My husband was admitted to hospital yesterday with glucose level of 10 he has an infection due to previous acute necrotic pancreatitis due to a gall stone he does not drink given up smoking done everything he has been asked to do, in hospital not eaten and his level has suddenly gone up to 20 OMG help please what to do now to help him they are checking his sugars every 6 hrs now but most likely type 3C due to the pancreatic damage
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Type 3C please
- Thread starter Cosmic
- Start date
- Status
Hi Cosmic and welcome to the forum.You are right to consider Type 3c in the light of the history of the necrotic pancreas but can you give us a more detailed timeline.
So when did he have the original pancreatic episode and do they suspect an infection of a pseudocyst or of the pancreas or related area.
If so what were the symptoms which caused him to be admitted as the BG level of 10 which is not normally excessively high but depends was it a one off check or an average and as you say he has not eaten.
Shooting up to 20 is very high and although any infection can considerably effect BG levels it is likely if is heavily diabetes related then it is likely he had some symptoms before the hospital admission so excessive thirst,weeing more, tired and possibly losing weight.
Any more info you can provide us with will be helpful.
BW
So when did he have the original pancreatic episode and do they suspect an infection of a pseudocyst or of the pancreas or related area.
If so what were the symptoms which caused him to be admitted as the BG level of 10 which is not normally excessively high but depends was it a one off check or an average and as you say he has not eaten.
Shooting up to 20 is very high and although any infection can considerably effect BG levels it is likely if is heavily diabetes related then it is likely he had some symptoms before the hospital admission so excessive thirst,weeing more, tired and possibly losing weight.
Any more info you can provide us with will be helpful.
BW
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PS There is certainly no need to panic as mine was due to a necrotising pancreas due to gallstones and I developed a pseudocyst.
The diabetes came along 18 months later and at diagnostic stage my BG levels were well in the 20s but managed to get them under control with insulin over the course of a few weeks.
The diabetes came along 18 months later and at diagnostic stage my BG levels were well in the 20s but managed to get them under control with insulin over the course of a few weeks.
soupdragon
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
Welcome @Cosmic
I have Type 3c caused by necrotising pancreatitis.
As @Wendal mentioned, it would be useful to know when the episode of necrotising pancreatitis took place.
Hoping the infection starts to resolve soon. Then it might become more obvious whether the blood sugar levels will continue to be a problem.
I have Type 3c caused by necrotising pancreatitis.
As @Wendal mentioned, it would be useful to know when the episode of necrotising pancreatitis took place.
Hoping the infection starts to resolve soon. Then it might become more obvious whether the blood sugar levels will continue to be a problem.
thanks you asked for a time line yes I know it exactly 19th July 2021 admitted to hospital in HDU moved to a ward 21st July 2021 major op emergency told not to expect him to survive next 3 weeks in ITU then HDU then ward for next 12 weeks
From then he has managed to gain weight after losing over 4 stone and so poorly now recently at gym and doing well until this sudden infection which has resulted in hospital admission and for some reason a huge surge in gluose levels
From then he has managed to gain weight after losing over 4 stone and so poorly now recently at gym and doing well until this sudden infection which has resulted in hospital admission and for some reason a huge surge in gluose levels
soupdragon
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
Thanks for that information about dates @Cosmic.
It"s a hard recovery and it's unfortunate that he has this setback.
Hopefully they can get on top of the infection soon and then will be able to see what the situation is with his blood glucose going forward.
It's good that they are mentioningType 3c. If he becomes diabetic after the infection is resolved it is important that he is classified correctly in case access to diabetes technology is needed in the future.
I've been treated with insulin from the start but that is not the case for all 3cs.
Hoping that he is soon feeling much better and it becomes clear about what is happening going forward.
Best wishes to you both.
Do keep us updated and let us know if you have any questions.
It"s a hard recovery and it's unfortunate that he has this setback.
Hopefully they can get on top of the infection soon and then will be able to see what the situation is with his blood glucose going forward.
It's good that they are mentioningType 3c. If he becomes diabetic after the infection is resolved it is important that he is classified correctly in case access to diabetes technology is needed in the future.
