Is It The Heat?

[Braes]

For the past week my bg reading have been reading into the 20's.
Had my 3 month bg test last week and the clinic as of yesterday have put me on insulin.
When i was there I mentioned that I had a reading of 26 at the weekend, she said i should have called nhs 24, nobody told me before thats what i should have done.
Stranger still, after attending the clinic yesterday morning for my first insulin injection, my bg went off the scale(it only goes up to 27.5) it reads HI when it goes over 27.5, this morning it has has went to HI again, is it worth calling nh24 or just starve till it goes down?, I have put it down to the hot weather, and i am constantly sweating and thirsty, I have been drinking loads of water, but figures are just constantly 26+.
Just don't want spend hours waiting in the hospital to be told not to worry about it, so i have not bothered doing anything, just feel like being sick most of the time, it fades after about 4 hours without eating, and stays around 20 till i eat anything.

 

[noblehead]

With levels and symptoms like that I would seek medical help.

 

[SewK8]

Please seek medical advice ASAP. U need to get the readings down and stop the possibility of ketoacidosis.

Keep drinking water, are u confident with adjusting ur insulin? Can u put a call in to the on call DSN at ur clinic? Please get help

Kat





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[Braes]

Please seek medical advice ASAP. U need to get the readings down and stop the possibility of ketoacidosis.

Keep drinking water, are u confident with adjusting ur insulin? Can u put a call in to the on call DSN at ur clinic? Please get help

Kat





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The clinic said yesterday to call the hospital on Wednesday to get the dosage adjusted to what the reading were.
not eaten anything since 8:30 this morning, just read there its at 20, i know if i have anything it will shoot up again.
Not sure what about dose i should make the meter, i had planned on going to the beach today, not sure now, I will check it again in two hours, if it peaks again, I will call them, I thought it was some kind of hypo last night till i checked the reading.
My meter is a freestyle Lite.

 

[Andy12345]

i thought taking insulin was supposed to lower bg? you would have thought as you just started taking it, it would have a dramatic effect, good luck! hope you get it sorted out

 

[SewK8]

I can only speak from a type 1 perspective but one unit of fast acting insulin such as novo rapid lowers bg levels by 2 - 3 mlmmols.
How much are you taking?




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[Lenny3]

I would recommend getting medical advice. My DN said to get help if my BG is over 19. The heat has made my BG go up but generally only by 1 or 2 mmol.

I know its a pain sitting around hospital waiting but like others have said it could become something worse. You say you feel like your going to be sick. That to me would suggest you need medical help.

 

[Braes]

I can only speak from a type 1 perspective but one unit of fast acting insulin such as novo rapid lowers bg levels by 2 - 3 mlmmols.
How much are you taking?




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I am on 8 units, but nurse said it will get increased when i call on Wednesday to tell them my readings, cancelled the trip the beach, will give it some more time then call, its at 21 at the moment, just got a fright when it read HI like yesterday, tested it twice each time in case the strip was faulty, I knew it was'nt.
Wondering if its the heat that making it peak like it is.

 

[Diddly]

I can only speak from a type 1 perspective but one unit of fast acting insulin such as novo rapid lowers bg levels by 2 - 3 mlmmols.
How much are you taking?




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I am on 8 units, but nurse said it will get increased when i call on Wednesday to tell them my readings, cancelled the trip the beach, will give it some more time then call, its at 21 at the moment, just got a fright when it read HI like yesterday, tested it twice each time in case the strip was faulty, I knew it was'nt.
Wondering if its the heat that making it peak like it is.

Please call the out of hours doctors, they will give you the best advice for your situation. Personally if I was getting those readings I would be sat in A&E right now!

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[SimonClifford]

You get all sorts of misleading figures if you've got jam, drinks or fruit-juice on your fingers.


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[Piper1775]

I hav been getting readings like that since all this heat, I was 27.9 other day and didn't no wat to do as I'm not on insulin, am on victoza injections


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[Braes]

I am very meticulous about washing my hands before testing my blood, so its not messing with the results.
Called the diabetic centre, and they had me increase my insulin dose to 14 units, and to call on Thursday to tell them my readings, with a view to increasing till the figures come down.
Still reading high 20's, went of the scale again, which on my meter is 27.5.
Fingers are numb, and I am still concerned, how much insulin is normal?, could it be the wrong type they have me using?.
Currently on Insulatard.

