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Bg all over the place

juliekem

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Location
Nottingham, England
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been low carbing very successfully - indeed, I was recently able to post my success in having my gp reduce my metformin! However, since just before the new year I have had a cold and then developed a dreaful chesty cough. I am still eating low carb but my blood test results are very high. This morning I have just tested and had a result of 10.1!!! It has been hovering around 8 and 9 for the last two weeks. I cannot understand why coughing up loads of phlegm should have this effect on my bg levels. I am not going out much due to the cough and not sleeping either (cough worse at night.) I am taking a sugar free expectorant...............
 
When you are ill, in a non-diabetic person, your body produces extra glucose to help fight the illness. As a diabetic, it does the same, but you aren't able to regulate it in the same way, hence the increase in levels. That's what is happening to you.

As a T1, I would just take extra insulin. As a T2, I'm not sure what the advice is.
 
Back to the GP ... you need (as I did last winter) some extra strength antibiotics to knock this on its head. No big deal
 
Mike D said:
Back to the GP ... you need (as I did last winter) some extra strength antibiotics to knock this on its head. No big deal
Click to expand...

In UK, antibiotics will (should) usually , oonly be prescribed where the phlegm is "colourful" or where there are significant chest noises. Colourless phlegm is usually left to work it's way out naturally. The "colour" (usually greenish,.................... - TMI) is usually considered the sign of a bacterial infection.
 
And even then some patients (ie me) are left to struggle to get over the infection without antibiotics because 'they' are trying to cut down on antibiotic use.
 
Odd AB My doc insisted I needed something extra but only after he knew I'd spent four days in bed
 
zand said:
And even then some patients (ie me) are left to struggle to get over the infection without antibiotics because 'they' are trying to cut down on antibiotic use.
Click to expand...
 
Mike D said:
Odd AB My doc insisted I needed something extra but only after he knew I'd spent four days in bed
Click to expand...

Oh, they always ask the colour question here, if they don't see any evidence. No colour = treatment of "keep it until it gets better".

Thankfully, I find Mother Nature to be very clever, but sometimes not clever enough. I think I've only had antibiotics once in the last 15 years - which was for a nasty chest infection, made worse by long haul flying, twice, during it's earlyish days. I judged my medical needs very badly in that instance, and ended up quite poorly due to being stubborn, and an element I might not be passed fit to fly, if I had gone to the quack.

Bonkers, moi?

Sometimes. .
 
I managed to get to see the nurse (who can prescribe antibiotics) but despite my colourful descriptions of my phlegm and even a dramatic performance of a coughing fit, i was advised to go home, continue with the expectorant and possibly inhale steam. No antibiotics. I feel like S**t and told her so but no joy. She said the illness was lasting about 4 weeks! In addition I was told that a bg of 10 was high but in the normal range and nothing to worry about. This is despite me telling her about my last Hba1c result!
 
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