I've been treated with insulin from the start but that is not the case for all 3cs.
Hoping that he is soon feeling much better and it becomes clear about what is happening going forward.
Best wishes to you both.
Do keep us updated and let us know if you have any questions.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sorry to hear your husband’s diabetes has thrown such a major strop and caused him so much hassle
Glad he is in hospital, and being closely monitored. I guess they have started him on insulin to bring his levels down? It can feel a bit scary and overwhelming in the beginning, but insulin is a brilliant, flexible and adaptable treatment option where the pancreas has become damaged.
Do you know if he is also taking Creon at this stage?
thank you it helps to know not alone
no insulin as yet just every 6hrs sugar tests yes he is having creon that is when we can get it his gallstone induced necrotic pancreatitis was 2021Sorry to hear your husband’s diabetes has thrown such a major strop and caused him so much hassle
Glad he is in hospital, and being closely monitored. I guess they have started him on insulin to bring his levels down? It can feel a bit scary and overwhelming in the beginning, but insulin is a brilliant, flexible and adaptable treatment option where the pancreas has become damaged.
Do you know if he is also taking Creon at this stage?
Thanks Cosmic.The timeline certainly fits in with a Type 3c diabetes diagnosis but as Soup dragon said let us see what the hospital does to get the infection under control ( presume an IV antibiotic and followed up by a short course of Antibiotics which should get it under control pretty quickly.
Then they will see what the BG level is without the added complication of infection and they will progress the “ diabetes” question from there.
I was put on insulin straight away and given your husbands history I suspect that he will require insulin if diabetes is the issue as his pancreas is likely to be too damaged to be producing enough insulin for something like Metaformin alone to be sufficient,
Insulin is produced by the Beta cells in the pancreas but there is also likely to be damage to the Alpha cells which produce Glucagon which normally kicks in when the BG comes down so the diabetes can be more brittle.
You also have the added dimension of Creon and how that effects digestion however I have found I can get very good control of my diabetes and live pretty much a normal life.
Then they will see what the BG level is without the added complication of infection and they will progress the “ diabetes” question from there.
I was put on insulin straight away and given your husbands history I suspect that he will require insulin if diabetes is the issue as his pancreas is likely to be too damaged to be producing enough insulin for something like Metaformin alone to be sufficient,
Insulin is produced by the Beta cells in the pancreas but there is also likely to be damage to the Alpha cells which produce Glucagon which normally kicks in when the BG comes down so the diabetes can be more brittle.
You also have the added dimension of Creon and how that effects digestion however I have found I can get very good control of my diabetes and live pretty much a normal life.
Thanks all, the infection is in the tail of his pancreas and may well have to have more surgery unless the antibiotics sort it out. A Diabetic nurse came to see him unfortunately I was not there at the time but apparently he will be having Insulin
Hi Cosmic,Thanks for info and hope the antibiotics sort it out.The endocrine cells are more likely to be located closer to the tail of the pancreas so any infection would be anticipated to more likely effect BG levels.
djdave
Active Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hi @Cosmic and welcome to the forum. Your hubby is definitely not alone with having BG issues years after the necrotic pancy! I went through the same back in Feb 2019 and almost 5 years later I was diagnosed with diabetes! I have found, like @Wendal the creon seems to aid in my balancing of how much insulin I need. Mine was around 23 when I was diagnosed, but I'm managing well with creon & insulin before every meal. It takes a short while getting used to the idea!
The turning point for me was when they gave me my first Libre 2 CMG because I could see what foods did what.
Wishing you and you hubby all the best from the rest of us 3c mob!
The turning point for me was when they gave me my first Libre 2 CMG because I could see what foods did what.
Wishing you and you hubby all the best from the rest of us 3c mob!
Thanks we just now getting our heads around it all re the diabetes and insulin we would just like someone to sit with us and explain re diet etc. What is a Libre 2 CMG please? We are not being given any information, at the moment he is being treated in the corridor of the
We have booked the holiday of a lifetime for 6.5 weeks in Australia to visit my son now concerned if its going to be OK to go its not until later in the year so hopefully we can get sorted by then.