 

[SimonClifford]

Insulatard takes a while to do anything. Whilst >20 is pretty poor show (type ones'd be reaching for correction doses of fast-acting right away).
Clearly there's nowhere near enough insulin for you. Starving - great idea, watch out for protein, that has some scraps of in it too. Just water for the short few days to sort yourself.
You've still got some insulin as you're type 2, so, whilst its bad to have 20+, DKA is probably unlikely.
(The moment you feel nauseous however - it's DKA, its an EMERGENCY - act accordingly, yeah, and it's hard to think straight, I know - if someone can help - even better)
Right then, sounds like you need to get to see someone ASAP to get that blood sugar lowered. Don't take "oh let's wait a day or two" for an answer - they should give you a VERY good reason not to nip over to your hospital diabetic unit & ask for help.
Good luck.
(Keep us updated when you're back!)



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[SimonClifford]

Oh and btw, quantities are very variable. I used to take 30u background a day. My DSN told me of a type 2 taking 70u a day. I've chatted with others for whom 6u has 'em flopped out & reaching for the lucozade.
No rhyme or reason to it, I'm afraid! It's different for each person (but doesn't actually vary much for yourself - bear that in mind!)


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[SimonClifford]

(Oh, and, thinking on this ... Your DSN & the GP receptionist never have taken, have never studied and are not aware of all the implications of the Hippocratic Oath.
The doctors at your A&E HAVE taken it, and DO understand it. This is why you usually can rely on far better treatment from doctors in a hospital than a random nurse in a GP's clinic.)
Mind you, if you can give 'em a run down of your symptoms "blood sugar > 20 for x days. New on insulatard. Type 2 diabetic. Feeling a bit sick. Please can I have fast-acting insulin to lower my blood glucose?"
That should set alarm bells ringing in anyone's mind.


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[Braes]

Had a call from Diabetic center today, told me to increase again, now on 20 units a day, have to call them again on monday with my readings with a view to increasing or changing the type of insulin I take.
They also mentioned that if my reading go off the meter to call nhs 24.
Hopefully the numbers will start to come down soon.

 

[SimonClifford]

Good, good. Some way to go. Take care & keep us posted.
Thanks! ;-)


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[shaz0911]

I was diagnosed with T2 in November last year, I was then very quickly put on Metformin 1000mg daily in Feb of this year. Since last week I have felt really unwell, have been sweating profusely, seem exhausted all the time. I'm drinking loads as well. I feel faint when outside or even in the house when I get really hot. Am getting blurred vision, and shakes. I have been really good with my diet, but BM's keep going up after each blood test. I'm having a review of my diabetes next week. Could it be the heat that is doing this. I work shifts, last week was a killer as I was on nightshift and couldn't sleep through the day. I work at NHS24 so am constantly asking the nurses for advice but they aren't sure if it's the heat. My gp said yesterday it could be heat exhaustion. I don't have a blood testing machine to check my bm's. Last checked by a friends machine and were sitting at 17. Can anyone please help. Can you also give me some advice on times for eating. I don't know if I'm leaving a large time frame between meals and I'm wondering if this is causing my symtpoms, especially in the morning. I had dinner last night at 5.30, and didn't eat anything again until my breakfast at 6.30 today. I started to feel unwell when I arrived at work. Felt better after a couple of hrs, now I'm startuing to feel really unwell again. Shaky, and vision blurry, not sweating so much as we have air con and I have a wee fan on my desk.

Thanking you all in advance for tour help, from a very confused (not literally) person re diabetes. My practice nurse who used to deal with me has now left my gp practice, so at a loss on what to do now.

 

[Braes]

Just a quick update, bg readings still high although not off the meter now which is a relief.
They have been increasing it by 4 units each time I call in with my readings, so as of tomorrow I will be on 32 units of insulin, nurse mentioned that if it still stays high they will move to 3 injections a day, I am assuming that would be the fast acting insulin SimonClifford mentions.
Bg Readings are hovering around 18, so a bit of a improvement I guess, numbness still in my hands and feet though.

 

[Granville]

Mine was 22.4 at 3.30am and14.6 at 8 am took 6 units at 3.30 before work been type 2 for 12 years 9 years tablets then insulin levimer and novorapid I adjust to suit me and my readings I think it's the heat as well I have never been as high before good luck


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