need to bring down sugar quickly

brenda333

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi
my mom is a brittle. All day yesterday she started at 8 am at 400.... noon at 320, dinner at 500 before bed 300. No ketones yet in urine. Is this critical or can she continue trying to get it down at home? Any suggestions to help get it down?
Thanks
brenda
 

jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
you need to contact a Dr or HCP
I saw she is on insulin..do you have sick day rules?
what normally happens is that the high BG is corrected by a fast acting insulin..the HCP can advise the correction insulin to BG level..1 unit reduces the BG reading by x amount

this won't help for now, but read it later..it may give you a background understanding for the future
http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/download/insulin_adjustment_workbook_complete.pdf
 

brenda333

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Took sugar just now over 400. Running her to hospital. Thanks for quick replies.
 
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Daibell

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12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
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Can you let us know whether she is on mixed insulin or two different insulins (basal/bolus)
 

brenda333

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Family member
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Insulin
Novo log flex pen 4-9 units 3x day...sliding scale
Lantus solostar pen 7 units bedtime regardless of sugar level

Has been admitted... might be dka..still waiting for blood tests. Thanks for everyone caring
 
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jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
your mums T2?
I'm glad she is being properly looked after. hopefully with the clear urine test before, the blood test comes back nonDKA.

ask about USA 'sick day rules'
these are in UK numbers and are no good to you, but give an example
http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=141

https://www.ispad.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/ispad_guidelines_2009_-_sick_day_management.pdf
Sick day rules flowchart
http://www.leicestershirediabetes.org.uk/uploads//documents/Type1 Sick_day_rules_InsulinV3.pdf
 

brenda333

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Jack412... i read the articles. Very informative. Blood lactate in ambulance 2.6....hospital just took more samples and also urine sample. Surgar still high300.
Please help with understanding article... said carbohydrate as
 

jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Meal replacement.. shouldn't carbs be avoided when high sugar?

I'm suggesting you ask the dr there for sick day rules to take home with you, they will be especially done for your mum and all instructions will be given..

the sick days rules I posted as "no good to you, but give an example" are for T1's
I'm guessing, but re Q,,with T1 they need to keep taking insulin and if they can't eat they can take glucose to cover the insulin taken,
 
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brenda333

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Thanks. Dr just came and talked. Will give chart with carbs and levels. Yes, my mom always has at least 4 units of novolog 100 regardles of level. Then on sliding scale if higher than 140. She was diagnosed 5 years ago type 2 but turned brittle 2 years ago and is now considered type 1. My brother was type1 since age 15 and lasted through 3 kidneys and 2 pancreas for 45 years. Last year sugar would never come down even with iv insulin and in end because of gastropernesis could no longer stabilize. That is our worry now wiyh my mom.
 

brenda333

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Yes i was just talking with dr. Need to get with her diabetic dr and get a number for how many grams she should stay below.
 

Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
As I understand it carbs are our enemy & should be avoided whether sugar is high or low.
@Paul59 Carbs are definitely our enemy if we are type 2 trying to control our diabetes with just diet and/or pills. . But for type 1s and type 2s on insulin, then different "rules" can apply and in some critical situations they actually really need those carbs.

Robbity
PS @brenda333 - I hope you mum's OK and feeling better now.
 

jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
As I understand it carbs are our enemy & should be avoided whether sugar is high or low.
T1 sick day rules also manage normal blood sugar range care, so the BG may not be always high. but high BG / ketones need insulin for a T1

T2's are a different ball game and we shouldn't eat many carbs in the first place. where a lot of T1's can.
the problem arises when the nurse tells the T2 the same diet as a T1.

I guess most T2 here would be under 100 or 150g of carb a day, I'm under 50g.
 

brenda333

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Messages
13
Type of diabetes
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Insulin
Thank you to everyone who stayed close with help and advice while my mom was running high. She ran from 350 - 512 for about 3 days then on morning i first wrote she woke up at 400 with slurred sporadic speech, extreme weakness, and very disoriented. Your advice to get her to hospital was spot on. Turns out she had an infection and was immediately given two doses of strong antibiotic through iv, along with iv fluids. After day and half in hospital level came down to low 200 and we brought her home at 10pm last night. She was given info on diet and told no more than 40 carbs per meal. Before this incident she never paid attention to carb.intake, only sugar.
I would like some feedback if anyone has thoughts or knowledge on the subject. .... the last year of my brother's life (he was juvenile diabetic type 1 as compared to my mom who is considered type 1 because of brittle diagnosis) he fought hard every day to keep sugar levels as close to low 200's as possible, but inevitably would get to where he was in hospital one week each month for iv insulin to bring levels down. This continued for year until end. My question is...when my brother would go on he was immediately put on iv insulin and usually ended up staying 5 days before levels were under control. When my mom went in just 3 days ago, they immediately did iv fluids, but never once did the doctors even talk about using iv insulin. They just treated the infection and did not seem concerned at all that sugar levels stayed high 200's - 360 while being treated . in fact i had to show them the sliding scale for number of insulin units avcording to each blood reading. It's been a year since my brother's experience, but have ideas changed about how to treat high levels? When she went in with dka in august she was treated with iv insulin whereas my brother was always treated with iv even though not dka. Any ideas?
Thanks again for this forum and all the help and concern.
 
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Robbity

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Type 2
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Brend, if your mum needs to reduce her carbs intake, then she also needs to watch out for starchy foods such as things made with flour - e.g. bread, pastry as well as the sweet things like cake or biscuits/cookies. Cereals , rice, pasta, and root vegetables such as potatoes are also high in starchy carbs. You need to get her to check on the nutritional labelling on food packaging for carbs values, and work out from this information how many carbs are in the size of portions that she eats.

Robbity
 

nigelho

Well-Known Member
Messages
227
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Novo log flex pen 4-9 units 3x day...sliding scale
Lantus solostar pen 7 units bedtime regardless of sugar level

Has been admitted... might be dka..still waiting for blood tests. Thanks for everyone caring
From what you're just posted she would be better off carb counting i.e. matching her insulin intake to the amount of carbohydrates she eats per meal. It may also be better to switch to novorapid ..The amount of insulin she's using at the moment isn't ENOUGH to march her carb intake. I use Apidra, Humulin I and also take 6 X 500mg metformin SR tablets as I very insulin resistant. Using 4-9 units at each meal doesn't allow for much Carbs. It all depends on what ratio her system is happy with. Please get her to ask her endo/nurse to teach her how to carb count and look at all food labels for the total carbs in the product .....not just sugar content. Good Luck. Oh, 7 units lantus may not be enough for her system, what is her Blood sugar readings when she wakes up in the mornings??If it's high...say above 144 then her lantus levels aren't enough. Some people find it better to split the long lasting injection by taking units at breakfast and some in the evening. I use 32-36 units Humulin I at breakfast and 32 ish around 8.00pm.
 
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