We have booked the holiday of a lifetime for 6.5 weeks in Australia to visit my son now concerned if its going to be OK to go its not until later in the year so hopefully we can get sorted by then.
djdave
Active Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sorry, that should have been CGM, typo... Libre 2 CGM is a 'constant glucose monitoring' device we can wear which will keep a fairly close eye on the blood glucose level. It does not measure the actual BG level but reports what is happening in the interstitial tissue rather than in the blood like a finger prick would - hence there is several minutes delay in reporting what goes on. There are quite a few threads on the CGM devices under the pumping and technology forum. It should give you a better idea of what happens to BG levels after consuming various foods.
I suggested the Libre 2 system because that is what I can get on prescription in UK, and since I'm over 60 I get them for free now too along with insulin pens, needles and the like. You can get a free trial from Abbotts directly if you cannot get on prescription immediately.
Once you get used to the monitoring of BG levels and insulin and what foods are best to not 'spike' your BG levels, going on holiday should not be an issue. There are a few threads here in the forums about travelling with diabetes/insulin/CGMs so have a read when things settle down.
The most important thing in my view is getting to grips with carb intake and insulin levels.
Oh, and the levels will probably change over time. Upon diagnosis I was started with 6 units of fast acting insulin before meals as well as overnight 10 units of slow acting insulin (standard levels most people get started on). They estimate/guesstimate roughly 1 unit per 10 grams of carbs. Mine topped at 1 unit per 5g carbs and has now gone back down (1u per 9g) since my pancreas has decided to contribute once again after 2 months of insulin use. This is where the CGM helps so much because you get a much better picture of what is happening and lessens the stress of worrying about BG going high or low without knowing.
I think on a whole we love sharing our experiences here, so keep on asking questions and the lovely people here will give honest answers quickly!
I suggested the Libre 2 system because that is what I can get on prescription in UK, and since I'm over 60 I get them for free now too along with insulin pens, needles and the like. You can get a free trial from Abbotts directly if you cannot get on prescription immediately.
Once you get used to the monitoring of BG levels and insulin and what foods are best to not 'spike' your BG levels, going on holiday should not be an issue. There are a few threads here in the forums about travelling with diabetes/insulin/CGMs so have a read when things settle down.
The most important thing in my view is getting to grips with carb intake and insulin levels.
Oh, and the levels will probably change over time. Upon diagnosis I was started with 6 units of fast acting insulin before meals as well as overnight 10 units of slow acting insulin (standard levels most people get started on). They estimate/guesstimate roughly 1 unit per 10 grams of carbs. Mine topped at 1 unit per 5g carbs and has now gone back down (1u per 9g) since my pancreas has decided to contribute once again after 2 months of insulin use. This is where the CGM helps so much because you get a much better picture of what is happening and lessens the stress of worrying about BG going high or low without knowing.
I think on a whole we love sharing our experiences here, so keep on asking questions and the lovely people here will give honest answers quickly!
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Just to clarify for anyone else. You don’t need to be over 60 to get free prescriptions if diabetic in England. If you’re on medication for the diabetes then you apply for an exemption card and that then covers the medication cost until it expires. You have to apply for a new one at that point. Once old enough, everything is still free but because of age.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
....... and it's all prescription costs - a thing that I queried in 1972 ish since I couldn't see that eg my period problem or athlete's foot were side effects of my pancreas not working right, BUT my GP replied OK, you might think that - but medical science can't prove they weren't! (and bearing in mind he was well over 6ft with a rugger playing physique, which is exactly what he also regularly did to keep fit in those days - this 22 year old lightweight 5ft 2 and a bit lady wasn't arguing with that assessment) and PS such a gentle man, as well as a gentleman.
Proud to be erratic
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hello @Cosmic and a late Welcome from me to you and your husband.
It can all seem very confusing and thus stressful to both of you but while you are directly under Hospital care there is a good rationale to wait and see what the immediate treatments achieve.
