control if you have a high sugar intake - I would love to know what her blood results are, and why they are considered 'normal'. I know that, with elderly people, they advise running levels higher than they might for a younger person, partly to reduce risk of low blood sugar levels and partly because complications of diabetes can be slow to develop. However, having high or fluctuating blood sugar levels at any time can make you feel very unwell and have a big effect on your mood and general well-being, so there ought to be at least some moderation to try and achieve stable blood sugar levels.It's hard to know what to advise without knowing the full story i.e. what her blood results are, what medication, and what her day-to-day levels are like. It might be worthwhile doing a food diary though, if possible, to monitor how much carbohydrate (not just sugar) she consumes in a normal day. Sugar and other carbs are fine in moderation, but consumed in excess means that a person is ignoring the diabetes completely and will inevitably suffer the consequences of that. Is there another GP she can see? They're not all as obstructive and ill-informed!
Thanks for your comments. After the last infection during which she fell down the stairs in the night (thankfully with nothing worse than concussion) my mum asked the GP as he was leaving the house about sugar contributing to the urine infections and mentioned that she'd found out our relative had been eating donuts among other things. The GP said he'd check her records and get back to us. He then sent a letter saying:
"After your diagnosis the blood results were only just into the diabetic range. The long term control you have had since has been perfect and it makes it look as though the diabetes has disappeared (although it hasn't). The discussion, therefore, about whether or not you are allowed a donut, seems to me to be not very important and I think it is fine for you to carry on exactly as you are, possibly with a few more donuts, if that is what you really like. I haven't organised a dietician at this point. I trust this is satisfactory."
Needless to say our relative is highly delighted that this letter from the dr tells her to eat more donuts. We had planned to speak to her about the link with sugar and give her more information about food swaps for low sugar alternatives should she wish to buy them but feel uncertain how to give further information when we are contradicting what the dr has said. It's hard to know if it's a good idea to persuade her to see another GP when she won't understand why we are concerned - as far as she knows the care she is getting is "perfect".
"After your diagnosis the blood results were only just into the diabetic range. The long term control you have had since has been perfect and it makes it look as though the diabetes has disappeared (although it hasn't). The discussion, therefore, about whether or not you are allowed a donut, seems to me to be not very important and I think it is fine for you to carry on exactly as you are, possibly with a few more donuts, if that is what you really like. I haven't organised a dietician at this point. I trust this is satisfactory."
Needless to say our relative is highly delighted that this letter from the dr tells her to eat more donuts. We had planned to speak to her about the link with sugar and give her more information about food swaps for low sugar alternatives should she wish to buy them but feel uncertain how to give further information when we are contradicting what the dr has said. It's hard to know if it's a good idea to persuade her to see another GP when she won't understand why we are concerned - as far as she knows the care she is getting is "perfect".
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's a very difficult situation She may indeed be able to cope with more sugar than some diabetics as it's a very individual thing, but actually encouraging her to eat more is, in my opinion, irresponsible. Her overall results may be acceptable, but I wouldn't be surprised if her blood sugar levels were spiking up and dropping swiftly down several times a day - even non-diabetics suffer from the 'sugar rush' and consequent low. Sugar is addictive because of the high you initially get from it, but there's no need for it to be a major feature of the diet - there are much more tasty and enjoyable things to eat! I would suggest getting her to test her blood sugar levels before and after eating, but I can imagine that this would be quite difficult to persuade her to do.
She may indeed be able to cope with more sugar than some diabetics as it's a very individual thing, but actually encouraging her to eat more is, in my opinion, irresponsible. Her overall results may be acceptable, but I wouldn't be surprised if her blood sugar levels were spiking up and dropping swiftly down several times a day - even non-diabetics suffer from the 'sugar rush' and consequent low. Sugar is addictive because of the high you initially get from it, but there's no need for it to be a major feature of the diet - there are much more tasty and enjoyable things to eat! I would suggest getting her to test her blood sugar levels before and after eating, but I can imagine that this would be quite difficult to persuade her to do.Worcester_Matt
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
A doctor even jokingly suggesting that an elderly person with diabetes and a history of UTIs leading to falls eats more donuts is both bizarre and potentially dangerous! This does sound like an incredibly difficult situation. Unless your relative is so unwell that she would require someone to act on her behalf, no one can force her to see a different doctor or do anything she doesn't want to do.
How frequent are her infections? It sounds like the doctor is a write-off, and he won't be any help in trying to persuade your relative to change their diet. Could it be worth trying to focus directly on the UTIs rather than the diabetes as a reason for her to change her diet? This might be something of an old wive's tale, but I'm sure I've read frequently that natural yoghurt is good for treating/preventing things like thrush, so maybe instead of focusing on "don't eat X", it might be worthwhile suggesting she adds different things to her diet to make it generally more healthy and varied?
While it's obviously going to be distressing for you to see her regularly ill and the potential hazards that come from UTIs, there is obviously the element of her own autonomy to think about. Although the doctor's approach seems to be incredibly wrong, perhaps the underlying point is correct, which is that your relative has the right to do and eat whatever they want, even if it harms their health? Probably not what you want to hear, but it makes for a very difficult situation.
How frequent are her infections? It sounds like the doctor is a write-off, and he won't be any help in trying to persuade your relative to change their diet. Could it be worth trying to focus directly on the UTIs rather than the diabetes as a reason for her to change her diet? This might be something of an old wive's tale, but I'm sure I've read frequently that natural yoghurt is good for treating/preventing things like thrush, so maybe instead of focusing on "don't eat X", it might be worthwhile suggesting she adds different things to her diet to make it generally more healthy and varied?
While it's obviously going to be distressing for you to see her regularly ill and the potential hazards that come from UTIs, there is obviously the element of her own autonomy to think about. Although the doctor's approach seems to be incredibly wrong, perhaps the underlying point is correct, which is that your relative has the right to do and eat whatever they want, even if it harms their health? Probably not what you want to hear, but it makes for a very difficult situation.
I was told the higher your sugar levels are the greater the chance of getting UTIs and yeast infections, the extra sugar gives the bugs something to feed on. This is a difficult one as from experience our more adult (older) members do not like to be told what they can and can't eat.
As for the doctors hostility towards someone else being there, if the patient is agreeable to it I'm not sure there is a lot the doctor can do but take advice. My doctor is an idiot but if he has to do an intimate examination he always asks if a receptionist or nurse is present as it covers him and the patient.
As for the doctors hostility towards someone else being there, if the patient is agreeable to it I'm not sure there is a lot the doctor can do but take advice. My doctor is an idiot but if he has to do an intimate examination he always asks if a receptionist or nurse is present as it covers him and the patient.
A case in point is that my Dad went walkies one night when he was with my sister. He had no idea where he was or why he was out when he was found. Very distressing for him. He was diagnosed with a UTI.
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