Concerning diet there are 2 reasons to wait: 1. hospital food (clearly stupidly and blatantly wrong) pretty well universally in England does not provide satisfactorily for those people who have diabetes and who don't have insulin to mitigate. 2. Also right now too much tinkering with your husband's diet, without the direct involvement of those trying to assess his progress from whatever medications he is receiving will be distorting that assessment. Once there is a clear diagnosis and a consequent treatment path the members of this forum will be sure to share their experiences of how they manage.
In its simplest form you don't even know for certain that he will be diagnosed as insulin dependent; if he is then the general guidance is usually to eat as normal and use the insulin to keep one's BG in a reasonable range. But even that is not straightforward until you know what insulins he will be prescribed. Once that is all known we forum members can match our experiences to your husband's specific needs if you still need help
The other thing is the importance of getting the correct diagnosis of the Type of Diabetes. Again wrongly, but a reality, there can be a large degree of difference and options in treatment paths for T3c from T2 - particularly for Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM). Libre 2 is the usual 1st choice of CGM by Health Care Professional (HCPs), there are others. CGM is rarely prescribed for T2s (in accordance with the NICE Guidelines); a Hospital diagnosis has more freedom to include CGM in a prescription than a GP. If your husband is finally diagnosed as T3c AND also insulin dependent (not all T3cs are insulin dependent) then your husband should press for CGM as well. Hospital endorsement of that makes it a fair certainty for the foreseeable future. That will make the whole business of managing this prospective diabetes so much easier.
That said, before CGM existed, insulin dependent diabetics managed because they had to and there are very many on this forum who are here and able to tell you so. I spent a year on insulin before I was given a CGM and one huge advantage has been that I am totally confident about coping from finger pricking only when my CGM goes wrong. But having CGM makes life so very much better / easier and it did for me) make a big difference in getting better BG management. But I also wasn't getting decent advice; my then DSN was a delightful and reassuring person - but she did not understand the complexity of my T3c needs. I now come under a different Hospital team, who are superb.
Anyway once your husband has some certainty about the diagnosis and way forward it's easier to not try to 2nd guess right now.
It can all seem very confusing and thus stressful to both of you but while you are directly under Hospital care there is a good rationale to wait and see what the immediate treatments achieve.
Concerning diet there are 2 reasons to wait: 1. hospital food (clearly stupidly and blatantly wrong) pretty well universally in England does not provide satisfactorily for those people who have diabetes and who don't have insulin to mitigate. 2. Also right now too much tinkering with your husband's diet, without the direct involvement of those trying to assess his progress from whatever medications he is receiving will be distorting that assessment. Once there is a clear diagnosis and a consequent treatment path the members of this forum will be sure to share their experiences of how they manage.
In its simplest form you don't even know for certain that he will be diagnosed as insulin dependent; if he is then the general guidance is usually to eat as normal and use the insulin to keep one's BG in a reasonable range. But even that is not straightforward until you know what insulins he will be prescribed. Once that is all known we forum members can match our experiences to your husband's specific needs if you still need help
The other thing is the importance of getting the correct diagnosis of the Type of Diabetes. Again wrongly, but a reality, there can be a large degree of difference and options in treatment paths for T3c from T2 - particularly for Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM). Libre 2 is the usual 1st choice of CGM by Health Care Professional (HCPs), there are others. CGM is rarely prescribed for T2s (in accordance with the NICE Guidelines); a Hospital diagnosis has more freedom to include CGM in a prescription than a GP. If your husband is finally diagnosed as T3c AND also insulin dependent (not all T3cs are insulin dependent) then your husband should press for CGM as well. Hospital endorsement of that makes it a fair certainty for the foreseeable future. That will make the whole business of managing this prospective diabetes so much easier.
That said, before CGM existed, insulin dependent diabetics managed because they had to and there are very many on this forum who are here and able to tell you so. I spent a year on insulin before I was given a CGM and one huge advantage has been that I am totally confident about coping from finger pricking only when my CGM goes wrong. But having CGM makes life so very much better / easier and it did for me) make a big difference in getting better BG management. But I also wasn't getting decent advice; my then DSN was a delightful and reassuring person - but she did not understand the complexity of my T3c needs. I now come under a different Hospital team, who are superb.
Anyway once your husband has some certainty about the diagnosis and way forward it's easier to not try to 2nd guess right now.
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